She made it through most of her morning routine without noticing. She didn't notice when she first woke up and it didn't hurt to push herself out of the bed. She didn't notice when she brushed her teeth and there was no stifling pain. She didn't notice as she washed her hair and tried to be extra cautious as her hands ran through her hair.

She finally noticed as she was brushing her hair. It didn't hurt as her hand bent with the brush. Curious, she put the brush down and looked down at her hand.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No burns, no yellow-green festered blisters. No mark at all to signal that she had been burned by ichor.

"What the hell?" She whispered. She flexed her hand, looking at it from every angle. It was gone, completely gone. Like it had never been there.

For a few more minutes, she sat in disbelief. There was no way…

She finished brushing her hair, deciding to pull it back in one braid. She told Izzy she'd make breakfast so she figured she'd might as well start on that. Everyone tended to wake up around eight thirty or so and it was just a little past eight.

She made her way down to the kitchen. Omelets sounded good. Good and easy to make. She grabbed an apron from the rack and tied it around her waist. She pulled out all the necessary ingredients and a pan from the cabinet and got to work.

It didn't take long for her to notice someone was watching her.

His gaze seared into her, golden eyes hard with contempt. Her back was turned to him, her hands busy chopping peppers.

"Try to cut off a finger while you're at it." He commented, voice cold.

She slid the peppers into the bowl, not responding. She wiped the knife off and started to chop onions. When she was finished, she put the onions in the bowl with the peppers.

"I found something in your room." He told her.

Those six words caused her to drop the knife. The metal clanged against the tile floor, ringing in her ears. Slowly, she turned around, wiping her hands on the apron.

"You went snooping in my room." She said, honestly not surprised. "Tell me what you found that has so obviously piqued your interest."

He pulled something from his back pocket. A short-sword with three rubies on the hilt. "What's this for, anyways?"

She wrung her hands together. "It's a family heirloom. It's part of a set. My father had the longsword and my brother the other short-sword. Originally, mine didn't exist but my father couldn't imagine me not having my own family sword. So, he had it made for me."

Jace examined it, eyes surveying deeply. "It looks dangerous. You shouldn't sleep with swords under your mattress. Unless you're planning on killing us all with it."

Eliza snatched the sword from his hands and glared back at him. "Nice try. But you know, that isn't a half-bad idea. Stay out of my room." She hissed. She shoved past him and started to walk out of the kitchen. She stopped at the doorframe and turned back. "I just…I don't understand, Jace." He raised an eyebrow, prompting her to go on. "Why don't you like me?"

She waited for an answer for what seemed like an eternity before walking away, leaving the omelets to burn on the stove.

She walked into Hodge's office, slamming the door. "I need him gone." She told her follower. "He is up my ass. I can't get anything done."

Hodge's eyebrows went up. "You know how your father feels about him. He must stay."

She was conscious about the way her nose almost crinkled at the mention of her father. She knew he liked Jace. Well, enough to keep him alive. The thought made her stomach feel unsettled.

"Find a way to keep him busy then." She told him. "He doesn't trust me, and he doesn't even know my real name."

Hodge smiled knowingly at her. She asked what he was smiling about. "You know what you need to do. Make him trust you. Break him down."

Her body chilled. She had already strayed from her path enough. She knew she was betraying her father. But betraying Jace…? She didn't particularly like him but breaking him was a whole other thing. She wasn't like her father. She wasn't Jonathan.

"Do you want to succeed?" Hodge asked quietly.

"Yes." She said, half truthful. She wanted to succeed, in bringing her father down. And she was going to find the Mortal Cup. But she wasn't going to give it to him. She'd turn it over to the Clave, where it would be safe. Whatever happened to her after that, she didn't care.

"You know what you must do, then."

She worried her lip between her teeth, looking at the ground. Making him trust her was going to be hard enough. She didn't want to think about how much effort it would take to make him want her.

June

Eliza knocked on the door to his bedroom, fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket. The door opened slowly. Jace had an extremely pissed off look on his face. "God, what to do you want?" He groaned.

She made sure her eyes stayed trained on his face; not daring to let them wander to his bare torso. "Come on. We're going out." She told him firmly.

He glared back at her. "Yeah. I'm not going anywhere with you." He went to shut the door, but she stuck her foot out, holding it open. "Seriously?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, removing her foot. "Put on a shirt, Wayland. And grab a jacket. It's chilly out."

