ꜰʀᴀʏᴇᴅ |ᴀ.ʟ.| ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡʜᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ {ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍɪʟʟᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴛʀɪʟᴏɢʏ #1}

{ℝ𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕣 𝔽𝕖𝕝𝕝}

"Morning" Clary greets brightly

"Morning" Jace grunts, "You just come from training?"

The tension and awkwardness hung in the air like a thick smoke and I raise an eyebrow to Magnus, who looked incredibly amused by the interaction.

"Yeah. I'm, uh, workin' on my right hook"

"Good. That's a good punch."

"Yeah. I'm, uh, i'm workin' on it"

"You mentioned that" I smirk and Clary glares at me

"While this conversation is no doubt scintillating, remind me why we couldn't do this at my place?" Magnus sighs, "At least there we'd have cocktails"

"It's 9 in the morning" Clary scoffs

"Oh, dear sister" I sigh dramatically, "Magnus' saying is legend. 'It's happy hour somewhere'"

"We invited you here, Magnus, because Hodge can't leave the Institute. He's an important part of this mission" Jace explains and I grimace at the mention of Hodge. Magnus notices but says nothing of my distasteful reaction.

"Well, then where is our tardy little tutor?" Magnus inquires, "I would much rather be sipping cocktails right now so...let's make this quick."

"Pardon the delay Magnus. I was following up on a lead." Hodge speaks, coming around the edge of the desk and heading for the large computer screen, where he pulls up case files of two women and a man with large horns protruding from either side of his forehead, "Now, we've narrowed down our list of warlocks to these three."

"Why is Ragnor Fell up there?" Magnus interjects, insulted, "He's not more powerful than I am."

"Well, some would disagree" Hodge remarks, "He is older than you."

"Certainly not wiser"

"Who's Ragnor Fell?" Clary questions, leaning against the desk

"The former High Warlock of London" Jace deduces

"And one of my oldest friends" Magnus adds, "Very prickly. Likes to keep to himself."

"Okay, look, we just need to figure out which one of these warlocks had enough access to Jocelyn that they could create the potion for her without anyone discovering what they'd done" Hodge persists

"By the early 90s, Ragnor was a professor at the Shadowhunter Academy in Idris" Magnus informs

"Isn't that when our mother lived there?" Clary remembers, "Could he have made the potion for her?"

"The little bugger!" Magnus gasps, "That's why he hasn't responded to my fire message! Ever since Valentine began hunting warlocks, Ragnor's been holed up in his secret country house just outside of London. For all I know, Ragnor suspected my fire message was a ploy by Valentine to lure him out of hiding...We'll have to confront him face to face."

"You're going on this mission?" Hodge questions skeptically

"Of course!" Magnus exclaims, "I'm the only one Ragnor trusts. Besides, I've played my last hand here. Even I know when to fold."

"Magnus, I didn't know you were here!" Lydia's cheery voice funnels down to us, followed by a second set of heavier footsteps

I swivel in my chair and spot Alec. I smile politely, standing up and crossing to over to Magnus, who had sprung up earlier in his haste to begin the hunt for Ragnor Fell.

"Well, I am!" Magnus greets with a slightly false cheeriness and I elbow him, shooting him a glance.

He'd been insistent on 'hating her enough for the both of us' since the wedding had been announced but i had assured him it was not necessary.