Shadows | Alec Lightwood | Discontinued

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

It took Adrian almost an hour to find his sister once he had reached the Institute with Alec. He still didn't know his way around the building so he had relied on pure luck to find her. In the end it took two trips up to her room for him to eventually find her there.

Adrian gently knocked on the open door.

Clary looked up from her sketchbook and hesitated for a fraction of a second before smiling. Carefully, she closed the book, placing the pencil on top of it.

"Hey." His sister greeted patting the empty spot next to her. Adrian returned her smile as he sat down on the bed beside her.

He couldn't help but feel like he was six again, sat in Clary's room on a Friday night as the two of them told each other everything about their week.

"I feel like we're kids again, about to tell each other everything that happened this week." Clary voiced his thoughts.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Adrian smiled in amusement.

He paused. Despite having spent the past few hours considering what to say he still had no idea.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Valentine. With everything changing for you I didn't want to destroy your perfect image of dad as well."

Clary smiled faintly in reassurance.

"I know, I would have done the same thing." She paused. "I'm sorry for what I said, as well, about Sam. It wasn't fair."

Adrian nodded, accepting her apology. He didn't say that it was ok because he'd told himself that he wouldn't lie to his sister anymore unless he absolutely had to and this wasn't one of those occasions.

"You know." Clary started. "I used to think that I knew everything about you but now... I don't know. It's strange to think that I hardly know anything."

"There's a lot that you don't know." He admitted. "And I don't know where to start but I'm assuming that you have your own questions by now."

"A few, but only if you don't mind answering them."

"Ask away."

Adrian knew that if Clary asked about Sam he wouldn't be able to answer. He wasn't ready for his family to know and even if he was, he wasn't allowed to tell her. The Clave intended to keep everything about them a secret from everyone.

He still didn't know why he'd told Alec. Somebody he barely knows. It had been stupid of him but, even though he'd tried to, he didn't regret it.

He ought to.

If the Clave found out that somebody else knew they'd be furious. It had been bad enough after Magnus found out and that hadn't even been his own fault. Magnus had found out through his own means. Alec hadn't. Adrian had willing told him.

He was already royally screwed.

"You have a room at Magnus Bane's apartment?" Clary broke him out of his train of thought. Adrian wasn't at all surprised by her question. He was sure it was something everybody wanted to know the answer to. They just hadn't asked yet.

"I've had a room there for the past couple of years.  Just before that I started to have a lot of nightmares and trouble sleeping. You might remember that vaguely. There was what must have been a period of two weeks where I woke you and mom up almost every night from nightmares."

"I remember that." She nodded.

"Anyway, I went to Magnus hoping that he'd be able to help stop the nightmares. He found a way to help but spells to do with the mind are tricky at best and this one in particular doesn't last very long so when the spell begun to wear off, I'd always end up sleeping at Magnus'. I didn't want you or mom to find out." Adrian briefly explained.

Things had been a little more complicated than that but he couldn't explain the story in any more detail without bringing Sam in.

"Hodge said that Magnus usually requires payment for his services. I can't really see how mom managed to pay him to take away my memories for years never mind you managing to pay him."

"I went to Magnus because we were already somewhat friends. In return for him helping me, I agreed to accompany him to parties to look out for circle members and unwelcome demons. Although, I don't actually pay him anymore."

"Why don't-" Clary started only to cut off when the shard around her neck glowed purple. She paused for a split second before grasping the necklace in her hand. Adrian watched as Clary went still and closed her eyes.

"Clary?" He questioned hesitantly. She didn't respond.

Adrian could see her eyes moving beneath her eyelids but it was as if she was in a trance.

Suddenly, she gasped in shock and her eyes flashed open for a second. The shock and fear in her eyes frightened him, especially since he didn't know what was going on.

Clary closed her eyes again becoming sucked back into her previous trance.

After what seemed like an eternity, Clary snapped back out of the trance. She gripped the necklace around her neck tighter and tore it from around her neck quickly throwing it down.

"Clary, what is it?" Adrian asked urgently. Tears began to well in his sisters eyes.

"Mom." Clary spoke as she blinked back the tears. "I saw mom. Valentine was there with her. He knew I was there. He spoke to me. He wants to exchange the cup for her."

Adrian fought down his rising surge of emotions and instead hugged his sister. He could tell that she was trying not to cry as she hugged him back.

They remained that way until Clary began to calm down. Clary pulled back hastily wiping underneath her eyes to get rid of the black smudge marks underneath them.

"What do we do now?" His sister asked.

Adrian reluctantly sighed. "We need to find someone who won't tell the Clave about the shard. Unfortunately that means we have to find Jace."