City I Call Home

New York is the most beautiful city in the world? It is not far from it. . . .

Here is our poetry, for we have pulled down the stars to our will.

—Ezra Pound

“SO THAT’S THE WHOLE STORY of our hunt for the Crimson Hand,” said Magnus, making a dramatic gesture with his teacup. Liquid sloshed over the rim of the cup and splashed through the illusion of Tessa.

Tessa’s solemn gray eyes lit with her smile. She always had an appearance of gravity, and yet she smiled often. Magnus grinned back. He had snatched a moment before he and Alec were due to go, while the Shadowhunters were still busying themselves with official reports about the business with the Crimson Hand.

Magnus had his own report to give, and it was good to see Tessa’s face, even if it was only a Projection.

“That’s quite a story,” Tessa observed.

“Will you be telling the Spiral Labyrinth?” asked Magnus.

“I will tell the Spiral Labyrinth something,” said Tessa. “Something not even remotely resembling the story you just told me. But you know, a lot of narratives depend on interpretation.”

“You’re the audience,” said Magnus. “I’ll leave it to you.”

“Are you happy?” asked Tessa.

“Yes, I am happy to no longer be falsely accused of leading a cult bent on global destruction,” said Magnus. “I am also happy that a lunatic warlock is not sending demons to chase me across Europe. It’s all very gratifying.”

“I’m sure,” said Tessa gently, “but are you happy?”

Magnus had known her a long time. He let his defenses drop a little, enough to answer with a simple, “Yes.”

Tessa smiled, without an ounce of hesitation or grudging. “I’m glad.”

Magnus was the one who hesitated. “Can I ask you something? You loved a Shadowhunter.”

“Do you think I stopped?”

“When you loved a Shadowhunter, were you ever afraid?”

“I was always afraid,” said Tessa. “It’s natural to be afraid of losing the most precious thing in the world. But don’t be too afraid, Magnus. I know warlocks and Shadowhunters are very different, and there is a divide between your worlds that can be hard to cross. But as someone once said to me, the right man will not care. You can build a bridge over the divide and find each other. You can build something much greater than either of you could ever have built on your own.”

There was a silence after she spoke, as they both thought of the ages they had seen pass already, and the ages to come. The sunlight was still bright through the window outside Magnus’s Rome hotel room, but it would not last.

Magnus said reluctantly, “But we do lose love, in the end. We both know that.”

“No,” said Tessa. “Love changes you. Love changes the world. You cannot lose that love, no matter how long you live, I think. Trust love. Trust him.”

Magnus wanted to, but he could not forget Asmodeus telling him he was a curse upon the world. He remembered begging Shinyun with his eyes not to tell Alec who Magnus’s father was. He did not want to lie to Tessa. He did not know how to promise he would do what she advised.

“What if I lost him by telling the truth?”

“What if you lost him by hiding it?”

Magnus shook his head. “Take care, Tessa,” he told her, instead of telling her he would follow her advice.

Tessa did not push him. “And you, my friend. I wish you both the very best.”

The illusion of Tessa faded, her soft mass of brown hair dissipating like a cloud in the air. After a moment, Magnus got up and went to get changed, to meet Alec at the Rome Institute and at long last continue their vacation.

A PORTAL OPENED AND SPLIT the air at the bottom of the front steps of the Institute. Magnus stood at the top of those steps. He had already hugged everyone, including two Italian Shadowhunters who’d seemed very startled to be hugged and had to introduce themselves while in his embrace, but enthusiastically hugged him back. Their names were Manuela and Rossella. Magnus thought they seemed nice.

Alec did not hug anyone except for Aline, but his arms went around her tight. Magnus looked at the back of Alec’s head, bent toward Aline’s, and exchanged a glance and a grin with Helen.

“I hope the next stop on your holiday is fabulous,” said Helen.

“It will be. I hope the next place you hit on your travel year is great.”

“The thing is,” said Helen, “I’m feeling a little tired of traveling. I’m happy where I am.”

Aline strode over to Helen’s side.

“Traveling?” she repeated. “I was thinking, if you wanted company when you go to the Prague Institute, I could come along. I’m not doing anything, except fighting the forces of evil. But we could do that together.”

Helen smiled. “I think we can work something out.”

Alec dodged Leon Verlac’s attempt at a hug and left Leon giving a double-cheek kiss to the air. He came to rejoin Magnus at the top of the stairs.

“Are you ready to get back to our vacation?” asked Magnus, holding out a hand.

“I cannot wait,” said Alec, taking it.

Together, with their luggage following close behind, the two stepped into the Portal. They left the Rome Institute behind and came out into the living room of Magnus’s Brooklyn loft.