Magnus took the lead back down the stairs and Alec followed closely behind – not enough for them to touch, but enough for the Shadowhunter to be able to catch him again if he were to fall. Although that was a comforting thought, Magnus could sense that his date was being too conscious of the distance he put between them. Alec Lightwood, he'd come to realize, was overly aware of space: he was careful about where he put his hands and what he touched; he was mindful of the way he passed from A to B and where he positioned himself in relation to other people. Magnus wanted to believe that Alec was just annoyingly polite or that this was a trait he'd adopted as a demon hunter. But he knew the truth wasn't as simple as that.
They found Jeremy a little way off from the apartment, standing on the curb and trying desperately to hail a cab. He turned at the sound of their footsteps, only to hesitate upon seeing Alec.
Magnus cleared his throat awkwardly; he hated introductions. "Alec, Jeremy. Jeremy, Alec," he said, gesturing lackadaisically between them. "Any questions? No? Good. There's no time for them anyway." As he whistled for a taxi, he heard Jeremy ask Alec if he, too, were a warlock – an innocuous question to a mundane. The Shadowhunter's response, though, was nothing more than an affronted snort and the painful silence which followed signified his aversion to elaborating on the subject.
"Not exactly," Magnus answered cautiously. The extent to Jeremy's knowledge of their world was uncertain and so Magnus knew he needed to choose his words carefully. "Alec is… a friend. Well, actually he's a little more than a friend. He's my -" But the look of alarm which Alec gave him made the word 'date' dissolve in his mouth. "Bodyguard," he finished spontaneously. "Of a sort. But let's not waste time over technicalities." Having caught the attention of a speeding cab, Magnus ushered the others towards it, trying to forget the last image of Alec's face that was now printed in his mind and trying to remind himself that it would take more than two dates for Alec to be more accepting of who he was, let alone be open about it.
As the taxi pulled up beside them, Magnus turned to Jeremy. "The East River, I gather?"
"Not directly but… Wait, how did you know?"
"Know what?" He smiled knowingly but Jeremy said nothing. "There's a reason why I'm the High Warlock of Brooklyn." Opening the car door for Alec, he added, "And your clothes reek of seaweed. I've been around and dated a lot and that smell is the reason why I've never dated your girlfriend's kind."
He slid into the cab after Alec and his eyes fell to the Shadowhunter's hand resting on the seat between them. Curved lines of black ink - markings of the Voyance rune - were visible under the fraying cuff of his shirt and Magnus considered wrapping his own hand around it. He would be incredibly discrete about the whole thing: their hands would be hidden under his coat, away from curious eyes and they would both stare out of the window, sneaking the occasional glance at the same time if they were lucky. It would be something to keep him going at least.
"You again?"
Magnus looked up to find the face of the same driver from earlier that day, looking him up and down in amusement; his trademark mustache was unmistakable and Magnus took guiltless pleasure in imagining all the ways he could reattach the straggled mass of hair sitting above his lip to his balding head after he'd ripped the hideous thing off.
"I live here," Magnus stated dryly. "It's me who should be asking you that question."
Mr. Mustache, however, disregarded the remark upon noticing Alec and his entire face lit with interest. "Hey, this must be the feller you were telling me about!"
Alec was staring through the window as if he hadn't heard a thing, yet the flush on his cheeks said otherwise.
Ignorant to the delicacy of their relationship, Mr. Mustache continued, "And where you heading? Movies, wasn't it?"
But before Magnus could retort with something witty or offensive (the latter sounded more tempting) Jeremy had slipped into the front passenger seat and requested that the driver take them to the end of the McGuinness Boulevard under the Pulaski Bridge.
"Is this feller with you, too?" Mr. Moustache asked in surprise, thrusting a thumb at Jeremy.
"Yes but don't ask questions," Magnus said as he looked for Alec's hand again and found it had retreated to his lap, out of reach. "Just drive."
The Pulaski Bridge was a means of crossing over Newton Creek, a long estuary between Brooklyn and Queens that lead onto the East River. It was used excessively for the disposal of toxic waste and the gallons of oil and raw sewage which had spilt into its waters were almost immeasurable. It was an odd place to find a girlfriend but Magnus wasn't one to judge – he'd kept company with creatures from hell dimensions before.
They drove for a while, the three of them listening to the cab driver's nonsense and only speaking when asked a question (not that they could get a word in edgeways even if they wanted to). Alec moved only once during the entire journey and that had been when Magnus started to run a ball of blue flames through his fingers out of sheer boredom. He saw him smile just before the light had extinguished from his hand; it seemed that even the simplest of magic was exhausting.
