CHAPTER THIRTEEN
FORMALLY ADDRESSED

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     "You know what I could use right now? A huge ass box of pizza."

Those words were the first to be spoken ever since the dragon demon had been put down and they had left the abandoned hotel. Alec and Jace were stubbornly refusing to acknowledge Adrian and Isabelle for laughing at them, and since Alec was also angry with Jace for dragging them into the hunt for the dragon demon in the first place, things were a little too tense in their small group for Adrian's liking. He had tried to start small conversations with Isabelle, but she was sulky because her brother wasn't talking to her, so Adrian had given up halfway home.

Now they were in the elevator, going to the second floor where all of their rooms were, and Adrian was sick and tired of the silence.

"With cheese sticks," Isabelle said, too busy fixing her hair in the reflection of the elevator wall to look at him. Adrian grinned at her from where he was leaning in the corner. Alec was beside him, looking extremely uncomfortable with all the dirt on his skin.

"With cheese sticks," Adrian echoed.

"Can we get that cookie cake thing too?" Jace asked hopefully, seeing a chance to slide into the conversation. Adrian raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you gonna pay for it?" he asked. Jace scowled at him.

"You didn't ask Izzy if she would pay for it!" he argued, motioning a hand at Isabelle, who was still looking at her reflection. Adrian gave Jace the sweetest smile he could have possibly given. All it did was make Jace scowl even more at him.

"Izzy," Adrian said sweetly, "didn't lead us into an abandoned building to kill a demon she didn't even know how to kill in the first place." Jace raised a finger as if to make a few points, opening his mouth to defend himself—and then he stopped, and his hand dropped to his side.

"Yeah, fair point," Jace conceded, pouting now as he withdrew into his own corner of the elevator. Adrian snorted, leaning his head back against the elevator and sending a look at Alec. He reached out tentatively to tap on his arm with his finger. The touch was light, but Alec jumped like he was electrocuted anyway. Adrian's smile widened.

"You want anything specific, Alec?" he asked. Alec shook his head and cast an annoyed look around the elevator. As usual, it was going at a snail's pace, making the trip far longer than it should have been. The only reason why they didn't take the stairs was because they were all exhausted, and they knew Maryse would pitch a fit if they got mud and dirt caked on the carpeted steps.

"No, I'm good," he said, voice just as clipped as it had been before. Adrian snorted, eyes going to Jace, who was staring at Alec in disbelief and exasperation.

"You're not still mad, are you?" Jace asked him. Adrian lifted his head from the elevator wall, tilting it instead in order to get a better look at Alec's face. He was scowling.

"Nope," Alec forced out, crossing his arms over his chest. Adrian grinned again. He couldn't help it. Everything about Alec endeared him.

"Yes, you are," Jace said, shooting Adrian a look as if he could help him in this situation. "He's still angry at me." Alec let out an exasperated breath.

"I'm not angry at you," he argued, "even though you told me dragon demons were extinct."

"I said mostly extinct."

"Mostly extinct," Alec said, voice trembling, "is not extinct enough."

"Oh, my bad," Jace said sarcastically, glaring at Alec now. "I'll call for them to change the information we have on dragon demons from 'mostly extinct' to 'not extinct enough for Alec.' Will that make you happy?" Adrian covered his mouth with his hand, afraid he would burst into laughter at any given moment. He had just gotten Jace and Alec to start talking to him again, he didn't want to laugh again and risk another silent treatment. 

"Boys, boys, no fighting in the elevator," Isabelle drawled, sounding as amused as Adrian felt. She turned away from her reflection. "We were a bit in over our heads, I'll admit, but so what? It was still fun." Adrian nodded in agreement.

"That it was," he said. Alec made a sound of frustration and moved away from Adrian just so he could have enough room to motion toward both Adrian and Isabelle.

"I still don't understand how the two of you came out of this without getting a speck of dirt on you," he said to them, sounding so frustrated that Adrian smiled again. He was so incredibly endeared that he couldn't seem to stop looking at Alec's face, even when Alec caught him staring. A delicate blush started to creep through Alec's cheeks, so dark that Adrian could see it through the dirt on his face. Luckily, Isabelle spoke before Adrian could, because he was positive he would have said something that he would probably later regret.

"We're pure at heart," Isabelle said with a smile. "It repels the dirt." Jace snorted at those words and wriggled his dirty fingers at them. Isabelle, who was closer to him than Adrian was, cringed and pressed herself against the elevator wall, while Adrian just crinkled his nose and looked at Jace with a disgusted expression.

