“I admit I do get a bit protective of my big brother. He always protects me.
“The truth is, I don’t have to threaten you with anything worse than you’ve already done to yourself.
“Alec is brave, and he’s good, and he’s loyal, and like all Lightwoods he has cheekbones you could use to slice salami. You’re never going to find anyone as great as my brother or anyone who loves you as much.
“He’s one of the best things in my life, and I’m prepared to bet he’s one of the best things in yours. You’re going to be so sorry when you wake up and realize what you threw away.
“In exchange for my promise to be cool in future, I’d appreciate it if you deleted this sappy message. I have a reputation in this town to keep up.”
Beep
Today 4:02 p.m.
“Hi, Magnus. This is Alec. I’m just calling to say that I might have asked a couple of people who you were actually talking to if they could possibly put in a good word for me with you. And it, uh, has now been brought to my attention that a couple of people might have taken things slightly too far.
“So I guess this is me calling to tell you that I’m really sorry. Again.
“I won’t call again. I won’t text. I’m sorry about all the texts. Especially about the one I sent at three fifteen in the morning on Wednesday. You know the one. Yeah. I’m very sorry about that.
“You can call me or text me, though, if you ever want to.
“I don’t expect you will. But I really hope you do. I won’t give up hoping.”
Beep
Today 5:06 p.m.
“Mr. Bane, this is Hadrian Industries calling to inform you that you are extremely late for the appointment we made. We have been waiting for over an hour. There is no sign of you. There is no sign of the toads. We want to—”
(message cut off)
These records were obtained, with some difficulty, from a cell phone which appeared to have been broken and burned with intense magical fire.
About the Authors
Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series, the Infernal Devices trilogy, and the Bane Chronicles. Her books have more than 35 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts. Visit her at CassandraClare.com.
Sarah Rees Brennan is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Unspoken, a romantic Gothic mystery. The first book of her Demon’s Lexicon series received three starred reviews and was an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. Unspoken and Team Human, a novel cowritten with Justine Larbalestier, are both YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults picks and TAYSHAS picks. She lives in Ireland. Visit her at SarahReesBrennan.com.
Maureen Johnson is the author of ten YA adult novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Name of the Star and The Madness Underneath. Maureen spends a great deal of time online, earning her some dubious and some not-so-dubious commendations, such as being named one of Time magazine’s top 140 people to follow on Twitter. Visit her at MaureenJohnsonBooks.com or follow her on Twitter at @MaureenJohnson.