Amatis was not lying: she did sit with Luke, for hours at a time. Magnus brought her books to help pass the time and often sat with her himself, enjoying her company after they'd warmed up to each other. "So, it's been fifteen years since you last saw your brother?"

"Yes, before I had these gray hairs. Maybe that's the problem: he doesn't recognize me. Or maybe it's because I abandoned him in his hour of need."

"If I may be so bold, what changed for you? You wouldn't see him then but here you are now. You are even dining with a warlock."

"It wasn't one big thing, more a series of small ones. Take warlocks: why was it we Nephilim looked down on them while at the same time taking advantage of their magic? I'd hear stories from friends who'd been at foreign postings and their dealings with Downworlders. From what they told me, they didn't seem any more or less evil than people, though the biggest reason had to be James Charles. I was married – can you believe that? – to a man named Stephen. Valentine advised him to leave me after Lucian had sullied our family name. He married another woman, a younger woman. I felt so betrayed, but on the outside I acted like I understood. He left me the house we'd lived in together, as consolation.

"Stephen died in the Uprising, and his new wife was widowed eight months into her pregnancy. She became terribly depressed, even threatening to kill herself. I don't know why, but I went over there, asked to speak to her, and let me tell you, I let her have it. But to my surprise, she thanked me.

"We became friends, good friends. James Charles is her son, and my godson. He goes by Jace nowadays, and he would ask about his dad and I would tell him things, but it kept nagging me. The Circle is considered shameful, almost taboo, yet Downworlders' inferiority hasn't changed. What could I tell him? Valentine and the Circle took it too far, but we all still agree? What kind of message was that? And to continue the hate, the hate that took Jace's father from him?

"Then, of course I thought of Lucian. I never really stopped thinking of Lucian. Things Jace did reminded me of things he did, when he was little, but by the time I realized he was gone. But he's here now, and I'll keep talking to him."

It was hard to imagine, her doing what she said she had done – turning Luke away. But it gave Magnus hope, to know she changed.

The next day he and Amatis were having tea. It was difficult to tell if Luke had awareness or not. The wolf was still badly injured, making slow progress. Amatis naturally had more questions how Magnus came to know of Luke's condition, but he only said he was informed by someone who, while not close to Luke, wished to remain anonymous. He could not very well explain Dorothea's involvement, being Jocelyn's below stairs neighbor, and to keep things quiet – didn't want Idris catching wind of an out of control wolf – Amatis was staying with him and not at the New York Institute.

"I understand you don't know Lucian well, but isn't there anyone we can call? Anyone who knows him here, who could come speak with him?" she pleaded, nevertheless.

There was one person on his mind: the young man, Simon. He'd also been thinking of Simon because he realized he had another problem: Magnus spelled him as to why Clary and Jocelyn were gone, but once Luke was out of commission, he had spelled Simon about him as well, saying Luke was at his farmhouse awhile – put a sign up at his shop, saying closed for the rest of summer – however, this couldn't go on forever. He would need to either spell the boy again or tell him the truth. Was this matter urgent enough that it was worth illuminating the Shadow World to a mundane?

He and Amatis were torn, when he told her that is what would need to be done, but what decided it for Magnus was something Jocelyn herself had shared: that she knew Clary thought of Luke as a father of sorts, but it had only recently occurred to her Simon felt the same. Given the choice between helping someone you care for, even if it should end in failure, versus not trying at all – Magnus would want the chance. Amatis agreed.

So he told her this was a boy who often frequented Luke's bookshop – also simultaneously informing her, her brother ran a bookshop – and then made off to make first contact, and Magnus chuckled. Simon was in for the ride of his life, and he didn't even know it.