CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
PREPARING FOR BATTLE

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     "All I'm saying is that Alec would never betray his own parabatai," Adrian said as he lounged on Isabelle's bed, twisting his stele around his fingers for something to do as he watched Isabelle pace back and forth. Max was sitting on her vanity chair, knees drawn up to his chest. He had followed them into Isabelle's room the second he noticed his sister was upset, and now he refused to leave, especially after Isabelle explained what had happened. Even though Adrian didn't believe Alec was on Imogen Herondale's side for even a second, he wasn't about to leave Isabelle alone. She was reckless and impulsive when she was upset. It seemed she, Adrian, and Jace all shared that trait. No wonder Alec felt like he needed to be the responsible one. Adrian grimaced at the thought before he sat up and placed his stele on her bedside table, beside Isabelle's dagger. Isabelle had changed into hunting gear the second she got home, and even though Adrian didn't know what she was planning on doing—they didn't really have anything to hunt, and neither of them were about to fight the Clave by themselves—he had changed into hunting gear, as well. Sighing, he added, "Come on, Izzy, have some faith in him."

"You're in love with him, Dri," Isabelle said. Adrian shot a glance toward Max, who blinked and stared at him for a few moments as he processed her words. He didn't seem to care, though, and Adrian released a small sigh of relief. "You're not exactly an unbiased person."

"Izzy, you're his sister," Adrian argued. They had been going back and forth like this ever since they had left Luke's farmhouse. Isabelle was so blinded by her anger at the situation that she couldn't see what was right in front of her. "You're supposed to love him more than me." Isabelle paused, then shrugged.

"Point taken," she admitted. "That doesn't mean what he said was right. Imagine how Jace is feeling right now. First, our mother kicks him out, he's being punished by the Clave for Valentine's crimes, and now it seems like his own parabatai has turned against him, too. I hate this. I hate that I can't protect him like I protect Alec." She kicked at a shoe, watching it hit the wall, before she glanced at him. "And anyway, I thought you were mad at him."

"I'm not mad at him," Adrian said, fidgeting uncomfortably. He would have preferred if Max wasn't in the room, but the littlest Lightwood always seemed to keep their secrets. Not that Adrian's love for Alec was a secret by that point. He was pretty sure the only one who hadn't at least guessed was Robert, and that was just because he seemed to flinch away from anything that wasn't heterosexual. Adrian usually used the word 'homophobe' to describe bigoted and hateful people, but he got the oddest feeling Robert legitimately feared gay people. He was homophobic in both the hateful and literal sense. It was the most idiotic thing he had ever seen. Adrian would have found it hilarious if Alec wasn't his son.

"You two haven't really had a chance to talk, have you?" Isabelle asked, sitting down at her window seat. Adrian wished she would get away from the window. She had already threatened to throw herself out of it once when Alec came around to talk. She was on the second floor, it wasn't a long way down considering they were Shadowhunters, but Adrian still didn't want her to break an ankle.

"From the time you and I talked in the training room to when we went to Luke's?" he asked dryly, watching Isabelle scowl in annoyance. "No, Izzy, I can't say we have found the time in the last few hours I've been with you to talk."

"No need to be a smartass," she grumbled.

"It's my natural disposition when I'm stressed." There was a beat of silence, and then Adrian seemed to deflate, his shoulders falling. "What's going to happen to him?" He didn't need to clarify who he was referring to.

"I don't know," Isabelle whispered.

"Is Jace gonna be okay?" Max asked, voice small. Both of them immediately put on a brave face when they turned toward him.

"Yeah, Max, he's gonna be fine," Adrian reassured. Max glared at him.

"You're lying."

"Not necessarily." Adrian grinned. "A lot of things could happen, and Jace being fine when all this is over is one of them." Max's nose wrinkled.

"I don't like that," he said.

"Tough luck, kid, that's life."

Max turned toward Isabelle. "Did Alec really betray Jace?"

"It sure seemed like it," Isabelle admitted. She paused when there was a knock on the door. A moment later, Alec's voice was floating through, telling her to open the door. Isabelle scowled immediately and grabbed her whip from where it lay coiled beside on her on the window seat, winding it back around her wrist. Then she reached to push open the window. Adrian stared at her in disbelief.

