A/N Hello! Sorry for the delay, life has been kind of crazy lately!
3+ Comments/Votes for the next chapter!
*NOT EDITED* (As always ahaha )
Also thank you to RainStrider for coming up with a ship name for Adelaide and Alec - Adalec!
BEFORE YOU READ:
Would you guys like a second book for season 2? I'm more than willing to write more Alec and Adelaide, and I already have a tonne of new ideas, but it's up to you guys :) Let me know!
Also - American Horror Story starts today and i'm so excited! I can't wait to see what this season is going to be about! :) Do any of you guys watch it?
(Shameless self promo) If you like OUAT and Peter Pan (Robbie Kay is so great ughh) I've posted a prologue, first chapter and a trailer for a new book called Human that I'm writing, so check that out if you want to :)
*****
Adelaide and Alec hurried across the institute in pursuit of Jace, Isabelle and Clary. The two had left a disoriented Lydia with Magnus who was doing his best to help her in any way he could, and after making sure Lydia was safe, the two had moved as one, knowing exactly where to go to find out what had happened to their friend. Alec and Adelaide hadn't spoken to each other since Lydia had revealed her attacker to be Hodge, one of the people they had assumed they could trust, shock still present in their expressions.
'How's Lydia?' Clary was the first to spot them, concern written plainly across her face as she looked at her sister and Alec.
'Better. Magnus is doing what he can to help her but-' Alec started.
'-It's bad.' Adelaide shook her head, running a hand through her hair, tugging at the roots lightly.
'-And the cup is definitely missing.' Alec and Jace exchanged a worried glance.
'So is Hodge.' Jace confirmed the unspoken question, his entire body tense.
'Maybe he was attacked too.' Isabelle defended.
Adelaide shook her head. 'No. I don't believe that for a second. Hodge is too smart, and too strong. Let's find out shall we?'
Isabelle pursed her lips and pulled up the security footage, rewinding the footage rapidly.
'Maybe he's the one who attacked her.' Clary suggested, glancing at Adelaide beside her who nodded almost imperceptibly at her sister, because Adelaide had a sinking feeling in her stomach that what Clary had suggested was exactly what had happened.
'Hodge? No way.' Isabelle denied. 'We've known him our entire lives, he would never do that to us.'
Adelaide wished she believed that.
Isabelle paused the footage abruptly, zooming into the corner of the screen where the group watched as Lydia was backhanded by a very familiar face. They watched as Hodge picked up the cup with a look of awe. The shock resounded around the group and Adelaide watched as Jace's face fell.
'I led him right to the cup.' He spoke quietly.
'We treated him like family.' Alec sounded angry. 'How could he do this to us.'
Adelaide swallowed thickly. 'I might have a few ideas.'
At the curious looks her friends sent her she leant over Isabelle, tapping at the keyboard and pulling up security vision from another camera, the camera in the room where an unconscious Jocelyn was being kept. Adelaide rewound the footage until Hodge appeared over her mother, looking very pleased with himself, but there was also an almost apprehensive air around him, nervousness broke through in his expression as he slipped something onto his finger.
'What is that ring?' Clary questioned immediately.
'Looks like he's talking to someone.' Isabelle's voice was quiet as they all watched Hodge hold out the mortal cup to an unseen figure.
'I can bet who it is.' Realisation seemed to have hit Jace as he glanced at Adelaide. Adelaide glanced at her little sister whose expression seemed to have frozen.
'Valentine.' She whispered and Adelaide nodded in confirmation.
'That explains how he deactivated the punishment rune, but it doesn't explain how he got the ring.' Alec frowned.
'You think someone smuggled it past the wards?' Clary asked, sounding worried.
'Maybe. Hodge wasn't the only ex circle member around here.' Jace's voice was flat and it sent a wave of worry through Adelaide. Jace was unpredictable at the best of times and he didn't take betrayal lightly. Jace was a bomb just waiting to explode.
'Look, I know I don't always see eye to eye with my parents, but I know they're not traitors.' Isabelle sounded offended at Jace's unspoken accusation.
'Really, isn't that what you just said about Hodge?' Jace challenged.
'Jace. Enough.' Adelaide's words were sharp.
'It'd have to be someone we trusted but if there was an intruder inside the institute, we would have found them by now.' Jace continued as though Adelaide hadn't spoken.
'What about the forsaken attack?' Clary asked.
'No. We killed that thing and I didn't see a ring.' Alec argued.
'It didn't have one during the autopsy but maybe there's something in the footage.' Isabelle suggested.
She clicked a few buttons and found what she was looking for quickly. They watched the sped up footage but nothing looked out of the ordinary from the angle they were watching at.
