Chapter 8

Luke was sitting his backyard the following morning. Today was his day off. He had hoped he would feel better after he slept, but he still felt drained, and when he looked in the mirror that morning he looked more haggard than usual.

It had already been an eventful morning. When he woke up, the werewolf's nose was making itself known; Valentine's scent permeated his room. This was confusing not only because he was not used to anyone's scent in his bedroom, but he normally had to do a partial change to use the wolf's scenting ability, and he had not done so. Almost as soon as he noticed this, he lost the wolf's intensity of scent and returned to his own.

He was still disquieted by that when he went outside, then the raven appeared with a message from Valentine. He wrote he would not be coming to see Luke that evening, and he did not know when he would again. He was leaving the city. "By the time you receive this, I will have already left." He continued that something urgent had come up with Jonathan. In conclusion, he wrote he would contact Luke when the situation resolved. The raven had not waited for a response; only allowing him to retrieve the note before flying away.

Luke felt numb. Thinking of what happened in the bright light of day. What would he tell Jocelyn? And Valentine leaving suddenly. Probably only hours after he had left Luke's. Simon too, would be wanting some update, and he had nothing to offer him. To top it off, the full moon was coming in a few days. Luke took a breath. For now, there was nothing he could do.

He went out, walked around, and that did help. He would have gone upstate to his farmhouse, but he thought that would scare Simon. He had already replied to a text Simon sent today, asking for news. He told them he had not heard anything, but again, not to worry.

In the early evening, he was surprised to hear his doorbell ring. He didn't get many visitors. When he opened the door, he saw a man he had never spoken with, but who's reputation preceded him: Magnus Bane. Jocelyn had told him of Magnus's cat eyes, and he had seen Magnus at the signing of the Accords, when he had gone as the representative for the Brocelind Forest pack.

"Hello, hello. Forgive me, I did not have time to properly attire myself today, but I do have news for you. Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I am Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn. And I know you are Luke Garroway. May I come in?"

Magnus was wearing a vibrant floral pattern dressing gown of turquoise, golds, and deep violet over a sleeveless black tank top, white jeans rolled up at the ankles, sandals and assorted rings and bracelets.

Everything in this outfit looked more expensive and put together than any of Luke's sartorial choices, but Magnus's style and parties were legendary. If Magnus said he was not satisfied with his appearance, Luke would not argue with him.

"Yes, come in." Luke opened the door fully, Magnus stepped inside, and he once again led a guest to his kitchen table.

"Thank you. So let's get down to business, shall we?" Magnus said with a flourish of his hand. "Jocelyn contacted me and told me, to my great surprise, I might add, that you saw Valentine Morgenstern. Is this true?" The interest on Magnus' face was obvious.

"Yes, it's true. I've seen him three times." This felt like a dream.

"Really? Well, Jocelyn and Clarissa are safe. She asked me to let you know, to find out how you were, what did Valentine say, that sort of thing." Magnus said, in the melodic way he'd been speaking this whole meeting.

"Forgive me, but why are you helping Jocelyn like this? Is she paying you? Are you going to want something from me? I doubt I would be able to pay your asking price."

"A fair question. No, I will not be asking of you any tender or services for my time here. This benefits both of us, and I must say, after seeing Jocelyn and Clarissa over the years, I have grown fond of her and her little biscuit. I am also grateful to her for her warning about her husband and that awful Accords signing. Many of those dear to me were saved. So, what did Valentine want?"

"He didn't want anything in particular. He wanted to talk."

"This world is full of surprises! What else did he say? Jocelyn was most concerned about Jonathan's fate. Is he alive?"

"Valentine says he is. I didn't see Jonathan myself."

"Oh dear, that changes things doesn't it." Magnus' expression falling. "And Clarissa, he knows?"

"He knows."

"Is Valentine still here?"

"He's left the area, as far as I know."

"So that's it then?" Magnus asked, incredulously. "He wasn't here to try to win Jocelyn back, steal the Cup, murder all Downworlders?"

"He said he wasn't."

"So what did you two talk about? Your past?"

"He apologized to me. Said he hadn't done right by Jocelyn."

"Will wonders never cease! So you kissed and made up?"

"No, we made up, then we kissed."

