The Lost Book of the White

“We’ll all have eyes on Magnus while this is happening,” said Jace. As usual, he knew Alec well enough to read the trepidation in his eyes. “He’ll never be in any real danger. We’ve fought off Shinyun before, we can again, and Magnus is right—he’d have to choose the thorn this time. That’s why she hasn’t bothered to try thorning him since we’ve been in Diyu.”

Alec sighed. With an effort, he decided to wait on the morbid fantasizing and focus on the moment at hand. “Okay, okay. I agree it’s probably our best bet.”

“So now what?” Clary said.

Simon yawned. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I could use some sleep. It’s been a long day for me—dim sum, the Market, being hung from chains and lacerated with magic flying knives. I know that’s a normal weeknight for most of you, but I’m pretty worn-out.”

“Also, my foot bones need to knit,” said Jace. “And I don’t suppose you know where we could find some better weapons,” he added to Tian.

“Flame whip!” said Isabelle.

“More flame whips would be acceptable,” allowed Jace, “though they’re not my first choice.”

Tian said, “As a matter of fact…”

* * *

AT THE END OF ONE of the transepts was a small room. It was obviously a private chapel in the real cathedral, but here, of course, all signs of religious practice were missing, so it echoed emptily as Tian led Alec, Jace, and Clary into the center. Jace hopped along with his spear as a cane, keeping his weight off his foot. Magnus had come along too, Alec thought in order to let Simon and Isabelle have a little time to themselves, not because he cared at all about weapons. Alec stood against the wall and watched with vague interest while Tian got down on the ground and knocked on a few of the stone floor tiles, listening. After a few false starts, he reached down and carefully lifted the largest tile out of the floor, revealing a chamber below it framed in wood. In the chamber was a pile of oilcloth bundles.

“It’s nothing like you’d find in the real cathedral,” said Tian apologetically, “and they won’t be runed, so you can hurt demons, but you’ll need to make the kills with seraph blades. But…”

Jace made a happy noise. Tian started retrieving the bundles from the chamber.

Alec said quietly, “Tian, why didn’t you tell us that you had been forced to work for Sammael? You trusted us enough to tell us about Jinfeng.”

Tian looked at Alec with surprise. “I would think that was obvious. I knew you wouldn’t disapprove of a relationship with a Downworlder, but there was always a chance that the connection between me and Sammael could get back to the Clave and they’d step in, and Jinfeng would be harmed. My family might be harmed too.”

Clary snorted. “What?” said Tian.

“It’s just… we’re the ones who keep stuff from the Clave,” she said.

“It’s true,” said Alec. “We’re not exactly known for keeping the authorities up to date on our plans.”

“For instance, we didn’t tell the Council we were coming to Shanghai,” agreed Clary. “I thought we had an understanding.”

Tian looked amazed. “Alec, your father is the Inquisitor. I think I’ve trusted you all quite a lot considering I only met you yesterday. Wow, today has been a long day.”

“He’s got a point,” said Jace. With the handle of his spear, he had pushed the oilcloth aside, uncovering a two-handed sword with an immense broad curved blade, like a cross between a scimitar and a machete. He gingerly nudged the tip with his good foot. “As does this. Clary? Dadao?”

Clary took it and went to the other end of the room, where she stepped through a few two-handed sword forms, her bright red braid whipping around her head as she spun through a series of forward cuts, ending with the sword elegantly held downward. She flashed them a smile. “I like it.”

Jace was staring. Alec patted him on the shoulder.

“There’s something about a tiny girl with a gigantic sword,” Jace murmured.

Clary came back over. Jace visibly restrained himself from grabbing her and kissing her, and instead went back to the pile of weapons at their feet.

“It just bothers me,” Alec said to Tian. “The distrust, the secrets. Mine, yours.” He furrowed his brow. “The Shadowhunters are supposed to be this ironclad institution, the bulwark between humans and demons, the first and last line of defense. But instead we’re just riddled with secrets. I used to think it was just me and my friends who were keeping things from the Clave, but you know what I’ve realized? Everyone is keeping things from the Clave.”

“Are you saying I should have trusted you more?” Tian said, sounding nettled. “Even though I’d just met you?”