"Filthy inside and out," Jace joked. Adrian's face smoothed out, and he was once again wearing his small smile.

"Jace," he said gently, "the only reason we came across that dragon demon in the first place was because you wanted to pick a flower. Please stop acting like you're not a sweetheart." Jace looked more than insulted, like the thought of him being kind was too out of this world to even consider, but Adrian knew better. Which was why, when Jace opened his mouth to argue, Adrian was prepared with about a dozen examples of Jace being kind, specifically to Adrian himself. Before either could say anything, however, the elevator jerked to a halt with a loud screech that made everyone inside of it wince.

"We need to get this thing fixed," Isabelle muttered in irritation as she jerked open the gate. Adrian followed her ahead of Jace and Alec.

"Who do we call to fix an elevator inside of a building most people can't see?" Adrian asked her. Usually it was Hodge who fixed things around the Institute, but he wasn't really an option, not anymore.

"Eh, we'll call Magnus or something," Isabelle said dismissively, waving her hand. "Are we actually getting pizza, or are we cooking ourselves?" When no one responded, she pouted and her shoulders slumped a bit. "I wish mom was here. She'd cook us something."

"Better that she isn't," Jace said. He and Alec were removing their shoes, and bits of mud and dirt were falling on the rug beneath them. "She'd already be screaming about her rugs."

"You're right about that." All of them jumped at the new voice, and they all turned to see Maryse Lightwood coming down the hall toward them, her lips pursed because of what was happening to her rugs. She was an intimidating woman, her face almost never revealing a smile, her back always ramrod straight. Her long black hair was always in the same style, pulled back and falling down her back in a braid. Isabelle and Alec rushed to hug her, but Adrian and Jace stayed at a safe distance. Adrian and Maryse had a complex relationship, one in which Maryse tried to treat Adrian like she treated Jace—like one of her own—and one where Adrian rejected the notion that Maryse and Robert Lightwood were his parents.

He knew they wouldn't hesitate to throw him out to impress the council in Alicante, and he rather preferred not to get hurt when that inevitably happened.

"Where's dad?" Isabelle was asking. She and Alec had already separated from Maryse, so Adrian and Jace saw it safe to approach. "And Max?"

"Max is in his room. Your father is still in Alicante. He had something to take care of," Maryse told them, currently fussing over Alec's filthiness, as if he could make all the dirt and mud disappear through her stare alone. Adrian also got the feeling she was avoiding looking at Jace. He knew the reveal that Valentine was his father wouldn't have been well-received, but he hadn't expected a refusal to even look at him.

"Is something wrong?" Alec asked, coming to the same conclusion Adrian had.

"I should be asking you that. Are you limping?" Maryse glanced down at Alec's leg in concern, already reaching for the pocket in her pants, where her stele was being kept.

"We ran into a dragon demon," Adrian quickly explained. "It was nothing, Maryse." Her eyes rose to meet his, and her mouth softened slightly. That always happened when she came back from Alicante. Adrian wondered what his father had said about him with Maryse in the room to make her look at him like that this time.

"Adrian, how are you?" she asked. Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," he replied, frowning at her. Maryse nodded and reached into the lapel of her jacket, bringing out an envelope. When Adrian took it, it almost felt like it was completely empty.

"Your father wanted me to give you that." Adrian turned it over and saw the Dieudonne seal closing the envelope, the wax an ugly dark green. "He said he misses you." Adrian scoffed.

"Odd," he said, voice cold. "Usually when parents miss their children, they come to see them." Maryse frowned.

"You know he doesn't have the—" Maryse started. Adrian had heard the excuse a hundred times, and he didn't want to hear it again.

"Time," Adrian filled in, cutting her off. "Yes, I know. Did he really say he missed me, or are you just adding that so I won't feel bad?" Maryse didn't respond. Adrian nodded and tapped the envelope against his open palm. "Thanks for the letter." Maryse changed the subject then, and Adrian was thankful for that.

"A Draconidae demon?" she asked.

"It was nothing," Isabelle said quickly, shooting a glance at Jace.

"I suppose that Greater Demon you all fought two weeks ago was nothing, too?" Maryse asked. Adrian sighed and closed his eyes, ducking his head and reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He should have known that Maryse would bring that up. A Greater Demon couldn't just pop up on the radar, destroy an entire apartment complex, and then go unnoticed by the Shadowhunters.

"That wasn't planned for," Jace said eventually. "It wasn't..."