At this, Magnus looked truly surprised, not the feigned surprise he had been showing up until this point, and Luke felt a tendril of dread in his gut. He knew he would never have said that under normal conditions, and now he realized these weren't normal conditions. He felt he was in a lull he couldn't get out of. The directness of Magnus' questions, his answers without resistance. Even now he felt like he couldn't stop himself from speaking.

"You've spelled me?" Luke asked, disbelief in his voice. "Did Jocelyn ask you to do this? She doesn't trust me, even after all this time? What more could I have done? But she was right, wasn't she. I didn't have to have sex with him."

Magnus' eyes went wide. The tendril of dread in Luke's gut blossomed. He looked down at the table, covering his face with one hand. He had not been ready to say that aloud. Magnus would tell Jocelyn. He wouldn't have a chance to explain himself. Not that he could. It had felt right at the time, but seeing the shock on Magnus' face, along with his imagination, he could see how this could look from the outside. It did not reflect well on him. Either he was foolish or pathetic.

"Nothing to say, Magnus Bane?" Luke broke the silence, speaking slowly. Not because he wanted to drag this out, but because of his shock this was happening. "I'm sure this must be very entertaining for you."

Magnus took on a serious expression. "Yes, I've used a spell on you. It's not an absolute truth spell, but when you are asked a question it compels you to answer. Even your own questions you will answer, as you just witnessed. My hope was you would never know I had used it.

"I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn. I look after those under my protection, and I need to know if Valentine Morgenstern is a threat. This was my idea, not Jocelyn's. She does not know I've used this spell.

"This was always going to be an intrusion upon you, but I was not expecting to intrude this much. I will keep my questions specific now. Do you believe Valentine Morgenstern is in any was plotting harm to Downworlders?

"No."

"Do you believe he will attempt another overthrow of the Clave?"

"No."

Do believe it is safe for Jocelyn and Clarissa to return?"

"Yes."

Magnus paused, taking this in. "Alright." he said calmly, "Here's what I'm going to do. I will report this back to Jocelyn, and let her decide what she wants to do. I will spell Clarissa's friend Simon to believe Valentine was caught by the police. Anyone he told will believe the same. They will believe Jonathan is missing for now. I will have him contact you saying he heard about it, so you will know it's done. If Jocelyn stays away, I will spell him further that they are on a vacation.

"I will not say anything to Jocelyn about that most personal business between you and Valentine, and I will not tell anyone else. For whatever it is worth, I do not see this as 'entertainment' and I apologize for intruding upon your privacy in a way beyond what I had already planned on doing. Magnus stood and Luke stood as well. They walked to the side door. "The spell on you will wear off within a half hour. Now I bid you farewell."

Luke opened the door for Magnus, who stepped out with a swish of his robe. Luke respected where Magnus was coming from. He too had been a group leader, however unintentionally he rose to that position, but he could not think of anything to say to Magnus after that.

Luke sat back down. That was disastrous, but at least he knew Jocelyn and Clary were safe, and it was a relief to know he wouldn't have to keep stalling Simon.

Magnus was true to his word. Luke got a call from Simon that evening, and it was a joy his relief that Valentine had been caught, and how he wanted to get a cake for the Fray's when they got back.

He also got a message from Jocelyn, left in his mailbox saying she was going to stay away for a little while longer, but planned on coming back within a couple weeks time. "I am anxious to hear more about Jonathan."

The pregnancy and Jonathan's early months had been hellish for Jocelyn. He didn't know how she would respond to what he said, but he would tell her what he knew. He would have said more to Magnus to pass on to her, if things hadn't taken the turn they had.

He sighed. Magnus had kept his word about Simon, and Luke hoped Magnus would keep his silence about him and Valentine as well, because the thought of Jocelyn knowing filled him with fear. Had he potentially thrown away his friendship with Jocelyn for one night?

He hadn't thought of it that way at the time. It felt like his and Valentine's time together before Valentine and Jocelyn were involved with each other. When Luke's actions with one of them weren't so linked to his actions with the other. He only briefly let himself think if Clary were to find out. It was so much more complicated than he ever intended. Not wanting to think about it anymore, he read. Then, he headed for sleep, and hopefully a short respite from all this.