Angels and Demons

Previously...

"Good to meet you. I think," she added, their handshake continuing even though it had long past the acceptable handshake time limit.

"You as well, princess," he said. She liked the way he said 'princess'. Not as if it was something to be worshiped and revered, but as a slightly mocking pet name.

"JACE!"

The ringing voice of Clary's father cut through the surreal atmosphere that surrounded the two teenagers, and Jace dropped her hand as if he hadn't realized he was still holding it.

"Well. That's my cue." He grinned, and acted as though he was tipping his hat to her though he was not wearing one. "Hope to see you around, princess."

Before Clary could respond, he had run off, his hands clasping the reigns of Valentine's horse. So instead, she grinned at his retreating figure.

I hope so, too.

Chapter 3

"A... L ... O ... Q, no! P!"

Clary was downstairs in the kitchens with Isabelle, working on her letters with her. Clary's messy handwriting covered both sides of the parchment where she had carefully, lovingly drawn out the letters of the alphabet. She had made these alphabet cards for Isabelle years ago, with carefully cut pieces of her painting paper. She had created the cards over time, so no one noticed her precious, expensive parchment missing. Ever since, Isabelle and Clary would try to steal time away from Izzy's work and Clary's duties to practice.

"Good! It's just P and Q we're working on, and only in the smaller letters," Clary beamed. She was proud of Isabelle - when she had learned her letters and how to sound them out, it had taken longer and involved more tutors and nannies in tears.

Izzy grinned. "Am I really doing well? I can recognize them and say what they sound like, but I look at a book or a recipe and it still seems like an... an alien language, or something. I can't actually read anything."

"When I learned," Maryse broke in, passing each girl a spoon filled with the rich, creamy soup whose scent filled the room, "It took me three years. I'm still learning to read those recipes - often, Anna must read them to me."

Anna, the head cook, offered them a small smile as she acknowledge that they were speaking of her, and went right back to what she was doing.

"Learning to read takes a long time," Clary explained. "I learned my letters first - both big letters and then small - and then I learned the sounds. It took me year 1 and year 2 of my lessons to lean that. Then we worked on putting the sounds together and learning what new sounds they could make... Izzy, for working a year and a half in stolen minutes while you do my hair or while you're having lunch, you're doing well. I'm so excited that you know all the sounds now, because I can show you some of my early readers. My tutors gave them to me when I was seven - they're the first things I ever read!"

Izzy squealed in excitement, and then polished off the rest of her lunch, which consisted of soup much more watery than what her mother had let them sample minutes ago and bread.

"Ok. So I still have a few minutes before Master Jocelyn said she wanted my help. Can I see them now? Oh, can I please?"

Clary grinned as well, nodding as she helped Izzy take her dirty dishes and drop them in the sink. "Sure you can."

Both girls quickly left the kitchen, slipping across the freshly polished floor as they made their way to the staircase. As Clary's toes hit the bottom of the first step, she heard a scoff of disapproval from behind her. Her head whipped around at the same time as Isabelle's, but their reactions were completely different.

Valentine stood in the hallway, arms crossed over his chest. On one side was Alec, and on his other was Jace. Both were carrying bags, though Clary could not see what was inside of them.

"Clarissa," Valenitne greeted. "Your servant, where are the two of you headed?"

"Sir," Isabelle cut in, her eyes down though a grin was still playing on her lips from the sight of her brother. "Master Jocelyn has asked for my assistance in choosing a dress for the event tonight."

Valentine's pale lips turned up in a smile. "Ah, yes. Jocelyn and I are having dinner with the Waylands tonight," he said, offering this explanation to the boys. "I will not need your assistance. I would request you use the time to get to know the grounds - I may from time to time ask you to run errands for me."

Alec offered a quick, "Yes, sir," and Jace nodded, curtly, and Clary could see that he was clasping his hands rather tightly behind his back. He was biting his lip, almost as though he wanted to say something but was holding himself back. Both boys looked ... not quite angry, but something close. Clary stared at Jace, wondering, until her father broke into her thoughts once more.

