The Rise of the Hotel Dumort is the fifth released short story in The Bane Chronicles.
Description[]
In 1920s Manhattan, Magnus Bane hobnobs with the elite at a glamorous Jazz Age hotspot.
The immortal Magnus Bane is making the most of his time in the Roaring Twenties: He's settled into New York society and is thriving among the fashionable jazz set. And there is nowhere better to see and be seen than the glamorous Hotel Dumort, a glittering new addition to the Manhattan landscape. But a different type of glamour may be at play...
Plot[]
Late September 1929.
During the Prohibition of alcohol beverages in USA, Magnus Bane holds a speakeasy Mr. Dry's Bar, as he calls it. There he first meets a young vampire, Dolly. Magnus hits on her and invites Dolly to his private bar. He finds out from her that she came here to actually ask about him and warn him to get out of New York. He does not take her warning seriously, being more concerned about her vampire friend "nobody" who sent her. Much to his disappointment, the bar is raided by police and they all escape thanks to Magnus's magical reaction. After the party have escaped the police invasion, Magnus invites everyone to an after party at his place in the Plaza Hotel.
The next morning Magnus wakes up in a room full of random drunk people. He orders some food and coffee for everyone and is asked by heartbroken mundane Alfie to kill him. Magnus refuses the offer and advises him to freshen up. After taking a shower, he walks out of the hotel room to check on his bar after yesterday's raid.
At the wrecked bar, Magnus reviews all the damage done by the police and finds Aldous Nix, then the High Warlock of Manhattan, who is patiently waiting for him there. He is also one of those concerned about the end of the mundane world and warns Magnus of the coming end. Magnus, in turn, again skeptically brushes off Aldous's warning and after the warlock leaves, he continues to clean the place. However, he cannot stop thinking about these warnings and decides to tell Shadowhunters.
Magnus pays a visit to the New York Institute, and there he meets the head of the Institute, Edgar Graymark, to tell him about the upcoming danger. Edgar does not believe there is a danger and sends Magnus away. Because of the dismissal of his concerns, Magnus is motivated to check out Aldous's new homebase - Hotel Dumont. At the hotel he observes how the richest individuals gather together obviously seeking help from Aldous. Magnus tires of waiting for what will happen and goes back to his place at Plaza Hotel in doubts.
Later in October of the same year, Magnus is discouraged in managing his bar and the parties have naturally moved to his hotel room. During one of these afternoons, Alfie shows Magnus a newspaper that proves the financial situation in the USA not to be stable and shares his fears of what's coming. Magnus quickly dismisses any of his concerns and simply finds him and all the guests annoying. Within a few days, he is already spending more time outside of his hotel room and reading.
The financial situation has gotten worse by the end of October and suicide rates have risen, with Alfie being one of those wanting to commit self-harm by jumping out of Magnus's bedroom window. Magnus convinces Alfie not to jump and alters his memory to make him forget his situation. After the ritual he takes a walk out in the city only to spot a light coming from the Hotel Dumont.
Magnus runs to the hotel that seems abandoned inside. He enters the ballroom and finds a pile of bodies, the rich mundanes, and is followed by Edgar Graymark, who has just arrived with the other Shadowhunters. They split to search for Aldous Nix as the Sensor explodes from all the demonic activity around the hotel. Magnus and Edgar have stayed with the pile of bodies discussing Aldous's insanity when he himself appears. Following Magnus's encouragement, Edgar leaves the two alone and rushes off to battle demons.
Aldous tells Magnus about his plans to open up a Portal to the other demon dimension, which he considers home for warlocks and invites Magnus to go with him. He explains that the bodies were the people who have come to see the demonstration not knowing about the fatal consequences. Magnus hesitates about the offer, being concerned about Nix's actions. Right about when Aldous starts to open the Portal, he is shot with an arrow by a Shadowhunter. However, his spilled blood still triggers the process and the building starts to shatter and break apart and they rush to escape the building.
With a stupid thought on his mind, Magnus runs back to the ballroom aiming to close the Portal with his blood. There he is tempted by the voices of demons to join with them in the Void. Magnus grabs a blade from one of the Shadowhunters who have just come in the room and cuts himself. He asks for an arrow from the Shadowhunter who shot Aldous and tips it in his blood. Then he directs this arrow right in the center of the altar and stops the spell.
Dolly is waiting for Magnus in front of his hotel room when he returns back home. They share words and she hints to him that the one who has sent her is a friend of his. As Dolly leaves, Magnus decides to follow her. He is led outside to the car, awaiting the young vampire. There he sees that the person Dolly was referring to is actually Camille Belcourt.
Characters[]
- Magnus Bane
- Alfie
- Max
- Dolly
- McMantry
- Aldous Nix
- Edith
- Edgar Graymark
- Camille Belcourt
- Asmodeus (alluded to)
- Raziel (alluded to)
Gallery[]
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Art[] |
Editions[]
International covers[]
Trivia[]
- It was originally teased as The Rise and Fall of the Hotel Dumort, but was released as two separate stories, albeit in one continuity. The other half, The Fall of the Hotel Dumort, was released online two months after it.