CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
PENHALLOW MANOR

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     Jace was gentle as he set a bleeding Simon on the floor. Adrian immediately knelt at his side. There was a lot of blood, an alarming amount, and Adrian didn't like how pale Simon looked. He may have been a vampire, but that didn't mean he couldn't die. If he didn't get blood in him soon, he would, but it wasn't like there was a blood bank in Idris. Adrian cast Jace a panicked look, only to see that Jace was staring at him with the same expression. Neither knew what to do.

"Is everyone alright?" Maryse asked. She was staring down at Simon with pursed lips, hands on her hips. Adrian didn't know if she was angry at Jace for bringing him through the Portal, or if she was preparing herself for the inevitable backlash his presence in the city would cause. Jace hadn't had a choice, it was clear by the deep gash in Simon's abdomen, but the Clave wouldn't see it that way. "Adrian?"

"What?" Blinking, Adrian pulled away from Simon and remembered the blood coating down his right arm. He waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. But Simon isn't fine. He's bleeding out." Jace, kneeling on Simon's other side, reached forward and pressed his fingers under Simon's nose, waiting for a breath. After a moment, he let out a relieved sigh and pulled his hand back.

"I can feed him my blood," Jace whispered after a moment of tense silence. They all looked at him. The last time Jace had fed Simon his blood, Simon had gained the ability to walk in the sunlight. None of them knew what would happen if Simon consumed his blood again. "I've done it before."

"That's not an option, Jace," Maryse cut in when she saw him reach for a dagger at his belt. Jace paused, shooting Maryse a glare. Adrian kept staring at Simon. He felt utterly useless. He hadn't even known Simon was there. His mouth twisted, and he pressed his palm against it before he leaned against Isabelle, who had come to kneel by Simon's side as well. Alec was behind him, still on his feet. Every now and then, Adrian felt the brush of fingertips against his shoulders, his upper back, the back of his neck. It was the most Alec could do with Maryse there, but part of him wished he would do more. "Not when we're here."

"We can't just let him bleed out," Isabelle snapped. Her voice was rough. When Adrian looked at her, he saw her eyes were rimmed red, like she was holding back tears. "He'll die." Her voice cracked. Alec disappeared from Adrian's back. A moment later, he was kneeling by his sister, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"What about animal blood?" Alec asked. Adrian had never thought Alec had cared much for Simon, but now he was pale, jaw clenching every time he had to look at Simon. He kept his gaze on his mother instead. "There's a restaurant a few blocks from here." Isabelle sucked in a deep breath before she was pushing Alec away and rubbing the heels of her palms against her eyes. She got to her feet quickly, picking up her whip from the floor and wrapping it back around her wrist.

"I'll go," she decided. No one argued with her. It was clear by her tone of voice that it wouldn't do any good. She tugged at the lapels of her jacket, then reached up to smooth out her hair, eyes flickering up to her mother's. She quirked an eyebrow, and suddenly she wasn't vulnerable anymore. Adrian shook his head. Jace and Isabelle had a talent for hiding their emotions. Adrian had always wondered how they did it. "Are we still staying at the Penhallow Manor?"

"Yes." Maryse nodded, then frowned. "Hurry." Isabelle twisted on her heel. She didn't bother walking; instead, she broke into a fast run despite her heels. She could put on a mask all she wanted, but that didn't mean she suddenly couldn't feel anything. Adrian watched her go. When he looked back at Maryse, he saw her looking down at Simon, still frowning. "You shouldn't have brought him with you, Jace." Jace glared, and Adrian's mouth twisted in disgust. He kept his mouth shut. The last thing he needed to do was snap at Maryse. Simon was the priority.

"I wasn't going to just leave him there," Jace argued. Alec slid closer to Adrian as he spoke, surprising him when he linked their fingers together. Adrian let out a soft sigh and leaned against him.

