Chapter 6

Clary watched with concern as Catarina gently coached Magnus out of his daze. He'd started responding to their treatment after a particularly large jolt from Madzie, which had startled them all. Even the little warlock looked concerned, but she wouldn't say what had happened during her excursion into Magnus' memory.

Catarina was perched on the end table next to Magnus' chair, her arm snaked around his shoulder and hand gripping the back of his neck to ground him. His eyes were still not tracking very well, but he had managed to acknowledge Cat a few moments previously. Clary was beginning to get antsy as they waited for the warlock to wake up. Checking her watch did little to reassure her- it had been close to an hour since they'd left Central Park, and neither she nor Dot had any idea how long the spell in the clearing would last.

Dot's concerned expression caught her eyes, her mind clearly torn, both with concern for Magnus and for the Parabatai. The warlock desperately hoped that she had been able to do enough for them to hold on. Both the warlock and the red-haired Shadowhunter were startled from their mutual concern by the voice of Magnus, softly but surely calling for them both.

The two girls looked over into the tired but clear eyes of the High Warlock of Brooklyn, recently returned to his post, but looking worse for the wear despite the reinstatement. Magnus was disheveled, to say the least, now that he had thawed enough to look less like an iceman than when they'd first arrived. His hair had none of its usual swag, his face was bare, and his clothes alternated between dull grays and blacks, like one in mourning. As for its style? It was more reminiscent of the early 2000's than Magnus would've cared to admit, had he been in his usual form.

Clary noted with some trepidation that she'd seen the haggard, haunted look that adorned Magnus's face somewhere before, and recently… She was surprised she hadn't put the two together sooner, but the red-head could've sworn that she'd seen Alec with that same deeply sorrowful expression more often than not the past few days. Something's happened between those two.

It wasn't a question, in Clary's mind, but a truth she wished she would've realized sooner.

Clary wasn't close with Alec, so when she'd heard Jace's words in the park, she'd been more than a little surprised, and disbelieving. But the way that Magnus looked right now, she was more than willing to accept that something was up. But what did that mean for Alec?

Magnus stretched out his hand towards Dot. She smiled softly and stepped forward to take it, grasping his ring-less hand with both of her own, desperate to know that Magnus was still Magnus.

"Dorothea," he said, knowingly giving her a wink. "Why are you, of all people, making such a fuss? Last time I checked, our situations were reversed, and I was pulling your lovely rear end out of a less-than-tactfully decorated faerie den, back in…" he paused, recollecting. "Back in Paris, I believe, 1923. Flapper fashion had made its way across the ocean, degrading the City of Lights with its risqué colors and ridiculous style. But my, didn't you look lovely, headband askew, feathers flying." He laughed, the sound a little forced, but Dot loved it anyway, grateful that Magnus still had his humor, if nothing else. He gave her another wink, before looking past her to Clary.

"Biscuit," he said quietly, nodding at her but keeping his hold on Dot. "Don't get me wrong, dearest, but whilst I normally adore your infinite questions and uncanny ability to remain positive at all times, Nephilim don't suit my particular tastes at the moment."

Clary moved to step closer, opening her mouth to respond, but Catarina quickly cut in with questions of her own./

"Magnus, where did you go? Did Asmodeus do this to you? I have never seen you willingly enter a memory state before- what's going on?"/

Magnus started to reply, his regard for Catarina and her obvious concern playing at his already tattered emotions. But, unwilling to admit that he'd been mooning over his former lover and risking his own life in the process in front of another Shadowhunter. Instead of replying immediately he stood, shakily, and made his way over to his potions cabinet, waving off Catarina's help with one hand./

Grabbing several unmarked bottles off of the shelf, Magnus began to mix them together before taking a breath and replying.

"Asmodeus? I haven't seen my father in days, he's probably gallivanting off somewhere, enjoying his freedom, making some more unwanted children that he'll neglect one day. He may be my father, but what kind of a father wants to spend time with his child? No, indeed, Catarina, I was merely enjoying myself, reminiscing about a time when I lived a life free of… Angelic influences. In fact, despite some… unwanted additions to the apartment, Asmodeus has been unusually helpful lately. He's the reason my magic has returned, and he's given some interesting advice- unwanted, and yet, not unhelpful in the current state of things." Magnus finished his unhelpfully vague speech as he completed his potion, and, grimacing at the smell, he quickly drank it down.

Shuddering a bit, he snapped his fingers, the blue flame between them burning strong and bright. He turned back to them, smile fixed, and said, "So you see, my dear Catarina, all is well. Magnus Bane is still Magnus Bane, charming and delightfully dressed, present state excluded, the magnificently magical High Warlock of Brooklyn." Magnus quickly snapped his fingers again, donning a more dashing look, before turning and picking up Madzie. Looking into her face however, Magnus was suddenly met with a vague sense of unease, that the young warlock somehow knew where he'd really been.

Turning back to Catarina, he jumped, startled by the closeness of the blue-skinned warlock, who had stepped up to him and was examining him closely. Magnus looked at her questioningly as she said,

"Asmodeus gave you your powers back… Just like that?" She looked at him suspiciously. "What did he ask for in return?"

"Actually, he asked for nothing. Said it was a 'fatherly gesture', of a sort. Normally, I'd be less than inclined to believe him, but you see, I'd just gotten some rather bad news and I figured I deserved a little bit of a pick-me-up."

