| “ | I learned early on in my life that I had a healing gift. It's the kind of magic I do. So I work here, for crap pay, at this hospital, and I do what I can to heal mundanes who would scream if they knew what I really looked like. I could make a fortune selling my skills to Shadowhunters and dumb mundanes who think they know what magic is, but I don't. I work here. | ” |
–Catarina to Clary, City of Fallen Angels | ||
Catarina Loss is an exceptionally powerful warlock who used to work as a nurse at the Beth Israel Hospital in New York.[1] Catarina taught at the Shadowhunter Academy for the first few years since its reopening.[2] Though she is currently at the Scholomance, she still occasionally gives lectures on Downworlder studies at the Academy.[3]
Biography
Early life
Catarina was born with blue skin. For this, her mother hid her and raised her in secret—lovingly, despite her being a child born from a demon raping her.[4] From an early age, she knew that she was a gifted healer. While she could have made a fortune using her skills in the Shadow World, she chose to work at a mundane hospital, instead. Since her warlock mark, her blue skin, is so prominent and not so easily concealed, Catarina uses glamour to work in the mundane world every day.
In the early 1800s, despite it being a period before the Accords, Catarina developed a good relationship with the Herondale family. When the Clave claimed that Tobias Herondale abandoned his comrades in Bavaria and decided to punish his wife, Eva Blackthorn, for it, Catarina looked for and found him wandering mad in the forest but was unable to save him. Deciding to intervene, which she could not publicly or legally do, she snuck into Eva's prison in the Gard. She used magic to deliver Eva and Tobias's unborn child early, as well as to cloak this fact during Eva's execution. Catarina then raised the boy, until he was grown, in the New World as a mundane, never telling him what he was.[5]
Catarina was good friends with fellow warlocks Magnus Bane, whom she met in Spain after she was almost burned as a witch,[4] Ragnor Fell, both of whom she went traveling with them in Peru in the late 1800s,[4] and, in later years, Tessa Gray.
At some point, Catarina was engaged to a mortal man. While she fully intended to someday marry him, Catarina's dedication to her work meant that she never found the time for the wedding. Her fiancé stayed with her, but he eventually died of old age, sometime around 1992. She has not had a serious romance since.[6]
Meeting Diana
In 2003 Catarina was working as a nurse in Bangkok. During this time she met and befriended Diana Wrayburn, who was on her travel year with her sister Aria. Catarina later rescued Diana and Aria after they were attacked by revenants and tended to them, though she was unable to save Aria.[7]
While tending to Diana Catarina discovered that she was physically male. She helped Diana work through her sister's death and her own confusion, and introduced her to the concept of "transgender". After weeks nursing Diana back to health Catarina traveled back to Bangkok with her and they lived together in Catarina's apartment for three years, with Diana living as a mundane. During these three years Catarina took Diana to a clinic and helped her transition, hiding her unusual test results from the doctors so that they would not be confused by her Shadowhunter blood.
When Diana's parents were killed, Catarina was the one to break the news to her, and after Diana returned to Idris to fight in the Mortal War and take over her father's shop, she continued to send Diana the medicine she required to balance her hormones.[7]
Later life
When Jocelyn fell into a coma in 2007, Catarina was one of her nurses at Beth Israel Hospital. Catarina also helped Magnus concoct the antidote that revived her, and was the one Magnus entrusted to look after the Book of the White during the Mortal War.[8][9]
Catarina was soon phoned by Jocelyn regarding a recent discovery of dead babies. Jocelyn later went to the hospital and introduced Catarina to her daughter, Clary. Catarina went on to tell them that the mundane doctors could see that the babies are actually part-demon, and have black, fathomless eyes and small, black claws.[9]
Dark War
Catarina was assigned to create a Portal to Idris to transport the Shadowhunters from the New York Institute along with the Conclave. Catarina transported Clary, Jocelyn, Luke and the Lightwoods to Idris. Catarina and Magnus were in the Hunter's Moon talking about his break up with Alec and also Sebastian's threat to the Shadowhunters. Catarina told Magnus to go to Alicante to talk to Alec as she gave her seat on the Council to him. Catarina gave Magnus an invitation about a dinner hosting by the Fair Folk before Magnus went to go speak to Bat Velasquez.