"You can't be serious," he said when Isabelle stepped up onto the window seat and crouched, putting one foot on the sill and leaning out to look down.

"I told him that if he came back, I would jump out the window," she said. Adrian shook his head, and she shot him a glare. "If you're so worried, show me how to climb down. You're the one constantly scaling the building." Adrian continued to argue with her, so he didn't notice Max had gone to talk to Alec until he had raised his voice, clearly talking to Isabelle.

"No, but I might go get out parents," Alec threatened, making Adrian roll his eyes. Isabelle scowled.

"Oh, for God's sake, let him in," she grumbled. Max opened the door wider, and Alec slid inside, mouth already open as he prepared to say what he needed to say. He stopped when he saw Isabelle at the open window, his eyes widening.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, stepping closer. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Isabelle twisted, right arm lashing out. Her whip wrapped around Alec's left ankle. Adrian stared at Isabelle in disapproval, but stayed where he was on the bed. He'd let them work it out. He learned a long time ago not to get in the middle of Alec and Isabelle when they were having a fight.

"Don't come any closer to me, Alexander Lightwood," Isabelle growled. "I'm not particularly pleased with you right now."

"I would listen to her, Alec," Adrian pointed out. "She was throwing things earlier and she nearly hit me in the head with one of her boots." Isabelle shot him an exasperated look.

"I apologized."

"Still doesn't mean you didn't nearly decapitate me with a six-inch heel. How do you even hunt in those things?"

"I don't feel anything in my feet anymore."

"Might want to get that checked."

Alec, already tired of their bickering, sighed and said, "Izzy—" He wasn't able to finish whatever he was saying, because Isabelle jerked at her whip, and suddenly Alec was on the floor, staring up at the ceiling like it had the answers to how he got himself into this situation. Before Isabelle could do anything else—like tie Alec up and throw him into her closet to be found by their parents later—there was a chuckle, and then Jace was strolling into the room. Adrian brightened at the sight of him and got to his feet. Isabelle, shocked, did nothing as Alec swiped a blade through her whip and got to his feet. Meanwhile, Max had thrown his arms around Jace, the impact rocking Jace back. He winced as he patted Max on the back, weakly returning the hug. Adrian saw blood and blisters around both of his wrists.

"Careful, Max, " Jace warned, wincing again. "I'm not in the best shape." Looking guilty, Max let go of him and stepped away. Adrian stepped closer and took both of Jace's hands, inspecting the wounds on his wrists with a frown. Isabelle grimaced as she got closer and got a closer look at them.

"Did the Inquisitor hurt you?" she asked.

"Not too badly. She just locked me up in the weapons gallery. These are from the cuffs. She left me in them for too long. Alec helped me get out." Adrian brightened at that even more and turned to give Isabelle a smug look. She ignored him, gaze turning to her brother, who was scowling at her.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she demanded.

"You didn't let me," Alec said. "Besides, you should have had more faith in me." Isabelle looked ashamed then, so Adrian jumped in.

"That's what I said." He smiled at Alec, and Alec surprised him by smiling back, even if it was a small one. It was soft, though, and Adrian was relieved that he didn't hold what he had said that morning against him. When Jace started speaking again, it was hard for Adrian to look away.

"Do you have any weapons in here? Bandages?" Jace asked. Isabelle immediately nodded and went to collect her weapons while Alec stepped forward and proceeded to draw iratze runes as close to the burns on his wrist as he dared. It would take longer to heal than regular wounds, especially since some of his skin was burned black, so Adrian went to retrieve ointment and bandages from Isabelle's bathroom. When he came back, Alec was asking Isabelle if he could use her phone to call someone. When she said she had left it in the kitchen, Max went to get it, so as they waited, Adrian sat Jace down on the bed and proceeded to wrap up his wrists. As he did, Jace explained what had happened. Imogen had put Jace inside a Malachi Configuration, a magical spell used by the Clave to keep Shadowhunters locked up, with the added bonus that the walls distorted sight and sound. It usually drove Shadowhunters insane if left inside long enough. Usually, they were inescapable, but when Alec pointed out that the prison had no roof, Jace had decided to take a leap of faith and had jumped. The Seelie Queen had been right when she had said that Valentine had experimented on Clary and Jace. While they still weren't sure what Valentine had done—and Adrian still wasn't sure what Clary could do, though he suspected it had something to do with runes—it was how Jace had managed to jump so high and escape. Once he was done explaining how he had gotten free and Adrian was finished wrapping up his wrists, they all sat in a moment of silence.

