Freeze

Prologue

The doorbell rang. Magnus let out a large sigh as he walked over to the door for the hundredth time that night. I really ought to stop throwing parties for Chairman, he thought. He never appreciates what I do for him, and does anyone else here really care about what a warlock has to go through to throw a party for his cat?

It required a lot more effort than one would think to throw a party for a cat; clearing out the loft just so it could be ransacked, writing out invitations when people would come and go as they pleased, trying to find the cat itself - Why did he bother?

Throwing parties for Chairman Meow were the only thing that kept Magnus' life interesting. The truth was that Magnus and the Chairman were rather anti-social, but being the High Warlock of Brooklyn forced Magnus to keep an eye on his fellow downworlders, many of which he did not enjoy being associated with.

He finally reached the door, having passed through the room packed with vampires, fairies and all sorts of repulsive creatures, most of whom had the brain sizes of a snail. It was difficult for Magnus to be around those of his own kind when he clearly outranked them all when it came to levels of intelligence. And pretty much everything else.

Waiting for him at the door were five teenagers. Well this should be interesting.

He was greeted by an overly perky, overly enthusiastic girl, who seemed desperately trying to make a good impression. Magnus tiredly raised his eyebrows. Of course: Nephilim. He looked over her and her companions carefully. Behind her stood a suspicious looking blonde (who looked prepared to strangle someone), a familiar looking redhead (who stood in awe at his attire), an extremely lost looking nerd (clearly a mundane) and a calm looking boy with soft blue eyes.

The blue eyed boy took a few seconds to register the warlock's gaze upon him and quickly looked away before the expression on his face could be read. Was it disgust, possibly hatred? Magnus had received those looks from many Shadowhunters over the years, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him. All of their kind was the same. What a shame. He is pretty.

Magnus hardly paid attention to what the girl was saying, but looked thoughtfully over the odd group once more before allowing them in. Perhaps this would liven up the partly a bit.

As it turned out, the group had not come to crash his party, but to talk.

"Am I in trouble with the Clave?" Magnus inquired, although he knew as well as they did that a group of adolescent Shadowhunters had little authority when it came to matters with the Clave.

"No."

"Probably not," Alec unhelpfully added. He was rewarded with a kick from his parabatai.

Magnus quickly developed a disliking for the blonde boy. Jace clearly worshiped himself, and seemed intent on getting what he wanted. His friend, however, was quite the opposite. Alec, as he learnt the blue eyed boy's name was, seemed much less self-centred, and thankfully didn't have his friend's manner of superiority. For a shadowhunter, Magnus thought, Alec seems oddly... different.

Although his companions, in particular Clary and Simon who had never seen much of their world before, seemed at a discomfort to Magnus' apparent lunacy, Alec took a liking to the warlock. Alec had never seen someone so comfortable in their own skin – not even Jace.

Magnus didn't come across as what Alec had always been taught about downworlders. He wasn't cold, heartless and inhuman. In fact, he was the most human person Alec had ever met.

Alec shook his head. What was he thinking? He shouldn't have even let Clary and the others come here. The Clave wouldn't approve of him allowing them to go to the party, even if he was initially against it. Anyway, he thought. Magnus clearly doesn't like Shadowhunters. The sooner we get out of here the better.

To Alec's disappointment, his prayers were answered as the party ended much sooner than expected. He knew it should have been a good thing, but he couldn't help but feel a slight pang of sadness. As a Shadowhunter he didn't get to get out much and it was nice for once to do something other than training.

As they were walking out, although hardly paying attention, Alec caught Magnus' words. "...and as for you-", Alec realised these words were directed at him. "Call me?"

It took time for Alec to register what just happened. His jaw dropped as he stood in the doorway, frozen. He began to stutter and Magnus couldn't help but look slightly amused. Yup, he's definitely a Shadowhunter. He was spared a response as Jace hauled him towards the door. He had never been so grateful in his life.

Watching them leave, Magnus couldn't help but feel slightly disheartened. Looking down he noted that Chairman Meow had made his reappearance. He sighed once again as he shut the door.