The Stars, The Moon & Everything In Between// Alec Lightwood

1.4 The Banes

The four sat around the table as Hodge began showing them the Banes files.

"Magnus Bane. He's over three hundred years old, as you can see, he's not exactly shied away from the pleasures of every century. Now Nolia Bane is quite the opposite, she keeps to herself, likes to party here and there, she's barely 200 years old. She is Magnus' right hand, great fighter, sometimes a bad temper. Now his tastes are both exquisite and quite excessive as Lia is more on the mellow side, and lots of black." Hodge explained

"Like someone I know." Izzy mumbled

"He looks like the Downworld's David Guetta." Clary said

"Guetta's already a Downworlder. Vampire? Ever seen him in the daylight?" Izzy said

"Can you two focus? This is not a joke." Alec asked

"Someone needs to get slayed." Izzy said

"Alec's right. Now, The Banes are one of the most powerful warlocks I've ever known. Magnus has a deep mistrust of ShadowHunters." Hodge said

"Well, then why did he help my mom remove my memories? Isn't she a Shadowhunter and what about Nolia?" Clary asked

"Yes, one of the best, but help might not be the most accurate word. Now did Magnus provide a service for Jocelyn? Perhaps, but most likely, your mother paid the Banes handsomely for their magic." Hodge said

"Warlocks usually require payment before they help anyone with anything." Jace said
"Nolia didn't take anything, she was just crouched down in front of me." Clary said

"From what we heard they make quite the pair, she has no resentment toward the ShadowHunters, she understands the duty, but she will fight for her kind." Hodge said

"Word from the Clave is that most of the warlocks have gone into hiding since Valentine began hunting them." Alec said
"Valentine must be searching for the warlock, where did Jocelyn--" Hodge had to stop as his circle began to glow.

"Hodge, your rune. You okay?" Clary asked

Hodge breathing through the pain, Clary faces the monitors covered with the Banes photos.

"So how do we find them?" Clary asked

"We don't. Magnus finds us. We'll set up the meeting, somewhere protected. Somewhere they both go. Lure him out of hiding. Just unsure that she'll show?" Jace said

"Well they're married right? She won't leave him alone." Clary asked

The five look at one another.

"And I know exactly where we do it." Izzy said

She rose grabbing the tablet from Hodge pulling the flyer for the rave, a smile on her face.

"A Downworld Rave. Nice, Izzy." Jace said

"And where'd you get that?" Alec asked

"During my surveillance of the Downworlders. From what I hear, Magnus likes to party. Nolia not so much." Izzy said

"They'll never go for it, not with Valentine trying to kill them." Alec said

"Of course he will. He'll blend in, hide in plain sight and Nolia, like Clary said she won't let him go alone." Jace said
"He's not someone I thought she would be with." Clary said staring at the picture of the two

"Opposites attract right?" Izzy said

"Not always." Jace said

"Trust me, if Magnus is coming out of hiding, he's going to one of the biggest parties of the year, with his plus one." Izzy said

"Never underestimate Magnus' hedonism or his greed and Nolia's need to protect. Come with me." Hodge said

He led the group to one of the safes, revealing two items. He pulled out a ruby necklace.

"Is that real?" Izzy asked

"A four-karat, unheated Burmese ruby and this necklace has special meaning to Magnus Bane, as it was a gift from him to his then lover Camille Belcourt." Hodge said

"What, Camille and Magnus were lovers? And Nolia is cool with Vampires?" Clary asked

"Warlock gets around." Jace said 

"Magnus bought it in 1857 for the price of his London townhouse. What we heard, Nolia wasn't happy, now the jewel is enchanted by a spell that alerts the wearer to the presence of demons." Hodge said

"It's so beautiful." Izzy said

"Magnus has longed to reunite with this necklace, just as much as Nolia wished to reunite with this." Hodge said pointing to the safe

The four look at a small book, a dingy green book, the lettering an off gold, the edges slightly tattered.

"What is it?" Clary asked

"Toi, moi et tout le reste. A French collection of poems given to her by a mundane." Hodge said

"By a human?" Clary asked

"No one fully knows the story but in 1890, she came in contact with a mundane. The book was gifted to her in a small coffee shop in Paris. Nothing else was seen from it." Hodge said

"Love Poems?" Clary asked

"Possibly, never looked." Hodge said

He pulled the necklace back into view.

"Offer this to him. He might just take the bait." Hodge said

"I'll send Magnus a fire message to arrange the meeting. We have to get to Magnus before Valentine does." Jace said