"So what's the plan?" Adrian finally asked. "Are we leaving? Imogen is going to lose her mind when she realizes you escaped."

"It'll be worse when Valentine turns her down," Jace said, bitter. "She's planning on making a trade: me for the Mortal Instruments. The only problem is that he'll never go for it."

"The only problem?" Isabelle asked. "She can't just trade you away to a psychopath! You're a member of the Clave. You're our brother."

"The Inquisitor doesn't think so."

"Who cares what she thinks?" Adrian demanded. "Jace, you didn't answer my question. What's the plan?" Jace grimaced and rubbed a hand over his face. He looked exhausted, both emotionally and physically.

"To put it simply, I'm getting out of here."

"It's not going to be easy," Alec pointed out. They had all taken seats on Isabelle's bed, spreading out across the mattress. While Isabelle was laying across the bottom, Jace was sitting up against the headboard. Adrian and Alec were sitting up near the middle, knees touching. Adrian was hyper-aware of it when he started talking. "She's got this place locked up everywhere. She called in half the Conclave." Jace smiled at the news.

"She must think very highly of me."

"Can you blame her? You did jump out of that prison," Isabelle said. Before Jace could respond, Max was back, handing over Isabelle's phone. She took it, ruffling his hair and smiling her thanks.

"You're a hero," she said before she rested back on one hand and started scrolling through her contacts. "So, who are we calling? Clary? I'm calling Clary." She pressed the phone to her ear, picking at her blanket as she waited. Her face seemed to relax when Clary answered. "Hey, I—what?" Voice rising in alarm, Isabelle sat up straight. Adrian, Alec, and Jace did as well. "How is that possible?" After a moment of silence, Isabelle grimaced and looked at them. "Valentine took Simon and Maia. He's going to use them for the ritual." Jace immediately reached over and grabbed the phone. Adrian covered his face with his hands and bent over, fighting the urge to go after Simon and Maia then and there.

"Drive to the Institute," Jace ordered as he got to his feet. "Don't come in, just wait for me. I'll meet you outside." He paused as Clary said something. "Call Magnus. Tell him to meet us down by waterfront in Brooklyn. He can pick the place, but it should be somewhere deserted. We're going to need his help getting to Valentine's ship." With that, he hung up. Adrian straightened back up and proceeded to get to his feet as well.

"We?" Isabelle echoed. She and Alec were getting up, too, but they paused when they saw the look on Jace's face.

"Me, Magnus, and Luke," Jace corrected. Adrian, Isabelle, and Alec all stared at him. Jace grimaced, knowing why. "You three are staying here and dealing with the Inquisitor for me. When Valentine doesn't come through with his part of the deal, you're the ones who are going to have to convince her to send all the backup the Conclave can spare." He paused, then added, "Also, it'd be a huge comfort if I knew you three were safe, at least for an hour or two." Adrian crossed his arms over his chest.

"How do you plan on getting out of here in the first place?" he demanded. At that, Jace grinned.

"Watch," was all he said before he walked over to the window and jumped. Adrian immediately flinched.

"He's going to make me go prematurely gray before I'm thirty," he grumbled.

"What do we do now?" Isabelle said, throwing her arms up into the air.

"We spy on your mother and the Inquisitor." He started toward the door. When he noticed that neither were following, he turned and gave them an exasperated look. "What are you waiting for? Come on."

