The Malec Chronicles

Sacrafice 1

"I know what you want," Magnus said in a strained voice. "And you can have it. But you must swear on the Morning Star to send all my friends back to Idris, all of them, and never to bother them again. They owe you nothing."

Alec stepped forward. "Stop," he said. "No-Magnus, what do you mean, what he wants? Why are you talking like you're not coming back to Idris with us?"

"There is a time," said Asmodeus, "when we must all return to live in the houses of our fathers. Now is Magnus's time."

"'In my father's house are many mansions,'" Jace whispered; he looked very pale, and as if he might throw up. "Magnus. He can't mean-he doesn't want to take you back with him? Back to-"

"To hell? Not precisely," Asmodeus said. "As Magnus said, Edom is my realm. I shared it with Lilith. Then her brat took it over and laid waist to the grounds, destroyed my keep-it's in silvers out their. And you murdered half the populace with the skeptron." The last was addressed to Jace, rather petulantly. "It takes great energy to fuel a realm. We draw from the power of what have been left behind, the great city of Pandemonium, the fire we fall into, but there is a time when life must fuel us. And immortal life is the best of all."

The numb heaviness weighing Clary's limbs vanished as she snapped to attention, moving in front of Magnus. She nearly collided with the others. They had all moved just as she had, to block the warlock from his demon father, even Simon. "You want to take his life?" Clary asked. "That's just cruel and stupid, even if you're a demon. How could you want to kill your child-"

Asmodeus laughed. "Delightful," he said. "Look at them, Magnus, these children who love you and want to protect you! Who would ever have thought of it! When you are buried, I will make sure they inscribe it on your tomb; Magnus Bane, beloved by the Nephilim."

"You won't touch him," Alec said, his voice like iron. "Maybe you've forgotten what it is we do, us Nephilim, but we kill demons. Even princes of Hell."

"Oh, I know well what you do; my kinsmen Abbadon you slew, and our princess Lilith you scattered to the winds of the void, though she will return. She always has a place in Edom. That is why I allowed her son to set himself up here, though I admit I did not realize what a mess he'd make." Asmodeus rolled his eyes; Clary suppressed a shudder. Around the gold-green pupils the sclerae of his eyes were as black as soil. "I do not plan to kill Magnus. That would be messy and silly, besides I could have his death arranged at any time. It is his life freely given I want, for the life of an immortal has power, great power, and it will help me fuel my kingdom."

"But he's your son.," Isabelle protested.

"And he will remain with me," said Asmodeus with a grin. "In spirt, you might say."

Alec whirled on Magnus, who stood with his hands in his pockets, scowling. "He wants to take your immortality?"

"Exactly," Magnus said.

"But-you'd survive?" Just not be immortal anymore?" Alec looked wretched, and Clary couldn't help felling awful for him. After the reason Alec and Magnus has broken up, Alec certainly didn't want or need to be reminded that he had once wanted Magnus's immortality taken away.

"My immortality would be gone," Magnus said. "All the years of my life would come on me at once. I would be unlikely to survive it. Almost four hundred years is quite a lot to take, even if you moisturizer regularly."

"You can't," Alec said, and there were plea in his voice. "He said, 'a life given willingly'. Say no."

Magnus raised his head and looked up and over at Alec; it was a look that made Clary flush and glance away. There was much love in it, mixed with exasperation and pride and despair. It was an unguarded look, and it felt wrong to see it. "I can't say no, Alexander," he said. "If I do, we all remain here; we'll die anyway. We'll starve, our ashes turned to dust to plague the demons of the realm."