chapter seven

"𝔑𝔬 𝔤𝔯𝔬𝔴𝔱𝔥 𝔬𝔣 𝔪𝔬𝔬𝔯 𝔬𝔯 𝔠𝔬𝔭𝔭𝔦𝔠𝔢,

𝔑𝔬 𝔥𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯-𝔣𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔯 𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔢,

𝔅𝔲𝔱 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔪𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔟𝔲𝔡𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔭𝔬𝔭𝔭𝔦𝔢𝔰,

𝔊𝔯𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔭𝔢𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔓𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔯𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔢,

𝔓𝔞𝔩𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔡𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔥𝔢𝔰

𝔚𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔫𝔬 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔣 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔪𝔰 𝔬𝔯 𝔟𝔩𝔲𝔰𝔥𝔢𝔰

𝔖𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔰𝔥𝔢 𝔠𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔥𝔢𝔰

𝔉𝔬𝔯 𝔡𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝔪𝔢𝔫 𝔡𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔩𝔶 𝔴𝔦𝔫𝔢."

~ Algernon Charles Swinburne, "The Garden of Proserpine"

---

They walked down the alley and then a door rose in front of them. It shimmered in the side of a wall and didn't show itself to mundanes. Inside was a narrow hallway with walls of heavy red cloth tapestries and at the end of the hall was a painted red door.

"When this place is not home to the salon, it is a gaming house." Estelle informed Cordelia. "There is even a trapdoor in the roof, so that if they are raided by the police, the gamesters can escape over the eaves."

The door was opened and on the other side stood a man dressed in an iron-gray jacket and trousers. His hair appeared white and his eyes dark purple. Malcolm Fade. High Warlock of London. His eyes were the physical mark of the demon blood in him.

"Four this time?"

"Yes." Anna nodded.

"We try to limit the number of Shadowhunters in the salon. I prefer the Nephilim to feel outnumbered among Downworlders, as it is so often the other way around." Someone called him from behind. "You do enliven the place, though, as Hypatia reminds me. Come in. Are you armed? Never mind, of course you are. You're Shadowhunters."

They walked through, Cordelia being the last one in. inside, there were several rooms, decorated in jewel tones of red, green, blue and gold. They moved down a bronze corridor and into a room shaped like an octagon filled with Downworlders.

Cordelia looked in awe as she gazed around. "I cannot see why one would wish to picnic in the nude. There would be ants in dreadful places." She commented when she saw a picture of a nude woman with a picnic.

"Cordelia, you are a breath of fresh air." Anna laughed. A woman walked over, dressed in deep crimson with black hair. She had a silver tray with crystal glasses filled with a sparkling liquid. Champagne.

"Champagne?" She offered.

"Thank you, Lily." Anna took a glass. Matthew took two and handed one to Estelle who smiled in thanks. Cordelia hesitated slightly before she took a glass. Matthew downed his before grabbing another. Estelle shook her head amusedly, sipping on her own.

Cordelia smiled. "What's that little smile of yours?�� Matthew inquired. "You look as if you're about to laugh."

"What of it?" The redhead asked.

"Most girls would be afraid. I mean, not Anna, or Estelle. But most." Matthew replied.

"I don't frighten easily."

"I am beginning to see that." He looked over at Anna who was with Lily. "Anna can seduce anyone."

"It's her talent." Estelle added.

"Not my only talent, I hope." Anna said as Malcolm Fade appeared. Lily walked off.

"Hypatia wishes to see you, Anna. She has a friend visiting from out of town who has requested to meet you." Malcolm said.

"And this friend is visiting from where?"

"The seaside." The warlock replied. "Do come, you know how Hypatia gets." After a wink, Anna followed him down a hallway papered with damask wallpaper.

"She's so pretty. Anna, I mean. And Estelle." Cordelia said.

"They have a quality, the sisters. The French would call it jolie laide." Matthew said, his eye on Estelle as she spoke with a female vampire a bit away from them, a smile on her lips.

"Pretty ugly? They're not ugly!"

"It doesn't mean that. It means unusually pretty. Oddly beautiful. It denotes to having a face with character." He downed his champagne and grabbed another one from a passing tray.