"Uh huh," said Catarina, quietly, thinking…

Dot and Clary looked at each other, concerned, wondering where Cat was going with this. The two Parabatai in the clearing were on both of their minds and questioning Magnus about his father seemed like an odd way of re-introducing the subject of assistance to Magnus. But Madzie gave them both a look from her place in Magnus' arms, one that was somehow both concerning and reassuring at the same time.

Cat continued on- "So, you received your powers back from your father, no strings attached. And yet, as you once told me, a long time ago- I think in Peru, wasn't it, after the incident with that ridiculous parade and flying carpet? Anyway, I believe you said something along the lines of 'with a demon, there's always a price, my dear Catarina'", she said, her imitation of Magnus mockingly accurate. "'Sometimes it's your pride, sometimes it's looking like Ragnor Fell for a day. But with a greater demon, it's better to not make a deal at all, for their prices are always too high.'" She looked at him knowingly, and perhaps, a little disappointedly, as she finished.

Magnus stared at her, more than a little apprehensive about her line of questioning. After all, he'd just lost the person that meant the most to him- he already felt foolish enough, he didn't need Catarina continuing to tear at what remained of his pride./

But continue she did.

'Magnus, did it ever occur to you…" She stepped closer, causing Magnus' apprehension to rise. "Did it ever occur to you that, perhaps, someone else payed the price for your magic's return?" And not Lorenzo," she said quickly, "although, trust me on this, his pride has taken a beating. Just this morning, I spent five hours at his old apartment, turning him back into a warlock from the reptilian form he'd suddenly taken on."

Dot and Clary were shocked at this, and, looking at Magnus, it was clear from his pale expression that he hadn't expected Catarina's news and that he was clearly hoping she would stop there.

But warlocks are notoriously unlucky beings- Dot always claimed it was the universe's way of getting back at them for always trying to manipulate things their own way. And if that was the case, Magnus thought that the universe must really hate him as Cat continued.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, Alexander Lightwood willingly payed the price?" She shrugged non-committedly, but her words had a sharp edge to them, making Magnus wince. "Did it ever occur to you, oh 'magnificently magical high warlock of Brooklyn', that maybe it was a little too convenient that Asmodeus showed up when he did? How long after Alec broke your heart did it take for Asmodeus to show up, huh? And he asked for nothing in return for giving you back the thing you wanted most. The thing you wanted badly enough to ruin Alec's proposal and to make everyone around you miserable about."/

As she had gone on, Magnus had started to tremble angrily, his cat eyes glowing, but at her last sentence, he'd jerked his head up, stunned. "His whaaaaa… He… Alexander… He…" Magnus swallowed, breathing hard, unable to think. "Alexander… Was… Proposing?"

Madzie dropped from his arms and lightly ran over to Dot, who gathered her into her arms as she and Clary watched Magnus fall into a chair, breathing heavily.

Catarina knelt in front of him and gently placed her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. Her heart clenched at his devastated expression, but she knew she couldn't stop- not if Alec was going to have a chance. "The night you came home drunk, he was going to propose to you."

He stared at her, mouth opening and closing, trying to formulate a thought but unable to take in a breath.

"Magnus, it's been days," she continued, trying to hurry now that she had his attention and at least a little of his belief. "We've all been so worried about you. Ever since you got sick from Lorenzo's magic, I'd been trying to find another solution. But when I'd heard you'd gotten your magic back on your own, I knew something was up. It was only when Dot called me tonight that I put it all together. When I confronted an old acquaintance, who I knew used to channel Asmodeus a long, long time ago, she confessed that Asmodeus had returned after a Shadowhunter, of all people, had come to see her, I knew. Alec made a deal, Magnus, he's the only one who could, who had something that Asmodeus wanted. You."

Clary and Dot both looked at each other, understanding dawning as they realized that Alec had been trying to tell them the same thing. Magnus gaped at her, trying to deny what he was hearing, his head wanting to believe Catarina, but his heart in so much pain from Alec's words. The thought of his Angel, making that deal on his behalf… He wanted to believe it, Alec would do something that infuriating and his father- well, when he thought of Asmodeus, he knew it had to be true.

Magnus couldn't believe he'd been so blind, so careless. He turned his head in his hands, ruffling the black and silver spikes, and opened his mouth to reply, but as he spoke, so did Clary.

"Magnus it's true," she said quickly, assuming that Magnus was doubting Catarina, as he turned to stare at her. "By the Angel, it's true. Alec's been miserable lately, devastated. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but tonight, in the park, he- well, he was desperate to stop us from coming to get you. It was hard to understand him, he was in so much pain, but…" she didn't finish, as Magnus turned at her, grasping at her shoulders.

Stunned at himself, he let go, but, hands shaking, said, "Alexander… Why… What's happened, what's going on?"

Dot and Clary looked at each other, and as Dot began to speak, revealing, quickly the events of the previous hours, Magnus' face grew hard, his jaw set. He turned quickly from them and, gathering his strength, he began to create a portal.

As it took shape, he quickly summoned a bag full of instruments and ingredients to himself. Strapping it over his shoulder, he took Madzie's hand and felt a jolt of hope go through him. Looking down at the little warlock, he smiled, a vaguely remembered vision of her eyes and two young lovers in the rain flashing through his mind's eye.

Madzie smiled up at him and took hold of Dot's hand with her other as the five of them looked into the portal. Dot closed her eyes, thinking of the glade and its occupants, hoping that they weren't too late.

If one could've heard the prayers of another warlock that night, they would've known that they were similarly occupied, with thoughts of a raven-haired warrior and a small fire of hope for reconciliation.

They stepped through.