"Jace!" Thankfully, Jace was saved from giving an explanation when Max came running up to them. He was in his pajamas, and his glasses were crooked on his face, but he still beamed up at Jace like he was his hero. In Max's mind, Adrian guessed that he was. "You're back! You're all back!" He beamed up at Isabelle, Adrian, and Alec, who all smiled back despite how tense they were. "I thought I heard the elevator."

"And I thought I told you to stay in your room," Maryse said, sounding slightly amused. She could never really stay angry at Max. None of them could.

"I don't remember that," Max told her, face smoothing out and becoming a bit too serious for a child. Adrian smirked, while Alec just nudged Adrian in the side. It was clear Max had learned that tactic from Adrian himself, who had said the exact same thing to Maryse and Robert so many times that he had lost count. "I heard you fought a Greater Demon. Was it awesome?" Max tugged at the hem of Jace's shirt to get his attention, despite the fact that Jace was already listening to every word he said.

"It was...different," Jace said, attempting to smile. "How was Alicante?" Max's face brightened.

"It was awesome!" he exclaimed, then proceeded to ramble about all of the things that he had seen at Alicante, like the weaponry and the place where they kept the Mortal Cup, or rather used to, since Valentine now had the Mortal Cup in his possession. Max went on for a few minutes before Maryse decided that it was time he went back to his room.

"That's enough, Max," she ordered, letting her hands fall to her hips. Max glanced at her, face dropping.

"But I'm talking to Jace."

"Isabelle, Alec, take your brother to his room," she ordered in a voice that none of them were willing to argue against. "Adrian, reply to that letter as soon as you can. Jace, get yourself cleaned up and meet me in the library." That made Adrian, Isabelle, and Alec all stop.

"What's going on?" Isabelle demanded before anyone else could.

"Is this about my father?" Jace demanded. Maryse flinched as if she were slapped when Jace mentioned Valentine.

"The library," she said through her teeth. "We'll discuss the matter there."

"What happened while you were gone wasn't Jace's fault," Alec argued, not willing to let it go. "We were all in on it. And Hodge said—"

"We'll discuss Hodge later as well," Maryse said quickly, shooting a glance at Max, who was watching with wide eyes. They must not have told him what Hodge had done.

"But, Mother," Isabelle started, "if you're going to punish Jace, you should punish us as well. We all did the same things." Maryse pressed her lips together.

"No, you didn't."

"Are you seriously about to punish him for being Valentine's son?" Adrian asked, not afraid to go there with her. She didn't have the power to do anything to him. "Is that how this is gonna go?" Maryse stared at him for a moment, then without a response, she turned and went in the direction of the library. Adrian watched her go in a mild state of disbelief. Alec nudged him.

"You're still coming back home, right?" he asked, sounding like he expected Adrian to change his mind and stay with Oliver. Adrian bit his lip.

"I'm starting to seriously reconsider it."

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Adrian was stretched out on his bed, lying on his stomach with his chin propped up on his folded arms. The letter from his father was lying on the bed in front of him. The seal had already been broken, the single page that only had half of it taken up with writing just lying there, waiting for him to read. Adrian wasn't even sure he wanted to know what it said. He was sure it wouldn't brighten his mood, and part of him wanted to crumple up the paper and throw it into the trash. Another part of him told him his father was the only family member he had left. With that in mind, he reluctantly grabbed the piece of paper and brought it closer to read.

Adrian,

It has come to the Clave's attention that Jonathan Christopher is Valentine Morgenstern's son. Maryse Lightwood has informed me that you have a close relationship with Jonathan, and I would just like to suggest putting distance between you and Valentine's son. The last thing the Dieudonne family needs is to have ties to Valentine, however small.

Regards,

Malachai Dieudonne, Consul of the Clave

Adrian stared at the letter for a very long time, wondering what in the world he had expected. The type of letter he held in his hand was no different from any other letter he was unfortunate enough to receive from his father. He didn't know why he was disappointed by it. He was still staring at the letter when a knock on the door disrupted his thoughts. Blinking, he looked at his closed door for a moment before he sighed.

"Come in," he called, pleasantly surprised when the door cracked open and Alec poked his head in. His dark hair was wet, dripping water onto Adrian's floor. Adrian blinked. "You took a shower already? How long as it been since we got back?" To him, it only felt like a few minutes since he had escaped up to his room and read the letter. Alec frowned at him, slipping the rest of the way inside.

"It's been about an hour," Alec told him. Adrian mumbled a curse, eyes going to the letter again. Alec eyed him. "You alright?" Adrian pursed his lips.

"Fine," he said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you always get upset after you hear from him," Alec said, waving a hand at the letter. Adrian bit his bottom lip, then pushed himself up into a sitting position, letting the letter fall back onto the bed.