'Go to the other camera.' Alec took the words straight out of Adelaide's mouth.
Isabelle did as her brother instructed, and Adelaide wasn't all that surprised as she watched Hodge pillage the ring from the body of the forsaken, pocketing it before anyone could realise what was happening.
'So it wasn't a random attack.'
'It was just the delivery boy.' Jace spat out, his face twisting in anger.
'If he gives that cup to Valentine; he'll create an army of shadowhunters. With that kind of power behind him... He'll kill thousands.'
'He'll kill thousands just creating the army.' Isabelle sounded sad. 'Most Mundanes won't survive that.'
'We won't let that happen-' Clary started.
'I'm going to make sure of it.'
Jace stormed off and Clary followed him hesitantly. Isabelle spun around in her chair to face Adelaide and Alec, a sigh leaving her lips.
'Adelaide? You okay?' Isabelle questioned.
'I should have seen this coming.' Adelaide swallowed thickly.
'What do you mean?' Alec questioned, a frown gracing his handsome features.
'Hodge was the one who organised my visits to Idris, who signed all the paperwork, spoke to Clave, organised the portals... He could have been working with Valentine for years, he might never have stopped working for him.'
'Adelaide-' Alec tried.
'He didn't seem all that surprised to see me. When I showed up for the trial, everyone else seemed shocked and yet there was no lecture, no questions from him. When we ran into him earlier, do you remember what he said to me?' She looked at Alec.
'Uh-'
'He said it was good to see me doing okay, because I've got potential. I thought he was just being polite but something about it... it sounds like something Valentine would say. That I have potential, that he has big plans for me. That's what one of his guys said to me. Hodge has known about me being alive a lot longer than I thought.' She whispered the last part to herself. 'I should have known.'
'There's no way you could have known about Hodge. None of us expected him to do this.' Alec slipped an arm around Adelaide's waist, rubbing gentle circles into her skin as his fingers slipped under her black shirt.
'We have to keep an eye on Jace.' Adelaide's eyes darted from one Lightwood to the other.
'Why?' Isabelle questioned.
'Because he's angry. And from the way he's acting now... If he sees Hodge, I think he'll kill him.'
*****
Adelaide was slipping on her leather jacket when she found Alec, pulling his bow and arrow from it's hiding place in the wall.
'You've always loved that bow.' She commented as she entered the room, heading towards Alec.
'I have.' Alec agreed easily, pulling out a quiver of red tipped arrows all ready to go.
Adelaide flicked one of the arrows with her finger gently. 'I was always better at making the arrows though.' She smirked.
Alec was staring at her with a strange look on his face.
'What?' Adelaide frowned.
'Nothing I just – I never thanked you for the arrowhead pendant.' He smiled gently.
'Oh! It's nothing, really. I just wanted to give you something... meaningful.' Adelaide eventually spoke, sounding almost shy.
Alec's hands wrapped around her waist, tugging her back towards his chest. He placed a gentle kiss in the crook of her neck. 'I love it. Thank you.'
'You're welcome.' Adelaide hummed, spinning around, leaning up to place a light kiss on Alec's lips.
'You cannot let Valentines evil poison you!'
Adelaide stepped away from Alec as Clary's raised voice drifted towards them. The two exchanged a confused look as Jace's voice sounded.
'He's my Father!'
Adelaide and Alec entered the room the two were occupying. Clary glanced up as they entered but Jace gave no indication that he had noticed them.
'Actually, he's our Father.' Clary reminded Jace gently, her eyes glancing at Adelaide briefly.
Jace shook his head. 'You don't get it.' His eyes met Adelaide's. 'I know you do.'
Adelaide nodded at him, for she understood exactly how Jace felt. Clary didn't truly know Valentine, hadn't spent extended periods of time with the man. Adelaide and Jace had.
Jace stormed out of the room and Clary gave her a sympathetic look as Alec ran after Jace, Adelaide following closely behind them.
Jace shot Alec a sharp look as he began walking faster, Alec turned to Adelaide warily, holding his arm out, forcing her to stop.
'You need to stay with Clary and Isabelle.' Alec frowned.
'What?' Adelaide gasped out. 'No, c'mon Alec-'
'They're going to talk to Raphael.' Alec wouldn't meet Adelaide's eyes, his voice sounding seemingly unhappy. 'They'll need you.'
'I don't want to play find the magic book, Alec. I want to find Hodge.'
'Jace and I need to do this. Just us.' Alec sighed. 'Please Adelaide.'
Adelaide frowned. 'Why won't you look at me?'
'I have to go. Jace is waiting.' Alec continued to avoid her gaze, his jaw tense.
