Angelic

Alec ~ 2

Being the High Warlock of Brooklyn meant you didn't have time for things that didn't involve saving the world. Being the High Warlock of Brooklyn meant that your time was valuable, and anyone who tried to waste it didn't deserve anything from you.

So the fact that I found myself walking to Magnus's was like walking to my own death. It was a bad idea, I knew that, but whatever I excuse I told myself, I had five reasons to ignore it.

I knocked on his door quietly, counting down in my head from ten. If the door didn't open by the time I got to zero, I could go back to the institute, and go back to wondering why I was so fascinated by him.

Nine. No response.

Eight. I heard a voice from the other side of the door shout, "WHO DARE DISTURBS ME?"

Seven. "Uh, Alec Lightwood."

Six. Nothing.

Five. The door swung open. I sighed, but I didn't know if it was a sigh of relief or regret.

Magnus smiled when he saw me. "Ah, Alexander. Lovely to see you again, but sadly I have to say that now is not the best time. You see, I'm in the middle of a Downworlder meeting."

Embarrassment coursed through me and I felt my face burn. "Oh, right." I mumbled. "Of course. I don't know what I was thinking..." I turned to head home, but he put his hand on my arm and I stopped, turning back to face the warlock.

"You can stay." He offered. "I should only be about ten minutes."

"I don't know if..." I began, but the look on his face stopped me.

"I would like it if you stayed. Besides, I could use the company afterwards. Chairman Meow isn't into much of anything if it requires him getting out of bed."

I hesitated. What if Jace found out I didn't stay at the institute? What if one of my parents found me gone? But I found myself saying, "I guess a couple hours couldn't hurt."

...

Luke Garroway, Clary's stepdad, was standing in the living room of Magnus's apartment. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a line of worry in his forehead. Next to Luke stood a pale young lady with long blond hair, curling down to her waist. She was thin, with bright red lips and dark brown eyes. The black dress she wore exaggerated every curve on her body. I assumed that was the vampire. Next to the vampire stood another woman with even more beauty. Her green hair gave away that she wasn't human, and her blue skin told me that she was a faerie.

"You can wait in my bedroom." Magnus said.

My face burned again, and I hope the Downworlders weren't paying close enough attention to notice. Especially not Luke.

Magnus cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... Wait wherever you want. I'll be done soon."

I forced myself to nod and rolled my shoulders back, walking towards the first door I laid my eyes on. I had, in fact, ended up in Magnus's bedroom. There was a king-sized bed that fell low to the ground on the other side of the bed. The blankets looked thick and smooth, the sheets just as welcoming. I forced myself to look away from his bed. There was a bookshelf on the right side of the room, right next to a desk that was stacked with papers. Clothes were everywhere--on the floor, on the bed, on the bookshelf, on top of Chairman Meow's head--except in the closet. On the left side of the room was a floor-to-ceiling window looking out over the city. If I looked far enough, I could see the greenhouse in the institute.

"Alright, where were we?" It was Magnus's voice from the other side of the door.

"Eveline Carstairs is coming to your land." Came the voice of a German woman, soft and alluring, like honey. The sound of it made the hair on my neck stand up.

"Why is that such a threat to us?" Questioned the other woman, clearly American. I guessed that was the faerie, so the other one was the vampire.

"She's an Elite." The vampire said, as if that explained everything.

It did. Elites were myths, at least I thought they were. They were more powerful than ninety percent of Shadowhunters, as well as smarter and more cunning. I had never met one before, which is why I refused to believe they existed. For most of my childhood, I believed Jace was secretly an Elite, but I knew it couldn't have been possible. All Elites grow up in Idris, receiving the best training and learning from the wisest professors of our kind.

Now one of them was coming here.

"She's a Shadowhunter." It was Luke's voice. "She should be smart enough not to get involved with our kind. She poses no threat."

"She killed her very first demon at age ten." The vampire responded. "Before that, she killed a fourth of my clan of vampires. With no help. If she's capable of doing that at age nine, then you should all keep your guard up. Even you, puppy."

There was a low growl, and I assumed it came from Luke.

"Bernadina, I appreciate the warning, as I'm sure we all do," Magnus said, "but I have to agree with Luke. Shadowhunters know better than to anger a Downworlder, and I assume the same goes for Elites. If we don't cross paths with her, she won't cross paths with us."

"Fine, then." Bernadina sounded angry. I was suddenly grateful to be on the other side of the door. I didn't feel like hunting tonight. "But when she kills one or five or twenty of your kind, don't say I didn't warn you."

There was quiet for a moment, and then receding footsteps, and suddenly Magnus was walking into his bedroom, smiling up at me.

"Would you like something to eat? I make some mean chicken and dumplings."