Jem and Tessa had already secured the use of the little courtyard at the center of the lodging house, a group of small stone pillars open to the sky, circled with the soft violet-blue of bougainvillea. They gathered there, Alec placing Rafael carefully down on the stone bench beside him. Rafael scooted to the other edge of the bench. He hung his head and was silent when Tessa spoke to him softly in Spanish, asking him for any information about the missing women. Jem hadn’t heard about them before, but now that he knew, it was clear they had to help. Rosemary Herondale might be in danger, but so were these werewolf women. Jem wanted to do whatever he could for them.

Returning to speech had been strange for Jem, but Tessa had learned many languages and taught him everything she could. Jem tried asking Rafael too, but Rafael shook his head sullenly.

Lily was sitting cross-legged on the ground, one elbow propped on Alec’s knee, to be near the child. She tilted her head toward Rafael and asked him if he would please get on with it, because the sun was rising and she’d have to go to bed soon.

Rafael reached out and patted the bright pink streak in Lily’s hair.

“Bonita,” he said, face still solemn.

The poor child didn’t smile much, Jem thought. Of course, neither did Alec, who was looking miserable and determined about the missing women.

Lily, who smiled very easily, did so now. “Aw, cute baby,” she said in Spanish. “Do you want to call me Aunt Lily?”

Rafael shook his head. Lily looked undaunted.

“I have a trick,” she offered, and snapped her fangs in Rafael’s direction.

Rafael looked absolutely appalled.

“What are you guys saying?” asked Alec worriedly. “Why is he looking like that? Why did you do that?”

“Max loves it when I do that!” said Lily, and added in Spanish, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Wasn’t scared,” Rafael responded in Spanish. “That was stupid.”

“What did he say?” Alec asked.

“He said that was an awesome trick and he really enjoyed it,” Lily reported.

Alec raised a skeptical eyebrow in her direction. Rafael pressed close to Alec. Tessa joined Lily on the ground. Tessa talked to Rafael gently, and Lily teased him, and together they got the full story, Lily translating for Alec as they went. Alec’s face went more and more grim as he heard the story.

“Rafael knows he’s a Shadowhunter, and he’s trying to learn—”

Rafael, who Jem thought understood more English than he was letting on, interrupted to correct Lily.

“Excuse me,” Lily said. “He’s trying to train. He spies on the other Shadowhunters, so he knows what to do. He’s small, and he makes sure they don’t see him. While he was spying on them, he saw a Shadowhunter creeping off down a lane. He met a warlock at the door of a big house. Rafael got as close as he could, and he heard women inside.”