“He says you’re a warlock,” Magnus translated faithfully. “And that this is a very good thing to be, because it means you can do magic, and magic is cool and pretty.” Magnus paused. “Which is so true.”

Max’s face screwed up in rage. “I’m a Shadowhunter!”

Rafe waved a hand, his attitude one of deep impatience.

“All right, my blue-ringed octopus,” Magnus interposed hastily. “Let’s continue this debate tomorrow, shall we? Everybody needs sleep. Rafe has had a long day, and it is incredibly past your bedtime.”

“I’ll read you a story,” Alec promised.

Max dropped his fury as swiftly as he’d assumed it. His blue brows knit. He seemed to be thinking deeply. “No bed!” he argued. “Stay up. Be with Rafe.” He sidled up to a stunned-looking Rafael and gave him a big hug. “I’m love him.”

Rafe hesitated, then hugged Max shyly back. The sight of them made Alec’s chest hurt.

He cast a glance back at Magnus, who had an equally smitten expression.

“It’s a special occasion,” Alec pointed out.

“I was never very good at discipline anyway,” said Magnus, and threw himself down beside the kids on the rug. Rafe edged closer, and Magnus looped an arm around him. Rafe cuddled up. “How about you tell us all a bedtime story about what happened in Buenos Aires?”

“It wasn’t that exciting,” Alec said. “Other than: I found Rafe. I missed you. I came home. That’s it. We’ll have to go back and forth to Buenos Aires a few times to finalize the adoption, before we can make it official and tell everyone. Maybe we can all go together sometime.”

Rafe said several swift sentences in Spanish.

“Is that so?” asked Magnus. “How extremely interesting.”

“What are you saying?” Alec asked Rafe anxiously.

“You aren’t getting away with this one, Alec Lightwood.” Magnus pointed at him. “Not this time. I have a spy!”

Alec went over to the rug, knelt down, and made earnest eye contact with Rafe.

“Rafe,” he said. “Please don’t be a spy.”

Rafe gave Alec a look of firm incomprehension and burst into a torrent of Spanish for Magnus. Alec was certain at least some of it was Rafe promising to be a spy anytime Magnus wanted.

“Sounds like you did some pretty impressive things in Buenos Aires,” said Magnus at last. “A lot of people would have given up. What were you thinking?”

Alec picked Max up, tipped him upside down, then sideways, then returned him to the rug, grinning when Max crowed with laughter.

“All I did was think about being worthy of coming home to you,” said Alec. “It was nothing much.”

There was a silence. Alec turned, a little concerned, to find Magnus staring at him. That surprised look was on his face again, and there was a softness along with it that was rare for Magnus.

“What?” said Alec.

“Nothing, you stealth romance attacker,” Magnus said. “How do you always know what to say?”