Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn

Chapter Five: Danse Macabre

"Right... Clary... You can do this," Clary told herself, hand on the doorknob. "You're just going to go and...put things straight."

She held her head up. Part of her even believed her little pep talk.

"Magnus, I need to talk to you," Clary walked into Magnus' bedroom where he was supposed to be resting, hoping she looked determined and not intimidated at all. The bed was empty, however, and instead she saw movement from next to the wardrobe.

Magnus turned to look at her. His shirt was unbuttoned and uncufflinked, his trousers were missing his belt. He had clearly been in the middle of dressing himself.

Clary blushed and quickly turned around. She heard Magnus chuckle to himself.

"The first peek is free, but if you want anymore, you have to pay," he teased. Clary felt her cheeks burn.

"I'm not looking!"

He was on his feet again, at least. His ribs were no longer bandaged, the arrow wounds in his chest and thigh had been healed so only faint scars remained. As soon as possible, he'd requested that he be moved back to his own apartment, away from the hospital room at the Institute that he'd been forced into while his vitals stabilised.

Clary and the others were still checking in on him as regularly as they could though. The next part of the curse was no doubt going to pounce soon and could strike at any time. Alec had been particularly proactive about making sure that it was an official mission and had been very specific about the rules.

"We're Shadowhunters. This was an illegal act of aggression against a Warlock who has only been an asset to the Institute," Alec explained to his mother, his head held high. They were all in the main office, having been dragged away from Magnus' room where they'd been planning their next move in trying to keep the warlock safe.

Clary had to say that she was impressed at how well Alec was holding it together, especially as she remembered his voice on the phone, fraught and cracked, as he tried anything to save Magnus from the Jabberwocky. A sentence she would have laughed at the absurdity of a few weeks earlier.

It was clear to her that Alec had developed some sort of bond with Magnus, though whether it was romantic or just friendship, she couldn't accurately say.

"Alec, you do realise that having a Downworlder in the Institute for any length of time is going to reflect badly on us," Maryse Lightwood had said. "Even a High Warlock like Magnus Bane."

"If we can break his curse, or better yet, find the person who cursed him and bring them to trial, he'll owe us his life. It's good leverage," Alec replied. Clary felt Isabelle shifting uneasily by her side. She glanced at her to see that Isabelle had an unhappy look in her eye, even though she held her tongue.

"Well, that's true enough," Robert Lightwood replied. "I'm uncomfortable having Bane here, but the amount we have to pay him every time we want something... It'd be good to have him at our beck and call for a few centuries."

Alec didn't even wince as they talked about Magnus as though he were a dog that would crawl to heel if they asked. Clary opened her mouth to remind them they were talking about someone who was still half -human but Jace none-too-subtly stood on her foot to keep her silent.

"So we're agreed. Magnus Bane will be our charge for the duration of his curse?" Alec asked. Maryse looked hard at her son and Clary felt her breath catch for a moment, certain that Alec had been caught in... something. Whatever that thing was he had with Magnus.