"Come, then," Valentine said, beckoning them forward with a flourish of his arm. "I, too, require assistance in preparing for tonight. Jace, prepare my horse. Alec, come with me."

The men dispersed as Clary and Isabelle bolted up the stairs, their bare feet smacking hard on the wooden steps.

"What was that about?" Isabelle asked quietly, as they slowed down on the landing of the second floor. "Alec is never that quiet or subdued."

"Jace looked really angry," Clary added, opening her door for Isabelle and showing her to the small bookshelf in the corner of her room. "Maybe they were arguing about something?"

"No," Isabelle said slowly. "No one argues with your father without ..." she paused, and then continued, her eyes not meeting Clary's. "Without receiving punishment." Clary nodded, well aware of her father's strict rules. Isabelle continued, "It looked more as if they were unhappy with something they were doing."

"Well, maybe I'll ask Jace about it later," Clary offered, rifling through her books and finally finding a small, blue booklet. She handed it to Isabelle. "I know you have to help my mom get ready and after they leave you're busy, but I could maybe find Jace out in the courtyard or on the grounds - they were ordered to explore the grounds tonight."

"Good idea!" Isabelle said, taking the book from her and flipping through the pages. "Gosh, I feel a bit like we're detectives, trying to uncover a secret."

Clary giggled, flopping down on her bed as Isabelle mouthed different sounds, trying to find the ones that fit with the letters on the page. "Yeah," she agreed. "We should have code names and everything. We'll crack the mystery of the secret work my father does in the basements, and maybe we can even figure out why he needs the help of two teenagers."

"It'll be an adventure," Izzy added, her eyes sparkling as she stood up and dusted off her skirts. "I'll meet you here tomorrow morning to see what you figure out from Jace. Oh, and can I keep this with me?" she asked, waving the early reader around in her hand.

Clary nodded, and watched as Izzy retreated from her room.

A mystery, indeed.

...

...

...

"I don't like it," Jace fumed, crossing his arms over his chest as Valentine's carriage disappeared over the horizon. "What we're doing."

"You don't have to like it," Alec snapped, running a hand over his tired eyes. "We do what we're told to do, when we're told to do it."

"I just... I feel like this could be dangerous."

Alec scoffed as the two boys turned back toward the house. "And since when have you been afraid of danger?"

Jace shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets and kicking a stray rock in the driveway. "Yeah, I like danger. But this is different. This is... this is creating dangerous things, and not knowing when and if Valentine is going to blow a gasket and use them on people."

Alec almost reproached Jace for speaking out against their master, but he couldn't find the energy. Earlier that day, Valentine had taken them aside and finally told them what their purpose was at the manor. It seemed as if they would each be in charge of helping Valentine with a different experiment - an experiment that had scarcely any details.

"I just... " Jace continued, throwing open the manor door. "It seems a little crazy to me. He was howling on about angels and demons and talking about how he wanted to recreate them. Create them, Alec. He seems unstable and dangerous, and there are far too many innocent people in this manor who could be caught in the cross-fire of his psychotic plans that it gives me the chills."

Alec nodded, his brows furrowed together as they headed toward the kitchen. "I know. I ... he's definitely the craziest of the crazies we've been forced to work for. But he feeds us, clothes us, and I haven't been subjected to a single punishment so far. So I'm hesitant to write this place off as all bad."

"Well," Jace huffed, dropping his tall frame into a small chair. Alec didn't sit, instead opting to walk over to the stove and give his mother a hug and a smile. "I didn't say it was all bad." In fact, there are many positives about being here, and the food doesn't have so much to do with it as the fiery haired princess.

Alec walked back over to him, handing him half a piece of the bread his mother had shared. "Hey," he whispered, nodding toward the women who surrounded the pots, pans, and table settings. "We probably shouldn't talk in here. Valentine said that if anyone found out... "

Jace nodded, tearing off a large piece of his bread as he stood again. "Well, I for one am going to do as Master Valentine suggested," he said, making sure to add a mocking emphasis to the word master, "And explore the grounds."