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They had been eavesdropping at the library doors for twenty minutes, and it was precisely ten minutes ago when Maryse and Imogen had finally stopped yelling at each other. Isabelle had resorted to drawing a rune to enhance her hearing and pressing her ear against the door, but Adrian and Alec were leaning against the wall. They hadn't learned anything of value aside from the fact that Maryse had far more colorful language than Adrian had originally thought. Her insults were very creative. As Isabelle continued to listen, eyes closed in concentration, Adrian shot a look at Alec, only to see Alec quickly glance away. Adrian had caught him staring. Adrian stared this time, and when Alec glanced up, he didn't look away. The act made Alec take in a deep breath and finally speak.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" he asked, voice quiet. Adrian frowned at him.

"Alec, I was never mad at you, not really," he admitted. "I was just frustrated."

"And hurt," Alec whispered. Adrian grave a slow nod.

"And hurt," he confirmed. His voice was quiet, but Alec still flinched like he had shouted.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he said. Adrian sighed.

"I know you didn't," Adrian whispered. Alec's shoulders seemed to relax. Adrian eyed him for a moment, then looked away. "Look, we can talk about this later. When Maia and Simon are safe. Until then, just know that I'm not mad at you, alright?" Alec nodded. Feeling a bit better now, Adrian turned toward Isabelle. "Anything?" Isabelle opened her eyes, then pushed away from the door.

"Well, they've been too quiet ever since they stopped shouting at each other, so I think we should go in."

"Right, because that will go over well," Adrian agreed sarcastically, earning a warning glare from Isabelle.

"You got any better ideas?" she asked. "They're waiting for Valentine now. If we go in and Valentine pops up, they won't be able to force us out without making themselves look like fools."

"Pretty sure Valentine sees them as fools already." Isabelle rolled her eyes, then twisted the door handle and entered without another word. Sharing a glance with Alec, they followed Isabelle inside. Imogen took one look at them and started up her shouting again.

"What are you three doing here?" Imogen demanded. "Maryse, I've had enough of you and your delinquent children—" She stopped abruptly, face paling when a figure flickered inside the library. Adrian had seen people communicate through astral projection before. Mainly, it was Downworlders who weren't granted entrance into the Institute. It had always unnerved him then, and now, seeing Valentine appear, it made goosebumps rise on his skin. His body was blurry around the edges, but there was no mistaking who he was. Adrian had seen plenty of pictures. And even now, seeing Valentine in person—or as close as he would likely ever get—he still couldn't help but think that he and Jace looked nothing alike. Imogen, stifling her temper, said, "Valentine," through gritted teeth. Valentine only offered a silent nod. Adrian had always pictured a madman, laughing hysterically. He had never pictured this calm and collected man before him now. It only served to unnerve him more. He should have expected someone who was calm and collected. Calm and charming men had followers.

"Imogen." Valentine's eyes went to Maryse, and he smiled. The smile made Adrian's skin crawl, and for the first time in his life, he found himself protective over Maryse, of all people. "And Maryse, my Maryse. It has been a long time." My Maryse. Valentine still thought of former Circle members as his. Maryse pressed her lips together.

"I'm not your Maryse, Valentine," she said, voice cold. Valentine ignored her, eyes going to Isabelle, then Alec, and then Adrian. He suddenly had the very childish urge to hide behind Maryse. The adults should have been the one handling this monster, not Jace or Clary.

"And these must be your children," he said, eyes still on Adrian as he said it. Then his eyes went to Alec and Isabelle. "They look just like you. And this must be Adrian Dieudonne, Malachi's son. Or should I include him as one of your children? I've heard you've taken to taking in strays, just like you did with my Jace. How charitable you've become." Alec's hand suddenly latched around Adrian's wrist. Either he thought Adrian was about to say something to Valentine, or he thought Adrian could use the comfort.

"Leave my children out of this, Valentine," Maryse snapped, stepping so that her body was between Valentine and Alec, Isabelle, and Adrian. Part of Adrian was relieved. The other part was wondering if he was included when Maryse said 'my children'.

"Well, that hardly seems fair considering you haven't left my child out of this." Finally, they were getting around to Jace, and while Adrian didn't particularly want to hear Valentine insinuate that Jace belonged to him, like a possession, he had to admit that he was glad the conversation was no longer on himself. "I got your message. Surely that's not the best you could do?" Imogen straightened and raised her chin to meet his gaze.

