The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses #2) - Cassandra Clare Page 0,18

about it, but I warn you, it has no narrative propulsion.”

“Truck,” confirmed Max. Warlocks tended to talk early, and Max was no exception. He’d said his first word, “newt,” when he was only nine months old, causing Magnus to hide his spell components.

“And of course,” said Magnus, “there is The Very Small Mouse Who Went a Very Long Way. By Courtney Gray Wiese.”

Alec let out a long groan.

“Not a favorite?” said Maryse. “I don’t know that one, but it doesn’t sound bad.”

“Lily brought it to us,” Alec said. “I have no idea where she found it. It must have been in the Hotel Dumort.”

“For decades,” agreed Magnus. “The very small mouse does indeed go a very long way, but she does so in order to learn very outdated moral lessons about personal hygiene.”

“Hmm,” said Maryse and Kadir.

“It is his favorite,” Magnus said, shaking his head. “Unfortunately.”

Alec took a dramatic breath and proclaimed, “ ‘Now wash your feet, O little mouse / Or you will never find a spouse.’ ”

“Mouse?” Max said, perking up.

Kadir held up his hand. “I look forward to discovering it for myself. Now, if there’s nothing else, Maryse—”

“Stay a moment,” Maryse insisted. “I wanted to tell Alec the news. Alec, I’ve asked Jace if he would take over soon as the head of the Institute. I hope you don’t mind.”

Alec tried to hide the surprise on his face. Not that his mother would ask Jace to run things, but that she would stop running the Institute herself at all. She’d given no hint of it. He wanted to ask why but held himself back, uncertain.

Magnus had no such qualms. “But why would you step down?”

Maryse shook her head. “Running an Institute is a young person’s job. It needs someone with the energy to be a full-time Shadowhunter and also keep up relationships with the Downworlders, manage the members of the Conclave, stay in touch with the Council… it’s a lot.”

“But it’s gotten easier,” said Alec. “Not that you don’t deserve a rest. The Alliance has really changed how closely in communication Downworld and the Conclave are.” He felt himself flush a little. He always felt like he was bragging when he mentioned the Downworlder-Shadowhunter Alliance that he had put together with Maia Roberts, who led New York’s largest werewolf pack, and Lily Chen, who was the head of New York’s vampires. But he was proud of the work they’d done.

“It has,” said Maryse, “and Alec, I appreciate all the effort you put in there—that’s why I didn’t ask you to run the Institute. You’ve got plenty going on already. Not to mention the little bluebell here.”

Max looked up, sensing that someone wished to admire him. He grinned winningly at Alec, and his head burst into blue flames.

“Oh dear,” said Maryse, blinking and jerking back. Kadir’s expression did not change at all as he took a glass of water from Maryse’s desk and poured it over Max, putting out the flames. Max blinked in surprise, then began to cry.

Kadir raised an eyebrow at Alec. “Sorry about that.” Maryse scooped up Max, who quickly forgot that his head was wet in favor of grabbing for Maryse’s earrings.

“It’s as good a solution as any,” Magnus said. “Better a crying kid than a house on fire.”

“An apt aphorism,” said Kadir. For Kadir, this was close to a declaration of undying love.

“What did Jace say?” said Alec. “Is he going to do it?”

“He said he needed time to think,” said Maryse. She looked uncertain. “I’m sure he’ll accept,” she said. “I’m surprised he hasn’t mentioned it to you, actually. I half thought you’d already know my news.”

“He hasn’t brought it up at all,” said Alec. He was troubled. Why hadn’t Jace mentioned it? Even if he had doubts, who else would be better to talk about them with than his parabatai? And what would Jace have to worry about, anyway? Alec knew he would kill it as head of the Institute.

“I can’t imagine he wants to be the guy who has to uphold the Cold Peace,” said Magnus mildly.

“Has he talked to you about it?” said Alec. Magnus had a good point, though. The Cold Peace was the name for the terrible relationship between faeries and Shadowhunters at the moment. After a good number of the fey had sided with the enemies of the Nephilim a few years back, the Shadowhunters had sanctioned them harshly and strong-armed them into signing a treaty that left them unprotected and badly weakened. Things had been somewhat more