Alec looked at him as if to say, Are you sure you're okay?
Truthfully, Magnus wasn't; he needed a long bath in a room filled with candles and incense, followed by a long foot massage and about a day's worth of sleep. But he couldn't change his mind now; he had no choice but to do it. And trying wasn't an option.
Magnus tried to convey this message to Alec in one wink but, judging by the way he turned his head shyly, the Shadowhunter had clearly misinterpreted its meaning. Damn his winking.
When they finally arrived at the end of the boulevard, Alec was the first to get out of the vehicle, followed by a lethargic Magnus who asked Jeremy that he pay the cab driver enough to make him wait for their return and cover the cost of the journey home.
"This is romantic," Magnus murmured to Alec once he was standing next to him.
"You think?" The way Alec rubbed his arm made it look like he was cold but Magnus knew this wasn't the case. He looked up at him through his eyelashes, smiling.
"I know it's not exactly ideal but –"
"I don't mind." Alec's voice was earnest. "I like going on missions with you."
There were some people who might have said that to Magnus just to please him; there was nothing fun or beautiful or romantic about saving someone from a demon attack. However, when the words came from Alec, it was clear that he wasn't one of these people. And it was exactly because Alec wouldn't have thought it was fun or beautiful or romantic that Magnus knew he meant what he said. Life as a Shadowhunter was nothing of the sort. But fighting, protecting and serving justice was in their blood. It was something they all had in common and something they all enjoyed doing together.
Alec was the first Shadowhunter who said he enjoyed doing it with him. And that was what made him different from the others.
The slam of the cab door alerted them to Jeremy's readiness and they waited for him to take the lead before following.
They walked alongside the thick, concrete beams that supported the Pulaski Bridge, passing through a wired fence which had been ripped from its metal post. The carpark they'd snuck into was completely desolate, though the noise of cars crossing the bridge overhead could still be heard. It had become a lot darker since they'd left the apartment and Magnus found himself glancing over his shoulder every so often, just to be sure that no demons were stalking them.
When they reached the end of the enclosed area, Jeremy scaled up the fence effortlessly – presumably he'd done this several times before. Magnus gripped onto the metal wiring reluctantly, wondering if he had the strength to pull himself up.
"I'm right behind you," Alec reassured, as if he could read his thoughts. It was all the strength he needed
They made it over without too many problems and when Magnus landed, his feet squelched into wet earth. Considering the day that he'd had, he didn't let the feel of his toes scrunching in wet socks bother him too much. He'd been looking for an excuse to dispose of these shoes, anyway.
Alec dropped beside him with a lot more grace which would have irritated Magnus if he hadn't been a Shadowhunter he liked.
"What are we doing here?" Alec whispered to him. Aside from the distant traffic overhead, the only other noise was the gentle sloshing of water against the bank they stood on. It was too dark to see how far away the river was but Jeremy had walked on without hesitation.
"You haven't guessed?" As Magnus spoke, he was momentarily blinded by a white glow that radiated from Alec's palm. When the light dimmed, the smooth shape of a witchlight stone became visible in his hand and it illuminated the area around them.
"I have a hunch," Alec replied as they walked down the short slope to the river.
Jeremy was crouched at the water's edge, one hand skimming the surface. He splashed the water gently at first, before pushing his hand in further and swishing it back and forth. As he did, a sweet, ominous melody began to whistle past his lips and Magnus and Alec both looked at each other with disconcertion.
They waited patiently, not wanting to doubt the mundane despite his aberrant behavior.
"She's not here," Jeremy said eventually, rising slowly to his feet.
"We're standing at one of the most polluted sites in the US. I'd be surprised if we found anyone's girlfriend here," Magnus muttered.
"No, no you don't understand," he stammered as he turned to face him. "This is where we always meet. This is where I told her to wait and -" He gasped low, his eyes wide with alarm. "What if it came back? What if – what if the demon came back and b-because of me she -" Without finishing his sentence, he was already running into the water.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Magnus called out to him, scratching his head. His hair felt sticky to touch and Magnus dreaded to think about the obscenities he would find in it when he looked in the mirror later. "Don't expect us to come after you!"
But Jeremy hadn't heard him, for he'd already submerged himself entirely under the water.
"Mundies can swim, right?" Alec asked hesitantly.
"I hope so," answered Magnus, speaking with slightly more cheer in his voice than he intended. "We could always eat him if it turns out they can't." But he hurriedly declared he was joking before Alec could think for a second that he was being serious.
