The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses #2) - Cassandra Clare Page 0,135

it was a guess on his part. He didn’t know it would work. I’m still not sure why it did work.”

“And so suddenly after hundreds of years you’ve decided that, what, you’re a danger to the people you love? Because you’re a warlock and warlocks have demon parents? You’ve gone through this before, you know, and come out the other side. You don’t need me to give you the speech about how we’re defined by what we do, not what we are. I’ve heard you give that speech yourself.” Catarina’s look was compassionate, but Magnus could feel her aggravation in the set of her shoulders. They really had known each other a very long time.

“It’s different now,” Magnus said. He paused. “Do you remember the Shanghai Club? In 1910?”

Catarina nodded slowly. “It was just after Ephraim passed away.”

“I asked you if raising him had been worth it,” Magnus said. “You gave so much, and he lived a good life… but then he died anyway.”

“Ah,” said Catarina with a small smile. “That’s why it’s different now.”

Magnus nodded sheepishly.

“Magnus, you are surrounded by people who love you. I didn’t let Ephraim go until I made sure he too was surrounded with love. His living to a ripe old age, dying in his bed surrounded by his family—I was so sad when he died, but it was also a victory. I had saved that boy. I had raised him into a man. He had lived, had loved others. He had exactly what I wanted him to have.”

“But Max,” began Magnus, and Catarina waved her hands.

“Magnus, I hate to sound like Ragnor, but you are an idiot sometimes. I am telling you that you are doing good, that you are doing the right things. Your loved ones, your family, will be there to save you when you need saving. And they will be there to help save Max, if he needs saving. You have to trust in that.” She gave him a wry smile. “You are literally the person who taught me that.”

Magnus shook his head, overwhelmed. “You’re right. It’s just hard to remember sometimes. It feels so different now, with Max. My responsibility to him is so huge, so much bigger than any responsibility I’ve felt before.”

“Yep!” said Catarina, folding her arms. “We call that ‘being a parent.’ ”

Magnus held up his hands in surrender. “Okay,” he said. “Okay. You win. And since you’re my oldest friend, or one of them…”

“You’re going to ask me for a favor, aren’t you?” said Catarina in a resigned tone.

Magnus reached into his torn and tattered jacket and drew out the Book of the White. “Bring this to the Spiral Labyrinth for me, will you?” he said. “I think I’m done looking after it for now.”

* * *

IT WAS ALWAYS STRANGE FOR Alec to leave the Institute, to say good-bye to his mother and Isabelle and Jace and… return home. The Institute had been his home for so many years, and while he’d settled into Magnus’s apartment being their apartment, there was still always a brief moment, as they departed, when Alec felt like something was off.

Back at home, Magnus called the Mansion Hotel in Shanghai and arranged to have all their things placed into storage, from which he planned to teleport them home when the hotel staff weren’t looking. Alec played with Max, who crawled happily around the living room, enjoying the quiet of being home. Presently, Magnus returned and scooped up Max, who protested briefly before giving up, breaking into a beaming smile, and immediately beginning to chew on one of Magnus’s buttons.

“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” Magnus said.

“You know,” said Alec, “I always got that our job was saving the world, but it’s way more terrifying now that Max is here.”

“Excuse me,” said Magnus, “maybe your job is saving the world. My job is harder to summarize, but a significant portion is just about looking good.”

“Oh,” said Alec, “so when the world needs saving, you’re not going to show up and save it? Sure, that sounds like the Magnus I know. Hey, Max!” he added, and Max briefly paused in his intent chewing to look over at Alec. “Is that your bapak? Can you say bapak?”

“He doesn’t say bapak yet,” Magnus said in a whisper. “Don’t pressure him.”

“It’s weird,” said Alec. “It’s a weird life. But it’s the life we’re made for, I guess. And the life we choose.”

“Bapa!” Max yelled loudly, waving an arm. Behind him, one of the curtains in the window burst into