Chain of Iron (The Last Hours, #2)

by Cassandra Clare

“Unaccountably,” Matthew said, “we will climb back to the top of the hill in order to do it again. It is some kind of snow-related mania, they say.”

“What business?” said Alastair. “No business of yours,” Matthew said, clearly pleased with himself. “Rather walked into that one, eh?”

“Why,” he said, “are you not even wearing a hat?” “And cover up this hair?” Matthew indicated his golden locks with a flourish. “Would you blot out the sun?”

“In the first days of the Earth, God made for Adam a wife. Her name was Lilith, and she would not be subservient to Adam’s wishes, so she was cast from the Garden of Eden. She mated with the demon Sammael, and with him had many demon children, whose offspring were the first warlocks. This angered Heaven, and three vengeful angels—Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelaf—were sent to punish Lilith. She was made barren by the angels, banished to the realm of Edom, a wasteland of night creatures and screech owls, where she resides still. But she stretches out her hand sometimes to assist warlocks who are faithful to her cause.”

“He rather broke Matthew’s heart, a year or so back,” said Anna. “Matthew has a habit of getting his heart broken. He seems to prefer a hopeless love.”

goodness can be a blade sharp enough to cut, you know, just as much as evil intent.”

“Water,” Christopher said. “Do we have any water?” “Never touch the stuff,” said Matthew,

He was caught, suddenly, in a fierce hug from Matthew. Matthew’s hands were tight on the back of his shirt, Matthew’s cold cheek against his. “You went shadowy,” Matthew said, his voice low, “as if you were going to disappear, as if I’d wished you gone and you were vanishing—” James drew back enough to smooth Matthew’s hair away from his forehead. “Have you wished me gone?” he said teasingly. “No. Only I wish myself gone, sometimes,” Matthew said in a whisper, and it was that rarest of things where Matthew was concerned, an entirely true statement with no mockery or teasing or humor to be had. “Never wish that,” James said, and sat back enough to see the other two Merry Thieves, and their worried expressions. “I turned into a shadow?” Thomas nodded. Matthew was leaning against the back of the sofa now, only his right hand wrapped around James’s wrist, as if he were reassuring himself that James was still there.

Anna had slipped away an hour or so after midnight with Lily, a vampire from Peking.

“I’ve been thinking of writing a novel myself. It is about a ghost who is very, very bored.”

Please, don’t, he thought. The last thing I want is for you to think my marriage failed because your advice was flawed.

“You may fear what will happen if you speak your heart. You may wish to hide things because you fear hurting others. But secrets have a way of eating at relationships, Jamie. At love, at friendship—they undermine and destroy them until in the end you find you are bitterly alone with the secrets you kept.”

“Well, you know what they say,” said James. “All the best men are either married or Silent

“Oh, no you don’t.” It was Matthew: James looked up in surprise. How his suggenes had found them, he had no idea, but found them he had. He was glowering at the both of them like an owl who had been mortally offended by another owl. “Grace Blackthorn, it is James’s wedding day. Leave him alone.”

you owe me for the pain you have put my parabatai through.” “Ah, yes,” said Grace, a light, mocking tone to her voice, “you feel his pain, don’t you? If his heart shatters, does yours shatter? Does he feel what you feel? Because I can see how that might be awkward.”

But mentioning alcohol to Matthew would only earn a glib remark, and a blank stare if James persisted. Instead he smiled and withdrew his hand. “Well, then, as my suggenes, try to draw Inquisitor Bridgestock into conversation, will you? I think he’s yearning to impart some manly advice to me, and I’m not sure I can keep a straight face.”

He could never truly fall with Matthew to hold him up.

A sound delicate and crystalline as winter, touched with an almost melancholy sweetness. The sound of a violin, audible even through the thick stone walls. The guests looked about them, startled. James looked at Matthew. “Jem?” Matthew nodded and indicated James’s parents: Will and Tessa were both smiling. James thought there were tears in his mother’s eyes, but it was natural to cry at weddings.

She was married, and she was absolutely terrified.

Matthew took a long sip of champagne.

“It’s my understanding,” Cordelia said, “that the question is never whether you know Magnus Bane. The question is always whether Magnus Bane knows you.”

it seems he is the only Shadowhunter trusted by both the Clave and the Spiral Labyrinth.”

“Not to worry,” Magnus said, “you will not be without my radiance for long. I should be back in a fortnight. And then we celebrate.” Matthew held up a hand. “I demand to also be invited to dinner with Magnus. I will not be scorned.”

Will had deemed him to be the horse with the best opinion of Cordelia, and she’d merely nodded and asked James later whether his father had been joking. “It’s often difficult to say,” James had said. “Sometimes he’s just pulling your leg, but then sometimes it’s mysterious Welsh business. I think where horses are concerned, it’s probably the latter.”

“We have talked so much of travel,” James said. “I wanted to give you the world.”

“Not everyone,” said Rosamund, with a heavy sigh. “Amos Gladstone had to go and get himself killed, and quite a few people felt attending was in poor taste, which is very unfair, because we obviously planned this event before he died. And we would have canceled it, but we’d already ordered the ice sculpture.”

and there was Alastair, dancing politely with Ariadne.

