Also by Cassandra Clare

your involvement.”
“You should be,” muttered Mark.
Diego sat back. “So maybe now you tell me what you know. It would only be fair.”
Julian was relieved when Mark took point on the summary. He was scrupulous about the details,
even the bargain with the faeries over his own fate, and the results of his presence at the Institute.
“Blackthorn blood,” Diego said thoughtfully when Mark was done. “That is interesting. I would
have guessed the Carstairs had more relevance to these spells, given the deaths five years ago.”
“Emma’s parents, you mean,” said Julian. He remembered them, their laughing eyes and their love
for Emma. They could never be just “the deaths” to him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tavvy slide off the armchair where he’d been curled up.
Quietly he went to the door and slipped out. He must be exhausted; he’d probably been waiting for
Julian to put him to bed. Julian felt a pang for his smallest brother, so often trapped in rooms full of
older people talking about blood and death.
“Yes,” said Diego. “One of the questions I have had has been the fact that they were killed five
years ago, and then there were no more killings until this last year. Why such a gap in time?”
“We thought maybe the spell required it,” Livvy said, and yawned. She looked exhausted, dark
shadows under her eyes. They all did.
“That is another thing: In the car, Sterling said it didn’t matter what kind of creature they killed,
human or faerie—even Nephilim, if we count the Carstairs murders.”
Cristina said, “He said they couldn’t murder werewolves or warlocks—”
“I imagine they were staying away from creatures protected by the Accords,” said Julian. “It would
have drawn attention. Our attention.”
“Yes,” said Diego. “But otherwise, for it not to matter what kind of victim they chose? Human or
faerie, male or female, old or young? Sacrificial magic requires commonalities among the victims—
all those with the Sight, all virgins, or all with a certain type of blood. Here it seems random.”
Ty was looking at Diego with open admiration. “The Scholomance sounds so cool,” he said. “I had
no idea they let you learn so much about spells and magic.”
Diego smiled. Drusilla looked as if she might fall over. Livvy looked as if she’d be impressed if
she wasn’t so tired. And Mark looked even more annoyed.
“Can I see the photos of the convergence?” said Diego. “It sounds very significant. I am impressed
you found it.”
“It was surrounded by Mantid demons when we went, so we have pictures of the inside but not the
outside,” Mark said as Ty went to get the photos. “As for the demons, Emma and I took care of them.”
He winked at Emma. She smiled, and Julian felt that short, sharp jab of jealousy that came
whenever Mark flirted with Emma. He knew it didn’t mean anything. Mark flirted in that way that
faeries did, with a sort of courtly humor that had no real weight behind it.
But Mark could flirt with Emma if he wanted. He had a choice, and faeries were notoriously fickle
. . . and if Mark was interested, then he, Julian, had no right or reason to object. He should support his
brother—wouldn’t he be lucky, after all, if his brother and parabatai fell in love? Didn’t people
dream about the people who they loved loving one another?
Diego raised an eyebrow at Mark but said nothing as Tiberius spread the pictures out on the coffee
table.
“It’s energy magic,” said Ty. “We know that much.”
“Yes,” said Diego. “Energy can be stored, especially death energy, and used later in necromancy.
But we don’t know what someone would need all that energy for.”