The Red Scrolls of Magic Quotes

“I’m not gay,” said Raphael. “I’m not straight. I’m not interested.” “Your sexuality is ‘not interested’?” Alec asked curiously. Raphael said, “That’s right.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Magnus had always had a wanderer’s heart. Over the centuries, he had adventured in so many different places, always looking for something that would fulfill his restless hunger. He never realized how all the pieces could fall together, how home could be somewhere and someone. He belonged with Alec. His wandering heart could rest.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“It’s a classic love story. I hit on him at a party, he asked me out, then we fought an epic magical battle between good and evil side by side, and now we need a vacation.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Yes,” Magnus said. “About that. I deeply appreciate you saving my life. I’m very attached to my life. However, if it comes to a choice between your life and mine, Alec, remember I have already lived a very long time.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Magnus said, in a low voice, “And what’s that one?” Alec answered, “Stamina.” Magnus stared. “Are you serious?” Alec began to grin. “Yeah.” “Really, though,” Magnus said. “I want to be clear on this. You’re not just saying that to be sexy?” “No,” Alec answered, his voice husky, and swallowed. “But I’m glad if it is.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“I thought: classic Jace. Never makes a mess when a total catastrophe will do.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“I’ve realized—I don’t need to change. And neither do you, Helen, or you, Aline. It’s the world that needs to change, and we’re going to be the ones to change it.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Alec knew who he was. He knew what he had done and what he had fought for, and he knew what he would fight for in the future. And he knew exactly who he loved.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Sometimes, love worked, past any hope of change, when no other force in this world could. Without love, the miracle never came.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“I do not ever want another love”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Alec, who was watching this back-and-forth as if sitting center court in a tennis match, raised a hand. “I’m sorry, but did you two used to date?”
That stopped the conversation dead in its tracks. Both Tessa and Magnus turned to him with identical looks of shock.
“You seem more horrified than I do,” Magnus told Tessa, “and somehow I am deeply wounded.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Magnus had a hard-won high opinion of himself, and he had an even higher opinion of Alec.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“In one hallway, the floor gleaming parquet and the ceiling festooned with golden cherubs, there was a boy in a grumpy cat mask and biker boots, not involved in any sexual activity, legs crossed and leaning against the wall. As a bevy of faeries passed the boy, giggling and groping, the boy scooted away.
Alec remembered being younger, and how overwhelming large groups of people had seemed. He came over and leaned against the wall beside the boy. He saw the boy texting, PARTIES WERE INVENTED TO ANNOY ME. THEY FEATURE MY LEAST FAVORITE THING: PEOPLE, ALL INTENT ON MY LEAST FAVORITE ACTIVITY: SOCIAL INTERACTION.
“I don’t really like parties either,” Alec said sympathetically.
“No hablo italiano,” the boy mumbled without looking up.
“Er,” said Alec. “This conversation is happening in English.”
“No hablo ingles,” he said without missing a beat.
“Oh, come on. Really?”
“Worth a shot,” said the boy.
Alec considered going away. The boy wrote another text to a contact he had saved as RF. Alec could not help but notice that the conversation was entirely one-sided, the boy sending text after text with no response. The last text read VENICE SMELLS LIKE A TOILET. AS A NEW YORKER, I DO NOT SAY THIS LIGHTLY.
The weird coincidence emboldened Alec to try again.
“I get shy when there are strangers too,” Alec told the kid.
“I’m not shy,” the boy sneered. “I just hate everyone around me and everything that is happening.”
“Well.” Alec shrugged. “Those feel like similar things sometimes.”
The boy lifted his curly head, pushing the grumpy cat mask off his face, and froze. Alec froze too, at the twin shock of fangs and familiarity. This was a vampire, and Alec knew him.
“Raphael?” he asked. “Raphael Santiago?”
He wondered what the second-in-command of the New York clan was doing here. Downworlders might be flooding in from all over the world, but Raphael had never struck Alec as a party animal.