“You mean is anyone a murderer?” Matthew turned her in a swift circle: the dozens of candles seemed to blur into a stream of light all around them. “I am.”

“But husbands aren’t supposed to—I mean, they don’t dance with their wives.” “Well, this one does,” said James, and whirled her away across the floor.

in which one Annabel Blackthorn, who had lived a hundred years ago,

“Nothing’s really changed with you, Ari, has it? How many times are you going to ask me to dance when you know there’s no point?” Ariadne crossed her arms over her chest. “A thousand times,” she said. “Infinity times.”

Anna put her mouth to Ariadne’s ear. She spoke in a near whisper, her warm breath stirring the hair at Ariadne’s temples, her lips grazing Ariadne’s skin. “Because I will never love you,” Anna murmured. “I will never be with you. We have no future together. None. Do you still want me to kiss you anyway?” Ariadne closed her eyes. “Yes. Yes.”

“Charles,” she said, smiling with too many teeth, “I believe that you agreed to stay away from my brother.” Charles raised a superior-looking eyebrow. “Cordelia, dear. Men have disagreements among themselves sometimes. It’s best to leave them be to sort it out.” Cordelia looked at Alastair. “Do you wish to converse with Charles?” Alastair shuffled upright. “No,” he said. Charles flushed. It made his freckles stand out like angry dots. “Alastair,” he said. “Only a coward needs to be rescued by his little sister.” Alastair’s expressive eyebrows flickered. “And only an ass puts other people into situations in which they need to be rescued at all.”

“Or I will tell everyone how your aunt and uncle must go rushing off to Paris to rescue the Clave from your blunder.”

Tessa was smiling up at Will as she tucked her hands into fur-lined gloves; he bent to brush her hair from her forehead. James cleared his throat loudly. Cordelia glanced up at him. “Otherwise they’d start kissing,” he said matter-of-factly. “Believe me, I know.”

“It’s all right,” he said. “There’s no need.” Will was looking at Tessa, his blue eyes wide. “Can I?” Tessa smiled indulgently, as if Will had asked for a second helping of cake. “Oh, go ahead.” Will made a whooping sound. As Cordelia stared in puzzlement, he leaped down the stairs and raced off, chasing the wheel-demon. James and Tessa were both smiling. “Should we help him?” Cordelia asked, utterly bewildered. James grinned. “No. That demon and my father are old friends. Or rather, old enemies, but it amounts to the same thing. It likes to chase him around after parties.” “That is very peculiar,” said Cordelia. “I see that I have married into a very peculiar family.” “Don’t pretend you didn’t know that already,” James said.

“My attempts to charm her have not been successful,” Matthew observed.

Thomas opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “May I have your permission to shout, keeping in mind I am not shouting at you?” he said to Cordelia. “Oh, quite,” she said. “I like a good shouting in general.” “Yes,” agreed Lucie. “Shout at Matthew if you like.” “Thank you very much, Luce,” said Matthew. “Stop,” said James. They all looked at him in surprise. “We need to discuss what we’re dealing with before we argue about who’s going on patrol and when. Patrol is meant to be about demons, and Math told me the Enclave is already thinking this wasn’t a demon’s doing—” “WHAT?” said Thomas, so loudly they all jumped. “Sorry,” he said. “I was all prepared to shout and I hadn’t got a chance yet.”

Or someone resented him for creating Augustus. No one would be surprised. For that matter, it could have been Alastair.” “Matthew,” Cordelia said furiously. “Must we keep bringing up my brother? Alastair may be many things, but he is not a murderer.” “I just like to blame him for things,” Matthew said a bit sheepishly.

He raised one eyebrow as if to say, Well, well.

Truly? Blackmail? You’re a blackmailing ghost?”

“Delightful!” said Matthew. “We’ll take the train. I love the train. The little tickets are so amusing.”

“We are Nephilim, not angels themselves. We cannot be where we do not know we are needed. We cannot know all things.” “I, for instance,” said Matthew, “know very little.”

“I didn’t want to trouble you,” Matthew said, with uncharacteristic shyness. “Nothing you do troubles me,” said James. “Well, that is not precisely true. You are quite troublesome, as you well know.”

“No one need be alone to settle themselves,” said James quietly. “All I want for you, Math, is that you love yourself as much as I love you.” Matthew took a shaking breath. “Cordelia doesn’t mind you coming to my flat?” “She suggested it. She loves you too,”

Also, I shall expect the shilling back, you parsimonious bastard. Yours, Matthew

Simply make him love you. It will amuse me.”

“I’ve been following Thomas for days. I knew he was going out on these insane night patrols by himself, and I wanted to make sure that he was safe. Cordelia is fond of him.” “You’re the one who’s been following me?” Thomas said, astonished. “You knew someone was following you?” Matthew demanded. “And you didn’t say anything? Thomas!”

“She’ll just be glad to think I have a friend, I suspect.”

“If they don’t have the Mortal Sword here by tomorrow morning, I’ll break you out with Cortana.” “I heard that!” Charlotte scolded.