Love and War ✴ Shadowhunters

Chapter 28

"Yeah." Clary said, still reeling from the obvious coldness between the two lovers. "I'm, uh, working on my right hook."

"Good. That's a good punch."

"Yeah. I'm uh, working on it."

Magnus finally cut in, sick of their odd version of small talk.

"While this conversation is no doubt scintillating, remind me why we couldn't do this at my place? At least there we'd have cocktails."

"It's nine o'clock in the morning." Clary reminded him.

"Oh, it's happy hour somewhere, my dear." He told her with a wink.

"We invited you here, Magnus, because Hodge can't leave the institute. He's an important part of this mission." Jace explained, not letting them get too far off track. He wanted to get this meeting over with as soon as possible.

"Well, then, where is our tardy tutor? There are certain individuals I'd like to avoid, so let's make this quick."

No sooner than Magnus had asked this did Hodge appear, walking in with a tablet in his hand.

"Pardon the delay, Magnus. I was following up on a lead." He apologized, pulling up three pictures on the big screen. "Now we've narrowed down our list of warlocks to these three."

The three warlocks listed were a local warlock who worked at a hospital to use her powers for good named Catarina Loss, the former High Warlock of London named Ragnor Fell who had retired but still lived in London, and Tessa Gray who was perhaps the only person in the world who's heritage rivaled Celeste's.

"Why is Ragnor Fell up there?" Magnus asked, pointing at the screen and looking a bit insulted. "He's not more powerful than I am."

"Well, some would disagree. He is older than you." Hodge pointed out.

"Certainly not wiser." Magnus shot back.

"Who is Ragnor Fell?" Clary piped in, not liking that she seemed to be the only person in the conversation who didn't know who they were talking about.

"The former High Warlock of London."

"And one of my oldest friends." Magnus added to Jace's explanation. "Very prickly. Likes to keep to himself."

"Okay, look." Hodge interrupted. "We just need to figure out which one of these warlocks had enough access to Jocelyn that they could create the potion for her without anyone discovering what they'd done."

"That's actually the reason I kept Ragnor on the list." Celeste finally piped in for the first time. "During my research I read that he was a professor at the Shadowhunter Academy in Idris during the early 90's."

"Isn't that when my mother lived there?" Clary asked, putting the pieces together. "Could he have made the potion for her?"

"The little bugger! That's why he hasn't responded to my fire message. Ever since Valentine began hunting warlocks, Ragnor's been holed up in his secret country house just outside of London. For all I know, Ragnor suspected my fire message was a ploy by Valentine to lure him out of hiding." Magnus explained. "We'll have to confront him face-to-face."

"You're going on this mission?" Hodge asked.

"Of course." Magnus said, his tone hinting that it was obvious. "I'm the only one Ragnor trusts. Besides, I've played my last hand here. Even I know when to fold." He said, pushing away from the table and standing to walk away only to see the two people he was avoiding.

"Magnus, I didn't know you were here." Lydia said in a way of greeting.

"That was the point." Magnus muttered.