Magnus Bane

The last week had to be the most intense she'd lived through in all her life. Valentine may have used her over and over again through her life, but he was respectful for the most part. If harsh and cruel. Enough to make her stay loyal. His son... his son on the other hand proved everyday how much she hated him with what he said and did. And no matter how much she'd tried to keep him from hurting the young nephilim, it only enraged him more not deterred him.

Which led to events she'd rather wipe from her mind. The screaming and the fighting as he'd tried to force himself on the teen that didn't deserve it. Ne never deserved that. She couldn't let it happen. Which was why she traded herself as willing for the first time. The demon hybrid jumped on it instantly and drug her out of the room none too kindly. At first her mind reeled as he practically dragged her forcefully up the stairs to his room. They had to get there... it was the only way she could hide what she would do.

And time to build up the spell that would knock him out for a day or two.

Not that he didn't get her beat up before she got him. But that really only came from his anger at her for helping the abnormal freak of a nephilim. Something she resented him for calling the teen down in the dungeon. How dare he call that boy that, when he himself was an abomination. It took effort to get back down stairs walking calmly. No one really thought much of her clothes being torn or even the bruises. They'd heal. And they all knew about his fixation with her.

It got her where she needed to be. Into the room with the wounded nephilim. With a wave of her hand a pulse knocked out all of the guards and unlocked his bindings all at once. Rushing to his side, she slid her arms about his waist to help him up. "I need to heal you. You can't run like this..." Hopefully she could do that without taking too much time and them getting caught. "But not here... we're too exposed here and too easily cornered. Can you walk at all?"

"I don't know this writing." She murmured the words softly while pushing a few books around on the table. The narrowed and arched looks of three sets of eyes completely washing over her like they weren't even there. Instead, she pointed to a photo she'd taken of the writing from the rooftop where Lilith had tried to resurrect Sebastian. "How do I not know this writing? I've studied all the forms of the Gehenna languages..."

"Magna Bane-Lightwood, if you do not sit down, I will burn all of your books and pour the ashes in the dead sea." Catarina growled softly as she tried to pace the smaller woman with a different attempts to figure out why she couldn't change. They all knew why... but Magna wanted to be sure. Had to be sure. Jace was gone... Alec didn't need...

"Can't this wait, Catarina?" Sighing in exasperation, she turned and leaned back against the table. She felt sick. Ungodly sick. Like everything she'd eaten on her trip with Alec would magically find away to escape. The sickness left her pale and even shaking as Catarina's hand pressed against her forehead.

"No." The blue skinned healer glared at her in a way only a motherly healer could and it quelled her thoughts. If Magna dared to look over her shoulder, she knew that she'd find two sets of feline eyes glaring at her. "You need to put this nonsense away and let me check you over..."

"But... Alec needs..."

"Alec doesn't know what he needs! You know why?" The healer glared her down and didn't have to finish it as Lex scowled and finished for her, "Because you haven't told him!"

"I told him..." Magnus wilted against the table and gave in. Sitting on the edge, Catarina worked her magic grumbling the while time about how Magnus Bane didn't know the meaning of communicating. "He has more important things to worry about..." Keeping her voice soft, she felt a pain in her chest and stomach that nearly made her want to retch right then.

"You know that's not true..." Mal's soft voice permeated the air and Magnus flinched. "If you just told him clearly, you'd realize that. Even if he is a new person, you know as well as we do that he loves you. This isn't something you can dance around."

Rubbing at her face, she finally pressed her hands over it and made a soft sound. When she lifted her head, she waved them away. "Go. I'm tired. We all know this is pointless. We all know why I can't change. So just go home. I need to think." The kittens started to complain and she cut them sharp looks. "You two. Out. I love you, but you're suffocating me. I'll see you in the morning." Both of them glared only a moment before they gave in. One at a time they said goodbye, Mal with a kiss to her forehead and Lex with a hug. After one last lingering look, they were gone. "I know what those looks mean... they are chastising me for not saying it to him plainly."

"Magnus..." Feline eyes rose to Catarina's and she tried to grin only to sigh at the hard look. "Leave all of this where it lay... clean up... lay down. If he doesn't come back here tonight, you call him. The longer you put this off... the worse of a mess you'll make. Are we clear?"

One hand tangled messily in her hair as her eyes closed. Ducking her head, she made a low whimpering sound as her stomach turned. Finally... all she could do was nod.

The day had been pretty rough. Will found ways to make her work harder when they trained together and it was some strange ritual to make her go away. Sometimes she wasn't sure if he enjoyed her company or if he hated it. He had more mood swings than a woman. Not that she cared. She neither liked him nor hated him. Which was about the same for Jem. The one thing she knew for certain... she liked to keep them safe without either of them noticing. If the didn't notice, they couldn't ask her about it. Things were better that way.

On the other hand, sitting in the attic with a book in her lap that day, she found like so many other days that all she thought about was one person. The first time the smaller branch of the Lightwood family visited the Institute, she'd gone from disinterested in life to a rush of feelings that left her breathless. Will hated the Lightwoods. No matter which family branch... but her entire perception changed the first time his eyes met hers.

Which was why she nimbly scaled the wall up to the dimly lit window of a London apartment. Pulling up onto the window ledge nimbly, she tapped the glass pane softly. It wasn't the first night that she did this. Swinging her feet lightly, she tucked the wayward ebony strands behind an ear and peered down at the city below while waiting.