"I'm going to get some rest," Alec mumbled, once again rubbing his tired eyes. "I don't know what's come over me, but I'm bushed."

"Huh," was all that Jace responded. He felt fine. He felt more than fine. He felt like he'd slept more and better than he'd ever slept before and he wanted very much to explore. And maybe run into the princess again, a smaller part of his brain suggested. He mentally slapped that part of his brain, reminding himself that princesses were rarely worth the effort - especially if their manic father, with whom you worked very closely, found out.

Jace scoffed to himself as he exited the manor. Right. Angels and demons. And if Valentine ever caught him fooling around with his daughter, he'd be the first human experiment.

...

...

...

Dr. Bane smiled as he turned toward the squalling child. The little boy was holding his arm tightly, tears running down his cheeks as his mother fretted. "Watch this," Magnus said, winking at the boy. He reached into his multi-colored lab coat and pulled out an arrangement of plastic flowers. The boy, shocked and amazed at the impromptu magic show, squealed happily, his sore, broken arm forgotten.

"Do it again! Do it again!"

Magnus laughed. "If I do it again, you might find out my secret. But... wait! What is this?" As he held the boy's arm gently in his hand and fingered the part of the bone that was needing to be reset, he reached his other hand behind the boy's ear, digging through his hair. "HMMM!" he said loudly, tickling the boy's head as he slipped the bone back in line with the other broken half. The child hiccupped in pain, a squeak of surprise and pain leaving his lips, but Magnus was quick to distract him. "Ah ha! Look what I found!"

The boy's arm reset, Magnus now reached for a roll of plaster as he showed the boy the shiny, silver coin he'd pulled from behind the boy's ear.

"Wow..." he whispered reverently, his bright blue eyes moving up to meet Magnus's. "Are you a Wizard?"

Magnus laughed deeply. "A Warlock, but shhhh... don't tell mom."

As the boy laughed, Magnus winked at the mother. "All right! Just let me wrap your arm and you're good to go. And just imagine, Jacob, you can brag to all the other boys about how brave you were. Jumping off of the barn! Now, I suggest you don't try it again, but you have war wounds. Real wounds because you-" he tweaked the boy's nose gently "-were the bravest."

As Magnus spoke, Jacob's chest swelled with pride. He was grinning now, his tears drying. "I am brave, aren't I?"

Jacob's mother rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling, playing with the edge of her dress.

"Um... Dr. Bane?"

"Yeah?" He turned toward her, not really meeting her eyes as he went through the motions of putting the plaster on, wetting it, and wrapping it tightly. He patted it and shaped it and made sure it wasn't too tight.

"Since... well, since Jacob's father." She paused. "He passed on last year. And I can't afford to pay you all at once. Obviously, we didn't plan..."

Magnus cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Pay me a regular visit fee and we'll call it even."

Jacob's mother nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. She smiled, and breathed out shakily. "Good, good. I can do that. Thank you, Dr. Bane."

"Well, you're most welcome."

He was finishing Jacob's wrappings as his nurse poked her head through the door. "Dr. Bane? There's a young man here to see you when you finish."

"Thank you, Emma. We're almost done here." Turning his attention back to Jacob's mother, he continued, "Now, the plaster will take a while to dry. Make sure Jacob doesn't touch it or play with it for at least a couple of hours. Give him a toy or a book and have him sit until it's solid. I'd prefer overnight, but I understand boys." He winked at Jacob. "If there's any problems, discomfort, or pain, come back. Also try your very best to keep it dry when bathing."

His mother nodded, taking his free hand. Jacob had a very serious look on his face as he held his arm out in front of him, not touching his clothing. He was paying so much attention to where he was going that he almost tripped on the doorway. Oh, we'll see him again, that's for sure. Boys.

"Dr. Bane?"

The voice was deep, yet soft and timid. Magnus had never heard it before, but it sent shivers - the good kind - down his spine. He turned around in his chair, turning on his faucet and washing his hands. He paused, the soap clutched between his fingers, when he saw the face that the voice belonged to. The young man's cheeks were tinged with pink, and his eyes seemed to take in every part of the room as he walked in, unsure.