"How do we know if this mundane is for real?" Alec challenged, holding his hand out to the gloom before them. The glow from his witchlight reflected from the water, highlighting the ripples in its surface. "What if there's nothing down there at all?"
"I don't think a mundane could conjure such a fable, especially one as naïve as him."
"Why not? Faeries have been known to tamper with mundanes' minds for their sick amusement. It wouldn't surprise me if they were breaking the Accords again."
"Because I know love when I see it," Magnus replied calmly, watching the desperation in Alec's eyes soften as he took in his words. "And I know there is no spell, potion, nor dark magic which can make someone love someone the way Jeremy does. She exists. Trust me."
"I do," said Alec, almost like a plea. "But maybe we should go back to the Institute and -"
His voice broke off as their attention was caught by a breakthrough in the surface: Jeremy had risen from the water, carrying a lifeless form in his arms. He staggered forward, splashing noisily as he dragged his body out of the estuary.
Without finishing his sentence, Alec rushed over to help him, taking half the weight of the bundle in his arms and helping him to lower it once they had neared the bank. Magnus walked slowly toward them, already fearing the worst.
There were only a handful of memories Magnus had of mermaids. It was by no means a secret that they could be found in the East River and he could remember seeing one at a meeting for the Accords 150 years ago. From what he could remember, they were mesmerizing creatures with pearls strewn in their long tresses and tails that shimmered with iridescent scales.
What Magnus saw before him now was far from these beautiful images. Her face, though it may have once been appealing, was marred by long gashes that shone a shocking shade of red in comparison to her sickly pallor. They continued down her body, spilling blood over the string of grey pearls around her neck and the two cracked shells which cupped her breasts. But it was her tail that suffered the most damage: a gaping wound ran almost the length of it, stripping the mermaid of hundreds of tiny purple scales that weren't likely to regrow with the same beauty. That was assuming, of course, that Magnus would be able to save her.
He didn't need to look at Jeremy to know that he was crying. Nor did he need to ask him to know that his tears were the foreboding thoughts of his beloved's fate. Magnus hated seeing people cry; it pulled at his heart and distracted him from his task. On the days he'd woken up on the wrong side of the bed, tears would offend him; weeping was a sign of giving up and Magnus didn't like his ability to be doubted. Sometimes, if he'd woken up on the right side, he would offer consolation. But seeing the life he had to save before him now, Magnus knew that just looking at Jeremy would turn the mundane's worst fears into the reality that they were.
The first one is always the hardest, Magnus thought, recalling the words he'd been told long after the death of his first love, for whom he'd grieved for thirty years. Now, he couldn't even remember her face. There was a precious handful of people Magnus had fallen in love with. Though his first had been the only one to pass away, he'd cried over them all, as Jeremy did now for his love. It then came to Magnus with a wounding realization that they probably wouldn't have said the same about him. Not when they had been the ones to break his heart. And behind all the spells and calculations and probabilities that had started to formulate in his mind to save this dying Downworlder, Magnus wondered whether anyone had ever cried over the thought of losing him before.
"It's not possible to save everyone," said Magnus finally. "Even with magic."
"But you can still try!" Jeremy protested, despondent tears streaming down his face. "Please." His expression looked wretched as he stroked the mermaid's platinum blond tresses; they trailed down to her waist and were matted with seaweed and blood.
Magnus nodded wearily. "I can try."
"I should scout the area," Alec announced and he pulled out the hilt of a seraph blade from under the waistline of his jeans. "The demon could still be near."
"No, Alec," Magnus said and he was surprised by the forceful tone in which the words were said. Alec, too, it appeared, judging by the stunned look on his face. "I didn't bring you out here so that you could get hurt."
After a moment's pause, Alec replied, "I know," before pulling out the weapon fully and stalking back the way they came.
Magnus waited with a guilty heart for the sound of Alec landing on the other side of the fence before returning his attention to his patient. His mind was starting to work faster now and he began pulling back the sticky hair that clung to her body. "Jeremy, I need you to stand aside."
"But, I –"
"Unless you want me to risk killing both you and your mermaid, then I suggest you do as I say!"
Jeremy crawled back reluctantly, holding onto the ends of her tresses until they slipped through his fingers. "Amatheia." His words were choked. "Her name is Amatheia."