Ten minutes later, they were walking out of the Institute; Eliza nervously and Jace reluctantly. "Where are we going? Do you even have weapons?" He questioned.

She opened the fold of her jacket, revealing a stash of throwing knives and two seraph blades. "Do you trust me? Even a little bit?" She asked him. He said no quickly. She rolled her eyes. She turned the corner, Jace following behind her.

They walked for a little while longer before she stopped. Jace nearly ran into her back. They both looked at the building in front of them. A cafe called Taki's. Hodge had suggested it. He said Jace liked it there.

Jace stared at her, an amused expression on his face. "Why are we here?" He asked her.

"Breakfast?" She smiled. "I've been here for a month and you still hate me. I'm changing that today." She walked inside, him trailing behind. She picked a booth by the front window and they sat down. "So, while we're here, you can ask me anything you want and I'll answer truthfully."

Their waitress arrived. She was tall, with slim build, starch white hair that had a slight green tint, milky colored skin that almost seemed translucent and completely blue eyes. "Jace!" The waitress grinned. "Didn't think I'd see you again." The girl looked at Eliza. "And who are you?" Her blue eyes glowered, searching her features. Unmistakable pale hair and evergreen eyes.

"Eliza Starkweather."

It seemed as if the air in the café had been sucked out with a vacuum. She waited for someone to object her lie, but no one did.

The waitress's eyes flickered darkly. "What are you getting?" She asked Jace. He told her he wanted an order of hashbrowns and two BLT sandwiches. The waitress looked at Eliza with eyes of contempt. Quietly, Eliza said she would have a BLT sandwich, even though she had no clue what that was. The waitress left with a roll of her eyes and a flip of her hair.

"She doesn't like other girls." Jace told her in a surprisingly kind voice.

She bit her lip, looking down at the table. "So, what is a BLT? Did I just order something that will make me vomit?" She asked.

She swore he cracked a smile at her. Just the corner of his mouth turning up at her question. "It's a sandwich. Bacon, lettuce, tomato. Simple." He told her. She nodded in response. "You know, I've been trying to figure out how you were the only person who survived a fire that killed your entire family. So, tell me." He said, arms crossed over his chest.

She swallowed. Lies. So full of lies. "It was just two weeks after my seventeenth birthday. My brother had been at the London Institute, but he came in for my birthday. I was out of the house when it happened. My tutor, his name was Westley Hightower. He was taking me round to the demon towers around Alicante. When we returned to my home, it was ruined. The fire had burned out, leaving only charred remains and ash." She stopped just as their waitress was bringing out their food. She gave Eliza a dirty look as she walked away. "I stayed with Westley inside the city until the Clave finished sorting through the remains. They said that my mother must have accidentally left the stove on and gas leaked through the house. So, they sent me here, to Hodge. He's the last family I have left."

Jace spritzed ketchup over his fries and tossed a few in his mouth. He chewed, took a drink of water and then began talking. "Why was your brother in London?" He asked her.

She inspected her sandwich, debating how best to eat it. She looked over at him discreetly. "Our parents weren't quite right. They didn't want to remain Shadowhunters but didn't have the guts to ruin the Starkweather name. They kept to themselves and no one asked them to do anything. No one wanted to. My brother was different. Jonathan had this bright life inside of him, he lived to be a Shadowhunter. He went away to London to train with Arthur Blackthorn. John's four years older than me. He left as soon as he turned eighteen and became an active Shadowhunter. He came back every year for my birthday and Christmas." She told him. "I'm more like him than my parents cared to admit. John and I shared a love of the world that my parents hated. Especially my mother."

Her mother. Her real mother flashed in her mind. A woman she didn't quite remember. Every so often, she saw a flash of red hair, a memory of green eyes. Bits and pieces of what her mother looked like. And that was it. All she had were vague memories.

She picked up her sandwich and began to eat, ever conscious of the watching eyes in the diner. Their waitress came back, a pissed expression on her face. "You need to leave." She told Eliza. "The customers aren't comfortable with your presence."

Eliza stared back at her. "You're serious?"

The girl nodded. "I'm fey. I don't lie. Now, get out of this café before someone puts a dagger through your disgusting little eyes."

For the first time, Eliza looked around the restaurant. Every customer was a Downworlder. Werewolves, warlocks, the works. She dropped her sandwich. They all had malicious expressions patched onto their faces. She felt like she was suffocating under their glares. Surely, they didn't know who she was…

She launched out of her seat and dashed from the café, bursting out the door. And straight into someone else. She stumbled backwards, looking at the person she had just crashed in to. He was young, only a little bit older than her with dark black spiked hair, curved cat-like eyes with vertical slits. He wore silver glitter eyeshadow.

