Smoke and Mirrors ▹ Alec Lightwood [1]

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE SILENT CITY

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     Just like the Silent Brothers themselves, their residence was just as unnerving. They were stationed underground, and more often than not, the entry was located in a graveyard. Walking between the tombstones now, Adrian couldn't help but wish he had stayed at the Institute. He could have easily just said that someone had to watch Max, who had been locked inside Isabelle's bedroom by Isabelle herself. Alec and Adrian had both lectured her for that one, since there was no way for Max to get out of the room since his stele had been taken away, and they didn't know how long they were going to be gone. Isabelle had just waved her hand dismissively and said that she had food all around her room and that Max would be fine. With a scowl, Adrian pushed Max to the back of his mind and skirted around another tombstone. He felt weird walking through the graveyard, like his footsteps were waking up the abundance of people sleeping in peace below him.

"This place gives me the creeps," he murmured, tired of the silence their small group had descended into the second they had arrived at the graveyard. Clary and Alec were ahead; it looked like they were trying to beat each other to the Silent City's entrance. Isabelle and Adrian were at the back. At his words, Isabelle hummed and strolled closer to him, linking their arms together.

"It's a graveyard," she said, sounding amused, her black hair falling heavily around her face and past her shoulders. Her smile was bright. Adrian could tell she was hoping for a fight. "It's supposed to give you the creeps." Adrian rolled his eyes and mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath. Isabelle's grin grew wider. Up ahead, Clary and Alec had come to a stop in front of a stone statue. Adrian and Isabelle stopped behind them, waiting. Alec was the first to speak.

"They should have sensed our presence by now," he said, studying the statue with a frown, as if it would come alive and give him all the answers to his questions. They waited another moment in silence, none of them willing to enter the Silent City if the Silent Brothers were on their way. Eventually, Alec reached for the dagger at his belt and used it to slice open his palm, holding his hand out and letting the blood flow into the cup the statue was holding. Clary was staring in confusion, and Alec answered her unspoken question with a calmness he hadn't had toward her before. Adrian hoped that meant they were warming up to each other. "Blood of the Nephilim. It should work as a key."

As if responding to his words, there was a loud groan, like stone sliding against stone. All of them looked around uneasily at the sound, as it sounded as if it were coming from all directions. A few seconds later, Clary let out a startled shriek and flew backwards, stumbling over her own two feet to avoid falling into the hole appearing in the ground. Adrian caught her by the shoulders and helped her regain her balance, draping his arm over those same shoulders and giving her a side hug when he noticed her face start to turn red. Adrian, Isabelle, and Alec had all remained completely calm while the entrance to the Silent City opened in the ground, and Clary seemed embarrassed by her reaction when she realized. She must have entered the Silent City in a different way. There were probably dozens of other entrances around New York, in various different graveyards.

Isabelle only had to peer into the inky darkness of the entrance for a few seconds before she said, "Something's wrong." She paused, waiting for Alec to draw a healing rune on his cut palm, before she took a witchlight out of her pocket. Clary, Alec, and Adrian all drew out their own and willed them to brighten. Isabelle nodded toward the entrance, suddenly looking excited. "Let's go."

"I'll go first," Alec quickly said when Isabelle took one step down into the darkness of the Silent City. He slipped past her. "Izzy, bring up the rear. Dri, keep an eye on Clary." Adrian and Isabelle both nodded, and Isabelle moved to let Clary and Adrian go ahead of her. Adrian was suddenly very glad that they had witchlights with them. The darkness was so thick that it felt like a second skin. He could see unlit torches in brackets on the walls as they walked lower and lower. Dread seeped into his stomach when he thought of all the reasons as to why they weren't lit like they were supposed to.