"It's going to cause problems," Maryse pointed out. Adrian hated to admit that she was right. Simon wasn't supposed to be in Idris. Not only that, he wasn't allowed to be in Idris. It was against the Law to bring a Downworlder into the city without permission from the Clave. Adrian didn't know if the Clave was going to punish Jace for it, or if they were going to punish Simon. He just knew they were going to punish someone. "I'm not sure I can protect him," Maryse added in a quiet voice. Adrian was surprised by that. Surprised that she cared enough to even think about trying.

"Well, he didn't enter on his own. He was unconscious," Alec pointed out, voice strained. Adrian squeezed his hand. "Won't that help?" Maryse grimaced, and Adrian felt his stomach sink even further.

"I don't think it matters," Maryse admitted, voice no louder than a whisper. Jace cursed, while Adrian just let out a tired sigh.

"Of course it doesn't," he muttered, leaning forward to brush Simon's hair back from his face. He was still breathing, and the blood flow had slowed, but he was still deathly pale, paler than before. Adrian swallowed thickly and eased back on his haunches, hand coming up to cover his mouth. There was a beat of silence, none of them knowing what exactly to do. Maryse seemed to be shell-shocked. She had never experienced an attack on the New York Institute, and none of them had ever faced a horde of Forsaken. Adrian shivered just remembering them. They were like zombies, only with all the strength and speed of a Shadowhunter.

Alec broke the silence as soon as it was starting to become unbearable.

"Why do you think we were attacked?" he whispered. Jace looked up, while Adrian and Maryse both frowned.

"Madeleine died," Jace said. Adrian winced. "Maybe she was their target."

"That makes no sense," he said, looking up now. "Clary said Valentine wanted Jocelyn to be awake. It's like he sees her as some sort of consolation prize." Just saying the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. Jace scowled.

"When has Valentine's reasoning ever made sense?" he asked. Adrian opened his mouth, then closed it, knowing Jace was right. Maryse shook her head.

"It doesn't matter," she decided, putting an end to their brief conversation. "Now we have to explain why we brought a vampire into Idris without permission from the Clave." She raised her eyebrows, as if they could come up with a lie convincing enough to get everyone out of trouble. Adrian looked at Alec, who then looked at Jace, who just stared at Maryse with narrowed eyes.

"As a matter of fact," said a voice behind Adrian, "I would like an explanation now." Recognizing the voice, Adrian let go of Alec's hand as if it had burned him, shooting to his feet and twisting around. The Consul didn't look happy. His graying hair was cut short, dark eyes narrowed, hands clasped tightly behind his back. He was looking at Adrian—as if Adrian was the only one there, the only one to blame—and Adrian opened his mouth to explain, but nothing came out. He tried again, then stopped when Maryse pressed a hand on his shoulder. She didn't take it off even when Malachi Dieudonne's eyes narrowed even further at the gesture.

"We were attacked by Forsaken," she explained, voice taking on a professionalism she hadn't had before. "Simon—the vampire—was helping us fight them off and he was injured as a result."

"I had no choice," Jace cut in, stepping forward to take responsibility. "The Institute was overrun, I couldn't just—"

"Downworlders are not permitted inside Idris unless they're given permission from the Clave," Malachi said, like he was reading something off a pamphlet. Adrian bit down on his bottom lip and ducked his head, staying silent. He didn't have anything to say, anyway.

"I know that, but—" It wasn't often Jace could be rendered speechless, but Adrian knew from personal experience how intimidating his father could be. He was just one man, yet he seemed to tower over them all. Adrian wanted nothing more than to be dismissed, to take Simon to Penhallow Manor and forget this had ever happened. "He's dying. And the only reason he was injured in the first place was because he was helping us." Malachi's face didn't change aside from a small twist of his lips when he looked at Simon. Adrian's lips parted before he could stop them.

"We'll watch him," he blurted out, ignoring Alec's eyes on him. "We'll keep him inside, out of sight, just—please. He's my friend." He hated how small his voice sounded. He wasn't naïve enough to think his father cared whether Simon was his friend or not. He barely cared enough about Adrian to see him more than once a year. A friend of his meant nothing to Malachi. Malachi looked at him for a moment after he said the words. A second later, his mouth was doing that disapproving twist again.

