Smoke and Mirrors ▹ Alec Lightwood [1]

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR
MAGNUS BANE

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     The street they were walking down was relatively quiet, the buildings around them mostly abandoned warehouses that were turned into lofts. The streets themselves were pretty empty, and the people they did pass didn't give them a single glance. Adrian was in the middle of their little group of six, twisting one of his daggers around his fingers while he looked out for any danger. Alec was walking beside him, body relaxed. Simon and Isabelle were ahead of them, Isabelle showing them all where they needed to go, while Jace and Clary took up the rear. Isabelle was talking excitedly to Simon, and he could dimly hear Clary and Jace talking as well, but he and Alec were utterly silent. Things between them had never been this tense before, and Adrian didn't know if it was because of Jace's odd interest in Clary or if it was because of Adrian himself. The thought that he was the problem bothered him so much that he could no longer let Alec sulk in silence.

"Okay, I'm tired of this," he said, shooting Alec a look while he tucked his dagger back into the sheath he had inside of his jacket. "Why are you being a Debby Downer?" Alec shot him an exasperated look, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not being a Debby Downer." Adrian smiled at him, slightly amused.

"Says the Debby Downer," he pointed out. He wasn't sure it was possible for Alec to grow even more exasperated, but he somehow managed it. Adrian waited in silence for Alec to get the hint and start explaining why he was being to quiet, but when the silence kept stretching on and on, Adrian tried a more direct tactic. "I'm being serious. What's wrong?" He threw his elbow softly into his friend's side for emphasis. Alec grumbled when it made impact, not even bothering to move away from the elbow.

"Nothing," Alec mumbled, gaze almost obsessively attached to the back of his sister's head. Adrian scoffed.

"You say as you stare sadly at the back of Isabelle's head, contemplating life," Adrian commented, the corners of his mouth twitching upward when he noticed Alec's facial expression shift into something more lively. To something that didn't make him look like the saddest person alive. Adrian really hated when he looked sad.

"Nothing's wrong," Alec huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm just thinking." Adrian considered letting it go, but something in him wanted to push Alec's buttons. So with his smile growing, he continued his pestering.

"Thinking about what?" he asked. Alec's mouth twisted into a displeased frown.

"Nothing."

"You can't think of nothing, Alec," Adrian argued, narrowly dodging a broken bottle on the sidewalk in front of him. "That's impossible." Alec let out a small sigh in annoyance.

"Will you just leave it?" he asked, sounding positively miserable. Adrian felt his smile slowly leave his face when he saw Alec's expression, saw how his eyes were widened at Adrian in an attempt to make him stop. His attempt to cheer Alec up—or, at the least, to distract him—had done the exact opposite, and he felt guilt start to fester away in his stomach.

"You can talk to me, you know," he said softly, low enough so that neither parties ahead or behind them could hear his words. Alec said nothing in response to them, so Adrian let the conversation fade into silence. Adrian forced his eyes to stay on the two figures in front of him. He knew Alec was actually thinking now, so he let him. A few minutes later, just like Adrian knew he would, Alec took a deep breath and started talking when he was ready.