Of course, he was not exactly coming off as a party animal now.
“Oh no, it’s you,” said Raphael. “The twelve-year-old idiot.”
Alec was not keen on vampires. They were, after all, people who had died. Alec had seen too much death to want reminders of it.
He understood that they were immortal, but there was no need to show off about it.
“We just fought a war together. I was with you in the graveyard when Simon came back as a vampire. You’ve seen me multiple times since I was twelve.”
“The thought of you at twelve haunts me,” Raphael said darkly.
“Okay,” Alec said, humoring him. “So have you seen a guy called Mori Shu anywhere around here?”
“I am trying not to make eye contact with anyone here,” said Raphael. “And I’m not a snitch for Shadowhunters. Or a fan of talking to people, of any kind, in any place.”
Alec rolled his eyes.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“I’ve changed my mind,” Catarina announced. She put her arm around Alec’s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I like you.”
“Oh,” said Alec, looking baffled. “Thanks.”
“Please take care of Magnus,” Catarina added.
“I try,” said Alec.
Catarina gave Magnus a delighted look over Alec’s shoulder. “At last,” she murmured. “A keeper.”
“Can we get out of the collapsing building now?” said Magnus crossly, though he was secretly pleased.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Each time Alec finished a postcard, he wrote 'Wish you were here' at the end. And each time, Magnus snatched the card and wrote, with a flourish, 'Except not really'.
Alec finished his last postcard, and Magnus reached for it, then let his hand drop. He read what Alec had written and smiled, charmed and surprised. On the postcard to his sister, Alec had added, 'Wish you were here. Except not really' himself. He shot Magnus a tiny grin.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Enjoying life was essential, but sometimes it was an effort.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Unasked-for advice is criticism, my dear.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Tessa!” Magnus said again, marveling. “Aren’t you unexpected. And uninvited.”
Tessa sat and sipped her tea, looking perfectly composed. Since she was one of Magnus’s dearest and oldest friends, he felt it would be nice if she looked even slightly apologetic. She did not.
“You told me once that you would not forgive me if I didn’t drop by whenever I found myself in the same city as you.”
“I would have forgiven you,” Magnus said with conviction. “I would have thanked you.”
Tessa glanced Alec’s way. Alec was blushing. The ends of Tessa’s lips curled up, but she was kind and hid her smile behind her teacup.
“Call it even,” said Tessa. “You once walked in on me in an embarrassing situation with a gentleman in a mountain fortress, after all.”
Her half-concealed smile flickered. She looked again at Alec, who had inherited his coloring from Shadowhunters long gone. Shadowhunters Tessa had loved.
“You should let that go,” Magnus advised.
Tessa was a warlock like Magnus, and like Magnus, she was used to overcoming the memory of what had been loved and lost. They were in the longtime habit of comforting each other. She took another sip of tea, her smile restored as if it had never been gone.
“I certainly have let it go,” she replied. “Now.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“He wasn’t ready for death, but if it came today, he would face it with his head held high and Alexander Lightwood’s name on his lips.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Magnus slid his fingrs gently through Alec's wild, soft hair, and felt Alec's head turn toward him a little in half-sleep. He heard Malcolm singing and remembered again his words from long ago.
I do not ever want another love.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“He’d always assumed that storybook moments like these were meant for Jace, Isabelle, anyone but him. Yet here he was.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“At this point, a faerie woman came twirling through. She had leaves in her updo and was swathed in ribbons and ivy and not much else. She tripped on a trailing line of ivy and Alec caught her.
“Good reflexes!” she said brightly. “Also great arms. Would you be interested in a night of tumultuous forbidden passion, with an option to extend to seven years?”
“Um, I am gay,” Alec said.
He was not used to saying that casually, to any random person. It was strange to say it, and feel both relief and a shadow of his old fear, twined together.
Of course, the declaration might not mean much to faeries. The faerie woman accepted it with a shrug, then looked over at Raphael and lit up.