"Alec?" Magnus asked, a smile breaking out on his face. "Hello."

"Um, your nurse showed me in here. I-I'm not sure if I'm supposed to have come here, Master Valentine isn't here for me to ask if it's OK, and I don't want to get in trouble, so - "

Magnus cut him off. "Alec. When I said I hoped to see you soon, I didn't imagine it would be this soon." His heart was hammering, and his fingers shaking almost imperceptibly as he finished washing and then drying his hands. "And don't worry - all of Valentine's ... help, they are free to come see me when they need to. Valentine pays me a good fee for my services." He smiled. "What seems to be the problem?"

Alec breathed in deeply, let out his breath shakily, and dropped down into the chair by the door. "I just feel... off. Tired. Dizzy? I don't know. Maybe... I haven't been sleeping well. That could be it. I'm not sure why I'm here." He made a move to get up, but Magnus stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"If it's really lack of sleep, I can give you something to help. We can try that first. If you keep feeling this way... " He paused, sudden realization hitting him between the eyes. Wait... these were... the same symptoms as Clary? Huh. "Well, if this persists, come back and see me. For today, let's go find something to help you sleep."

Alec smiled at him, nodding and standing from his chair. As he stood, he faltered a little and Magnus offered a hand to steady him. "OK?"

Alec nodded. "I'm OK. Thanks."

Magnus nodded, and then led him to a second room filled floor to ceiling with herbal potions, leaves, plants and more modern medicines. The room smelled wonderful - a mix of herbal, medicinal, and floral all at the same time. It was a good smell, and Alec found himself breathing in deeply to take it all in.

"To sleep, to sleep, to sleep ... ah. Here we are." Magnus reached into a shelf filled small vials filled with crushed leaves. "These are wonderful. If you brew them much like your do tea and drink a cup before bed, they'll help you sleep like a baby. Some have also said that they discourage nightmares as well."

He passed the vial to Alec, their hands brushing as he did so. Alec gasped at the warm touch, his cheeks turning pink again as he clasped the vial in his hands, and Magnus smiled warmly at him. "I do hope you feel better soon, Alec. And I'm sorry that your first few days here have been ... rougher than we would like. Master Valentine is harsh - his law is hard, but it is the law - but he's good to his servants. It's a good thing you're here now, I'm sure of it. I'm glad, at the very least, that you're here."

Alec nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thank you, Dr. Bane."

"Please, call me Magnus."

"OK. Thank you, Magnus."

"You're welcome. I hope that next time I see you, it won't be under these circumstances. And I would very much like to see you again."

Alec smiled, less unsure than before. The way he smiled - his lips turning up and his eyes crinkling at the edge as they sparkled - made Magnus warm all over. I want him to smile like that all the time, he thought, and then he thought about how that was a dangerous thought have about one of Valentine's servants.

But then Alec said, "I would very much like that as well," and oh, shit, am I in deep, was Magnus's single thought.

But instead of saying anything, Magnus led Alec to the door and watched him walk down the cobblestone driveway and head back toward the Morgenstern manor.

He grinned to himself, and thought about what he would say to Clary the next time he saw her - but wait. That was a very girly thing to do. So Magnus wiped the ridiculous grin from his face and headed back inside where patients were waiting to see him, determined to be focused the rest of the day.

But who am I kidding? he thought, leading a girl with a cough into his room. I won't be focused until I can see Alec again.

Oh, he had it bad.

Woop woop! Chapter 3 finished! I LOVE me some Malec. I have dropped so, so, so many hints in this chapter and in the last. Go ahead, see if you can guess some of the plot twists coming your way! I'd be excited if someone actually did guess, though I can't say for sure if I'd confirm or deny your guesses. ;)

Also, I noticed that three of the people who review last chapter were signed in as a guest - so I couldn't send them a chapter preview, as much as I really, really wanted to! Thank you Jling, OliviaWatt7, Guest, greygirl2358, TwinkleStar35, and AnnaW14 for reviewing last chapter!

Remember, Please Review and I will send you an extended PREVIEW of CHAPTER 4! :)