* agentscullied:
Ā Ā Ā To the passerby, Tessa looked every bit the part of a twenty-something New Yorker. Her jeans were torn at the knee, her sweater shredded at the back, but the style had been perfectly modern before sheād been attacked. Even her hair had been styled in a more modern fashion, pinned up in a loose bun, a few strands falling out of the pins to frame her face. The bracelet of pearls remained on her wrist, as did the jade pendant that hung from her neck. There was little to indicate she was anything but a college student. Well, beyond the grievous injuries.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā She cried out as she made it to the door, her fist coming up to pound the knocker as she held herself up, shoulder pressed against the cool, rough brick.Ā āMagnus,ā she whimpered, needing him to hurry. She straightened as the door opened, relief flooding her veins for half a second before turning to steel. Ice danced up her spine. She gaped, frozen in place, as her blurry vision took in the sight of a young man near her age. His hair, the angle of his cheekbones. Tessa choked on a sob welling in her throat, her eyes too heavy, grays darkening as tears filled them.Ā āWill,ā She whispered, her hand reaching out for him. What was Will doing in New York? What had Magnus done? She didnāt understand.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Her limbs were so heavy. She heard Alec say something about her eyes, and a small smile tugged at her lips.Ā āYou love my eyes,ā She teased despite, so certain William had made a comment about them to alleviate the tension, to ease both of their worries. Her knees buckled, and she tumbled, her wounds scraping open again as her knees connected with the cement.Ā āWill, you have to summon him.ā She pleaded breathlessly, head spinning. It would be okay now. Will was there. Heād know what to do. Thank the Angel for Magnus Bane, wherever heād gone.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā šš Ā šš¼ššāš Ā šš¼šššš¾ššš¼ššš Ā šššššš¼š Ā ššš Ā šššššš Ā šš š¾ššš Ā šššš¾šššš Ā š¼š Ā šš¼ššššā Ā šæššš Ā -- Ā šš Ā šš¼š¾š, Ā šš Ā ššššš Ā šš¼ššššššæ Ā š¼š Ā ššš Ā šššš Ā ššššššššššš Ā šš Ā ššššš, Ā šššššš Ā š¼ššš¾ Ā šššš Ā šš Ā šš¼š Ā šš¼šš Ā šš Ā ššš¼š Ā šš¼šššš Ā šæššæ Ā š¼ššæ Ā ššš¼š Ā šš Ā šš¼ššāš Ā šššššš Ā šš Ā š¾šš¼ššš Ā šš Ā ššš Ā š¼š¾š¾šššš.Ā heādĀ grownĀ accustomedĀ toĀ strangeĀ visitorsĀ makingĀ appearances,Ā thoughĀ theyĀ didnātĀ sayĀ muchĀ aboutĀ whatĀ itĀ wasĀ thatĀ theyĀ wantedĀ fromĀ magnusĀ aroundĀ alec,Ā onlyĀ thatĀ theyĀ neededĀ hisĀ servicesĀ andĀ theyĀ wereĀ willingĀ toĀ pay.