Smokescreen 》Alec Lightwood

24

Alec was proved right as the Inquisitor gestured to one of the shadowhunters milling around the platform, she whispered something to him quietly, gesturing at Isabelle.

Alec watched with fearful eyes as his sister was escorted to the seat beside him. Isabelle immediately reached for his hand, her nails digging into his skin. 'Alec, did you know about this?' Her voice was low and barely decipherable even to him.

Alec glanced at her, aware of the watching eyes on the two of them as he shook his head. 'No.'

Alec's reply seemed to make Isabelle tense even more as Adelaide was forced to stand in front of a room full of people ready to condemn her based on a single name. Adelaide was standing by the mortal sword and as she laid her hands on it gently, Alec knew then that they had lost.

Adelaide was unable to lie. The mortal sword would drag the truth out of her by force, like scraping away at stone to reveal the dazzling truth underneath.

'Adelaide Morgenstern, you say that you should be on trial, rather than Isabelle Lightwood, why is this?'

'Because Isabelle Lightwood is innocent in all of this. She has nothing to do with Valentine or his plans.' Adelaide answered honestly, her voice ringing through the silent room.

'And you do?'

The words were like poison as they flowed out of the inquisitor's mouth, her distaste and contempt for the girl and her family becoming evident in her expression.

'I do what?'

Adelaide felt invisible knives slice at her as she avoided answering the question directly.

'Do you have something to do with Valentine's plans?'

'Yes.'

Adelaide hissed the word out through her teeth and the gasps from the crowd in front of her set her on edge.

Alec's blood turned to ice.

'You are in league with Valentine then?' The inquisitor's eyes narrowed.

'No.'

'Explain yourself girl.'

Adelaide looked directly ahead as she spoke. 'I am involved in my Father's plans. I do not know what these plans are or who they involve, all I know is that I fit somewhere into the whole scheme of things. My Father is a lot of things inquisitor, and unfortunately one of those things is smart. He has a startling ability to get what he wants, and for the last twelve months, he has wanted both me and my biological mother.'

Adelaide finally glanced up, her eyes meeting Alec's. 'As of right now, only one of us is accounted for.'

Hurried whispers and murmurs broke out over the room but they went ignored.

'Where is the mortal cup?'

Adelaide swallowed. 'I do not know.'

'Who has the mortal cup currently?'

'I do not know.'

Adelaide ignored the stinging pain that came with her words. She wasn't lying, however she wasn't technically being one hundred percent honest.

'Where was the last place you saw Valentine?'

'The last place I saw my Father was in Alicante, Idris.'

The panicked whispering started up again and Imogen Herondale rose from her seat, her expression full of anger.

'That's impossible! Valentine would have been noticed if he was residing in the shadowhunter homeland!'