Smoke and Mirrors ▹ Alec Lightwood [1]

CHAPTER TEN

"You don't have to sound so...so..." He couldn't seem to find the correct word for it. Isabelle watched him wave his hands around as a means to communicate his thoughts, smiling when he gave up and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't sound like anything," she drawled, raising an eyebrow when Adrian scoffed.

"You kind of do," he pointed out. "Like you were right about something, even though at the time, you told me I had your full support." He only stopped when Isabelle raised a finger to silence him.

"And you still do," she reminded him, voice hard. "You'll have my support until the day I die and then wherever we are after that." Clary gave a small sound at her words, raising her eyebrows.

"That's some serious dedication," Clary commented when Isabelle and Adrian turned toward her. Isabelle grinned, twirling a lock of dark hair around her finger.

"You either give all or nothing," Isabelle told her. "That's my motto."

"I thought your motto was something about seven inch heels," Adrian said, voice dry. Isabelle shrugged.

"I have more than one motto, Dri."

"That literally sounds like the most exhausting thing ever," Clary drawled, eyes still glued to Isabelle.

"That's because you have a habit of being lazy," Isabelle told her, shooting a quick glance at Adrian right after. "Both of you do, actually."

"Why did you add me to that?" Adrian demanded, momentarily forgetting his problem with Alec. Being around Clary and Isabelle always did distract him from things he didn't particularly want to think about.

"I added you because you agreed with Clary when she said having two mottos sounded exhausting. I could tell by the look on your face." Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"You mean the bored, blank look?" he asked, voice dry again. Isabelle snapped her fingers.

"Precisely," she said. Adrian and Clary shared a look. Clary shook her head, fighting back a smile.

"You're ridiculous, you know that?" Adrian asked, turning back toward Isabelle, who just shrugged. It wasn't news to her. Clary shook her head again and started digging around in her bag, pulling out her phone and checking the time. Her face immediately twisted into a frown.

"Are you going to the hospital?" Isabelle asked, seeing her look. Clary bit her bottom lip, nodding. She had been developing the same tired, defeated look ever since she had found her mother.

"Are you all going to come later?" she asked, sounding hopeful. Isabelle answered before Adrian could.

"I would, but I have to get back to Alec," Isabelle said, sounding a bit guilty. "He's been going stir-crazy sitting in the Institute. I can't leave him alone for more than a few hours, otherwise he starts digging around in places he shouldn't because he's so bored." Clary nodded, face dropping even more.

"I'll come with you," he decided, smiling when Clary's face brightened, even if it wasn't by much.

"Thank you," she whispered. Adrian just shrugged. He would do anything to help Clary in any way he could, especially since she always seemed to be there to help him.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jocelyn Fray—or Fairchild, though Adrian had a feeling the woman didn't like that name anymore—had the same vibrant red hair as Clary, and the freckles to match. She was pale in the hospital bed, completely still save for the small rise and fall of her chest. Adrian searched her face, trying to find even a little bit of Jace inside her. He knew it would mean a lot to Jace if Adrian told him he looked like his mother. Unfortunately, Adrian couldn't find a single thing. Jace Wayland—now Jace Morgenstern, regrettably—looked nothing like Jocelyn Fray.