"I hope the terms of my offer were perfectly clear," she said. He nodded.

"My son in return for the Mortal Instruments, or you'll kill him, correct?"

"Kill him?" Adrian burst out, whipping his head around to stare at Maryse and Imogen in shock.

"Mom," Isabelle said, voice shaking. Maryse didn't look at them, though she looked just as furious. This was Imogen's decision, not hers.

"You have the terms correct, Morgenstern," Imogen said.

"Then my answer is no." Adrian turned to stare at Valentine this time, thinking that he had heard wrong somehow. Imogen seemed just as thrown off.

"No?" She shook her head. "You can't bluff me, Valentine. I will do exactly as I threatened."

"Oh, I have no doubt you will, Imogen," Valentine said, almost sounding amused. How he could be amused when his son was being threatened was beyond Adrian's understanding, but he could feel anger start to burn in his stomach. "You have always been a woman of single-minded and ruthless focus. I recognize these qualities in you because I possess them myself." Imogen stiffened.

"I am nothing like you. I follow the Law—"

"Even when it instructs you to kill a boy still in his teens for the crimes of his father? This is not about the Law, Imogen, it is about your son, and how you blame me for his death. This is your way of repaying me. It won't make a difference. I will not give up the Mortal Instruments, not even for Jonathan."

"But he's your son," Imogen sputtered out. Her face had gone pale. "Your child—"

"Children make their own choices," Valentine dismissed. "That's something you never understood. I offered Jonathan safety if he stayed with me; he spurned it and returned to you, and you'll extract revenge on him as I told him you would. You are nothing, Imogen, if not predictable." Imogen sagged against the desk.

"The Clave will insist on his death, should you not give me the Mortal Instruments," Imogen said. She almost sounded like she was begging Valentine to reconsider his decision now. She hadn't prepared for him to refuse. "I won't be able to stop them."

"I'm aware of that," Valentine said. There was no emotion in his voice, no regret, and the anger growing in Adrian's stomach seemed to burn throughout his entire body. Words were crawling up his throat. "But there is nothing I can do. I offered him a chance. He didn't take it."

Adrian and Isabelle spoke at the same time, lurching forward as if to attack him.

"Bastard—" Isabelled shouted.

"You worthless piece of shi—" Adrian started. Neither of them got very far with their words or their movements. Maryse grabbed Isabelle and planted a hand over her mouth, while Alec tightened his grip on Adrian's wrist and drew him back, hissing his name in warning.

"You offered him—" Imogen was saying, seemingly unaware of Adrian and Isabelle's outbursts. "—and he turned you down?" She shook her head fast and hard. "But he's your spy—your weapon—" Valentine raised an eyebrow.

"Is that what you thought?" If possible, he sounded even more amused. Alec's other hand was on Adrian's shoulder, keeping him rooted to the spot. Maryse was doing the same to Isabelle. Neither could hurt him, since he was an astral projection, but Valentine seemed the type of person to see them attacking him, even now, as a sign of disrespect. He would have probably sent someone—or something—after Adrian and Isabelle both if Maryse and Alec hadn't stopped them, simply out of spite. Adrian was grateful that Alec had thought ahead and had grabbed his wrist before his temper had even started to rise. "I am hardly interested in spying on the Clave. I'm only interested in its destruction, and to achieve that end I have far more power in my arsenal than a boy. But believe what you like. You are nothing, Imogen Herondale. The figurehead of a regime whose power is soon to be shattered, its rule ended. There is nothing you have to offer me that I could possibly want."

With those departing words, he disappeared, leaving the five of them in disbelieving silence.

Maryse was the one who broke it. "Imogen," she said, voice cold.

"My God," Imogen gasped, sliding into a seat. She looked defeated, off in her own world. Slowly, Alec let go of Adrian's wrist and shoulder, giving him a concerned look. Adrian briefly touched his arm to show that he was fine, if still incredibly angry. "What have I done?"

