Magnus had two goals as he walked down Main Street and into the town's used bookstore: get ideas for the upcoming party he's throwing, and drop in to catch up with Elena. She, along with her family, had been some of the first people that Magnus remembers befriending in the town when he and Alec had first arrived. Wayward Pines hadn't exactly been an intentional destination—breaking down on the side of the road and being forced to stay in a small town for a week was rarely something one planned on. But the citizens had all been kind to them, especially the brothers who had solved whatever engine problems that had stumped Magnus. It seemed to have been fate that Magnus, as well as the Lightwood siblings, had ended up befriending the Salvatores' wives.

Snapping out of his reverie as the bell above the front door chimed, he stepped into the shop and took a deep breath. Magnus had always loved the smell of books, especially used ones that took on a musty scent of time. He meandered through the aisles, looking for anything helpful on the shelves but mainly for Elena herself. When he came upon her standing on a ladder to reach the higher shelves, he smiled and leaned against the bookcase. "I'm tempted to recite something from Romeo and Juliet, but that might get us in trouble with our respective husbands."