~Chapter Two~

Magnus stared forlornly at the spot where Alec disappeared from. Everything had been so blissfully perfect... He turned back to Kale who still lounged on the bed like he belonged there. At one time he did, but not anymore. Magnus fought the urge to pitch a fit.

"Aw. Did he have to leave already?" Kale eyed the plate of strawberries with a frown. "Don't you have any real food in this joint?"

Snapping himself a lounge chair, Magnus lowered himself to a seat. "Conjure up your own refreshments." He answered bitterly, crossing one leather clad leg over the other. "Freeloader."

"Come on man. Let it go. There is plenty more where that came from I'm sure." Kale gestured towards the empty wall.

Examining his sparkly nails, Magnus sent his fellow warlock a look. "Get on with it will you?" He wanted to get back home, curl up with Chairman Meow and think about how he was going to possibly smooth this over with Alec. "And this better be good, you cock-blocking bastard."

"It's Catarina." Kale immediately sobered. "The Clave took her, they are holding her at the Institute in London."

All mirth left Magnus's face. Dread pooled in his stomach. "When did this happen?" He demanded.

"Last night." Kale answered, "Rhys just sent me the fire message, that's why it couldn't wait until tomorrow. Says they are torturing her."

Magnus saw red. "For what purpose?"

Kale rubbed the back of his neck. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. The coven has been gathering members, the Clave got wind of it. They are trying to get information out of her. She doesn't know what's going on; she just had the bad luck of being in the middle of a job with the Inquisitor."

Magnus had to move. He stood, clenching his fists, pacing the room. Power answers his unconscious call, building in his veins. It burned a trail of fire along his skin. "Why is the Coven gathering?" he asked through clenched teeth. "I haven't received a summons."

"You wouldn't have." Kale answered calmly. "Not yet. Things are getting ready to change my glittery friend, and not in the way you might expect."

Magnus stared hard at the blue scarf still draped across the headboard of the bed, as if wishing Alec would materialize to claim it. Claim the Clave hadn't kidnapped his friend. Wasn't torturing a healer. But he knew better. He stalked past Kale and slid the garment into his fingers. He held it to his face, inhaling the scent of the blue eyed nephilim, his nerves beginning to cool.

The other warlock watched him with narrowed eyes. "Who owns your little piece of angel ass anyway?"

Draping the scarf over his neck, Magnus turned back to Kale, eyes flashing angrily. "His name is Alexander. And he lives at the New York Institute. He'd have nothing to do with this."

"Perfect." Kale got to his feet. He moved easily and almost lazily for the strength in his body and magic. "Then you won't have any issues coming with me to kick some sorry-ass Clave sons of bitches." He popped the air from his neck.

Magnus pressed the edge of the scarf to his lips. "I suppose it can't be helped, can it?"

Kale grinned. "I knew I could count on you."

Snapping his fingers, Magnus materialized himself a dashing suit of glittery red armor. Late Italian Renaissance, with beautiful filigree swirls in gold. He tied Alec's scarf around his waist as Kale created a portal. A slash of dark blue on red. Very artistic.

As they were spat out into the gloomy London night, Magnus noted they were not alone. Three warlocks stood just outside the Institute gate. Only one of them was familiar to Magnus, the black haired warlock named Rhys. Rhys was short for a man, but he made up for what he lacked in height with bulk. His scraggly long, dark hair was pulled back from his face with a tie. His dark blue eyes glinted. His demon mark was a bit of a mystery. Some swore he had tentacles that sprang from his belly or other regions. No one dared to actually look. Normally, black hair and blue eyes were Magnus's favorite combination, but he'd never been interested in Rhys. He was too foul tempered. That and he always smelt like blood and decay.

Next to Rhys stood a tall, slender blond man. His features were delicate, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin. His golden hair floated around his head, looking like a halo. Even Jace would be jealous, if he could feel such an emotion. The warlock had blood red eyes and black sclera, but had no other obvious demon markings on him. He was a beautiful creature-almost fey like, but nothing comparable to his Alec.

The third warlock was a short dark skinned woman. She had crazy brown hair that stuck out in all directions, weaved into braids. The fingers of her hands were elongated into talons. She was grinning and pointed fangs peeked out from her glossy lips. Her eyes were a hard, human looking brown.

Kale moved towards them; Magnus followed. Rhys turned to them, the long, claw like scar that took up half his face beaded with blood. It never seemed to heal. Magnus always assumed the warlock reopened the wound as some sort of penance.

The blond eyed the two of them lazily, a smirk appearing on his lips as he appraised Magnus.

Magnus winked at him. "Hello there, darling. I don't think we've met."

"This is Sage." Rhys growled, his welsh accent just as prominent as the last time Magnus saw him. Then he nodded to the woman, "And Bev."

