The Shadowhunters

Magnus Bane

Will crossed his arms. He was at the Halloween dance: Alone.

ALONE. William Herondale at a dance: without a date. Admittedly, he was the one that turned down… thirty­nine girls, not that he was counting. Well, he was counting how many

girls would ask him before Tessa would.

But nope. Tessa didn't show at all.

"Would you like to dance?" a short blonde asked him. Will didn't even know her name.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Claudia. I'm in your homeroom class. And your Math, Science and History class… and your English Literature class…" Claudia said.

Ooh. Awkward. But William Herondale was never awkward.

"Sorry, I'm waiting for someone," Will said tersely. Did Will just apologize? Will shook his head, clearing his head as Claudia walked away.

Will scanned the Institute ballroom once again. Girls in cat woman clothes and masks – no, Tessa wouldn't be in that. Girls in Wonder Woman… nope. No way. Girls in princess

gowns… maybe, but unlikely. Girls in a bed sheet pretending to be ghosts… Will stifled a laugh as he imagined Tessa with a bed sheet over her head. Definitely not.

"Will, have some fun, will you?" Cecily asked, coming over with a champagne glass. At the Institute, they don't allow alcohol of course. Probably just punch. But usually, drinks

would be spiked. Will narrowed his eyes.

"That's not spiked, is it?" Will asked. Cecily rolled her eyes. Will snatched the glass out of her hands and downed it. The familiar burn of the alcohol slid down his throat. "Cecily!" Will complained.

"You drunk the rest!" Cecily defended. The twins scowled at each other.

"You know, for Halloween, you should go as each other," Gabriel said, coming over with more champagne glasses. Cecily happily took one.

"Gabriel Lightwood! Are you giving my lightweight of a sister alcohol!?" Will asked angrily.

"No!" Gabriel defended. He snatched Cecily's glass away from her. "Try it."

Will took a sip. Nope. Just fruit punch.

"You guys are no fun," Cecily complained.

"Good," Will retorted. Will once again looked around the ballroom.

"Tessa's not here," Cecily interrupted. "She's at some party with Sophie and Jem. I bet they would have alcohol there," Cecily frowned.

"What?" Will asked sharply. Jealousy stirred in Will. Odd. Will never felt jealousy. It was always the other way around. Immediately, Will decided he hated the feeling.

Sighing, he took out his hip flask and downed it. "Hey!" Cecily exclaimed. "You brought some but you didn't share?"

"Nope," Will said, walking away. Now people would say it is unethical or wrong to drink alcohol at seventeen, but whatever. His parents wouldn't care anyways.

Will sighed, taking a red plastic cup off a table. Usually, most of the plastic cups were peach schnapps. Often, you could catch teachers sneaking these cups as well.

Walking out the ballroom's wide double doors and sighing as he went through the hallways, he took several shortcuts to the front entrance. No one but the Shadowhunters knew all

the ins and outs of the Institute – the shortcuts, the pathways – even the hidden dumbwaiter that led to the kitchens from the fourth floor.

Will took a deep breath of fresh air then frowning, he tossed his red plastic cup into the bushes angrily. Tessa wasn't there with him. There was this possessiveness he held over