Barely acknowledging him, Magnus pulled out the vile he'd brought from the apartment and unscrewed the cap with his teeth. Before Jeremy could question him, he said, "To numb the pain if she wakes," and pressed the glass to the mermaid's lips. The liquid stained them yellow and soaked into the cracks.
Magnus's hands shook as he raised them above Amatheia; he was both weak and afraid that he would fail. In a way, her death would seem like his fault. Even though he hadn't been the one to take her life away, he would be the one who couldn't give it back. He was the final hope, the miracle that everyone depended on. The reason why, when death won anyway, it hurt more than if there hadn't been any hope at all. Everybody lost someone at some point in their life, no matter how cruel and unfair it was. Magnus had lost many someones; he didn't want to be the reason why somebody lost theirs.
The words of a foreign language passed freely from his lips. He spoke of demons and blood, of healing and love. And when blue fire exploded from his palms, he could hear Jeremy wailing in the distance, calling out for his Amatheia, willing her to wake up, begging her not to leave him. Every muscle in Magnus's body shook as magic was extracted through his fingertips. Even when he could taste the metallic drops of blood which dripped from his nose, he didn't stop. Even when he tried to stop, he couldn't
It was too late by then.
Blood spluttered from Magnus's mouth as a burning sensation coursed up both his arms and the spell took control of him. His mouth moved on its own accord, bellowing the incantations to rid the mermaid of demon poison. Despite the determination of his body, Magnus's mind became drowsy and in his weakened state, his thoughts flickered to Alec – the blue-eyed angel who had caught him when he fell. The memory of his touch now was like breaking through water and inhaling oxygen; recalling the warmth of his hand on his cheek was like the sensation of methamphetamine flowing through his veins, awakening and energizing every nerve in his body. And when he remembered every kiss he shared with Alec – from their first on his doorstep, to their latest on his living room floor – Magnus found himself regaining focus. His muscles still screamed and his bones felt like they would shatter at any moment but somehow, he managed to hold on for the rest of the spell, pouring every ounce of himself into it.
When at last Amatheia gasped into consciousness, his magic extinguished itself and Magnus fell into an exhausted heap on the ground.
Before he could allow himself to pass out, a slimy hand gripped his wrist. With his head lying in the grass, Magnus gazed languidly at the unfocused shape above him. It turned at the sound of something – a voice, which Magnus was too dazed to understand. He felt as if he were under water, trying to make sense of the everything that lived above the surface.
Moments later, another shape appeared. There was a hum of noise – talking, perhaps. There was relief in the voices He felt the hand on him pull; it was the only thing keeping him conscious.
If he'd been given the choice, Magnus would have lain there all night, under the stars and the distant traffic passing over the bridge. But that choice was taken away from him when he was dragged across the bank by the wrist and cold water was splashed in his face. Magnus scrunched up his eyes and nose, tasting copper in his mouth.
"I need a drink, not a bath," he muttered. When he opened his eyes again, he could see clearer: Jeremy peered down at him with an anxious expression. Beside him was the mermaid, staring at him with an odd look of fascination and suspicion. Her eyes were big, he noticed, and the same shade of coloring in her scales, like two glittering amethyst stones. Magnus could understand now why Jeremy must have been drawn to her.
"I have a Mars bar if that helps?" offered Jeremy. Though tears still clung to his cheeks, he was smiling.
Magnus rose groggily into a sitting position. His clothes were soaked and his head throbbed as if it had been hit with a baseball bat. "I'll pass." He went to stretch, only to find his arm was still being held by a hand. When he looked down at it, he discovered that their fingers were long and webbed with nails that looked sharp.
"Sorry," Amatheia said, letting go. Her voice was light and musical and settled some of the pressure in his skull. "Jeremy tells me you saved my life. No words can explain how thankful I am for what you did."
Magnus snorted. "I don't need thanks, just a strong shot of whiskey and a lot of sleep."
"Mr. Bane," Jeremy began, "I will be forever in debt for what you have done –"
"It's Magnus!" the warlock grumbled.
A short gasp escaped the mermaid. "Then Jeremy is right. You are the High Warlock of Brooklyn?"
"Is that supposed to mean something to your kind?" Magnus asked with a raised eyebrow.
Darkness clouded over Amatheia's face, dowsing the light in her eyes. "My kind are dead to me." She was supporting her body on one elbow, her tail submerged in the water behind her. The wounds were still visible on her skin but they were now closed and free of poison.
"Dare I ask why?"
Amatheia grimaced. "I was exiled. By order of the courts. Never again am I allowed to return to the East River or anywhere beyond that."
