Black || Jace Wayland [1]

| 26. hustle

******

JACE LED ASHER into the main room of Magnus' lair once the others finished off the last Circle member. He gave her a small smile before making his way over to Alec.

Her heart sank at the warlock bodies scattered throughout the area. Guilt filled her at the thought of how she could've saved more if she didn't give in to Valentine's taunting.

The aftermath of Asher's panic attack left her feeling more vulnerable than ever. She stood awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with the others and pulling Jace's leather jacket closer in hopes it would swallow her whole.

Suddenly, a soft voice interrupted her inner turmoil. The little girl she had seen earlier, the one Clary had rescued, approached her with a tentative smile. "Hi," the girl greeted, her innocent eyes studying Asher. "Are you okay?"

Asher blinked, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected concern from such a young girl. She managed a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm okay." The girl nodded, seemingly satisfied with the response, and then asked. "May I give you a hug?"

Asher stilled at the request. Her Shadowhunter training cautioned her with letting her guard down around someone she didn't know. However, the innocence the girl exuded had Asher's instincts reaching towards accepting.

"Okay." Asher finally replied. She bent down slightly to allow the little girl to wrap her small arms around her. Instantaneously, her anxiety and fear washed away, replaced with a soft glow of ease.

"Zoe!"

The child pulled away at the mention of her name. Giving Asher one last smile, she bounded off to Magnus. Asher felt the side of her mouth curve upwards at the girl's light-hearted presence. It was a refreshing adjustment to the grim situation they found themselves in.

The thought of a child experiencing what went down had Asher slowly falling back into her hole of despair. The horrors of watching friends and family being murdered by Circle members: she knew it all too well.

Magnus whispered something to Zoe before making his way over. His cocky demeanor from the club was replaced with a tender smile. "You look like you could use a drink." Asher watched as he flicked his wrist, the act in and of itself an extravagant display. A martini glass appeared in his grasp with a deep iridescent purple liquid swirling within its basin.

Asher eyed the glass, making no move to reach for it. The girl earlier was young and naive; this man was centuries old with knowledge that could contest even the oldest book within the Institute.

Magnus rolled his eyes at her not-so-subtle hesitation. "It's not poison." He promised and held the glass closer to her. "It's a gift for saving my life earlier."

Asher's face remained apprehensive. "I was told to never take drinks from men I don't know."

Magnus smirked lightly at her sharp tongue. "It's for your nightmares." He swirled the potion within the glass. "Made to help you sleep."

"What makes you think I need this?"

"Zoe told me." Magnus replied casually. "Young warlocks are naturally empaths before they master magic. That's why you probably felt better after she hugged you."