Extraits

-Basia Coquum, dit Simon. Ou quelle que soit leur devise.

-C'est Facilis descensus Averni : "Facile est la descente aux enfers", corrigea Alec. Là, tu viens de dire : "Embrasse le cuisinier."

-Je savais bien que Jace se fichait de mois, maugréa Simon.

[...]

- Basia coquum, dit Simon. Ou quelle que soit leur devise.

- C’est Facilis descensus Averni : « Facile est la descente aux enfers », corrigea Alec. Là, tu viens de dire : « Embrasse le cuisinier. »

- Je savais bien que Jace se fichait de moi, maugréa Simon.

Isabelle and Magnus were on the path, Magnus glancing toward the lake and then up at the low mountains ringing area. He was makng notes in a small book with a pen whose end glowed a sparkling bkue-green. Alec stood a little distance away, looking up at the trees lining the ridge of hills that separated the farmhouse from the road. He seemed to be standing as far from Magnus as he could while remaining in earshot. It seemed to Simon - the first to admit that he wax not observant about these things - that despite the joking around in the car, a perceptible distance had come between Magnus and Alec receently, one he couldn't quite put a finger on, but he knew it was there.

‘I’m starving,’ Maia saud. ‘I feel like I haven’t eaten in days.’ She pulled the refrigerator door open and peered in. ‘Oh, yuck.’

Jordan pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her, and nuzzled the back of her neck. ‘We can order food. Pizza, Thai, Mexican, whatever you want. As long as it doesn’t cost more than twenty-five dollars.’

She turned around in his arms, laughing. She was wearing one of his shirts; it was a little too big on him, and on her it hung nearly to her knees. Her hair was pulled up in a knot at the back of her neck. ‘Big spender,’ she said.

‘For you, anything.’

‘No’. The word was an exhaled breath. ‘We study fairy tales in school. A lot of that magic is real - but, anyway. No, I want something I haven’t heard yet.’

‘Okay. I’ve got a good one.’ Simon stroked Isabelle’s hair, feeling her lashes flutter against his neck as she closed her eyes. ‘A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…’

‘Do you remember the night of the battle on Valentine’s ship, when I needed some of your strength ?’

‘Do you need it again now ?’ Alec said. ‘Because you can have it.’

‘I always need your strengh, Alec,’ Magnus said, and closed his eyes as their intertwined finegrs began to sine, as if between them held the light of a star.

I never ask you for anything, Simon, but I’m asking you now.

Please come.

Isabelle.

Simon let the letter fall from his hand. He was out of the apartement and on his way down the steps before it had even hit the floor.

(…)

‘You came.’ She stretched her arm across his chest, moving so that her head fit against his shoulder. ‘I didn’t think you would.’

His fingers traced patterns on her arm. ‘Of course I came.’

Si je ne peux fléchir les dieux, j'invoquerais l'enfer.

« – A la minute où je vais retirer ma main de ta bouche, tu vas crier. Allez, jure-moi que tu ne le feras pas. Jure sur l’Ange.

Cette fois, elle ouvrit grand les yeux.

– Oui, c’est vrai, dit-il. Tu ne peux pas vraiment jurer avec ma main couvrant ta bouche. »

« — J’ai un plan.

Il grogna :

— J’en avais bien peur.

— Mes plans ne sont pas si terribles !

— Les plans d’Isabelle sont terribles. Il la désigna du doigt. Tes plans sont suicidaires. Voir pire. »