Ā sometimesĀ heĀ feltĀ badĀ aboutĀ theĀ factĀ thatĀ heĀ wasĀ makingĀ magnusāĀ lifeĀ harderĀ business-wiseĀ becauseĀ hisĀ patronsĀ wereĀ worriedĀ aboutĀ theĀ SHADOWHUNTERĀ hangingĀ aroundĀ theĀ warlockāsĀ residence.Ā alecĀ couldĀ understandĀ whereĀ theyĀ cameĀ fromĀ inĀ theirĀ hesitence,Ā butĀ alecĀ knewĀ whereĀ toĀ drawĀ aĀ lineĀ inĀ theĀ sandĀ andĀ itĀ wasnātĀ overĀ anyĀ spellĀ orĀ potionĀ thatĀ magnusĀ wasĀ likelyĀ toĀ agreeĀ to.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā heĀ wasĀ inĀ gearĀ --Ā havingĀ notĀ yetĀ changedĀ clothesĀ fromĀ patrolĀ --Ā andĀ heādĀ agreedĀ toĀ waitĀ forĀ magnusĀ toĀ returnĀ fromĀ theĀ showerĀ onĀ accountĀ ofĀ aĀ potionĀ thatĀ hadĀ requiredĀ hydratedĀ essenceĀ ofĀ guppyĀ thatĀ hadĀ belchedĀ aĀ foulĀ sprayĀ whichĀ hadĀ splattedĀ theĀ nearbyĀ area,Ā includingĀ overĀ magnus.Ā alecĀ hadĀ toĀ admit,Ā thereĀ wasĀ stillĀ aĀ smellĀ lingeringĀ aroundĀ thatĀ wasĀ somethingĀ likeĀ week-oldĀ fishĀ withĀ theĀ potentĀ overtoneĀ ofĀ incenseĀ andĀ rottingĀ wood.Ā itĀ wasnātĀ theĀ worstĀ smellĀ thatĀ heādĀ everĀ encounteredĀ butĀ itĀ alsoĀ wasnātĀ somethingĀ heĀ wantedĀ toĀ smellĀ likeĀ whenĀ heĀ inevitablyĀ returnedĀ toĀ theĀ instituteĀ later.Ā heādĀ dealĀ withĀ thatĀ whenĀ itĀ cameĀ toĀ it.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā hisĀ handĀ closedĀ aroundĀ theĀ handleĀ ofĀ theĀ doorĀ inĀ timeĀ toĀ hearĀ aĀ whimperĀ onĀ theĀ otherĀ sideĀ andĀ alecĀ frownedĀ inĀ response,Ā wrenchingĀ theĀ doorĀ openĀ toĀ findĀ aĀ brownĀ hairedĀ womanĀ standingĀ onĀ theĀ doorstep,Ā paleĀ inĀ theĀ light,Ā andĀ certainlyĀ worseĀ forĀ ware.Ā heĀ blinkedĀ inĀ resposeĀ toĀ herĀ words,Ā darkĀ browsĀ comingĀ togetherĀ inĀ confusion,Ā butĀ beforeĀ heĀ couldĀ askĀ ifĀ sheĀ wasĀ okayĀ sheĀ beganĀ toĀ fall.Ā blueĀ eyesĀ widenedĀ inĀ alarmĀ asĀ sheĀ collapsedĀ andĀ alecāsĀ armsĀ reachedĀ outĀ instinctivelyĀ toĀ preventĀ herĀ fromĀ hurtingĀ herself,Ā catchingĀ herĀ beforeĀ sheĀ couldĀ hitĀ theĀ hardĀ groundĀ beneathĀ her.Ā itĀ wasĀ then,Ā withĀ hisĀ armsĀ aroundĀ herĀ thinĀ frameĀ thatĀ alecĀ realisedĀ thatĀ theĀ woman,Ā sheĀ lookedĀ aboutĀ hisĀ ageĀ inĀ truth,Ā wasĀ bleedingĀ andĀ woundedĀ moreĀ thanĀ sheĀ hadĀ firstĀ appeared.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā allĀ confusionĀ hadĀ evaporatedĀ fromĀ hisĀ face,Ā replacedĀ byĀ concernĀ forĀ theĀ brunette,Ā hisĀ eyesĀ liftingĀ toĀ sweepĀ theĀ area,Ā assessingĀ theĀ potentialĀ ofĀ anĀ imminantĀ secondaryĀ attackĀ fromĀ whateverĀ hadĀ hurtĀ thisĀ woman,Ā beforeĀ landingĀ onceĀ againĀ onĀ herĀ faceĀ andĀ lockingĀ onĀ herĀ blue-greyĀ eyes.Ā heĀ didnātĀ knowĀ whoĀ theĀ willĀ wasĀ thatĀ sheĀ wasĀ talkingĀ about,Ā butĀ heĀ seemedĀ importantĀ toĀ her.Ā ā itāsĀ okay,Ā youāreĀ safeĀ --Ā iāveĀ gotĀ you.Ā justĀ keepĀ yourĀ eyesĀ openĀ andĀ onĀ me.Ā canĀ youĀ doĀ that? ā











