Smoke and Mirrors ▹ Alec Lightwood [1]

CHAPTER TEN

Adrian thought Jace didn't look anything like Valentine Morgenstern either, but Jace himself had said Valentine had raised him under the name of Michael Wayland, and Clary had even said that her mother thought her first child, a son, had died. All of the pieces fit together.

If only the pieces actually looked similar. Maybe Adrian wouldn't have been so suspicious. Valentine could have kidnapped Jace, for all anyone knew, and Adrian didn't want to see Jace bond to a woman who could want nothing to do with him when she woke up. Jace felt things so strongly, Adrian didn't want to think of what he would do if Jocelyn took one look at him, claimed he wasn't her son, and then just walked away.

Adrian shot a glance out of the corner of his eye at Clary.

"She looks..." He bit his lip. She was staring at him, waiting. He let out a small sigh. "Alive. Very alive. And healthy." Clary closed her eyes briefly and pressed her lips together. He could see her searching for a kind thing to say. Adrian kind of felt like he deserved to have his head bitten off by her, considering what he had just let tumble out of his mouth.

"Adrian," she said at last, "please just...don't say anything?" Adrian blushed.

"Sorry," he muttered, throwing his elbow into her arm. A small smile flitted across her mouth. She went to say something else, but the sound of the door opening behind them made them both turn. A man around the same age as Jocelyn came in. He paused when he saw Adrian.

"You...do not look familiar," the man said. There were dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "I don't think I've met you before. Have I met him before?" The man was looking at Clary now, who looked at the older man with concern.

"Luke, if you would actually go get some sleep, you would know that you have never seen this new friend of mine in your life," Clary told him, forcing herself to sound amused, mainly for Luke's benefit. She turned toward Adrian with a small, awkward smile. "Adrian, this is my dad, Luke Garroway." Her voice hardened when she said that Luke was her dad, and Adrian understood why. He knew from personal experience what it felt like to have a disappointing father. Clary was lucky that she managed to find a better one. "Luke, this is my friend, Adrian Dieudonne."

Luke looked at him sharply as soon as Clary said Adrian's last name.

"Dieudonne?" Luke repeated, eyes narrowing. Adrian shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. He could see the distrust in them. "Are you Malachi's son?"

Luke didn't like Adrian's father very much, judging by how his mouth twisted when he said his name.

"From the way you just said his name, I take it you aren't fond of him," Adrian said, speaking slowly. Luke arched an eyebrow.

"That's an understatement," Luke said dryly. Adrian just shrugged.

"I don't like him, either," Adrian said, voice small. He hadn't meant for it to sound like that, but Luke's face softened slightly, and Clary took his hand when she turned back around to watch her mother. Luke circled the hospital bed so that he could look at Jocelyn as well, and Adrian could tell the second Luke locked eyes with Jocelyn that the man was head over heels in love with her.

"How is she?" Luke asked, taking Jocelyn's hand. Clary sighed.

"The same."

The solemn atmosphere was cut short when Adrian's phone started ringing. Wincing, he quickly dug it out and answered, apologizing to Luke and Clary as he moved out into the hall. It wasn't until he heard the voice on the other end that he kind of wished he had ignored the call.

"Where are you?" Alec asked, not bothering with greeting Adrian. Adrian frowned. He felt Alec was a tad bit out of line, asking him where he was when Alec had been the one ducking out of the room when Adrian entered. Still, Adrian felt a lightness in his chest at the sound of his voice. He had missed it.