Author's Note: First and foremost, thank you to onesmartcookie78 for an excellent beta job. Second, I'm going to be pretty flaky this month, because I'm doing Nanowrimo and it is sucking away most of my creativity. But, I won't abandon this story, for I have great and devious plans for it. Also, I borrowed Lord Loss from the Demonata stories by Darren Shan.

Chapter 13: Magnus

Magnus absently touched the rim of his empty wine glass for luck before he peered at the cards he had been dealt through charcoaled cat eyes. One would think that being a warlock - and not just any warlock, but the most talented warlock in generations - would have lent him a touch of luck, but it hadn't. As his hands had gotten progressively worse, he had considered cheating, but then reconsidered, as it was generally unwise to cheat when playing against the undead. He pushed two pieces of silver forward on the table.

"Would you like another glass, sir?" Verity asked.

As Magnus glanced at his glass again, he noticed that solid particulates had settled at the bottom. Had he been poisoned? Is that why he felt so groggy? And much more importantly, was that why he was losing?

He smiled, not wanting to acknowledge his suspicion.

"Yes, please. Some more of the Syrrah."
"Very good, sir."

After Verity returned with a second glass and then disappeared back into the din of the party, Magnus offered a false toast to his comrades.

"I should probably accept my losses and call it a night. My guests will be disappointed if I don't make the rounds. Gentlemen." Magnus stumbled to his feet, but before he could step away from the table, Traegen stopped him.

"You aren't going anywhere, Bane."

Magnus sighed and sank back into his chair. "What do you want? You've already taken my coins, I can't imagine what else I could have to offer."

Traegen looked over at the two other vampires flanking Magnus.

"Fifteen years ago we signed the Accords. But the Shadowhunters are at war with each other, and they have not approached the Children of the Night for a new signing. The date has passed. We have waited long enough."

"What do you expect me to do about it? The Children of Lilith haven't been approached either. And as far as I am aware, neither have the Children of the Moon or the Fae. I'm content to wait for the Nephilim to finish their war before taking a rash action."

"We're not content to wait. We've been approached by Lord Loss. He wants to treaty."

Magnus shifted in his chair. Even with the drug fogging his brain, the thought of Lord Loss chilled Magnus to the marrow of his bones. "I can't speak for all of my people. But I have no intention of compromising with Lord Loss."

Traegan pulled a small round globe from his pocket and threw it into the air.
Magnus watched as it spun and spun in the air, casting rays of speckled light.
"I really had hoped you'd be reasonable. Lord Loss was very particular about recruiting you onto the team."
"What the hell is that?" Magnus asked.
"A portal of sorts, and a rather ingenious one at that. We weren't entirely sure it would make it through your wards, but clearly we didn't have a problem. Lord Loss would appreciate you grant him an audience. One of his minions will be arriving shortly to escort you to his denizen."

Magnus managed to free himself from Traegan's grasp. Although, he couldn't make it to the door, he did manage to plaster himself against a wall in the back of the room. His eyes went wide in shock as he watched a black hand ooze out of the speckles of light, and a demon outlined in slimy scales descended into the room.
"Magnus Bane," the demon hissed.

This was out of control. Magnus scrambled for a weapon, but Traegan must have emptied the room of anything useful while Magnus was distracted with the game.

"You're not taking me."

"Magnus Bane, Lord Loss has requested you attend him."

"Well, tell him I'm not interested."

The demon's forked tongue flicked in and out of a wide mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. "That is not an option. You will attend him." The demon oozed toward Magnus. And Magnus screamed. The demon raised a tentacle and the yelp seemed to be absorbed into the tentacle.
The demon shuddered in a strange throbbing ecstasy. "Your fear is a most lovely aphrodisiac."
The tentacle whipped through air and wrapped around Magnus's neck. Magnus felt all hope die as the demon dragged him towards the ball of speckled light.

XOXOXOXOXO

It all felt wrong. Izzy preferred her combat in the wide spaces of the outdoors, where she had all of nature's tools at her fingertips. A sensation of claustrophobia overwhelmed her, and to steady herself she tightened her grip on the handle of her whip as the pull of her pendent drew her up the winding steps towards the third floor. She led her brother and the other two they had picked up at the mansion's entrance. She was always taking point. Alec was useful in a fight, but there was really no question as to the identity of the true leader in the Lightwood family. Izzy liked being in control, but sometimes the responsibility overwhelmed her.

"Did you hear that?" Alec asked.

"Hear what?" Izzy, Jace and Clarissa asked in unison.

"I thought I heard a scream." Alec pointed to one of the doors set into the far wall. He moved in front of Izzy and touched the handle. He tried to pull it open, but it was firmly bolted shut. His heart was thudding hard against his ribcage, and although he wasn't sure why, he knew they had to get into that room.

"I got this," Jace said, bravado heavy in his voice. Izzy, Clarissa and Alec moved out Jace's way, and watched as he kicked down the door.

At the sight of the oozing black demon killing a young man, Izzy's whip was in the air and lancing through the demon's neck, beheading it. Jace jumped on the demon's lurching back and ran his Seraph blade through its heart, while Alec removed the demon's tentacle from around the man's neck. It seemed to take forever to free the man, as the tentacle appeared frozen in place. But finally Alec freed him. He touched the man's cheek, and watched as the man's pale green eyes fluttered open. Struck by how exotic and almost beautiful the man looked, Alec shook with the irrational desire to trace the man's lips with his fingers.

"Hey, are you alive?" Alec asked.

The man jerked under Alec's touch and gurgled out a response. "Traegan... Don't let the vampires escape..."

"There aren't any vampires here. You and that demon were alone," Alec responded.

As the other three Shadowhunters took down the demon, Clarissa edged into the room. Her eyes were drawn to a beautiful ball of light glimmering in the center of the room. It was so pretty. She reached her hand up to touch it and with no trace of a warning she disappeared.