Extrait

‘Alec?’ Magnus was staring at him. He had dispatched the remaining Iblis demons, and the square was empty but for the two of them. ‘Did you just- did you just save my life ?’

Alec knew he ought to say something like, Of course, because I’m a Shadowhunter and that’s what we do, or That’s my job. Jace would have said something like that. Jace always knew the right thing to say? But the words that actually came out of Alec’s mouth were quite different- and sounded petulant, even to his own ears. ‘You never called me back’, he said. ‘I called you so many times and you never called me back.’

Magnus looked at Alec as if he’d lost his mind. ‘Your city is under attack,’ he said. ‘The wards have broken, and the streets are full of demons. And you want to know why I haven’t called you ?’

Alec set his jaw in a stubborn line. ‘I want to know why you haven’t called me back.’

Magnus threw his hands up in the air in a gesture of utter exasperation. Alec noted with interest that when he did it, a few sparks escaped from his fingertips, like fireflies escaping from a jar. ‘You’re an idiot.’

‘Is that why you didn’t call me? Because I’m an idiot?’

’No.’ Magnus strode toward him. ‘I didn’t call you because I’m tired of you only wanting me around when you need something. I’m tired of watching you be in love with someone else-someone incidentally, who will never love you back. Not the way I do.’

‘You love me?’

‘You stupid Nephilim,’ Magnus said patiently. ‘Why else am I here ? Why else would I have spent the past few weeks patching ip all you moronic friends every time they got hurt ? And getting you out of every ridiculous situation you found yourself in? Not to mention helping you win a battle against Valentine. And all completely free of charge!’

‘I hadn’t looked at it that way,’ Alec admitted.

‘Of course not. You never looked at it in any way.’ Magnus’s cat eyes shone with anger. ‘I’m seven hundred years old, Alexander. I know when something isn’t going to work. You won’t even admit I exist to your parents.’

Alec stared at him. ‘I thought you were three hundred! You’re seven hundred years old ?’

‘Well,’ Magnus amended, ‘eight hundred. But I don’t look it. Anyway, you’re missing the point. The point is-‘

But Alex never found out what the point cas, because at that moment a dozen more Ibis demons flooded into the square. He felt his jaw drop. ‘Damn it.’