Catarina along with Malcolm Fade, the High Warlock of Los Angeles went to the New York werewolf pack headquarters to talk to Maia Roberts about the Downworld representatives being kidnapped by Jonathan and they discussed about her and Malcolm wanting to help Maia to warn the other Downworlders about Sebastian. Catarina asked for Maia's help with a demon problem at the Beth Israel Hospital and Maia along with Bat and Lily went along with her. Catarina was able to subdue the demon with Maia and Bat's help as Lily filmed the event. Catarina and the others found out from the dandelion demon that Sebastian and his Endarkened were going to attack Alicante. Catarina sent a fire message to Jia Penhallow which was written by Maia warning her about Sebastian's army will be attacking Alicante.
Catarina attended Jocelyn and Luke's wedding at Three Arrows Farm along with the other Shadowhunters and Downworlders. Catarina talked to Magnus about the rumors going around Downworld about how the Fair Folk possibly wanting vengeance against the Nephilim for them having to sign the new terms given to them during the Council meeting after the Dark War for their betrayal.[10]
Academy
In 2008, Catarina began working as a teacher at the reopened Shadowhunter Academy, in order to honor Ragnor's memory. She Portaled to Idris with Simon Lewis, a mundane who was going to be attending the Academy. Since most of the other faculty members left before she arrived, Catarina ended up taking over most of the lessons. She occasionally brought in guest lecturers to help her.[2]
During her time at the Academy Catarina slept in Ragnor's old room. She took a special interest in Simon, as he had been a Downworlder before and she believed he would be responsible for great changes in the Academy's attitude towards mundanes and Downworlders. At one point, after growing tired of eating soup for every meal, Catarina enlisted Simon's help in burying the tureen in the woods. She was also present at the Academy graduation ceremony, and held Simon back after George Lovelace failed to Ascend and died.[11]
In 2012 Catarina was called upon by Diana to open a Portal to the London Institute, as she had an arrangement with the Shadowhunters there. Catarina obliged, and opened a Portal so that Diana and her charges could escape the Los Angeles Institute and the danger posed to them by Malcolm Fade.[7]
Personality and traits
Catarina is a hard-working and no-nonsense person. She has a dry wit and can be sarcastic to those who annoy her, but she is kind and has a strong sense of justice. Catarina cares deeply for her friends and feels their loss just as much, sometimes for centuries. She puts a lot of time into her work, so much so that she may forget to sleep or eat. Due to the hours she works she leads a minimilast life, and doesn't worry too much about comfort, but rather functionality. Catarina also enjoys card games, specifically ones involving monetary stakes.
Physical description
Catarina's warlock mark is her dark blue skin. She is a slim, young-looking warlock with dark blue eyes and snow white hair. While glamoured as a mundane, Catarina sports dark skin.
Skills and abilities
- Immortality: As a warlock, Catarina was granted immortality.
- Magic: Catarina has access to magical powers that once manifested themselves as blue flames at her fingertips. She is particularly skilled in healing magic.
Relationships
Catarina and Ragnor were very close friends, and his death affected her deeply. They would often go hiking and traveled a lot together. After his death Catarina tried to honor his memory by teaching at the Shadowhunter Academy despite her dislike of the Nephilim.
Catarina is also very close with Magnus and has known him a long time. As one of the few immortal friends he has they often confide in each other about their pasts and reminisce about those they've lost.
Catarina loved her adopted son very much and considered him a gift to mundane society, and someone who the Shadowhunters did not deserve. She kept the secret of his existence confined to her closest friends as she knew the Clave would punish her severely for saving him. Even centuries after his death Catarina doesn't speak of him because it hurts too much.
Appearances
Trivia
- Catarina cheats at card games, according to Magnus.[13]
References
- ↑ The Mortal Instruments (book series)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy
- ↑ Lady Midnight
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 What Really Happened in Peru
- ↑ The Lost Herondale
- ↑ What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lord of Shadows
- ↑ City of Glass
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 City of Fallen Angels
- ↑ City of Heavenly Fire
- ↑ Angels Twice Descending
- ↑ Warlock reunion, Cassandra Clare on Tumblr
- ↑ Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale