CHAPTER THREE
Nora's stomach churned as they- she, Lucy, Benjamin and Bailey- made their way out of the Silent City. Carefully, she extracted her witchlight from her pocket- not really to light up anything, just to have something to do with her restless hands- and allowed the glow to fill the dark.
This didn't make sense. No sense at all. Nora bit her lips so hard that it hurt- she hated this feeling, this feeling of utter helplessness, not being able to do anything, anything at all.
"I agree," Bailey murmured behind her.
Nora spun around to look at the other sixteen-year-old. She must've spoken her thoughts aloud.
Bailey raised helpless, steely grey eyes to Nora's own black ones. "I mean... we know that the faeries and the Nephilim have a complicated relationship, but this is just... just..."
"Madness." Benjamin's voice broke in from where he led the foursome out of the Silent City. His broad shoulders were so high above anyone else that Nora had to stretch up on tiptoe to see the top of his head.
"And we don't know if it was really a faerie," Lucy added. "It could've been a demon, or another Downworlder or Shadowhunter in disguise or something..." she extracted a small, battered yellow object from her pocket.
"Your phone?" Bailey said in disbelief. "How can you think that a phone would help right now?"
Lucy scowled at her. "I'm texting my mother. Maybe she and the pack can try to figure something out on their own, while the rest of you guys are in Idris, telling the Council about this."
Nora nodded tersely. "Good idea." She had met Maia Roberts once. The female werewolf had struck a startlingly strong figure, with her amber eyes and dark skin and wild halo of gold-brown curls. Lucy looked a lot like her, and they both shared several elements, one of which being strength. Maia was strong, especially after her mundane husband had walked out on she and Lucy when Lucy was seven. It had made both of them stronger and more tied together. Nora admired the fact.
"Clary and Simon said that they would meet us at the Institute in an hour," Bailey announced, checking her watch. Her eyes darted everywhere- the witchlight in her hands, the witchlight in Nora's palm, the floor, the darkness of the City. Nora could tell that she was just saying this fact to have something- anything- logical to hold on to.
"Then we can tell the Council." Benjamin turned briefly to face them. The shadows of the witchlight cut darkly under his eyes and cheekbones, making his joking, friendly and sarcastic nature seem more intense, less funny than usual. "They know that Elaine Penhallow died, and probably even that these three other Nephilim were slaughtered, but they don't know this fact."
"The faeries dealing with a non-Clave-approved weapon?" Nora asked as they broke out of the Silent City. Dark clouds scudded over the sky- Nora shivered, drawing her jacket tighter around herself. "Has this happened before?"
"The faeries usually obey the Law. They don't like it, but it's important. Dura lex, sed lex," Benjamin recited dully. "Faeries aren't supposed to use weapons. It's part of the Law."
Frustration seized Nora's shoulders, shaking her. "But the question is, why?" She groaned, twisting her fingers into he hair at her temples. "Why are faeries- or things, we don't know if they're demons or vampires or Shadowhunters or anything- killing Shadowhunters?" She looked up with pleading eyes to the rest of the group.
Nobody answered.
Magnus's loft was dark when Alec unlocked it. He pushed it open, surprised at the dimness. Normally, Magnus's apartment was the brightest in the complex. "Hello?" he called, dropping his keys onto the couch and peeling off his jacket. "Magnus? Are you home?"
"Yes." Magnus's voice and his body approached from the shadows, Chairman Meow following him.
Alec squinted. "Magnus, why are all of the lights turned off?"
Magnus sighed in exasperation and flicked on one of the lamps. He was wearing sparkly yoga pants and a sweatshirt, with a dark blue headband around his hair. Alec didn't ask. "I was TRYING to MEDITATE," Magnus explained.
"And how was that going?" Alec kicked off his shoes and went over to the fridge, pulling open the door- he was starving. "What, you won't even stop your precious meditating for your boyfriend?" He was partly kidding, but a trace of bitterness crept into his voice as he pulled out a leftover turkey-and-mustard sandwich.
"Oh, Alec." Magnus shook his head, his face softening marginally. He went over the Alec, leaning against the counter. "Relax. Meditating is just a new yoga strategy I discovered- it has nothing to do with you."
Alec rolled his eyes, unwrapping his sandwich.
"Alec." Magnus hooked his fingers into the wrists of Alec's long-sleeved shirt. "Look at me."
Grudgingly, Alec did. Magnus's eyes found his own. "You can't possibly think that I'd give up you for meditating, would you?" When Alec didn't respond, he added, "Well, I wouldn't. Never."
Very softly, Magnus leaned in and kissed Alec. Alec stood still for a moment, but just a moment- he moved closer to Magnus, touching his boyfriend's shoulder to steady himself.
Just then, the phone chimed, and Magnus stepped back reluctantly. "Might be important." He flashed a grin at Alec. "Give me a moment."
"Okay." Alec turned back to his sandwich, just as he heard Magnus gasp.
Alec never heard Magnus gasp.
He whirled around, nearly dropping the sandwich. "What? What happened? Is it Izzy?" His mind flashed to the various possibilities in a nanosecond.
Magnus straightened up, face ashen. "Clary and Simon are at the Silent City." He was striding to get his tweed jacket. "Three more Nephilim have been slaughtered. The Silent Brothers think that a faerie has done this. We have to open the Portal thirty minutes early." He was halfway out the door, stopping when he realized that Alec wasn't following him. "Come on!"
"I wasn't supposed to go to Idris- I was, um, supposed to stay here." It sounded feeble, even to Alec's ears.
Magnus sighed impatiently. "Well, you're coming now. Come on. The Council needs to know about this before more Shadowhunters die."