Kale gave them both a nod. "How's it look?" He directed the question to Rhys.

Sage licked his lips and Magnus noticed his forked tongue. "The wards have holes in them that we can exploit." he purred, in a deliciously French dialect. "But there are two Nephilim guarding the main doors."

Bev snorted, using one pointed nail to scratch her head. "Mother fuckin' shadowhunters, think they so bad ass. I can take out those bitches with one hand tied behind my back."

Magnus wrinkled his nose with distaste. He never did like it when a woman cursed. It just never sounded right coming from such a delicate mouth. Of course, with the fangs and talons, there wasn't much delicate about Bev.

Kale scrubbed his hand down his face. "Do we have any idea how many shadowhunters live here now?"

There used to be five, the last time Magnus had visited. Back in the time of Will Herondale, he sighed with nostalgia. Those were troubled times as well. He shook his head of the memory of those haunted blue eyes.

"Thirteen." Rhys answered, a permanent scowl on his face. "Ten permanent and three that just came today, for the interrogation." He spat out the last word like it was poison, and Magnus had to agree.

Magnus eyed their little group with interest. He knew where Kale's powers excelled. He also knew Rhys was physically strong and dabbled in the darker part of the arts, he'd be better for hand to hand combat. But he didn't know anything of the other two warlocks. From Bev's marks, it could be assumed she was also better suited for up close and personal combat. But Sage?

The blond met his eyes with an amused smile that held a promise that under other circumstances would have perked his interest. But not anymore.

"Leave a diversion to me," Kale flexed his fingers, itching for an abuse of power. "Magnus can portal you all in. Rhys, you know where they are keeping her?"

Rhys's smile was cruel. "Oh, I know."

Kale gave Magnus a meaningful look. "Alright. Let's kick some Nephilim ass."

Magnus found he wasn't nearly as excited about this as his comrades. He never liked battle or war. But he did want to retrieve his friend. Catarina was special to him. She and Ragnor had been his traveling companions for a long time before he settled in London with Camille.

The green eyed warlock jogged away to take position hidden among some trees. Magnus felt the familiar rumbling under his feet as his friend's power began to build.

"This way." Magnus led the rest of their group to a wall. The enchantments and protections around the Institute took him a moment. He murmured through one spell after another, nullifying the wards and convincing them he had complete permission to teleport here, after all, he'd done it before. His portal shimmered into life as the ground began to shake. The quake wrenched the ground upward, tearing gates, locks, and crumbling stone. A shockwave shattered the light bulbs on the street lights causing sparks as the warlocks pushed through the portal.

Magnus knew every inch of the institute, but the place he remembered the most clearly was the library. That's where the portal dropped them. The quake continued to build. Shouts came from the hallway outside the room. An explosion shook the room and books fell from the shelves, cracks appeared in the wood.

"She's in the crypt." Rhys said, having to speak louder over the commotion.

They spilled out into the hall. Before Magnus had the chance to stop him, Rhys sprang into action, taking a startled shadowhunter by the neck and snapping it with a twitch of his fingers. Magnus blinked wide eyed as the body slid to the floor. Bev leapt over the prone body and took off after the sounds of shouting.

"You don't have to—" Magnus started to object.

"We'll take care of the Nephilim." Rhys said, meeting eyes with Sage. "Go retrieve her."

"Yes, love." Sage purred, "Do enjoy yourself."

The bloodied warlock flashed a frightening grin before taking off down the corridor after Bev. The ground shook harder, Magnus almost lost his footing.

An errant streak of lightning lit the sky from outside the window. The thunderous voice of God boomed in its wake, "RETURN CATARINA OR YOU SHALL NOT LIVE." Kale's demon mark was unusual. His natural voice reverberated for miles and miles. Loud as the voice of God.

Magnus tried to ignore the guilt, knowing of the slaughter happening further inside the institute. He did not like violence. He decided to distract himself with unrelated details. The two began their descent down the winding staircases. "So." he cleared his throat. "You and Rhys?"

Sage tilted his head. "Does that bother you?"

"No." Magnus made a face. "I just don't understand the attraction... he's a little bit..."

Sage's smile was captivating. "He's endearing, in his own right."

Magnus couldn't help but shudder, it made the blond laugh. "So have you ever seen hi-"

"Stop right there!" A voice shouted from just below them. A shadowhunter, dressed in black and armed with a glowing angelic blade guarded the door to the crypt. The ground gave another shudder, causing a shower of dust and sand on them.

"Give us Catarina back and no one else has to get hurt." Magnus raised his hand to snap but Sage put a halting hand on his arm. The blond narrowed his eyes as an amused smile graced his face.