"Do you remember how I asked you about your mother at the ball?"

Estelle was speaking with the vampire when she saw Lily wave from the other side of the room. Anna's signal. She quickly bade the vampire goodbye before heading to Matthew and Cordelia. "Anna's signal. We must go."

"Go where?" Cordelia sounded uneasy.

"Into the heart of it all." Matthew gestured at the hallway Anna disappeared into. "Brace yourself. Warlocks can be as tricky as faeries if they set their minds to it."

And so, Cordelia followed the older pair down the hall. Paper lanterns lit the way. At the end there was a cabinet of carved ebony with an array of curios spread our under glass. Estelle tapped the glass and the cabinet swung inward.

Inside was a golden grotto. The entire room gleamed. There were giltwood tables holding all kinds of treasures; clockwork birds inlaid with lapis and gold, gauntlets and blades of delicate faerie workmanship, a polished wooden box decorated with the symbol of an ourobouros and an apple carved from a single ruby.

At the end of the room was a four poster bed. A massive one covered in gold cushions. At the edge was a familiar woman that Estelle recognised as Hypatia Vex. Her skin mahogany, hair bronze and her dress a gorgeous gold.

"Welcome, little Shadowhunters. Few of your kind ever see the inner chambers of Hypatia Vex." Malcolm said.

"Is she welcome, I wonder? Let her approach." Hypatia smiled like a cat. Cordelia came closer through all the chairs and tables gleaming with gilt and purples. Now close enough, she could see Hypatia's warlock mark. Her eyes which were in the shape of stars. "I cannot say I care for the idea of so many Nephilim infesting my salon. Are you interesting, Cordelia Carstairs?"

Hesitation.

"if you have to think about it, then you are not."

"That hardly makes sense." Cordelia interjected. "Surely if you do not think, you cannot be interesting?"

"I suppose you may stay a moment." Hypatia smiled.

"Good work, Cordelia." Anna said. "Arabella, how are the drinks coming on?"

A faerie woman with blue and green hair was stood, partially hidden, in an alcove. She was mixing drinks, hands waved in midair, unstopping decanters and crystal vials full of red liquid, busily pouring them into a variety of goblets and flutes.

"Just ready, darling!" Arabella walked over with the drinks, which looked so good. Estelle grabbed one and quickly downed it, noticing Matthew doing the same. When Arabella gave Anna her drink, the dark haired girl pulled her into her lap. Arabella kicked her heels up, giggling. Her legs were bare and covered in iridescent scaled.

"Mermaid." Estelle breathed out. "That's incredible."

"I have not been on land for many years." Arabella shrugged. "The last time I visited this ugly city, the Downworlders and Shadowhunters were trying to form the Accords. I was not much impressed with Nephilim then, and I have not been fond of Shadowhunters since. Still, exceptions can be made."

Before the Accords. That would be more than 30 years ago.

"My lovely, your hair is like a beautiful stream." Anna murmured, her scarred fingers drifting nimbly through the mermaids hair, tiny fish stirred when she did and leapt from strand to strand. "Because there are fish in it." Arabella blushed and bounced up to gather more drinks.

"We know why Anna brought you, Estelle and Matthew." Malcolm said. "You are amusing. But is there a reason this young Carstairs girl is accompanying you tonight?"

"Because we need your help."

The warlocks laughed. Malcolm raised his glass to Cordelia. Arabella was sprinkling flowers into two flutes of wine and humming. But the Shadowhunters looked pained.

"Magnus Bane would help them." Hypatia's eyes sparkled. "That is why they have come. Magnus has made them believe a warlock will always help them."

"Magnus is not here." Malcolm spoke. "I bear you no ill will, child, but I loved a Shadowhunter once and it brought me only sorrow."

"She became an Iron Sister and broke his heart." Hypatia said.

Estelle felt sad now. Iron Sisters were very secretive. They shaped adamas into runed weapons for Nephilim. They did this from their hidden fortress as they have for a thousand years. They did not marry and held the responsibility of placing protective spells on Shadowhunter babies when they were born with the Silent Brothers. No one except other Sisters were allowed in the Adamant Citadel and only women could become Iron Sisters.