He looked down at her with an amused expression. "I'm sorry, little dove. I didn't see you running there."

Warlock. Warlock. She sucked in a shaky breath. "My apologies. I, uh, I'm sorry." She murmured.

He chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, Miss Morgenstern. I don't bite. I'm a warlock, not a vampire." He looked down at her, then through the window of the café and back down at her. She felt as if she couldn't breathe. How did he know her? "Ah, yes. People can be very cruel without saying a word. You mustn't let people tear you down, little dove. You're named after a star. Don't burn out like your father did."

Softly, he touched her cheek and glided past her. She felt like vomiting and crying all at the same time.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jace walked out of the café, shrugging his jacket on. "I got Kaelie to settle those Downworlders, so you can come back in if you want." He told her. She shook her head, hugging her arms around her body. "Right. I figured as much so I got you a doggy bag."

She turned to face him, confusion written on her face. She glanced down at the brown bag in his hand. "There isn't really a dog in there, is there?" She asked.

Another smile. Maybe things weren't so bad after all.

Jace strode into her room, hunting gear on, a seraph blade in his hand. "We're going on a hunt. Do you want to go?" He asked her, leaning against her doorframe.

She looked at him through her mirror. "You want me to go?" She asked, turning around.

He stashed his blade and folded his arms over his chest. "Offer's up in two minutes. Take it or leave it."

He was asking her to go. She was getting somewhere. Not far, but somewhere. "Give me twenty minutes." She told him. "To change and get weapons."

He said no. "We leave now. You can catch up. We'll be at Pandemonium. We heard sightings of Raum demon."

Always Pandemonium. Something about the club drew demons in. "You can't spare twenty minutes?" She asked him. His answer was a curt no. She set her mouth in a thin line. "I'll be there."

He turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing down the hall. It took her eighteen minutes to braid her hair, change clothes, bless two seraph blades and get together throwing knives and her short sword.

Unsurprisingly, Jace and Alec and Izzy had already left. She sighed before stepping out of the Institute. She was pretty sure she remembered the way to the club. It couldn't be that hard to find. There weren't many clubs like that in Manhattan.

A couple wrongs turns later and she deemed herself lost. Lost and in a pretty rough part of the city. Rough enough that she had chills on her arms and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing.

She kept her hands close to her blades as she turned in the dead-end alley and started back the other way.

It didn't take very long for her to realize she was being followed. She barely glanced back one time, just to see. Two men, tall and burly, but quiet.

"Shadowhunter, stop."

Shit. How did they know? She turned around to look at them. "Excuse me?"

The two men came closer to her. They looked slightly ragged, like they hadn't slept in days, but wore clean clothes. The taller of the two had squared shoulders, messy brown hair and glasses.

"I don't…it can't…" He murmured. "You're supposed to be dead."

She swallowed. "I believe you've mistaken me for someone else." Her hands were shaking, but her voice was even. "I've gotten myself lost. I'm new to the city and I'm meeting some friends at this club called Pandemonium. If you could just tell me how to get there…"

The man in glasses took a step towards her. "What's your name?" He asked her. He looked her up and down.

She couldn't tell him. Not her real name, anyways. "Eliza Starkweather. I really have to go."

His eyes narrowed and he ripped the hood from her head. He stumbled backwards, gasping. "Your real name. Tell me your real name." He whispered.

She took a step back. "That's my real name. I must go. My friends are expecting me."

As she took another step back, he grabbed her arm. "Tell me your name!" He shouted at her.

"What is all the commotion over here?" Someone's voice boomed from behind her.

The man dropped her arm, taking a step away. Eliza looked at her potential savior. It couldn't be…The warlock from the diner. His eyes sparked as he caught her gaze.

"Hello, little dove." He smiled. He looked at the two men. "Werewolves." He stated. "This girl is under the protection of the High Warlock of Brooklyn. My protection. Now, carry on before I get upset."

The men lingered for a few moments before turning the other way and leaving. Eliza looked at the warlock. "Thank you." She whispered, looking to the ground.

He lifted her chin so she could look at him. "Are you alright, little dove? You look frightened."

