Smoke and Mirrors ▹ Alec Lightwood [1]

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
ALL IS WELL

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     Adrian didn't even have time to properly say goodbye to Alec before all the Shadowhunters old enough to fight left to do just that. One second, they were pulling away from each other after the kiss, feeling exhilarated. The next, Alec was leaving, and Adrian was stuck with Isabelle. Both of them were scowling. Feeling angry over not being old enough to fight was far better than drowning in their own anxiety. In order to distract themselves over the fact that their family, friends, and significant others were out there fighting deadly demons—and to distract themselves from the fact that Clary and Jace were nowhere to be found—they got to work getting the remaining children out of the Accords Hall. The majority of the children were already at the Penhallow Manor, and even though the Accords Hall was the safest place to be, it was easier to move the handful of children to the manor instead of moving over fifty kids to the Accords Hall.

Since the Shadowhunters had left for war long before Valentine's time limit was up, they had no problem getting to Penhallow Manor. All of the streets were deserted, so quiet they could have heard a pin drop. Despite the lack of people—and demons—Adrian and Isabelle didn't take any chances. They took their time walking through the streets, making sure the coast was clear before motioning the kids forward. After what happened with Max, neither of them wanted another child hurt, especially not on their watch. Both would rather die than let anything happen to any of the kids.

The children themselves were exhausted. Adrian didn't doubt they were having nightmares and were having trouble sleeping. Adrian had reacted the exact same way when he had first seen a demon. All the training in the world couldn't prepare them for the real thing. It was only a matter of getting used to all the horror and bloodshed.

Adrian couldn't describe how relieved he felt when they finally made it. It was only when he and Isabelle were herding the children into the manor that he finally felt the exhaustion deep in his bones. He hadn't slept much, if at all, since the city was attacked. He hadn't even realized that fact until he walked into the living room and saw a few kids curled up on the couch with blankets wrapped around them like cocoons. Aline was already there, bending over the sleeping figures and making sure they were warm. A bundle of blankets was thrown over her arm. Isabelle wrapped her whip around her wrist and went to help her. Adrian made sure all the children had found a comfortable place in the large living room, then shrank his staff, hooked it across his back, then disappeared into the kitchen.

A bunch of other teenagers around his age were bustling around the kitchen, gathering snacks and drinks to hand out to the kids. Adrian had barely stepped a foot into the room before a cardboard box heavy with water bottles and snacks was shoved into his arms. With a grunt, he got the hint and twisted to go back to the living room. Isabelle met him at the doorway. By the time they had placed the cardboard box on the coffee table, Aline was there as well. They took turns passing the water and snacks to the kids. It took longer than it should have, simply because so many of the children were young and scared. Multiple times, Adrian had to crouch and comfort a kid he didn't even know the name of. He comforted himself knowing that there were no babies, and the only toddler was two-year-old Octavian Blackthorn. No kids had been born in the past five years in Idris, and most Shadowhunter parents opted to simply get babysitters when they needed to come back to Idris. Adrian was glad for that now.

Once he was sure none of the kids would burst into tears, he went to where Aline and Isabelle were speaking in low voices, heads bent close together. Aline was looking over a piece of paper. As Adrian got closer, he got a peek and saw nothing but names.