Smokescreen 》Alec Lightwood

8

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'Clary? Is Magnus here?'

Clary looked at Adelaide, her eyes wide. 'What do we do?' She whispered.

Adelaide didn't have time to reply. A figure entered the only doorway in the room and Adelaide turned to face the back wall so her face wasn't visible. She had nowhere to hide and nowhere to run to. She was trapped.

'Clary? What are you doing?' The voice was wary. Clary watched as they took in the scene, from her forced smile to Adelaide's tense back.

'I was just, uh, I was training with one of Magnus' friends.'

'Magnus has other shadowhunter friends?' The voice was sceptical.

'Yeah – I guess so.' Clary's voice was breathless.

'Why didn't you tell us you were leaving? Everyone's been searching for you.' The tone was accusatory now.

'I just - I needed to do this by myself okay? We should go back to the others.'

'I just text Alec and Isabelle, they'll meet us at the institute.'

Jace. The reality of the situation hit Adelaide. He didn't sound the same and his voice seemed deeper to her, not the playful tone he used to adopt when they were messing around, he seemed more serious, more like Alec than Jace.

'Okay, lets go.' Clary quickly agreed, ignoring Adelaide hoping Jace would as well.

'You aren't going to say goodbye?' Jace questioned the usually polite girl in surprise.

'Nope. We have to leave remember.'

'Right.' Jace made to follow Clary out of the training room but he couldn't help turning back around and glancing at the figure curiously.

Adelaide relaxed as they left the room. She hadn't realised she'd been holding her breath. That was close.

Jace watched as the girls tense shoulders relaxed, sighing as if relieved they were leaving. Jace was ready to chalk her behaviour up to nervousness but something about it seemed off. His eyes took in the defensive stance, noting the visible runes on her arms. His eyes were quickly drawn to the rune on the side of her neck. The parabatai rune was faded, the connection obviously severed. He felt sad for her; he wouldn't wish losing a parabatai on anyone. He'd seen what it had done to Isabelle. Jace's eyes travelled across her skin. Underneath the parabatai rune was a small white scar extending from behind her ear down an inch or so. Jace's eyes widened and his mouth went dry. He swallowed thickly. Impossible.

Clary turned around, realising too late that Jace was no longer following her, and was instead staring at Adelaide's turned back, an unreadable expression on his face.

'Jace-' Clary's warning was cut off as Jace moved faster than she thought was humanly possible.

Adelaide heard Clary's warning and Jace moving forward, but as she turned to move away from him his hand gripped her shoulder tightly, spinning her to face him.

*****

'Where are they?' Alec was annoyed. Again.

Isabelle rolled her eyes at her big brother, noting the pacing and the tense set of his jaw.

'I'm sure they're fine, Alec. You need to loosen up.' Isabelle moved to stand in front of her brother to stop his pacing.

'They should be here by now.' Alec stared down at his sister.