𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐄

𝐯𝐢𝐢. 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬

Lucius couldn't help but stare. This whole evening had been a single struggle, but this? This was too much. Here he was, standing in front of the most powerful warlocks in the world- and his daughter. Looking Magnus in the eye was hard enough; he had a disconcerting stare that made Lucius excruciatingly uncomfortable.

But Magnus laughed, drank, and smiled. His daughter didn't move. Her purple eyes almost looked red in the candlelight when she caught his gaze for a couple of seconds.

Don't even try, Shadowhunter. I know that Magnus got you here for my sake, but if you want to know my opinion I just think that this is a waste of time.

He stared at her. She wasn't even looking at him, but chatting to a baffled Clary and Jace.

"So all this time you've lived as a Mundie? How do you survive? Like really?"
Clary seemed a little overexcited and Jace was smiling proudly, as in to say: You heard right, folks: She's mine

Lucius felt a pang of guilt that he had never told Jace what basically everyone else in the world thought of Clary- no one had had the heart to tell Jace that Clary was by far the worst choice ever for a fiancée. She was a good enough Shadowhunter, respectable and honourable- not that Lucius cared much- but the very second you did anything, and really anything, that wasn't her game, your life started to whelk like a flower deprived of water and sun.

The first moment she was the loving, slightly annoying it girl, but then, things just seemed to go wrong. she remained as sweet as ever, but bad things always seemed to happen to anyone who crossed her.

He remembered Liliana: she had had to teach the younger Shadowhunters of the institute. When her fellow instructor had been brutally injured by an Eidolon Demon last Summer, Jace had been made temporary fellow instructor.

Clary had been livid at the thought of Jace spending time with an equally, maybe even more, beautiful Shadowhunter. And voilà: Lily was married of to Daniel Blackthorn 1 week later, the day before training. And Argentina was very far away.

"Lucius?!"
It was Clary. She was bending over him. He blinked. Alec was standing next to Magnus, wearing shocked expression. He seemed to be asking so that's your Master plan, huh?
Magnus was looking at him, his expression shocked but there was a mischievous spark in his cat eyes.

His daughter, Anatolia, looked livid on the other had. For a second it looked like the air around her was burning. Then she turned and stormed out of the room, Magnus running to keep up behind her.

"What- what happened?" he asked

"You became all stiff, say weird things, serious accusations that could never be true"
He groaned internally. What had magnus done?

Now he knew why Clary was so eager to get him up. He had probably been sharing his thoughts with everyone in the room.

Well done, Shadowhunter

It was Anatolia Bane's voice

Oh Shadowhunter I do not know whether to laugh at you or pity you. But I have got to hand it to you- a few sentences a and your family is tearing itself apart.

Very impressive.

Lucius groaned. She was right of course, but he could do nothing. Anatolia just smiled.

You were asked to come here for the sole purpose of making me remember the times I had with another Shadowhunter, many centuries ago. Your mind is weak, easily penetrable. My guess is that he wanted to bring out your admiring thoughts, but instead you just told everyone how much you hate the Fairchild girl.

Your decent into hell has certainly been easy. I sincerely hope we never meet again.

And with that, she turned and walked out of the ballroom. Magnus ran after her, calling her name.

Clary, Jace, and Alec were still stunned, all three staring at him incredulously.

Decensus Averno Facilis Est- The decent into hell is easy.

The first step to hell is betraying the ones you love- his mothers voice rang out in his head

And of course she was right.
I just don't want to know what the second is