'Alec...'
'Just go and find Raphael.' Alec's mouth twisted around the vampire's name in an odd way and Adelaide noticed. 'Please.' He added gently.
Dawning realisation crossed Adelaide's face as a small grin formed on her lips, her unhappiness at not being able to join Jace and Alec forgotten for a moment. 'Oh my god...'
'Adelaide, just leave it.' Alec pleaded.
'Are you jealous?' Adelaide asked in amusement. 'Of Raphael?'
Alec looked sour.
'Don't worry, I think it's cute.' Adelaide reassured him with a grin, though her expression sobered quickly 'Alec... please be careful. If Hodge is with Valentine-'
'I'll be fine.' He assured her. 'Stay safe, please. Take care of our family.'
'Always.' Adelaide assured him.
Alec placed a small kiss on her lips quickly. 'Keep your phone on.'
'Keep me updated.'
Alec nodded, squeezed her arm gently, and then he was gone.
*****
'Have I not proven my loyalty to you?'
Hodge sounded nervous, his expression guarded as panic swam in his eyes. Valentine looked amused as he stared at his old friend.
'You've only proven your willingness to betray it. Do you really think that I would allow a traitor into my ranks?'
'I brought you the cup...' Hodge frowned.
'You served your purpose, now you're free to go.'
'Free? You promised me protection! The clave will never stop hunting me and you know it!'
'Ah. Now that I have the cup the Clave's days are numbered. I'm a man on my word. The Clave will no longer bother you and you will no longer bother me. Now, I suggest you enjoy your freedom... before I change my mind.' Valentine's tone darkened as he spoke.
Valentine sounded and looked very smug and Hodge instantly felt panic overtake any common sense he had. He had betrayed the clave, and the people who had looked at him as their family, all for the smug looking man in front of him. Without Valentine, Hodge had nowhere else to go.
'-Jonathan, Adelaide and Clarissa. Find them.'
Hodge's ears caught the tail end of the command Valentine was giving to one of the newly created Shadowhunters. He frowned slightly.
'What do you need Jace, Clary and Adelaide for?'
'I don't believe that's any of your concern.' Valentine snapped. 'Take your freedom, Starkweather, and take it elsewhere.' Hodge could hear the underlying threat in the man's voice.
'They won't come willingly.' Hodge warned as he began backing away slowly. 'And none of them will let Adelaide out of their sights. They won't risk losing her again. Especially Alec.'
Valentine laughed loudly, seemingly unconcerned. 'I'm counting on it. Mark my words, Adelaide will find her way to me and she'll do it willingly. All it takes is a little time, and some patience. Thankfully, I have plenty of both.'
Hodge couldn't stop the guilt creeping over his skin and twisting his stomach as he walked away from Valentine, one singular thought running through his head over and over again.
What have I done?
*****
'For Shadowhunters, you don't seem to do a lot of shadow hunting.'
Raphael's familiar voice greeted Adelaide, Isabelle and Clary as they were escorted into the Hotel Dumort. Raphael caught sight of Adelaide and he smirked, raising an eyebrow teasingly. 'Come to join us after all?'
'In your dreams, Raphael.' Adelaide grinned at the easy banter between them.
'There's more to the job than shadowhunting.' Isabelle interrupted, looking between Adelaide and Raphael warily.
'Why are you here my friend?' Raphael ignored Isabelle and Clary's wary gazes, twirling a strand of Adelaide's hair around as he stopped in front of her.
'We need to talk to Camille.' Adelaide stated bluntly, shrugging her shoulders.
Raphael seemed to freeze, his eyes searching her face in astonishment. 'Camille?'
'We know you have her here. We tracked her to the Dumort.' Clary spoke up, looking determined.
'It's true, but I'm afraid she's a bit tied up at the moment.' Raphael let Adelaide's hair slip from his fingers, a look of amusement crossing his face briefly. 'Is there something I can help you with?'
'Just a second. Hey Adelaide.' Simon interrupted the tense exchange, pulling the older vampire away from his shadowhunter friends.
Adelaide met Isabelle's eyes with her own, and upon seeing the question there she shook her head gently. There was no way Raphael was willingly going to let them near Camille, which prompted Adelaide to think up a new plan rather quickly.
It was going to be risky, and possibly very messy, but speaking to Camille was essential. Breaking Raphael's rules wasn't necessarily ideal, and it could prove to be dangerous, but it could also be very, very fun. A small smirk formed on Adelaide's face as she eyed the handsome vampires whispering between themselves across the room, a plan forming in her mind.
One way or another, Adelaide was going to have to deal with a pissed off vampire -
- but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to have fun doing it.