Something about the leather jacket or the scowl seemed to appeal to her strongly.
“How about you, Vampire Without a Cause?”
“I’m not gay,” said Raphael. “I’m not straight. I’m not interested.”
“Your sexuality is ‘not interested’?” Alec asked curiously.
Raphael said, “That’s right.”
The faerie thought for a moment, then ventured, “I can also assume the appearance of a tree!”
“I didn’t say, ‘not interested unless you’re a tree.’ ”
“Wait,” said the faerie suddenly. “I recognize you. You’re Raphael Santiago! I’ve heard of you.”
Raphael made a gesture of dismissal. “Have you heard I like it when people go away?”
“You were one of the heroes in the Downworlder victory over Valentine.”
“He was one of the heroes of the Downworlder and Shadowhunter alliance, which led to the victory,” Alec said.
Raphael stopped looking annoyed and began to look nastily amused.
“Oh, did the Shadowhunters help a little?” he asked.
“You were there!” said Alec.
“Can I have your autograph, Raphael?” asked the faerie lady.
She produced a large, shiny green leaf and a quill. Raphael wrote LEAVE ME ALONE on the leaf.
“I’ll cherish it,” said the faerie. She ran away, clutching the leaf to her bosom.
“Don’t,” Raphael yelled after her.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“We change the Clave,” said Alec. “From inside. We make new Laws. Better ones.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“All that darkness, and all that pain, and Magnus was somehow still a blazing riot of life and color, a source of joy for everyone around him.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“He's very devoted," Shinyun continued, gazing at Alec. His eyes were closed, but his arm was curved protectively around Magnus, even in sleep. "Doesn't he ever quit?"
She reached out a hand to touch Magnus's, but Magnus felt the muscles in Alec's body go tense the moment before the Shadowhuter's hand shot out to grab her wrist.
"I don't," said Alec.
Shinyun went still, then withdraw her hand. Alec's head sagged instantly back against Magnus's chest and he slipped into whatever twilight state between conscious and unconscious he currently occupied.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Everything about Magnus was strange, but nice.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“About Bane. Don’t hurt him,” Raphael said abruptly.
Alec hesitated. “No,” he said, his voice softer. “I would never—”
Raphael held up a peremptory hand. “Stop being disgusting, please,” he said. “I don’t care if you wound his, as the kids say, ‘wittle fee-fees.’ Dump him like a ton of magic bricks. I wish you would. I just meant, don’t kill him.”
“I’m not going to kill him,” Alec said, appalled.
His blood ran cold at the idea, and colder as he looked down into Raphael’s face. The vampire was serious.
“Aren’t you?” Raphael asked. “Shadowhunter.”
He said the word the same way as the Downworlders of the Shadow Market had, but it sounded different in service of protecting someone Alec would gladly give his life to shield from harm.
It made Alec wonder if the people of the Market were all looking at him and seeing a threat to someone they cared for.
“Stop it, Raphael,” said Lily. She gave Alec a brief, surprisingly sympathetic look. “Kid’s obviously in love.”
“Ugh,” said Raphael. “Terrible business. Let’s get out of here.”
Elliott cheered. “Can we go to the after-party?”
“No,” Raphael said with distaste. He left Alec and walked away without a look back. After a quick last glance, Lily and then Elliott turned to follow.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Jace, who had asked Alec to be his parabatai and then always pretended as if he did not need one. Alec was not fooled.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“It was as though each of them had discovered something unexpected but infinitely desirable. They were not yet sure of each other, but they wanted to be.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic

“Alec was used to feeling a combination of affection and annoyance toward the people he loved. Typically, he’d start the relationship with a feeling of total annoyance and minimal affection, and then as time passed, the annoyance diminished and the affection grew. This described the arc of his relationship with Jace, his parabatai and closest friend, and more recently described how he’d felt about Clary Fairchild when she’d come into their lives.”
― Cassandra Clare, The Red Scrolls of Magic