The shadhowhunter went rigid. A mark flared and died from beneath his armor. The man fell back against the door, sword clattering to the floor. He clutched as his chest gasping in wide eyed horror as blood bubbled up through his lips. Trails of bloody tears streamed down his cheeks. He convulsed once and fell to the floor in a shower of blood.

Magnus winced as he and Sage were spattered with drops of blood. On red armor, it wouldn't be easily seen, but he'd tied Alec's scarf to him. Doubtless the man would not like the blood of his comrades on his neck, literally or figuratively. Sage used biokinesis to cause a spontaneous heart attack? Or Ebola? He would ask, but he honestly wouldn't know if he could stomach the answer. Magnus dropped his face to his hand. Perhaps next time they ought to lay some ground rules about killing needlessly. He could have merely knocked the Nephilim out.

"Coming, love?" Sage asked as he hopped down the last of the stairs, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

Magnus joined him at the foot of the stairs. He offered the deceased a look of remorse before following the blond into the crypt. Back in time, the crypt had been the Head of the Institute's private workshop. Now it was a dungeon. "Flattered as I am, you just killed a man that didn't need to have to die. Endearments aren't going help your case."

Dust rained down on them as they ran through the stairs. Cracks appeared as the stones buckled and heaved. Damn it, Kale. Couldn't he give them a few seconds between quakes? If he kept this up the whole place would collapse with them in it.

Down the corridor, they checked each cell. Cell. They'd put a healer in a dungeon cell.

Sage called from down one hallway. "I don't see here yet."

"She's better be here, the Institute won't hold up to Kale's temper long enough for us to search the whole building." Magnus kept the panic to a roiling in his stomach. Too much work to do to get upset now.

"Magnus?" A weak voice croaked from the back of a dark cell.

"Catarina!" He studied the cell lock a moment before snapping his fingers. A flash erupted but the metal was untouched. "Find the key, Sage." Magnus turned green at the thought to searching the dead Nephilim.

Catarina's long blue hair was a tangled mess. Her beautiful sun dress had been torn and bloodied. A fine point of rage sparked in Magnus's heart. There was no excuse. His magic was not tied to closely to his emotions like Kale, but power danced along his fingertips. A vehement growl and sneer, Magnus put his hand on the metal and poured his fury into it. The slag sizzled in the dirt.

She jerked against the cuffs.

"Don't worry, darling. We're getting you out of here." He reached out and smoothed the blue hair away from her face. Her eyes were cloudy and distant, but she recognized him. A small smile lifts her lips. Magnus frowned. The blessed cuffs were bad enough, but they shouldn't have reduced her to this …state. She must've been drugged.

Another tremor made Magnus swear. It pitched Catarina into his lap. Briefly he was grateful for this armor that kept the holy metal from burning his skin. Sage came over with the keys and they released her with sparks of energy and a sizzle of flesh.

Catarina collapsed into Magnus's arms. She kept mumbling something about not knowing what they wanted but Magnus shushed her. Another explosion shook the room, causing chains and unpleasant things to clang to the floor. "We have to get out of here."

Another boom sounded from somewhere above them followed by a resounding CRACK. A wave to heat prickled Magnus's skin.

"Do you smell smoke?" Sage asked, curiously cocking his head.

Magnus's eyes widened. Damn Kale! He did not just open a crack to the mantle of the earth! "Take her." He shoved Catarina into Sage's arms and summoned another portal. The room shook again, the walls starting to crumble. "Go! Go! Go!" He shouted to the blond who quickly carried the now unconscious warlock through the portal.

The two of them popped back out in the clearing. Sage curled around Catarina to protect her form the force of the portal. Kale watched the building go up in flames with glee. Rhys and Bev appeared, bloody and singed over the top of a crumbling wall. They wore identical expressions of savage joy. Sage gave Caratina to Magnus and went to join them.

"Honestly, Kale." Sage sighed. "How are we going to explain this?"

"It could have been any of you," Kale couldn't even feign innocence or dismay.

"Burn, baby, burn!" Bev cackled. "That's a beautiful sight! Take that you motherfuckers!"

"They're already dead." Magnus sat down, cradling Catarina in his lap. He checked her over carefully. Her wounds comprised of mostly the cuffs and internal bleeding that made him suddenly feel not unhappy they all died. He bathed her in a warm blue light to do what he could to ease the pain.

Kale dropped down next to him, grinning. "Just like old times!"

Swallowing hard, Magnus wouldn't look at him. He idly pet back Catarina's long blue hair.

"Hey." Kale nudged him with his knee. "What's eating you? You aren't still pissed about earlier are you? You've never had trouble getting some. Hell, Sage would do you right now."

Magnus shot him a look. "Whatever is happening with the Coven, leave me out of it." He rose to his feet, caring Catalina in his arms as if she weighed nothing. "And stay away from Alexander or you and I are going to have a problem."