She nodded, letting her chin move from his hand. "Those were werewolves?" He said yes. "Would they have hurt me? If you hadn't have come along, I mean."

He shrugged. "Possibly. There are many rogue wolves in the city. But Luke Garroway is a good man and his pack is loyal. And Downworlders will always be cautious when they see you. They may not know your real name, but the uneasy feeling in their stomachs is quite enough for them."

A sour taste filled her mouth. Downworlders. The city was full of them. And all of them hated her. Possibly even the one in front of her.

"Don't worry, little dove. I don't hold a grudge against you. I'm quite fond of you. Now, tell me where you're going and I'll escort you." She murmured that she was trying to find Pandemonium. "Come along. I'll get you there."

He took her hand and put it through his arm, escorting her down the street.

"Why are you so nice to me? This is the second time we've met." She asked. Not that she didn't appreciate his kindness, but she also found it odd. "Also, I don't even know your name."

He smiled down at her. "Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn. It's a pleasure knowing you, Eliza Morgenstern. Or should I call you Eliza Starkweather?" He teased.

Uneasily, she smiled in return. Soon enough, he was walking her to the door of Pandemonium. "Thank you, for walking me. And for being so kind." She said. "And here, it's Starkweather. I don't want anyone knowing who I am, please."

He nodded. "I'm kind because you deserve it. And because I know a good person when I meet one. And you, little dove, are a good person. Even if you yourself don't believe it." He said softly. "Now, go do what you Shadowhunters do best. And if you ever need me," his finger grazed against her temple, pausing for a moment, "you know where to find me."

She blinked and he was gone. She double checked to make sure all her weapons were still on her before entering the club. It took her no time to find Jace, his eyes surveying the club with a determination only he held.

"Glad to see you finally made it." Jace muttered. "Took you more than long enough. Didn't think you were gonna show."

Her gaze slid over to him, taking in the hard determination of his gold eyes, his rigid stance. "I got a bit turned around. My apologies. Where are Izzy and Alec?"

He shrugged in response. "Izzy's probably doing the job you were supposed to: bait. And Alec…Alec is being Alec and wandering around."

She didn't say anything, looking around the room. "What makes you think the Raum demon is in here?"

Jace looked over at her, his eyes twinkling under the flashing lights. "It's dark, they don't have to use as much glamour. They like to hunt in large crowds. And they particularly like pretty girls. It's why I asked you to come. I knew you'd be good bait."

She didn't know whether to be offended or flattered. Since it was Jace, probably offended. Her eyes strained to see better in the dark room.

"Shit!" She heard him hiss. When she turned, he was gone. She spotted him running through the crowd towards the back room. She saw Izzy, wearing a beautiful red dress, dark hair spilling over her shoulder. She saw Jace, darting through people. And then she saw the Raum demon. Massive and ugly, with scaly white skin and a circled mouth, huge eyes. Stalking his prey, stalking Izzy.

Eliza took out her short sword and darted through the crowd, following Jace's lead. She grabbed Alec as she passed him, dragging him with her. She slammed into the back room, just in time to see the demon slam Jace against the wall, Izzy on the ground.

Alec rushed to his sister's side, making sure she was okay. The demon was holding Jace against the wall, ready to attack.

"Hey, ugly." Eliza drew attention to herself. The demon looked over at her, making an unintelligible noise. She loosened her grip on her sword and launched it at the demon. It landed in its leg. The Raum screeched as it fell back on the floor, ichor spurting from the wound. She ran over, jerked out the sword and tossing it aside. She took out her seraph blade and shoved it through the demon's mouth.

As the demon died, she stood and went to Jace. "Are you okay?" She asked. He had a cut on his cheek from the demon's teeth. Gingerly, she touched the cut. He barely winced.

"I'll be fine." He told her, pushing her hand away. "You did good."

She smiled grimly. She looked back at Alec and Izzy. Izzy was sitting up, holding her head. "Thanks." Izzy said quietly.

This time, Eliza actually smiled. "You'd do the same for me, right?"

Izzy nodded, half smiling. Jace bent down and picked up Eliza's weapons, handing them to her. "I had it, you know." He told her as Alec helped Izzy to her feet. "I could have done it without you."

She smirked at him, stashing her blades. "Sure, Wayland. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

The clock said it was almost midnight. She was tired, physically exhausted. But her brain was wired. She tossed the blankets off her body and got up from the bed. She quietly opened her bedroom door and stepped out into the hall.

