"You're supposed to be in hiding! Not being at a party!"

Sometimes, I felt like the parent around Magnus. We had saved most of the warlocks that came to us. We were pacing around, well more like I was the one pacing as Magnus calmly sat in front of me, a martini in hand, watching me pace.

"Relax" Magnus said chuckling. I stopped, turning to face him incredulously, "There, was that too hard to stop? If you kept going, for sure you'd make a hole in the rug which by the way I brought from Paris"

"Stole, you mean" I corrected.

Magnus shrugged, smiling "Borrowed"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Mag, the reason why we're in hiding, why you're supposed to be in hiding is to keep the Buffy wannabe from killing you"

"And what's better than hiding in plain sight, pepper chili?" Magnus asked amused.

"Food names" I pursed my lips. "You're serious about this"

Magnus shifted slightly, smile brightening "I'll be in and out. Besides, I have a business meeting with some little angels to get back something of mine" I eyed him, unconvinced. Magnus sighed, flicking his wrist to make the drink disappear, standing up. "I promise"

"For the kissing fingers?" I asked seriously.

Magnus rolled his eyes, smiling. "For the kissing fingers"

Somehow, when I was small, whatever promise made to me, sealed by kissing our fingers and putting them together was enough to create some sort of bonded deal. Apparently, this was one of my demon father's powers that was passed onto me. I could make little deals that if you broke them, your fingers would burn until the deal was completed. Should have seen our face when we realized this. My six year old was forbidden to make 'finger promises' for ice creams. I don't want to imagine myself kissing people to make bigger deals. Ew.

I kissed my pointer and middle finger, watching Magnus do the same with his. We touched our kissed fingers together, watching a small whip of my magic closing around them momentarily before fading. We dropped our hands.

"There, now you can know I'm serious about going in and out for a bit and the business meeting, that's all" Magnus reassured. "I don't want you to worry"

I nodded. Well, at least now I'm a bit reassured he will come home.

~8~

Elias, one of Magnus friends came to see me while I was reinforcing one of the wards.

"You couldn't convince him either" I said knowingly, smirking. "I already tried, handsome. He definitely wants that necklace"

Elias' lips pursed. He seemed a bit angry, "You're not strong enough to keep them up"

I stiffened. I always hated when other warlocks told me that. Just because I was sixteen didn't mean I wasn't strong.

"I can try" I said calmly. "Magnus taught me everything I know"

"He's making a mistake and you know it, Cassandra" Elias told me.

I scrunched my nose at the use of my full name, "Have faith" I was too close to snap, remaining calm as I kept waving my hands in front of me, magic leaving my hands.

~8~

Having faith wasn't enough. Not for my wards.

They found us somehow. I felt the protective wards I put up and reinforced shaking and breaking. Not even a second later the screams began.

I ran fast, remembering the kids being all together in one room. A man with a red circle rune in his neck was walking closer to that room. A glowing sword in his hand I know was called Seraph Blade.

"Hey!" I called out angrily. The circle guy turned to my call, raising his blade but he was too slow, a fire ball hit him directly on his face. I flickered my wrist and fingers to make the fire stronger, burning all his face and body. My eyes were glowing a bright red as the man's screams died. The glow faded as I dropped my hands. "Adiós, bitch" I spat at his burned body as I walked past the churned body, opening the door. The kids were all huddled together, afraid "Hey, darlings" I spoke, my voice now soft and comforting. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe"

~8~

Getting the kids back together was easy, once you made sure they were all quiet.

However, as I was head counting, I realized the new girl was missing. "Where's Zoe?"

Miriam, one of the girls looked up at me with bright violet eyes, "She wasn't too comfortable with us. She went back to her daddy"

I cursed under my breath. Zoe's dad had come to me earlier when I was working on the wards and said he'd help whatever he could to repay for saving him and his daughter.

"Stay here or go to your parents" I told them. "Don't go back there. I'm going to look for them if anyone asks, okay?"

I didn't wait for a confirmation before I was back to where we first came for.

Which was a bad idea. Wasn't I being too naive right now? Trusting that Magnus was going to be okay which didn't seem like it as I haven't heard him come back, trust that the wards were going to protect us, and trust myself that going back here was a good idea.

I found Zoe's dad body. He was killed.

The guilt hit me hard. I was the one telling him if he came here he was going to be safe. I failed to protect him. I passed a hand through my hair, angry at myself. Where was Zoe? Did I kill her too?

I huffed as I tried to get back but when I turned, a circle member was there, readying his blade to get me. I gasped, forming a fire ball, throwing it to him.

The bastard ducked and rolled to the side, running toward me but this time I was ready. I telekinetically threw a heavy box against him making him fall backwards.

Focused on this Circle guy, I didn't see the one behind me until a loud, "Get down!" made me gasp and do as I was told.

A woosh and then a thud was heard from behind me, turning my head back to see behind me, seeing a Circle guy with an arrow impaled on his heart. Another thud made me turn back to see a tall, dark haired nephilim with a bow and arrows. He had shot an arrow to the circle guy I had thrown first.

Because of this attack, trusting nephilims was hard so, I slowly straightened, backing away nervously from the one who saved me, not taking my eyes off him, magic sparkling on my fingertips.

The Shadowhunter noticed my tense stance and huffed, rolling his eyes "A thank you would be nice" his voice softened just slightly noticing my fear as he retreated the arrow from the Circle guy, wiping it from the blood with the dead man's shirt. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not with them"

To be safe, I glanced at his neck, looking for the circle rune. Once I saw nothing, I slowly relaxed, curling my hands to fists, the magic fading. I relaxed my hands too, "Thank you"

The Shadowhunter tilted his head, "Are you Cassie?"

I paused in the middle of using magic to take back the arrow that saved me. "How do you know that?"

"Magnus was worried" The Shadowhunter explained. "He didn't see you back there and wanted to get back to look for you. I volunteered to help"

"Is Magnus okay?" I asked in relief, wiping the blood from the arrow in the body's clothes, walking to the Shadowhunter.

"You were almost killed and that's what you're worried about?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Duh" I said with a huff, showing him the arrow, pushing it against his chest, "I think this belongs to you"

I walked around him, listening to him following me. His bow was in hand as he made sure there wasn't another Circle guy to hurt us. I know I was a bit rude but I was still on edge. I'd apologize later.

~8~

Magnus hugged me tightly when the Shadowhunter led me safely back to everyone before walking to his companions.

"I'm okay" I murmured on Magnus' shoulder.

"Next time, I'm putting you under a bonded deal to not leave safety, young lady" Magnus scolded, pulling away.

I cleared my throat, nodding slightly. "Fair enough"

Magnus passed an arm around my shoulders, walking us to the other Shadowhunters.

"Cassie?" a gasp sounded within the nephilim group.

I looked to the Shadowhunters only to be attacked by a carrot head. I tensed as arms wrapped around my body.

"You know this warlock?" a guy's voice made me glance to a blond Shadowhunter as he stared at us in confusion.

I looked down at the person suffocating me, "Can't breathe, sweetie"

The girl pulled away, staring at me in bewilderment.

Oh.

"Hi, Clary"