"Oh. That seems very sad." Cordelia looked surprised.

"Indeed. Our kind and yours are best apart, whatever Bane might say." Malcom said.

"I have not met Bane." Hypatia tapped her golden fingernails together. "Before he last left London he helped the Nephilim, but do they recall his graciousness, or do they only expect help at the first sign of trouble. I let you come into my salon because you amuse me, Matthew Fairchild. I let you into my salon because you are a kind soul, Estelle Lightwood. Because you are children – silly and beautiful children, who touch fire because it is lovely and forget it can burn you. Do not presume that means you can ask for favours."

"It might be amusing for you to find out what it is they want." Anna suggested.

"As if you don't already know." Hypatia said, giving Anna a fond look. Anna smiled.

"What if we did something for you?" Cordelia asked. Arabella gave the flower-bedecked drinks to the warlocks. "What if I saved your lives?"

"Charming. But we are not in any danger." Hypatia said.

"I disagree." Cordelia drew Cortana and struck Hypatia's crystal flute with one sweep. It exploded and send glass and wine in all directions. Arabella screamed indignantly and Estelle narrowed her eyes at that, whipping her sword out quickly and pointed it at her.

"It's a pity." Cordelia said. "I've never met a mermaid before. I wish you hadn't turned out to be a poisoner."

Estelle's glass dropped from her free hand with a loud crash. "Poison?" Matthew placed his glass on the table with a loud thump. Estelle moved closer to Arabella, making sure her blade was steady.

"Only for the warlocks. It was them she was trying to kill." Cordelia said.

"May I ask where you came to this wild conclusion?" Hypatia was outraged.

"My mother knows a great deal about medicinal plants." Cordelia explained. "And she shared her knowledge with me. There is a plant cultivated by the mermaids, an underwater variety of deadly nightshade, which they will not sell even at the Shadow Markets. One taste is death. I saw her sprinkle those blossoms in your cups."

Malcolm waved a hand over his cup. Purple sparks danced in the glass. The red wine stain on the carpet unfurled like a flower and turned into purple smoke.

"I was a child in Cornwall long ago, where Altropa belladonna grows wild." Malcolm said quietly. "I am an expert in the uses of deadly nightshade, and I have seen its deadly cousin nightsea before. Miss Carstairs is right. She has saved our lives."

"Seize the mermaid." Hypatia gritted out.

Estelle was ready as Arabella fumbled with something, her teeth bared. Estelle caught her wrist and twisted, the item falling to the ground. It was the horn of some sort of sea creature, sharpened to a deadly point.

"Let me end my life." Arabella hissed. Estelle rolled her eyes, holding one arm around her neck and the other gripping her Scimitar tightly. "Let me die with honour as sea people do."

"Honour? There is no honour in poison." Hypatia shook her head. "It is a coward's trick. You intended to poison me and Malcom Fade. And to what end? What power do you seek?"

"She seeks revenge." Malcom said. "I have heard of you, Arabella. You considered yourself insulted by the Nephilim years ago. It must have been a much greater matter than any of us realised, for when Hypatia told you they were here tonight, you sought to pay them back. Hypatia and I would have been dead – warlocks poisoned by Shadowhunters, you would claim. Every Downworlder in London would have been after Nephilim blood."

Hypatia picked up a small golden bell and shook it. A blue-skinned faerie girl with foxgloves in her hair popped her head in. "You rang, mistress?"

"Hyacinth. Have the guards take this mermaid away and put her in the wine cellar."

"Please consider putting a prisoner in the wine cellar." Matthew said.

"For the sake of our future visits." Estelle added.

"Put her in the Whispering Room, then. She shouldn't be able to cause any trouble there; we'll take her to the Spiral Labyrinth shortly."

"And then? What happens to her?" Cordelia asked as two trolls wearing coats with gold braids entered, detaching Arabella from Estelle's grip and escorting her out of the room.