“Yes,” said Jace, and both Alec and Tian turned to see what he meant, but it turned out he’d just uncovered a weapon—two hardwood sticks linked with a length of iron rings. One of the sticks was clearly a handle, while the other was much shorter and was covered all over in short iron barbs. He looked up at them with glee. “Morning star.”

“Okay, that’s definitely a flail,” said Clary.

“Let me have this one,” Jace said. “It’ll be good in case I have to fight before my foot heals completely. I can spin this around and keep demons off me.”

“You’re not useless in a battle with a broken foot, you know,” Clary said. “You’re good at strategy and tactics.”

Jace shook his head, smiling. “We all know the main thing I have going for me is my sumptuous, lithe physicality. Without that,” he added, “who am I?”

Clary rolled her eyes. “You are the guy who figured out how to break us into Sebastian’s fortress in Edom. For one thing.”

“Sure,” Jace said, “one thing.”

Clary smiled. “Remember, your most sumptuous muscle is your brain.”

Tian watched this interaction with amusement. “I don’t think you should have trusted us more, by the way,” Alec said to him. “Any more than we would have trusted you with all of our secrets after such a short time.” He sighed. “It’s just… it’s getting worse, among Shadowhunters. Less and less trust. More and more secrets. I don’t know how far the system can bend,” he added, almost to himself, “before it breaks.”

Jace turned up a surprisingly decent horn bow, with curved, double-bent ears, and a quiver of arrows. He offered it to Alec, who took it but said, “I’m going to give this to Simon. I’ve got Black Impermanence, after all.”

They headed back down the transept toward the nave, their feet echoing on the stone floor. Magnus broke the silence unexpectedly, his voice low and steady. “My father is a Prince of Hell, Asmodeus,” he said to Tian.

Tian stopped walking and blinked at him.

“It’s just something I think you should know,” Magnus said. “Before we go into battle with Sammael. He’s mentioned me being an eldest curse a few times. And Jem said Shinyun was after Tessa because she was an eldest curse. It makes me think it matters to them, who my father is.”

“Oh,” said Tian. He thought about this for a moment. “What does that mean for our plans?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Magnus said. “Maybe nothing. Maybe Sammael thinks there’s some power he can extract from me. Or maybe he thinks he’s some kind of uncle to me. I just—like I said, I thought you should know.”

He started walking again, and after a brief hesitation, the rest of them did too. Alec saw Jace and Clary exchange troubled looks.

“That’s terrible,” said Tian. “I mean, for you.”

Magnus looked at him with surprise.

“You never asked to have a Prince of Hell as your father,” Tian said. “And now it probably means you’ll have Greater Demons and Princes of Hell bothering you… well, forever.”

“Regularly,” agreed Magnus.

“What can you do about it?” Tian said.

“Nothing,” said Magnus. “Live my life. Protect my family.”

“Be protected by your family,” Alec put in.

“And friends,” added Clary.

They walked in silence for another moment. “Thank you,” said Tian. “For deciding you trust me enough to tell me. I will tell no one.”

They turned toward the apse, where Simon was gazing out one of the windows at the nothingness outside. Isabelle was at the other end of the room.

“It’s up to you to decide if you need to tell anyone,” said Magnus. “To decide who you would trust. That’s how trust works.” He paused. “Also, Jem knows and would be happy to answer any questions about it. He’s got some experience in this area.”

As they approached the apse, it was obvious that Isabelle was not happy. She was watching Simon from across the room, her brow knitted in worry. Her arms were folded tightly over her chest.

“Izzy?” Clary called.

Alec wanted to go to Isabelle, his instincts for protecting his sister kicking in, but he was still awkwardly holding the bow and arrows he’d found, so he went to give them to Simon first. Jace went with him, for which Alec was grateful. Magnus and Tian hung back uncertainly.

“Simon,” Alec offered as they approached. “I found you a bow.”

“Great,” said Simon, without turning around. “A souvenir. Let’s go home.”

Alec and Jace traded looks. Jace spoke first. “What are you talking about, Simon?”

“I want to go home,” said Simon. “You should want to go home too.”

“Of course we want to go home,” said Alec cautiously. “But we can’t go yet. Sammael still has the Book of the White, and we need to—”

“We’re all back together,” Simon said dully. “We’re all safe, for the moment. There’s no reason to stay here.”