The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses, #1)(52)

Magnus made a face at him. “It’s not being a sass-monkey that I object to. That I like. It’s the joyless attitude. One of the chief pleasures of life is mocking others, so occasionally show some glee about doing it. Have some joie de vivre.”

“I’m undead,” said Raphael.

“What about joie de unvivre?”

Raphael eyed him coldly. Magnus gestured his own question aside, his rings and trails of leftover magic leaving a sweep of sparks in the night air, and sighed.

“Tessa,” Magnus said with a long exhale. “She is a harbinger of ill news and I will be annoyed with her for dumping this problem in my lap for weeks. At least.”

“What problem? Are you in trouble?” asked Raphael.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” said Magnus.

“Pity,” said Raphael. “I was planning to point and laugh. Well, time to go. I’d say good luck with your dead-body bad-news thing, but . . . I don’t care.”

“Take care of yourself, Raphael,” said Magnus.

Raphael waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder. “I always do.”

The vampires made their way down the dark street, the canal a line of silver beside them. Malcolm wandered over to Hyacinth and began to discuss alternate party venues with a good deal more interest than he had shown in the dead body.

Alec stared after the vampires. “He wanted to help you.”

Magnus gave him a startled glance. “Raphael? I don’t think so. He’s not really the warlock’s little helper type.”

He turned to aid Shinyun in poring over the body. Alec let him, trusting Magnus to find anything relevant, and jogged after the vampires.

“Wait,” he said.

The vampires walked on, ignoring him entirely.

“Hold on.”

“Don’t speak to the Shadowhunter,” Raphael instructed the others. “Don’t even look at him.”

“Okay. Sorry to bother you. I forgot you have no interest in Magnus. I’ll just go back and help him myself,” said Alec.

Raphael stopped walking.

“Talk,” he said, not turning. When Alec hesitated, trying to think of how to phrase the problem, Raphael held up fingers. “Three. Two. One—”

“You basically run the vampire clan, don’t you?” Alec asked. “So you must know a lot about what is going on with Downworlders.”

“More than you ever will, Shadowhunter.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Do you know anything about the Crimson Hand? They’re a cult.”

“I’ve heard of them,” said Raphael. “There’s a rumor Magnus founded it.”

Alec was silent.

“I don’t believe it,” said Raphael. “I’ll tell anyone who asks.”

“Great,” said Alec. “Thanks.”

“And I’ll ask around,” Raphael conceded.

“Okay,” said Alec. “Give me your phone.”

“I don’t have a phone.”

“Raphael, you obviously have a phone, you were texting on it when I first saw you at the party.”

Raphael finally turned and studied Alec warily. Elliott and Lily hung back, exchanging glances with each other. After a pause, Raphael closed the distance between them, slid his phone out of his pocket, and laid it in Alec’s waiting hand. Alec sent himself a text from Raphael’s phone. He tried to think of a pithy and cutting message to send, but he wound up just writing, HI.

Jace would have thought of something pithy. Oh well. Everyone had their skills.

“This is a historic occasion,” Lily said. “The first time in fifty years Raphael has given someone his phone number at a party.”

Elliott lifted his drooping head. “This calls for another drink!”

Raphael and Alec both ignored them. Alec gave Raphael back his phone. Raphael accepted it. They nodded at each other.

“About Bane. Don’t hurt him,” Raphael said abruptly.

Alec hesitated. “No,” he said, his voice softer. “I would never—”

Raphael held up a peremptory hand. “Stop being disgusting, please,” he said. “I don’t care if you wound his, as the kids say, ‘wittle fee-fees.’ Dump him like a ton of magic bricks. I wish you would. I just meant, don’t kill him.”

“I’m not going to kill him,” Alec said, appalled.

His blood ran cold at the idea, and colder as he looked down into Raphael’s face. The vampire was serious.

“Aren’t you?” Raphael asked. “Shadowhunter.”

He said the word the same way as the Downworlders of the Shadow Market had, but it sounded different in service of protecting someone Alec would gladly give his life to shield from harm.

It made Alec wonder if the people of the Market were all looking at him and seeing a threat to someone they cared for.

“Stop it, Raphael,” said Lily. She gave Alec a brief, surprisingly sympathetic look. “Kid’s obviously in love.”

“Ugh,” said Raphael. “Terrible business. Let’s get out of here.”

Elliott cheered. “Can we go to the after-party?”

“No,” Raphael said with distaste. He left Alec and walked away without a look back. After a quick last glance, Lily and then Elliott turned to follow.