𝔸ℕ𝔻𝕆ℝ ~𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙘 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 ~

~𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖚𝖕~

"Hazel, wake up!" A hand collided with my cheeks.
"Ow!" I woke up rubbing my cheeks, my eyes wide. "Izzy, what was that for?!"
"You were whispering and shaking." She said. "A nightmare?"
"Yeah." I said, getting up from bed. "Why did you wake me up so early in the morning?" I asked grabbing the clothes that Izzy brought me. I changed my night clothes into the black cropped hoodie and the black tights she gave me. "Finally, something not so revealing." I said to Izzy.
"Come on. I think we got a lead on the Mortal Cup." She said making her way out.
"What?" I asked as I followed her. Everyone was gathered at the center of the institute. Hodge was showing something on the big screen. I stood beside the table, not wanting to be near Alec. I could feel his gaze on me, but I did not dare look.
"Magnus Bane." Hodge said and my eyes widened. "He's over three hundred years old. As you can see, he's not exactly shied away from the pleasures of every century. His tastes are both exquisite and quite excessive."
"He looks like the Downworld's David Guetta."
"That's because he is." I said.
"Guetta's already a downworlder." Izzy added. "Vampire? Ever seen him in daylight?"
"Can you focus?" Alec said. "This is not a joke." His eyes still focused on me.
"Someone needs to get laid." Izzy sighed and looked at me.
"Alec's right." Hodge said. "Hazel, what did you mean by that?"
"I know Magnus, better than you, I think. Magnus took me in when I was twelve." I said, already regretting the last bit. "Shit." I mouthed.
"Took you in, what do you mean?" Hodge asked.
I sighed. "I was raised by him, after my mother kicked me out." I said, fiddling around with my ring, nervous.
"Why did your mother kick you out?" He asked.
"My mother, never saw me as her 'daughter'."
"Because you're a hybrid?" My eyes grew wide.
"How did you know?"
"Your mother and I were close friends, close enough to know she was pregnant with a hybrid." I did not say anything, my mind was completely blank. I stayed completely silent.
"Anyways, I'm sorry." He said, sending me a generous smile.
"No worries." I smiled back.
"Anyways, Magnus is one of the most powerful warlocks I know." Hedge continued. "He has a deep mistrust of shadowhunters. Except for you." He said, pointing at me.
"Well then, why did he help my mom remove my memories?" Clary asked. "Isn't she a shadowhunter?"
"Yes, one of the best. But help might not be the most accurate word. Now did Magnus provide a service for Jocelyn? Perhaps."
"As far as I know, Jocelyn paid handsomely for Magnus's magic. Warlocks usually require payment before they help anyone with anything."
"Word from the Clave is that most of the warlocks have gone into hiding since Valentine began hunting." Alec added.
"Most of them, but not all of them."
"Valentine must be searching for the warlock, where did Jocelyn..." Hodges rune started burning before he could continue.
" Hodge your rune. Are you okay?" Clary asked as I stood beside him, making sure he was okay. "So, how do we find Magnus?"
"We don't. Magnus finds us." Jace.
"Might I say, Magnus adores parties." I said.
"We'll set up a meeting, somewhere protected." Jace said. "Lure him out of hiding."
"And I know exactly where we do it." Izzy said and I smirked as she took the tablet from Hodge's hand and took out a picture of a Downworld rave.
"Downworld rave. Nice, Izzy."
"And where'd you get that?" Alec asked.
"During my surveillance of the Downworlders." She said. "And as Hazel said, Magnus like to party."
"He'll never go for it. Not with Valentine trying to kill him." Alec said.
"I highly doubt that." I said crossing my arms as his eyes met mine for the first time tonight.
"Of course he will. He'll blend in. Hide in plain sight."
"I don't know. It seems..." Clary get's cut off.
"Trust me. If Magnus is coming out of hiding, he's going to one of the biggest parties of the year."
"Never underestimate Magnus' hedonism." Hodge said. "Or his greed." I furrowed my eyebrows at that.
"He is not greedy." I defended. "All he ever did was try to help." There was pure silence from everyone.
"Right." Hodge said. "Come with me." He said and everyone followed him. He took us near the training room and ran his stele over the rune on the floor to reveal a small box with a red-ruby necklace.
"No way."
"Is that real?" Izzy asked.
"A four-karat, unheated Burmese ruby." Hodge said. "This necklace has special meaning to Magnus Bane, as it was a gift from his then lover, Camille Belcourt." I made a disgusted face hearing her name.
"What, Camille and Magnus were lovers?" Clary asked.
"The most disgusting lovers of all time."
"Warlock gets around." Jace said.
"Magnus ought it in 1857, for the price of his London townhouse. Now the jewel is enchanted by a spell that alerts the wearer to the presence of the demons."
"It's so beautiful." Izzy said taking the necklace in her hands.
"Magnus has longed to reunite with this necklace." Hodge said. "Offer it to him. He might just take the bait."
"Or, I could talk to him." I suggested but no one replied.
"I'll send him a fire message to arrange the meeting." Jace said as he made his way out. "We have to get to Magnus before Valentine does."
Everyone walked out of there, except me and Alec. As I tried to make my way out, Alec called me out.
"Valkyrie."
"What?" I turned around crossing my arms.
"I didn't mean what I said earlier." Alec stepped closer. "I shouldn't have. And um...I'm sorry for that." He stuttered. His gaze fixed on the ground.
I sighed. "It's alright just...be careful what you say. You don't know what the other person has faced." I patted him on his shoulder. I wanted to hug him, so I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his chest. I could sense him hesitating for a moment but he did. He wrapped his arms around me. I closed my eyes for a second and then rubbed his back and let go. "I'll se you later."
"Yeah." He said. I smiled and walked off to find Izzy.
***