City of Clockwork Soldiers

A Match Wrought of Wrongness

The tea was horrible.

The drink was mostly water, severely diluted, as if Magnus had simply dunked a couple of tea leaves into the tepid water and whisked them out quickly afterwards. It made Isabelle wonder what had happened in the kitchen while they'd been waiting for their tea. A smirk etched itself into her face.

Besides, eighteenth century tea just wasn't as delicious as the good old processed teabags the 2000s had to offer. There was something unclean and murky about the taste of the tea: Isabelle imagined what the dregs would look like once she had drained the liquid, and grimaced inwardly. On the outside, she smiled appreciatively in Magnus's direction.

As soon as Magnus and Alec had joined the rest of them, Isabelle had noticed fleeting glances exchanged between the two of them. Isabelle would never have expected Alec to blow the modern shadowhunters' cover, but Magnus's gaze held too much understanding for comfort. Even now, after ten minutes of sitting and making polite conversation, Magnus had the ghost of a broad smile across his face, and made sure to meet Alec's eyes whenever her brother looked towards him.

Will and Tessa remained blissfully unaware of the secrets passing between the rest of them. Whilst five way glances were sent across the room, the couple entertained a conversation concerning their recent trip to a local park, each of them supplying different opinions of the experience. It was a task, Isabelle thought, to try and maintain an interested facade while attempting to communicate with her friends visually.

"You should be sure to visit," Tessa enthused, following her all-too detailed description of the park's wide, fountain-centred pond.

In response, Will grumbled, and added, "If you can bear the ducks."

To Isabelle's left, Jace tensed. She, Clary and Alec all simultaneously turned their heads towards him - provoking Magnus to do the same - as Jace's eyes seemed to double in width, and his lips moved with the pressure of words he was clearly dying to speak. He looked at Clary, whose laughter was obviously only barely contained. So it seemed Jace's connection to Will was confirmed. They were both Herondales, through and through.

The conversation continued for several minutes more before Will brought it to a halt. "Well, we'd best be getting back to the Institute," he said, to which Magnus replied, "Of course," his eyes drifting absently back towards Alec as he spoke.

"Is there anything else you would like to ask Magnus before we leave?" Tessa asked politely, nodding towards each of them to coax any questions they might have from their lips.

Isabelle took a quick scan of her friends, who clearly had nothing more to say, and answered, "Nothing. Only to say that we are extremely grateful that you let us come here and meet you. We were just ecstatic to meet you, and you welcomed our questions patiently, which we all appreciate."

As Magnus's head fell in a slow nod of acceptance, the words which must have been on Alec's tongue for a long time were blurted out hurriedly, "I see great things in your future, Magnus."

Not even Will and Tessa were oblivious to how suspicious this made Alec sound. Everybody, including the two of them, stared at Isabelle's brother. Each look held a different message: Isabelle, Clary and Jace tried to stop him from speaking further with their glares; Will and Tessa's eyebrows had risen high in confusion; and Magnus looked upon him in expectant longing.

"How so?" the warlock asked, and suddenly the situation became very uncomfortable for Isabelle. The only thing which seemed to exist in the room was the severe eye contact between Magnus and Alec. It seemed to swallow the whole room, encompass everything, and suddenly the rest of them were no longer participants in the conversation, but spectators.