"What did you do?" Magnus asked, knowing that being part of the Fair Folk meant that she couldn't lie.
"She did nothing," answered Jeremy firmly, putting a protective arm around her as he did.
"Except fall in love," said Magnus, suddenly understanding.
"They didn't like that I was spending too much time at the surface." Amatheia winced as she shifted onto her other elbow and Jeremy helped to hold her upright. "They feared for my safety," she continued, biting her lip as she endured the lingering pain. "When they discovered I was in contact with a human, they feared for their own safety. I was given a choice. Kill him, or to face expulsion. I was a fool to think they wouldn't follow through with it."
"Your world doesn't sound so different from mine," Magnus said empathetically. "Though, you live at greater risk in these waters. I doubt that'll be the last demon to come your way."
"It tricked me," she murmured as the memory of what happened washed over her face. "It appeared in the form of Jeremy the first time and my father the second."
"Your father?" Jeremy questioned.
Amatheia nodded. "I stayed under the water, like you said. But it found me anyway. If it hadn't gotten distracted by the mundanes crossing the bridge, I…"
Jeremy wrapped his other arm around her and buried his face into her neck. Magnus wondered how he tolerated the smell of seaweed. "My love, I am so sorry."
"But it isn't your fault," she replied gently, smoothing his hair back. The connection between them was undeniable and it sent a mixture of emotions through Magnus's chest, like a hot blade searing his heart. He was envious of what they shared, angry with his past lovers for the damage they'd caused him and petrified that he might have ruined his chance with someone else, someone special and good and quite possibly his last stab at love.
"It's been lovely meeting you both, but I really need to get back," Magnus said, hoping, but not really expecting, Alec to still be waiting for him.
As he rose to his feet, Amatheia grabbed onto his ankle. "Magnus Bane, wait."
"You have one minute," he said warningly. "Make it count."
"As the High Warlock of Brooklyn, you are more powerful than any other warlock in the area. Is this so?"
"You could say that," said Magnus, too tired to be smug about the fact.
"Then you have the power to make me human."
Magnus's jaw dropped slightly. "I'm sorry?"
"I wish you to make me human. Like Jeremy."
In the silent seconds that passed, Magnus stared between Jeremy and Amatheia, trying to find any kind of excuse that would make her change her mind. But he found nothing except two aching souls that yearned to be together.
"You can't get something for nothing," Magnus said finally, wishing he had a better answer for them.
"Here," Amatheia said, untying her necklace and giving it to Magnus. "I didn't want it anyway."
"That's not what I meant," said the warlock, holding the grey pearls up to the moonlight. Just one of them was priceless. "I meant that you're asking me to perform dark magic. You're asking me to strip away the centuries that lie before you and replace them with decades. You're asking me to give you lungs and feet and probably a womb as well. In a sense, you're asking me to give you a life that you were never supposed to have." He looked at them gravely. "The riches on Earth mean nothing to the demons that live below us. They demand a different kind of payment which you may not even think to be so valuable until it's taken away from you. The price of dark magic is not something you should consider lightly."
"But what kind of life is this?" Amatheia asked despairingly. "Living in secret and loving only in the shadows? I want to grow old with Jeremy. I want to walk along the paths he walks, breathe the air the way he does. I would give anything to be human."
Magnus strung off a single pearl from the necklace before handing the rest back to Amatheia. "I'll take this as payment for today. You'll need the rest for later, if you decide to follow through with your decision. I'm not turning you into a human now. But if, once you've both really thought about it, you want to follow it through, you know where to find me."
"Thank you again, Mr – Magnus," Jeremy breathed, standing up and shaking Magnus's hand. "If there's anything I can do for you…?"
"Just one thing. Don't ask for any favors the next time I'm on a date."
"Of course," Jeremy said with a guilty smile. "He seems a loyal man. I hope he makes you happy."
"Me too," said Magnus.
As he walked away, it occurred to him that he'd never exactly stated that Alec was his date and Magnus realized he should've given Jeremy more credit - for a mundane, anyway.
A human and a Downworlder, he thought as he climbed the fence with weighted limbs and dropped heavily on the other side. One immortal, the other not. A companionship like that wasn't unusual to him; he'd dated mortals himself before. And as much as he'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with them, that had never been an option. He remembered this, every time he fell stupidly for a mortal, when he would be completely love sick and thought his heart would burst. He wondered if his immortality was something that had occurred to Alec and if it had, whether that meant anything to him. Or was Magnus simply the experiment he feared he was after all? The thought made his gut tie itself in a knot.
