Smokescreen 》Alec Lightwood

23

A/N Thank you to those who left kind messages on my last update! I really, really appreciate it! 3+ Comments and 3+ Votes for the next part! :) There isn't much left to go ahhh! Again - This is not edited!

Adelaide was hurrying back to Magnus' with her phone clutched tightly in her hand as she waited for a text from Jace to let her know that he was okay.

It was dark and there was an unseasonably cool breeze that made Adelaide feel uncomfortable. Her eyes continually darted around every corner and every alleyway she could see with her sight enhancement, courtesy of the runes she had meticulously applied earlier that day.

It was quiet, save for the occasional sounds of traffic coming from further into the city. She hadn't glimpsed any vampires stalking the streets or any warlocks creeping out of alleyways, no pixies or nixies either, which was odd considering she had been sneaking out of seelie. She had been in one of the further areas of Seelie that were unmanned by seelie knights, yet Adelaide knew that the seelie queen missed nothing, especially in her own home. In the twenty minutes Adelaide had been creeping through the shadows, she hadn't seen anything.

The hair on the back of Adelaide's neck stood on end, and she whirled around.

*****

'All I know is, we gotta get you out of here.'

Alec was pacing in front of Isabelle, who was trying her hardest not to roll her eyes at her brother. 'Alright, who do we know in Idris?'

'The only people who care are Mum and Dad, but they're under suspicion themselves.'

Alec nodded, having already considered their parents. 'Uh, What about Lydia?'

'Lydia?' Isabelle asked incredulously.

'Yeah.'

'Why do you keep going there? She is prosecuting me. You said she had no choice.' Isabelle reminded Alec sternly, her contempt for the older blonde unmistakeable even to Alec.

'She doesn't.' Alec defended his fiancé, ignoring Isabelle's tone.

'Everyone has a choice, Alec. I made mine. Just let me get through this without losing my self respect.' Be like Adelaide, do what you have to do, Isabelle didn't dare to speak the words aloud while her brother was in front of her.

'I know you don't want to believe this, but Lydia said she would help if we can give her a way to do it. Maybe I can get her to delay the trial.' Alec's words weren't convincing and Isabelle knew, judging by the look that flashed across his face, that he knew this too. She rolled her eyes.

'Why? So I can sit here, playing computer solitaire, while they find something else to blame me for, I'm just a scapegoat to the clave. They want the cup.'

'So let me buy some time to find it.' Alec pleaded, but Isabelle looked unconvinced.

'Jace and Clary –'

'Disappeared through a door to god knows where. They're lost forever, and so is the cup. Adelaide's probably with them too.' Isabelle frowned for a second before she looked at her brother again. 'You even said they're lost forever.'

Alec ignored Isabelle's obvious challenge, even though his heart twisted at the thought she had put into his head. 'What if I was wrong, what if I can't find Jace because I weakened our bond, but that doesn't mean that he can't be found or that he can't find us. We need more time.' Alec sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

'So you're grasping at straws now?'

'Izzy, listen. I'm your big brother. Please, let me help you for once.' Alec begged and Isabelle sighed, nodding at him slightly.