"Get your father," Maryse ordered, and Isabelle immediately left the library. Alec and Adrian took a few steps away, but stayed close together. Maryse glared at Imogen. "What have you done, Imogen? You've handed victory to Valentine. That's what you've done." Imogen shook her head. "You knew exactly what Valentine was planning when you locked Jace up. You refused to allow the Clave to get involved because it would have interfered with your revenge plan. You wanted to make Valentine suffer as he made you suffer, to show him you had the power to kill his son the way he killed yours. You wanted to humble him, but Valentine cannot be humbled. I could have told you that. You never had a hold over him. He only pretended to consider your offer to make absolutely certain that we wouldn't have enough time to call for reinforcements from Idris. And now it's too late." Adrian felt sick at her words.

"No," Imogen said. "Maryse, we can still—"

"Still what?" Maryse snapped. "Call on the Clave? We don't have the days, the hours, it would take for them to get here. If we're going to face Valentine—and god knows we have no choice—"

"We're going to have to do it now," Robert said, making Adrian and Alec both jump when he appeared in the doorway, dressed in hunting gear. "The Conclave stands ready. The boats are waiting at the dock." At least Robert was a good warrior, Adrian could admit that. While Imogen and Maryse had been arguing, he had actually gathered as many Shadowhunters as he could.

"It's no good," Imogen argued. "There aren't enough of us—we can't possibly—"

Robert turned away from her and said, "We should leave soon."

"But the Clave. They should be informed—"

"You tell them," Maryse snapped, making Imogen wince. "Tell them what you've done. It's your job, after all." Isabelle arrived then, telling Alec to go get dressed. Robert stopped him on the way out, but Adrian didn't care to hear whatever he was saying. He was about to go and get a few weapons when Robert turned toward Adrian, and without a word, he threw him a stick that was about a foot long,wrapped with a leather grip. Adrian clutched it in his right hand, a grin spreading across his face. With one twist, two silver blades shot out from both ends; upon closer inspection, he saw that he could separate the staff through the middle, turning it from a staff into two short swords if he wished. A staff had always been his preferred weapon, though swords and daggers were a very close second. He was skilled with staffs more than any weapon, but he preferred to hunt with swords and daggers, since staffs usually only had a blade on one end, and that was impractical when fighting hoards of demons. A double-bladed staff, however, was a dream come true. He twirled it in the air, watching the lights overhead reflect off blades that had been forged by the Iron Sisters inside the Citadel. It would be just as effective in killing demons as a normal seraph blade would be. He had received it as a gift from his father when he had finished his training, but Maryse and Robert had never allowed him to use it before, saying it was a weapon made for battle, not for silly fights with Downworlders. He couldn't wait to finally put it to some use now. 

He stopped twirling it and willed the blades to slide back into the handles. It seemed to have a mind of its own, like Isabelle's whip. He looked up just in time to see Maryse point her naginata, a Japanese blade with a long pole handle, at Imogen's throat. Imogen looked up at her, not even blinking.

"Are you going to kill me, Maryse?"

"Not even close. We need every Shadowhunter in the city, and right now, that includes you. Get up, Imogen, and get yourself ready for battle." As she spoke, Alec came back into the room. Adrian was surprised to see that, aside from his go-to bow-and-arrows, Alec was also holding Robert's preferred weapon. He didn't give it to Robert, instead choosing to twist it around his hand to get used to the grip, so Adrian assumed that had been what Robert had been telling him. "From now on, the orders around here are coming from me. And the first thing you're going to do is free my son from that accursed Malachi Configuration." Alec looked up, his face twisting.

"Actually..." He paused when Robert, Maryse, and Imogen all turned to stare at him. Alec swallowed. "There's something you should probably know."

"Jace is gone," Adrian told them, saving Alec from being yelled at directly. "He has been for a while now."

"What?" All three of them said that at the same time, and it made Adrian extremely uncomfortable. He didn't know which adult to look at, so he twisted the staff in his hands for something to do.

"Relax," he drawled. "He's off to the same place we're going. All he asked was to bring as many warriors the Conclave could spare. We're already doing that. So, let's go get him before this situation turns even uglier than it already has."

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edited: 11.5.19