Soft music flowed through the halls. She'd recognize it anywhere. Jace. So, he couldn't sleep either. She made her way to the piano room, walking in quietly.

He was hunched over the keys, eyes closed. His fingers danced gracefully over the keys, hitting every note with a precise beauty only he could perform.

"Can't sleep?" She called out quietly. She didn't want to startle him.

He stopped playing, his fingers resting. He looked up at her. "It's early for me. You?"

She pointed to her head. "Brain won't turn off."

Jace stood up from the piano bench and stretched. "I want to show you something." He said.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She let him lead her from the piano room and down the winding halls. He led her to the spiral stairs and up them.

She knew the greenhouse rested at the top of the stairs, but she'd never seen it.

It was beautiful. More so than she could have imagined. Full of all sorts of plants. She recognized some from her books, plants that had medicinal purposes and some that she knew could only be found in Idris.

"You can gape at this. It never gets old." Jace said, his voice lighter than she had ever heard it.

She walked around the room, her fingers grazing against several of the plants. "This is wonderful." She whispered.

He smiled, a real smile. One he meant. "Follow me." He told her. He led her to the back of the greenhouse, where a few of the same plants were nestled. He pulled the curtains back from the windows, letting in the moonlight.

The flowers bloomed in the moonlight. White flowers with yellow veins. "Morning glories." She murmured. "Moonflowers." She looked back at him, her green eyes bright. "They're beautiful."

Jace plucked one from the bunch, twirling it between his nimble fingers. Slowly, he tucked the flower behind her ear. The clocked chimed, signaling that it was midnight. "The witching hour." Jace murmured.

She bit down on her lip, looking down at the floor. "Do you trust me?" She asked him, looking back up.

He said nothing, his eyes dark. "I want to." He admitted.

She swallowed. Slowly, she grabbed his wrist. "Can you?"

The clock chimed again. He leaned down, his forehead pressed against hers. "I can try."

Something crashed nearby, a pot smashing against the floor. Eliza and Jace both jumped, looking towards the noise. Church was staring at them, standing in a pool of soil and broken pot.

Eliza erupted in a fit of laughter, her head resting against Jace's chest. "That damn cat." She breathed through her laughter.

Jace's hands were firm on her waist, holding her in place. "Hey, Starkweather?" She looked up at him, mouth slightly open, cheeks red from laughter. "Don't…don't let me down."

Her heart twisted. One day, when he found out who she really was, what she was, he'd hate her.

She twisted the short sword in her hand as she walked down the street. She wasn't sure where exactly she was going, but she knew that she knew exactly how to get there.

The thought had occurred after breakfast. She wanted to know what was so special about the sword and she knew the right person to ask.

Magnus Bane.

Whatever he'd done, he had told her how to get to his apartment building. She was in Greenpoint, Brooklyn when her skin began to prickle. She took that as a sign that she was getting close.

She stopped walking, in front of a dilapidated building. Her nose crinkled at the sight of the building. Surely the High Warlock of Brooklyn didn't live there…?

The door swung open as she went to open it. Magus, for sure.

She sheathed her sword and walked inside, keeping her eyes forward. She found the staircase easily enough and began ascending them. The stairs shook and creaked as she took every step. At the top of the stairs was a single door, bright red.

She lifted her hand to knock, but the door opened on its own. At her feet across the threshold was a small cat.

"Well, hello." Eliza smiled. She bent down to pet the cat but it darted away. She frowned, standing back up.

"Don't take offense. Chairman Meow doesn't like strangers. He frightens easily." Magnus was standing in front of her, wearing a soft purple silk robe and gold slippers. His black hair was tousled and he wore old glasses. She half expected him to pull a newspaper from behind his back and begin reading it.

"Cats typically don't like me at first anyways." She mumbled. "I was wondering if…I have a question." She said.

He ushered her inside and she shut the door. "I'm intrigued, little dove."

She took out her sword and handed it to him. He inspected it, looking at it from several different angles, weighing it with his hand, running his fingers over the blade and the rubies. "It's a family sword. Eosphoros, it means-."

"Morning-Bringer." Magnus said quietly. "This is a…this is a dark blade. A cursed blade. How do you have this?"

She spoke without thinking. "My father gave it to me when I was ten."

The warlock's eyebrows seemed to shoot up his forehead. He looked around the room before snapping his fingers. Her ears popped.

"Repeat yourself, Shadowhunter. I don't think I heard you correctly because your father has been dead for over fifteen years."

