The Rise of the Hotel Dumort (The Bane Chronicles 5)

Just to the left, there was a wide archway flanked by pillars covered in a floral pattern. This clearly led to one of the hotels grander rooms and seemed as likely a place as any to look. Magnus opened this door. It led to a ballroom - an utterly magnificent one - with a white marble floor and a lacing of gilded balconies all around the room, broken by gilded mirrors that reflected the room back on itself over and over.

They also reflected the pile of human bodies scattered at the far end of the floor, around what appeared to be a highly polished granite slab. That these were the same people Magnus had seen getting out of the many expensive cars, he was fairly certain. There were some faces left, some bits of fine clothing scattered around the room in strips and ribbons, sometimes still attached to a loose arm or torso. The floor on that end of the room was entirely blackish-red, the blood having spread and pooled evenly over the marble like a fine glaze.

"By the Angel . . . "

Magnus turned and found Edgar Greymark standing behind him, in full Shadowhunter battle black, his seraph blade drawn.

"Good of you to come," Magnus said. The remark was meant to be sarcastic but came out flat. It was good of them to come. Whatever was happening, help would be required.

"Did you think we would just ignore your warning?" Edgar asked.

Magnus decided not to reply to that. They probably had ignored his warning and, like him, seen the light in the sky.

"Who are these people?" Edgar asked.

"I believe these are some mundanes who came here to see Aldous. "

"And where is Aldous?"

"I havent seen him. Ive only arrived myself. "

Edgar raised his hand, and a half-dozen more Shadowhunters appeared and went to the bodies and examined them.

"Looks like a Behemoth attack to me," one girl said as she examined a pile of blood and fleshy bits and some shredded crepe de chine. "Messy. Disorganized. And these are probably double rows of teeth marks, but its hard to tell. . . . "

Behind them, there was a massive bang, and they all turned as a young man yelled and dropped something to the ground, which smoked and hissed.

"My Sensor exploded," he growled.

"I think we can assume some very serious demonic activity," Edgar said. "Search the hotel. Find Aldous Nix and bring him here. "

The Shadowhunters ran off, and Edgar and Magnus remained with the pile of bodies.

"Do you have any idea what might be happening here?" Edgar asked.

"I told you all I knew," Magnus said. "I came because I saw something in the sky. I found this. "

"What is Aldous capable of?"

"Aldous is two thousand years old. Hes capable of anything. "

"Aldous Nix is two thousand years old?"

"So Ive heard. He doesnt invite me to his birthday parties. "

"He seemed a bit dotty to me, but I never thought . . . well, it doesnt matter what I thought. We clearly have several demons in the area. Thats our first concern. And Nix . . . "

"Is here," said a voice.

Aldous stepped out from behind one of the heavy wall hangings. He leaned heavily on his cane, walking slowly to the granite slab, where he sat. Edgar raised his weapon a bit, but Magnus steadied his arm.

"What happened here, Aldous?" Magnus asked.

"It was merely a test," Aldous said. "For the benefit of my sponsors, who have kindly engaged this entire hotel to allow me to do my work in peace. "

"Your sponsors," Magnus said. "These people here, on the floor, in pieces. "

"What is this work?" Edgar asked.

"The work? Ah. Now that is an interesting subject. But not for your ears. I will speak to him. " He pointed to Magnus. "The rest of you can go and keep busy. You Shadowhunters always keep busy. There must be ten demons out there. I didnt make note of them all, but as the girl said, they looked to be mostly Behemoths. Nasty things. Go kill them. "

Edgar Greymark was not the kind of man who liked to be dismissed, but Magnus gave him a look and tried to encourage him to back away.

"Yes," Edgar growled. "We do have some work. But do not leave, Nix. We will be back to discuss this. "

Magnus nodded, and Edgar left the ballroom, shutting the doors loudly behind him. Aldous regarded his gnarled hands for a moment before speaking.

"Magnus, we dont belong here. We never have belonged here. Ive lived in this world longer than anyone I know, and that is the only truth I can rely on. Im sure youve come to that conclusion as well. "

"Not exactly," Magnus said. He stepped a bit closer but avoided the great sea of blood and bodies that lay between them.

"Not exactly?"