"You charge HOW much?" Magnus's client exclaimed, standing so suddenly she jarred the table between them.

Magnus sighed, this wasn't the first time he'd heard this kind of outburst from a client. "Look, the materials alone cost an arm and a leg, not to mention my time, which is worth far more then I'm charging! Of course there's always the risk of Shadowhunter's catching me rising a demon," he settled back in his chair, placing the heels of his boots on the table. "What you're asking is very illegal," he added helpfully.

"I understand that, but don't you think you're being just a little unreasonable?" The woman demanded, placing her palms flat on the table top. She cocked one hip out, giving her the disapproving mother look. It didn't suit her.

After a moment's thought, Magnus sat up straight, deciding to take her seriously. "I've been around many centuries, you mortals don't know a good deal when you see one," but not too seriously, because this of course was a lie. After only about two decades into this life Magnus has found there were three things worth lying about.

Age, money and sex.

He kept his eyes locked on hers until she slowly sunk back into her chair. "Fine," she muttered, too flustered to look at him any longer.

Delighted, Magnus watched her dig in her dirty apron, painfully counting out her coins. In the end she came up short, but he decided to let it slide. Scooping up the money, he dumped it in to his coin purse and stood with a flourish.

"Wait here, my lady," he purred. "In just a few moments I will have your demon summoned upstairs and I will be back to escort you up," with that he sashayed away, climbing the stairs to his study.

After shutting the door firmly behind him, Magnus turned to surveyed the room. It was already set up for the summoning, pentagram etched on the floor, bell, book and candle lined up neatly on the desk in front of it.

He had found it better to set up well in advanced, least he look like he didn't know what he was doing. So, he already had the spell written out and a detailed drawing of the demon in question pinned to the wall behind his desk, its name circled on the bottom of the page.

Magnus approached the desk, positioned himself in front of the book, a long wicked looking dagger marked the page. This was only his third demon summoning, the first one that would require a blood sacrifice of him. Magnus shuddered involuntarily at the thought of dragging the sharp edge across his skin.

Glancing down at his notes, Magnus took a deep breath, steeling himself as he lifted his left wrist, holding it over the circle and drew the blade over the soft flesh that made up his inner wrist. Wincing at the sharp sting he watched the blood collect in fat droplets before splattering softly on the floor boards enclosed in the circle.

A simple healing spell and the wound was gone, the tension that had collected at his shoulders left him and Magnus began to chant. He picked up the book without breaking the string of strange words that poured from his mouth.

His voice rose and fell, his eyes darting across the page, approaching the end fast. He drew one last breath to call the demon's name.

He coughed, stuttering on the word. Magnus could feel the summoning spell shatter like ice. However the room filled with harsh red light, smoke rose thickly from the center of the pentagram, stinking strongly of sulfur.

Magnus watched in horror, unable to explain what was happening, he flipped franticly through the summoning book. It stated clearly that until the demon's name was spoken soundly, the summoning would become null.

So why was a demon coming through anyway?

He set down the book hastily, electing to arrange himself in an unconcerned- seeming manner, and waited.

The smoke in the circle became dense, slowly the outline of a man took shape. He was very tall, as the smoke cleared, Magnus could see he had short dark hair, neatly trimmed like a noble. He wore a dapper, well tailored clothing of a similar caliber, the colors setting off his darker skin.

Magnus blinked. All in all, this demon looked fairly... human.

Then he opened his eyes.

An audible gasp escaped him and he clamped a hand over his mouth, charade forgotten.

His pupils were split like a cats, his irises a shimmering gold-green. Just like Magnus's.

The demon laughed quietly, a low rumbling sound. "Hello, my child," he purred, a sickly smile spreading across his face. "It's about time you used your blood to summon. I've been wanting to appear to you,"

Magnus stared a moment longer, then dropped his hand, trying his best to look unaffected despite feeling shell-shocked. "Who are you?" He demanded, surprised to find his voice firm and steady.

The demon laughed again, "you haven't figured it out? Silly child, I'm your-"

"Your name," Magnus interrupted, his voice like ice.

The manic smile on the demon's face faded a fraction, his eye narrowed slightly, "you should be more respectful, child. I am a Prince after all," he said. His voice seemed to take on a new layer, giving him a threatening undertone while still sounding sweet.

Magnus gulped at this new bit up information, placing his hands on the table in front of him to steady himself. His mind was whirling, trying to sort out exactly what was going on.

What he did know was this demon was the one that fathered him, and he wasn't a lesser shape-changer like Magnus had been made to believe by the Silent Brothers. The demon had called himself 'Price' that could only mean he was one of the Seven Princes of Hell.

He took another deep breath and asked again, "what is your name demon?"

He laughed again, crossing his arms. "I go by many names, but in this language I am called Asmodeus, ruler of Edom"

Magnus let out the breath he had been holding, he didn't know much about Asmodeus, or Edom. But he did know this wasn't good news.

"What do you want from me?" He demanded, his voice a little less sure of itself.

Asmodeus smiled, as if he had been waiting for that question. "What could I possibly want from you, little warlock? You have nothing to offer me," he laughed, "I'm here to tell that when you die, you will be placed in Edom. Any mortal lovers you might have, or family you think you've earned, don't think they'll be waiting for you when you finally die. Edom is not open to anyone but demons and my children. I want you understand that immortality is a curse and death will not cure your yearning,"

Magnus bit the inside of his lip hard enough to draw blood. He knew vaguely of the burden he had been born to face, but he always avoided thinking about it. Now, here was his father, confirming every fear he had ever had. He'll never have an afterlife to look forward to, all his loved ones would be lost to him the moment they took their last breath.

Asmodeus laughed into the silence, "I'm telling you this for your own good. Heed me warning and you may never have to suffer the worst of it,"

Magnus looked up at him, he stood with arms crossed, a smug look on his face. That looks, those eyes seemed to fill him with an undeniable rage.

"You're wrong," he said, his voice quivering.

"You're just-"

But Magnus slammed his hands down on the table, cutting him off.

"Living a life, no matter how long it is, alone might keep me from being hurt by love. But if I never love at all I'll never be happy anyway. How dare you come in here, disturb my summoning and try to keep me from loving? How dare you?!"

Magnus's voice rose to a roar and he snatched the cast iron candle holder off the desk and hurled it at the demon. It hit him full in the face, making a dull cracking sound.

Asmodeus growled like a wild animal, but he didn't even flinch. Despite a large chunk of flesh now hanging off his forehead. "You'll pay for that child," he hissed, his voice no longer sounded human at all.

Magnus ignored him, snatching up the summoning book again, "you can't touch me and you know it. I may be a child, but I know how to draw a proper summoning circle," he growled, before reading off the banishing spell.

Asmodeus shouted something else, but it was lost in the loud bang that followed the banishing spell.

XxXxX

By the time Magnus opened the door to his study, the smoke trapped inside had become almost unbearable. He ignored it as it seemed to follow him out of the room.

Slinging a bag of his shoulder he took the stairs two at a time.

The woman stood when she saw him, "what on Earth took so long?" She cried, "I was told you were-"

"Sorry," Magnus cut her off, "I couldn't do it, take your money back," he tossed his coin purse on table and flung open the door, stepping out into the brisk night.

"Wait! But where are you going!" The woman called after him.

Magnus ignored her, just kept walking through the night.

He didn't know where he was going, but he also didn't care.

All Magnus Bane knew was that it was time to get away. Maybe one day he'd come back to the country he was born in, but for now, if he ever saw this place again. It would be too soon.