As he started to walk back, his head pounding with tiredness and disconsolate thoughts, the last thing he expected to see was a Shadowhunter running toward him. A Shadowhunter whose brilliant eyes could brighten even the darkest of nights.
Alec.
The sight of the him brought upon Magnus a wave of mixed emotions: joy that he hadn't abandoned him, guilt that he'd doubted he would and fear that he was falling too hard for a boy who might change his mind at any moment. But as Alec neared, Magnus could tell by his face that something was very wrong.
"Magnus, you have to –" Alec's words faltered upon reaching him. He raised a hand slowly to the warlock's face. "What happened? Is this your blood?"
The concern he saw in his eyes, however, didn't give him the same feeling it had done before; it only made the knot inside him tighten.
Taking a hold of the Shadowhunter's hand, Magnus said, "It's nothing worth worrying about. I'm fine. The mermaid is fine." He lowered their hands and let go. "You, on the other hand, look as if you just summoned the Angel Raziel by mistake."
Alec shook his head. "The cab driver," he said, and Magnus noticed his cheeks were flushed with angst. "The demon found him, Magnus. He's dead."
They hurried back to where they had left the taxi as quick as Magnus's worn-out body would let them. Alec slowed his pace to match his and Magnus briefed him on what had happened with Amatheia. He seemed glad that the Downworlder survived, something which Shadowhunters were rarely bothered about.
As they passed through the wired fencing and neared the road, Magnus noticed the cab had gone.
"I think the demon took it," said Alec, immediately answering Magnus's next question. "He must have taken off when he sensed I was coming."
"The demon can drive?" queried Magnus, pulling out a wet packet of Kleenex from the inside of his jacket and wiping the blood from his face with the soggy remains.
"Not well," Alec said, glancing at the skid marks the vehicle had left as he walked toward the lifeless form on the ground. "He left the body here."
Stuffing the tissue in a vacant pocket, Magnus joined Alec and looked down at the man who had been living and breathing just half an hour before. The demon hadn't done much - for a demon, anyway. His throat had been slit and a weak stream of blood pumped from the wound and bubbled at his lips. He lay in a puddle of scarlet liquid, most of which had poured from the stump at the end of his elbow. The cut wasn't a clean one either, as if the demon had clamped his teeth on his arm and swallowed it whole.
"A life for a life," he murmured gravely.
Alec turned a worried face to him. "What should we do? I'm supposed to inform the Head of the Institute about something like this. Now that we haven't got one, I'm expected to go to the Conclave instead. But if I do, they'll wonder why I was out in the first place and… I don't have an explanation for that."
"We're not going to do anything," Magnus decided. "It's my fault you're here. None of this is on you."
"But we can't just leave a dead mundane."
"Someone else will find him," said Magnus as he slowly walked away from the body. "There's nothing more we can do for him. The demon is gone. Jeremy and Amatheia are safe."
Alec sighed in defeat. "I shouldn't have left him here."
"How could you have known?"
"That's exactly it. I should have known." Alec pushed a hand through his hair with restrained frustration. "I was distracted."
"Distracted?" The word echoed around them as Alec's hand went still and he stared at Magnus. "Distracted by what?"
Slowly, Alec released his hand and lowered it down to his side. His eyes fell with it. "Emotions cloud judgement," he said, barely loud enough for Magnus to hear. "A Shadowhunter is ruled by his mind, not by his heart. I'd always thought I had control over that."
Suddenly understanding, Magnus took a careful step back to Alec. "In your defense, we were supposed to be having a date tonight. And if you'd stayed at home like a "good" Shadowhunter and hadn't come with me, that man would have died anyway." He barely had time to regret his words and the bitterness with which he said them before Alec responded.
"Maybe… Maybe I should have stayed at home." He lifted his chin a little higher. "But I didn't want to."
"It isn't too late to change your mind."
Alec's shoulders fell, reminding Magnus of a deflating balloon. "That's a subtle way of saying you've changed yours, right?"
"Actually," the warlock confessed, "that was a really bad way of saying, "I'm glad you didn't want to stay at home but here's a Get out of Jail Free card, just in case.""
"Oh, well, I haven't changed my mind, if that's what you mean." Alec held his gaze now, the dead man behind them apparently forgotten to him.
"Then perhaps we should head back and start over again. Take three." Sensing Alec's lingering hesitation he added, "I'll send a fire message to a warlock I know. They'll be able to deal with the body."
"Start over" Alec repeated and his smile returned. "I like that idea."
