The City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments 4)(74)

“Fortunately there’s a Portal located near the Vienna Opera House,” Magnus said, flinging his scarf back over his shoulder with a grand gesture. “The moment we got your message, we hurried to be here.”

“I still really don’t see what any of this has to do with us,” Alec said. “So you caught a vampire who was up to something nasty. Aren’t they always?”

Simon felt his stomach turn. He looked toward Camille to see if she was laughing at him, but her gaze was fixed on Magnus.

Alec, looking at Simon for the first time, flushed. It was always very noticeable on him because his skin was so pale. “Sorry, Simon. I didn’t mean you. You’re different.”

Would you think that if you had seen me last night, feeding on a fourteen-year-old girl?

Simon thought. He didn’t say that, though, just dropped Alec a nod.

“She is of interest in our current investigation into the deaths of three Shadowhunters,”

said Maryse. “We need information from her, and she will only talk to Magnus Bane.”

“Really?” Alec looked at Camille with puzzled interest. “Only to Magnus?”

Magnus followed his gaze, and for the first time—or so it seemed to Simon—looked at Camille directly.

Something crackled between them, a sort of energy. Magnus’s mouth quirked up at the corners into a wistful smile.

“Yes,” Maryse said, a look of puzzlement passing over her face as she caught the look between the warlock and the vampire. “That is, if Magnus is willing.”

“I am,” Magnus said, drawing off his gloves. “I’ll talk to Camille for you.”



“Camille?” Alec looked at Magnus with his eyebrows raised. “You know her, then? Or—

she knows you?”

“We know each other.” Magnus shrugged, very slightly, as if to say, What can you do?

“Once upon a time she was my girlfriend.”

13





GIRL FOUND DEAD


“Your girlfriend?” Alec looked astonished. So did Maryse. Simon couldn’t say he was unastonished himself.

“You dated a vampire? A girl vampire?”

“It was a hundred and thirty years ago,” said Magnus. “I haven’t seen her since.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Alec demanded.

Magnus sighed. “Alexander, I’ve been alive for hundreds of years. I’ve been with men, been with women—with faeries and warlocks and vampires, and even a djinn or two.” He looked sideways at Maryse, who looked mildly horrified. “Too much information?”

“It’s all right,” she said, though she sounded a little wan. “I have to discuss something with Kadir for a moment. I’ll be back.” She stepped aside, joining Kadir; they disappeared through the doorway. Simon took a few steps back as well, pretending to study one of the stained-glass windows intently, but his vampire hearing was good enough that he could hear everything Magnus and Alec were saying to each other, whether he wanted to or not. Camille, he knew, could hear it too. She had her head cocked to the side as she listened, her eyes heavy-lidded and thoughtful.

“How many other people?” Alec asked. “Roughly.”

Magnus shook his head. “I can’t count, and it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is how I feel about you.”

“More than a hundred?” Alec asked. Magnus looked blank. “Two hundred?”

“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation now,” Magnus said, to no one in particular. Simon was inclined to agree, and wished they weren’t having it in front of him.

“Why so many?” Alec’s blue eyes were very bright in the dimness. Simon couldn’t tell if he was angry. He didn’t sound angry, just very intense, but Alec was a shut-down person, and perhaps this was as angry as he ever got.

“Do you get bored with people fast?”

“I live forever,” Magnus said quietly. “But not everyone does.”



Alec looked as if someone had hit him. “So you just stay with them as long as they live, and then you find someone else?”

Magnus didn’t say anything. He looked at Alec, his eyes shining like a cat’s. “Would you rather I spent all of eternity alone?”

Alec’s mouth twitched. “I’m going to find Isabelle,” he said, and without another word he turned and walked back into the Institute.

Magnus watched him go with sad eyes. Not a human sort of sad, Simon thought. His eyes seemed to contain the sadness of great ages, as if the sharp edges of human sadness had been worn down to something softer by the passing of years, the way sea water wore away the sharp edges of glass.

As if he could tell Simon was thinking about him, Magnus looked at him sideways.

“Eavesdropping, vampire?”

“I really don’t love it when people call me that,” Simon said. “I have a name.”

“I suppose I’d better remember it. After all, in a hundred, two hundred, years, it’ll be just you and me.” Magnus regarded Simon thoughtfully. “We’ll be all that’s left.”

The thought made Simon feel as if he were in an elevator that had suddenly broken free of its moorings and started plunging toward the ground, a thousand stories down. The thought had passed through his mind before, of course, but he had always pushed it away.