Shadows | Alec Lightwood | Discontinued

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

It was when they got back to the Institute that everything went to hell for Adrian. He was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. Good things never seem to last for Shadowhunters.

Simon was immediately taken to the infirmary by Clary, and Adrian ended up tagging along. He decided he'd rather be with them than suffer with the tension between Jace and Alec. The falling out between the two Parabatai had caused a lot of tension between the two Lightwoods and Jace with Izzy stuck in the middle.

"You're sure you're ok?" Clary asked Simon for what must have been the sixth time since they'd rescued him from the Hotel duMort.

The three were in the infirmary with Simon on one of the white sheeted beds. Clary was sat by his side on the very uncomfortable plastic chair whilst Adrian found himself leaning against a wall in boredom.

He considered leaving but decided against it almost immediately. He didn't want to run into any of the other three Shadowhunters until they'd sorted out their problems.

"I'm fine Clary." Simon smiled. He clearly didn't mind being fussed over by his younger sister.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this. It's all my fault." Clary blamed herself sinking her head into her hands.

"It's not your fault Clary. You didn't kidnap me."

"I might as well have. You keep being put in danger because of me." Clary explained to him.

"But you're also the one that rescued me." Simon reminded her. She slowly nodded.

"I hate all this. I don't even know where this stupid cup is and yet everyone seems to think that I do. Nobody seems to care that Adrian's my brother. Nobody seems to think that he might know where the cup is." She ranted running her hand through her hair in frustration.

"Hey, don't put the blame on me." Adrian told his sister.

"I'm sorry, it's just you've known about this world for almost your entire life. You've had time to adjust to this life. I've had my entire belief system shaken up and tossed upside down with the future of the world pretty much resting on me finding a stupid cup I know nothing about." She continued. "On top of that it turns out my father isn't my father. Instead he's the man that we're here trying to defeat."

"Just because he's your biological father doesn't make him your dad." Simon inputted.

"In the eyes of Alec it does." Clary replied.

"Who cares what Alec thinks?" Simon asked. Adrian bit his lip to stop himself from replying. Neither one of the two noticed.

"My dad is literally the Voldemort of the shadow world!" Clary threw her hands up on the air in frustration successfully managing to hit Simon in the face.

"Ow!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you."

"Nothing you say will change that" Adrian spoke interrupting Clary and Simon's conversation. "Valentine is still Valentine. He's not going to suddenly become dad of the year now that his daughter knows the truth."

"I guess you're right." Clary admitted sighing.

There was a moment of silence between the three of them until Clary suddenly tensed. Both boys gazes fell on her as she slowly stood up looking at Adrian.

"You said 'daughter'. 'Now that his daughter knows the truth.'" Clary noted her voice surprisingly calm. Of course his sister would notice his only slip up. "You knew. You knew that Valentine was our father and you didn't tell me."

"You believed that our father was a good man who died loving us. I didn't want to destroy that."

"So you lied to me!" This time her voice was angrier on the brink of shouting.

"What do you expect me to say? Oh, by the way Clary our dads a murdering psychopath who is trying to build his own army, killing hundreds of people in the process before taking over the shadow world."

"I'd expect you to say something instead of lying to me about my life!" Now she was shouting.

"Guys stop." Simon spoke. Neither Fairchild paid any attention to him.

"Well, I'm sorry for trying to save your childhood for as long as possible."

"What happened telling each other everything?" Clary shouted.

A curious shadowhunter walked the doorway pausing to look inside before hurrying off again. Adrian didn't blame her.

"I could ask you the same question. You weren't always in your room doing art last year where you?"

"Just because you don't have a social life doesn't mean that you have to try and use mine against me."

Adrian found himself clenching his fists in anger. His sister knew nothing. She didn't know how much he'd sacrificed to keep her safe and away from this world because their mother hadn't wanted her precious daughter to know. He couldn't help but be bitter.

"You're the reason I don't have a social life!" He shouted back at his sister. Part of him regretted it but the other part didn't care.

"Like I have anything to do with it. You've only ever had one friend and even he moved away and never spoke to you again."

Adrian mentally froze stepping back. Her words felt like they'd stabbed him in the stomach.

He knew that she had no idea what she was talking about but in that moment he didn't care. She'd unknowingly pushed him too far.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about, Clarissa Fray." He spat out the surname as if it was poison. Adrian cast a glare at his sister before he turned and walked out pushing past Isabelle, Jace and Alec who were stood at the door.

He made his way back to his room immediately pulling the sketchbook out of the desk draw and shoving it into his duffel bag. Adrian zipped it shut.

He needed to get away from the Institute before he caused any more damage.

He headed out of the room carefully closing the door behind him. As head headed down the stairs he kept his head down in an effort to blend in. It almost worked. He was only a few steps away from leaving the building when he was stopped.

"Adrian." Isabelle Lightwood called somehow managing to run towards him in her high heels. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I just can't be here right now Izzy. I'm going to end up saying or doing something that I'll really regret."

"Ok." She shrugged. "Then I'm going with you."