"A trial. A Downworlder matter is of no interest to you. It will be fair. Downworlders are always fair."

"Then you should have little issue with offering Cordelia assistance." Anna brushed dust from her cuffs.

Estelle stuck her Scimitar back into its holster under her dress. "She did save your life."

"Anna is right." Malcolm said. "A debt is a debt. What is it you wish for help with, Nephilim?"

Matthew told them everything, from the picnic, to James' vision of the shadow realm, the demons who came in daylight, the wounded Shadowhunters and the poison the Silent Brothers could not cure.

"Your friend saw a shadow land nobody else can see?" Hypatia raised an eyebrow. "Is he the child of the shape-changing warlock girl, and the Shadowhunter mad enough to marry her? I knew that would be trouble."

"Hypatia, please watch how you speak of my family. I do not appreciate it." Estelle warned, her eyes narrowed. Hypatia raised her hands in surrender.

"He can indeed see what others cannot." Cordelia agreed. "It is a rare talent."

"So this is a kind of demon that comes in daylight." Malcolm recounted. "And transmits a poison your scholars have never seen before."

"If such demons were free in London, it would not be good for anyone." Anna said.

"Of course, all demons come from other worlds." Hypatia said. "But if you think that as the children of demons we are intimately familiar with their geography and those who dwell in them, you are quite mistaken."

"We are not insulting you, Miss Vex." Cordelia said.

"Hypatia, you have your ear to the ground of the Downworld." Estelle said earnestly. "Nothing happens in it that you do not. If there was other word of these strange demons…"

"There is not." Hypatia said. "All discussion has been about the lack of demons in London, in fact, and how strange it is."

"Ragnor called it the calm before the storm, but he is a doomsayer at the best of times." Malcolm added.

"Well, they seem to be returning. A cluster of Shax demons appeared in Seven Dials just the other day." Anna said.

"And Deumas demons were encountered in the City." Matthew added.

"Nasty. Very messy. Ruined my new dress." Estelle shuddered.

"There was a rumour, though it was only a rumour, mind, that some sort of powerful individual – a warlock, perhaps – put out the word among the demon groups that London was to be avoided." Malcom said after exchanging a look with Hypatia.

"Since when have demons listened to anyone?" Anna asked.

"As I said, a rumour." Malcolm shrugged. "Besides, in such a situation, it seems wise to leave well enough alone."

"The time for leaving well enough alone as passed." Cordelia said firmly. "These sunlight demons may be a harbinger of worse to come for us all; surely we should work together to discover if that is the case?"

"I detest when Shadowhunters make sense." Hypatia sighed. "Ragnor Fell is back in London, and he has often worked with Shadowhunters in the past. He knows a great deal about demon worlds, having made himself a student of dimensional magic. If there is a dimension that breeds demons who can withstand sunlight, he would know about it."

"It does seem a place to start. How do we find him?" Estelle inquired.

"I will send him an urgent message." Hypatia said. "He will contact you." She sank back into her chair, closing her eyes. "Now go. I find myself weary of angels."

They walked back through the main room and down the hallway to reach Berwick Street. "Nephilim!" The blue-skinned faerie girl called Hyacinth was calling them. She handed Matthew a velvet-wrapped bundle. "Fade wished you to have this. He is grateful for what you all did. What did you do?" She asked. "I've never heard of a warlock being grateful before"

"I'll tell you the story in a moment." Anna winked and Estelle mimed gagging to Matthew who grinned. Cordelia looked at Anna in surprise, and Hyacinth blushed and giggled as she walked back down the alley.

"I'm going to linger a bit longer." Anna said. "You three can take the carriage; I'll make my own way home."

"You absolute slut." Estelle snickered at her sister, who sent her a bright beam.

Matthew pulled back a corner of the velvet. Inside were a half-sized blades of fine and careful faerie workmanship. Estelle's eyes widened. Matthew whistled. "A real gift." He looked at Cordelia. "I never would have guessed Arabella was engaged in poisoning."

"I told you earlier." Anna said. "I never do court young girls."