She glanced back at the door and shrugged her cloak off, putting it on the rack by the door. "No, you heard me. I…There's more. Can we sit?"

"I think I need to, yes." He led her to the living area, pointing to the couch. She sat as he sat across from her in the armchair. He crossed his legs, staring at her intently. "Speak, Shadowhunter."

She clasped her hands on her knees, leaning forward. "He's alive, Valentine is. My father. He's been raising me on the outskirts of Idris since the fire. He sent me here to…He wants the Mortal Cup. He thinks it's here."

Magnus stood up immediately. "Give me one reason right now that I shouldn't call the Clave immediately." His face was a dark red, his yellow cat eyes narrowed dangerously. "Shadowhunter."

She swallowed hard, meeting his gaze. "It's a test. He suspects I'm not loyal. And I'm telling the truth, being completely honest, when I tell you that I want nothing more than to make sure he never has that Cup." Magnus cocked an eyebrow in question. He told her to go on. "I can't let him have the Cup. He wants to finish what he started fifteen years ago. I must find it and get it to the Clave. Once I have the Cup, I'm going to go to the Clave and tell them everything. But I must have the Cup. I need help. I need your help, I think."

Magnus sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest. "Go on."

"I need to know what's so special about that sword. And I need to find my mother. I think she's here. In the city. And if I'm right, if my father is right, she knows where the Cup is." Magnus said nothing for a long time. He remained quiet, his eyes dark, face placid. "Please, Magnus. I need magic. He has to be stopped before he ruins the world."

He stood slowly, tightening his robe. He adjusted his glasses. "Come with me." She stood in suit. She followed him down the hall to a study. He opened the door, let her in and then shut it. The walls were lined with books and books, some not even in human language. "What do you want to know about the sword?" He asked, grabbing a book from the shelf.

"Something's wrong with it." He gave her a look and told her to elaborate. "I mean, when I use it against demons, it's like…it's almost as if it hurts them more than a seraph blade. They can't stand to even be near it."

Magnus licked his lips. He opened the book, leaning over it, his eyes scouring the pages. He flipped forward and back for several minutes, his fingers tapping against the desk. He groaned, slamming the book shut. He picked the sword back up.

"I wonder…" He murmured.

He snapped a finger, the lights dimming and the candles lighting. He murmured a few words in Chthonian, his voice deep and dark. The blade began to sizzle in his hand and he dropped it.

"I thought so." He muttered, picking it back up. "This has demon blood in it. Powerful…possibly a Greater Demon or even…maybe even a Prince of Hell."

Her eyes darted to the sword. Demon blood. Her father made her a sword with demon blood. Unless…unless he didn't know?

She shook the thought away. He had to know. It was her father.

"Can you differentiate the two? Maybe tell me what demon?" She asked.

Magnus put the book away, pulling out another one. "Give me a few days. I can figure something out. Now, let's get on to the more important things. Like finding the Mortal Cup."

She nodded, taking her sword back. She put it in its sheath. "I have to find my mother first. Her name is Jocelyn. Jocelyn Fairchild. She's probably changed it though. He has good reason to think she's in the city and he may be right."

Magnus moved from the desk and grabbed another book. This one was old, weathered. The spine was falling apart, the pages yellowed with age. Magnus blew dust off the book and opened it. "And what if your mother isn't in the city? What then?"

She hadn't really thought that far ahead. What if she wasn't in the city? "I go to her. Wherever she is. She knows him better than anyone."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "This isn't about you confronting the mother who abandoned you?"

She scoffed at his remark, leaning against the desk. She crossed her arms over her chest, but the expression on her face didn't match her tough demeanor. "She didn't abandon me. I don't believe that for a minute. But I need her help. She can help me stop him."

Magnus smiled wearily at her. "Whatever you say, little dove." He looked at the clock on the wall. "You've been here too long. You need to go. Before your friends get suspicious."

He walked her out of his study and back to the door of his apartment. He helped her put her cloak back on. "You won't tell anyone? About any of this?" She whispered as he opened the door.

He shook his head. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "Your secrets are always safe with me, little dove. Especially one as important as this. I'll send word whenever I have information on your blade or your mother."

In an instant, her arms were around his neck, holding him tightly. She sighed heavily, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you." She whispered. "For everything."

Magnus chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. He patted her back softly. "You are one of a kind, little dove. Truly a rare being." He pulled away from her. "Now go, Eliza Starkweather."