The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses #2) - Cassandra Clare Page 0,26

some of what I’ve done, will you give me leniency? I can help you take down some big names. Big names.”

“Do tell,” said Jace.

Alec gave Jace a dark look. “You don’t need to do that,” he said. “If you could tell us whether you’ve seen our friend? We think he might have gone into your apartment.”

“We’re not interested in big names,” put in Magnus.

Jace piped up, “We’re a little interested, right?”

“I can give you Lenny the Squid,” said the faerie fervently. “I can give you Bobby Two-Legs. I can give you Socks MacPherson.”

Alec rubbed his face with his hands, and Magnus restrained a smile. Truly, his boyfriend’s patience and professionalism was a beautiful thing to behold.

“Let’s take a step back,” Alec said. “Have you ever heard of a warlock named Ragnor Fell?”

The faerie stopped and squinted suspiciously at Alec, as though trying to perceive a trick. “I don’t have to answer any of your questions.”

“Have we considered the ‘bad cop’ option?” Jace said, a light growl in his voice. “I’m feeling better and better about it.”

“Fine,” said the faerie. “I’ve never heard of anyone by that name.”

“Hang on a moment,” Alec said, turning to the group. “Can we give this guy some space, actually? He’s scared to death. If five faeries came unannounced to your door, you’d be pretty freaked-out too.”

“Sure,” said Jace, exchanging a look with him. “Come on, guys. Let’s give him some room.” They went down the hallway a bit; Magnus went with them. Alec leaned into the front door and spoke with the faerie. After a minute or so, he emerged back in the hallway, his expression neutral. “I’m going to go inside and speak with Mr. Rumnus for a minute. Magnus, could you come with me?”

Somehow Alec had calmed the faerie down enough to let him inside. Magnus had to remind himself that Alec knew something about talking to untrusting Downworlders. Some of those untrusting Downworlders had become Alec’s close friends.

Simon called, “Does he know his name is—”

“He knows,” said Alec.

Simon nodded, satisfied.

Magnus followed Alec inside. It was a shabbily kept little apartment, quite normal. Perhaps too normal for a goat-legged faerie to be living in, Magnus thought. He began extending his magic outward into the room, trying to keep his expression and his hand motions as neutral as possible.

“Mr. Rumnus says there’s been some bad warlock business in Shanghai of late,” Alec said.

“What kind of bad warlock business?” said Magnus. “Like turf wars?” He was distracted. He had expected some magical signature, some residue at least; the Tracking rune had led them here, so Ragnor had been here, the Tracking rune said he was here. But there was no place for him to be. The apartment was one room, the whole place visible at once; the bathroom door was open and revealed nobody. There was definitely no other magical being in the room other than himself and this faerie. How could this be a dead end?

“What are you doing with all these Shadowhunters?” said Mr. Rumnus abruptly to Magnus.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Alec said. “He’s also a High Warlock.”

“Punch above your weight a little, huh?” said the faerie to Alec, leering.

“Ugh,” said Magnus.

“This isn’t your apartment, is it, Rumnus?” Alec said sharply.

“What?” the faerie said.

“You don’t live here. Look at that.” He gestured at a large sculpture, more than six feet tall. It looked like a school of abstract fish colliding with a flock of abstract birds. It was marvelously hideous. “That’s wrought iron. You have a giant wrought-iron sculpture in your living room?”

“Also,” said Magnus, “that big plastic chair shaped like a hand is very non-faerie.” And then he doubled over in pain.

His head suddenly hurt as though he had been hit hard. A high-pitched scream, quiet but growing louder, began to throb in the back of his head.

He felt hands grasp him, and Alec’s voice yelled, “Magnus!” as though from a long way away. With an effort, he lifted his head, in time to see the ceiling tear open and the whirling clouds of a demon world appear behind a shining Portal.

* * *

AS SOON AS THE PORTAL opened and the wind began to whistle, Alec knew demons were coming. He drew his bow and yelled, “It’s a trap!” at the open front door.

Isabelle was first to arrive, her whip at the ready. “Of course it’s a trap,” she said.

“Of course we didn’t put on combat runes,” Jace said, joining her.

Demons began to fall into the room through the Portal. These were demons