Smoke and Mirrors ▹ Alec Lightwood [1]

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
PREPARING FOR BATTLE

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     "All I'm saying is that Alec would never betray his own parabatai," Adrian said as he lounged on Isabelle's bed, twisting his stele around his fingers for something to do as he watched Isabelle pace back and forth. Max was sitting on her vanity chair, knees drawn up to his chest. He had followed them into Isabelle's room the second he noticed his sister was upset, and now he refused to leave, especially after Isabelle explained what had happened. Even though Adrian didn't believe Alec was on Imogen Herondale's side for even a second, he wasn't about to leave Isabelle alone. She was reckless and impulsive when she was upset. It seemed she, Adrian, and Jace all shared that trait. No wonder Alec felt like he needed to be the responsible one. Adrian grimaced at the thought before he sat up and placed his stele on her bedside table, beside Isabelle's dagger. Isabelle had changed into hunting gear the second she got home, and even though Adrian didn't know what she was planning on doing—they didn't really have anything to hunt, and neither of them were about to fight the Clave by themselves—he had changed into hunting gear, as well. Sighing, he added, "Come on, Izzy, have some faith in him."

"You're in love with him, Dri," Isabelle said. Adrian shot a glance toward Max, who blinked and stared at him for a few moments as he processed her words. He didn't seem to care, though, and Adrian released a small sigh of relief. "You're not exactly an unbiased person."

"Izzy, you're his sister," Adrian argued. They had been going back and forth like this ever since they had left Luke's farmhouse. Isabelle was so blinded by her anger at the situation that she couldn't see what was right in front of her. "You're supposed to love him more than me." Isabelle paused, then shrugged.

"Point taken," she admitted. "That doesn't mean what he said was right. Imagine how Jace is feeling right now. First, our mother kicks him out, he's being punished by the Clave for Valentine's crimes, and now it seems like his own parabatai has turned against him, too. I hate this. I hate that I can't protect him like I protect Alec." She kicked at a shoe, watching it hit the wall, before she glanced at him. "And anyway, I thought you were mad at him."

"I'm not mad at him," Adrian said, fidgeting uncomfortably. He would have preferred if Max wasn't in the room, but the littlest Lightwood always seemed to keep their secrets. Not that Adrian's love for Alec was a secret by that point. He was pretty sure the only one who hadn't at least guessed was Robert, and that was just because he seemed to flinch away from anything that wasn't heterosexual. Adrian usually used the word 'homophobe' to describe bigoted and hateful people, but he got the oddest feeling Robert legitimately feared gay people. He was homophobic in both the hateful and literal sense. It was the most idiotic thing he had ever seen. Adrian would have found it hilarious if Alec wasn't his son.

"You two haven't really had a chance to talk, have you?" Isabelle asked, sitting down at her window seat. Adrian wished she would get away from the window. She had already threatened to throw herself out of it once when Alec came around to talk. She was on the second floor, it wasn't a long way down considering they were Shadowhunters, but Adrian still didn't want her to break an ankle.

"From the time you and I talked in the training room to when we went to Luke's?" he asked dryly, watching Isabelle scowl in annoyance. "No, Izzy, I can't say we have found the time in the last few hours I've been with you to talk."

"No need to be a smartass," she grumbled.

"It's my natural disposition when I'm stressed." There was a beat of silence, and then Adrian seemed to deflate, his shoulders falling. "What's going to happen to him?" He didn't need to clarify who he was referring to.