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Magnus woke up with the slow golden light ofon his head

Chairman Meow sonus gently but very fir evensad cry of feline discomfort

Then the cat jumped onto the pillow, apparently fully recovered from his ordeal, and leaped from the bed He hit the floor with a soft thunus rolled over in bed so that he was lying across thehis bed was stained glass Dia warainst his bare skin He lifted his head fro and then realized what he was doing: searching the air for a trace of the smell of coffee

It had happened a few ti out into the kitchen toward the rich scent of coffee, pulling on a robe fronus had bought a coffeemaker because Alec had consistently seehtly-stealing cups of coffee and tea fronus was glad he had bought it Alec had to know the coffeemaker was for him and his delicate moral sensibilities, and Alec seemed to feel a sense of co else, nus a cup when he orking Everywhere else in Magnus’s loft Alec was still careful, touching things as if he had no right to theuest It was only that Magnus had an irrational desire for Alec to feel at ho, as if that would give Magnus a clainus supposed that was it He badly wanted Alec to want to be here, and to be happy when he was here

He could not kidnap the Lightwoods’ eldest born and keep him as a decoration about the house, however Alec had fallen asleep twice--on the sofa, not the bed Once after a long slow night of kissing; and once when Alec had co day of de, and he had slid into unconsciousness al his front door open, since nobody was going to rob the High Warlock of Brooklyn, and Alec would sos

Every tis after Alec had fallen asleep there--Magnus had woken to the sounds and sh Alec knew that Magnus could ic coffee out of the air Alec had done it only a few tis It was not so used to

Of course Alec wasn’t here today, because it was his birthday, and he was going to be with his fanus wasn’t exactly the kind of boyfriend you could bring to fahtwoods didn’t even know Alec had a boyfriend--nus had no idea if they ever would It wasn’t so he pushed Alec about He could tell by Alec’s carefulness that it was too early

There was no reason for Magnus to slide out of bed, a space into the kitchen space, and picture Alec kneeling at the counter, ly sweater, his face intent on the simple task Alec was even conscientious about coffee And he wears truly awful sweaters, Magnus thought, and was disht with it a rush of affection

It was not the Lightwoods’ fault They obviously provided Alec’s sister, Isabelle, and Jace Wayland with plenty of nus suspected that Alec’s ht them hiray won’t show the ichor too ly functional clothes on and on without even see thenus found a s blue coffee cup that said BETTER THAN GANDALF across the front in sparkly letters He was besotted; he was officially revolted by his to think of besides Alec today A mundane company had hired him to summon up a cecaelia de that cecaelia demons were lesser denus had agreed to not ask questions He sipped his coffee and conte outfit for the day Denus did often, on account of it being technically extrenus did not have enor it he wanted to look good doing it

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the buzzer He had not left his door open for Alec today, and he raised his eyebrows at the sound Ms Connor enty nus deeply disliked people ere early to businesslate, since it put everyone out, and even worse, people ere early always acted terribly superior about their bad tih it were et up early than to stay up late, even if you got the sanus found it to be one of the great injustices of life

It was possible that he was a bit cranky about not getting to finish his coffee before he had to deal ork

He buzzed in the company representative Ms Connor turned out to be a woman in her midthirties whose looks bore out her Irish name She had thick red hair done up in a twist, and the kind of inus was prepared to bet never tanned She earing a boxy but expensive-looking blue suit, and she looked extrenus’s honus felt entirely within his rights to be dressed in nothing but black silk pajaos dancing He did realize that the pants were sliding down his hips a fraction, and pulled theaze slip down his bare chest and fasten on the smooth brown skin where a belly button should have been Devil’s mark, his stepfather had called it, but he’d said the sa whether ed him

"Caroline Connor," said the woman She did not offer a hand "CFO and vice president of nus "High Warlock of Brooklyn and Scrabble chahly recommended I have heard you are an extrenus, "actually"

"I expected you to be"

She paused like so over a selection of chocolates, all of which she was extrenus wondered which she would choose, whichor hoping for--elderly, bearded, white Magnus had encountered e He had very little time for it

Still, he had to admit that this was perhaps not the most professional he had ever been