Angelic

Ev ~ 31

"His name is Markus, right?" Lizzie asked as we stood in front of the door.

"Magnus, actually." I corrected. "Look, he's a bit... odd looking. His eyes are like... um, like cat eyes, I suppose. Just don't say anything about them and I'm sure he'll love you."

I knocked on the door, a barking reply audible from the other side of the door.

"WHO DARES DISTURBS MY SLEEP?"

I felt Lizzie's wide eyes look up at me.

"Ev Carstairs." I answered.

We waited about thirty seconds before his front door opened. Magnus wore black pajama bottoms and a shirt that read MY WARLOCK MARK IS COOLER THAN YOURS in bolded letters. Chairman Meow was wrapped in Magnus's arms, who was stroking the cat's head, making him purr softly.

Magnus's gaze flicked from me, then to Lizzie. I tightened my grip on her hand.

"What could you possibly want at this hour?" He questioned.

"Raphael's gone." I told him, trying to keep my voice steady. "She can't stay at the institute—you know that. I have nowhere else to take her."

He didn't look happy. "I need to go to the office supplies store and make a sign. I'll have it say Magnus Bane's home for Wayward Shadowhunters and hang it on the front door. What is it with you Nephilim, always thinking I'm at your beck and call?"

"Please, Magnus." My voice cracked, despite how hard I tried to keep the fear out of it. "We have nowhere else to go."

Something changed in his eyes then. He glanced down at Lizzie, staring at her for a long, quiet moment. Finally his eyes met mine and he opened the door wider, silently welcoming us inside.

...

"I'm not even tired." Lizzie complained, crossing her arms over the covers. "This is so unfair."

"You need your rest." I told her.

She huffed, refusing to meet my gaze.

"If you go to sleep, I promise we'll go to the MOMA tomorrow." I compromised.

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

I nodded. "But you have to go to sleep."

She lied back down, snuggling into the blankets and sheets until only her head was popping out. She closed her eyes without complaint.

I quietly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind me. When I walked into the kitchen, Magnus was there, drinking a cup of coffee and reading something. He looked up when I came in.

"I didn't realize art interested her." He began.

"There's a lot you don't know about her." I responded, sounding harsher than I meant to. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... it's just been a long night."

"I'm sorry about all this." He sighed. "I can only imagine what you must be thinking. Why in the world must one of the few people you would do anything for become the thing you hate most in the world?" There was sarcasm in his voice.

"If you hate me, then why are you letting us stay here?" I questioned.

"First of all, I don't hate you. But every time I look at you—every time I look at any Shadowhunter anymore, Alec is all I see. And besides, I doubt you're a girl that uses the word please a lot. You were desperate, and despite what you may think of me, I don't turn young children with no home away when they come asking for help."

I hated that he said I was desperate out loud. It made it harder to hide from the truth when you spoke about it. "I'm not a Shadowhunter." I mumbled under my breath.