"Close the door," he ordered. Alec did, then went to sit in front of him on the bed, careful not to crush the envelope and letter still lying there. After he was settled, Adrian nodded to the letter. "It reads like we're complete strangers." Alec cocked his head to the side.

"You kind of are," he said quietly, to which Adrian scoffed, but otherwise gave no response. Alec, after a moment of hesitation, slowly reached for the letter. Adrian didn't stop him, only kept his gaze fixed on the mirror in the corner as Alec read. He only looked back, alarmed, when he heard a ripping sound. Alec had ripped the letter to pieces, and the remains of it lied on top of the bed. Adrian stared at the pieces, jaw slack.

"Alec, what—"

"The only reason you would have to keep this letter is if you were planning to reply. We both know you're not going to," Alec said. His jaw was clenched, like he was angry at the Consul on Adrian's behalf. He would have normally found it sweet if his mood hadn't plummeted after reading the letter.

"It still wasn't yours to rip up," Adrian argued. He couldn't stop looking at the ripped up pieces of the letter, which was why when Alec reached forward to place his hand on his arm, he jumped, not seeing the movement.

"Adrian, listen to me," Alec said, eyes not averting from Adrian's when he looked up. "The only reason he even wrote this letter in the first place was to tell you to cut ties with Jace. It wasn't to ask how you were doing, it wasn't to say he missed you, it wasn't to tell you he loved you, it was to tell you to do something so that it would make him look good. He wrote to you like he would write to me, or to Izzy, or to anyone else he had to formally contact. There isn't a single bit of genuine affection or love in this letter." Alec squeezed his arm gently. "Your dad is a piece of crap, and you deserve better."

Adrian eyed him for a moment, then surprised both of them by smiling.

"When did you become a motivational speaker?" he teased. Alec shoved at Adrian's arm he had previously been holding, scoffing and rolling his eyes.

"Shut up," he said. Adrian bit his bottom lip again.

"Thank you, though." Alec nodded, and they both fell into a comfortable silence. Adrian let out a small sigh and glanced around his bedroom, noting that it was oddly empty. The next sigh he released ended in a groan. "I need to go get my stuff from Oliver's." Alec glanced around his room as well, frowning.

"Now?" he asked after a moment. "It's kind of late, isn't it?" Adrian glanced at the clock in his room, then nodded.

"I mean," he said thoughtfully, cocking his head to the side, "Oliver is a night owl, but considering it's Saturday—yeah, you're right. He's either not home, or he is and he's having a quiet night in. It'd be rude to barge in either way."

"Isn't he wondering where you are?"

"No. I called him earlier, before we all left to hunt." Alec nodded.

"How'd you meet him, anyway?" Alec suddenly asked, looking curious. "You never told me." Adrian wouldn't have. At the time, Alec didn't seem to like Downworlders or their parties very much, though after Magnus's party—and after Magnus had saved his life—Alec's prejudices seemed to slowly be disappearing. Alec had never had the opportunity to go out and normalize them before.

"We met at a party," Adrian told him, deciding to stay honest. "We started dating after that, but we broke up at Magnus's party a few weeks ago."

"You were dating him?" Alec asked, surprised, the words leaving his mouth so quickly that Adrian became amused. Smiling softly, he nodded. "Why did you break up?" At that, the smile left Adrian's face. He hesitated, and then sighed.

"Because he was falling in love with me," Adrian explained, "and I loved somebody else." It didn't take Alec long for him to understand, and suddenly the silence between them wasn't as comfortable anymore. Adrian let out a tired sigh, noticing the way Alec's neck darkened. "Alec, we need to talk."

"I know," Alec said quickly, like he was afraid Alec would think he was avoiding the subject and wanted to reassure him. It made Adrian smile. "I just...don't know what to say." Adrian nodded.

"I don't know what to say, either," he admitted. Again, silence fell around them. Adrian swallowed. "Alec, I—"

Before he could say anything else, his bedroom door flew open, and Isabelle was there, fully dressed.

"There you two are," she sighed in relief, barely even noticing that Adrian and Alec were alone and clearly talking about something serious. Both of them glared at her in annoyance.

"Isabelle, we kind of want to be alone right now," Alec said, trying to get his sister to leave. Isabelle scowled at them both.

"Get dressed," she ordered, ignoring what he had said. Adrian and Alec glanced at each other.

"Why?" Adrian asked. "What happened?" Isabelle threw her hands in the air.

"Jace is gone, that's what happened!"

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edited: 9.11.19