"Why does it not surprise me you're making friends with bloodsuckers," was all he said. Adrian winced and ducked his head again, clasping his hands together and biting back the words crawling up his throat. After a moment, Malachi released a sigh. "Very well. Keep him out of sight. The second he heals, he's gone, and if he does anything, it's on you." Adrian didn't have to look up to know Malachi was still looking at him. He started to nod, but stopped when Jace spoke.

"That isn't fair," he argued, sounding angry. Adrian closed his eyes and let out a small sigh. "I'm the one who brought him over—" Maryse's hand tightened on Adrian's shoulder.

"We'll watch him, Consul," Maryse said, cutting Jace off. Adrian twisted around and shot Jace a glare for good measure. Jace glared back and crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest. Adrian glared back, finally able to relax when he heard his father's footsteps. He was leaving. His shoulders sagged, and Maryse squeezed his shoulder one more time before she said something about meeting with the Clave and explaining the situation. A few moments later, she was gone, too, leaving the boys alone with Simon.

Alec stepped close to him and placed a hand on his arm.

"You okay?" was all he said. Adrian blinked and looked at him, slightly surprised.

"Fine," he said honestly, because he was. Malachi's treatment wasn't new, wasn't surprising. It was like a pinch. The pain was bright at first, but it went away quickly, like it was never there. Sometimes one was worse than others, but as far as Malachi and Adrian were concerned, this confrontation wasn't anything Adrian had to worry about. Alec seemed to disagree, still looking worried. Adrian flashed him a smile. "You're cute when you worry."

Alec blushed, but he still rolled his eyes. That was all Adrian needed to do to convince Alec he was fine.

"We should get Simon to the Penhallow Manor fast," Alec said, giving Adrian's arm one last squeeze before he brushed past him to get to Simon. Adrian followed him. "Before more Shadowhunters start arriving. This is the only place people can enter by Portal, remember?" Jace grunted as he crouched by Simon's head.

"Fine." Jace reached forward and hefted up Simon's shoulders. Now that the adrenaline from the fight was fading, all three of them were exhausted. Not just from the fight, but from the Portal. Travelling through one drained a lot of people who weren't used to it. "Grab a leg."

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"Shit, shit—Jace, go right—not your right, my right!"

Poor Simon couldn't catch a break. The mix-up resulted in Jace banging Simon's head against the frame of the doorway. Adrian let out a concerned—if angry—yell. Jace hadn't stopped letting out a stream of curses ever since they had started carrying Simon, and Alec was mumbling under his breath. Adrian didn't want to know what he was grumbling about. Instead, he spent his time glaring daggers at Jace.

"How in the hell was I supposed to know which right you were referring to?" Jace growled, seeing his glare. Adrian very nearly threw his hands up in exasperation, only to remember last second that he was clutching onto one of Simon's legs.

"It's common sense!" he snapped. Meanwhile, Alec had managed to get Simon safely into the foyer of Penhallow Manor, using his foot to kick the door shut behind them. He had used their small argument to spit out instructions that Jace and Adrian followed blindly, too busy snapping at each other to notice neither were in charge anymore.

"Both of you are hopeless," Alec said once they were inside. Jace and Adrian turned to give him identical glares, though Adrian's softened much quicker than Jace's. Adrian was saved from another round of Jace's complaints when they heard footsteps in the foyer.

"What is going on in—oh my god." A girl stood in a doorway that seemed to lead to a large hallway, her hair black and her skin pale. Adrian brightened when he saw her, while she stared at Simon with wide, startled eyes.

"Hey, Aline," he said brightly, like he wasn't holding the leg of an unconscious vampire. Aline blinked and raised her eyes to meet his, blinking a few times at the sight of him. He gave her a bright smile. "Don't worry, my dad knows about this. You have a spare bedroom we can put our friend here?" Aline opened her mouth, closed it, then shook her head and let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, this way." She motioned for them to follow her through the doorway. It did lead to a hallway, though half of it was taken up by a huge set of stairs leading to the giant second floor. She led the way up them. Halfway up the stairs, she stopped and turned when Alec let out a loud curse. Jace was moving too fast, and Alec had tripped over one of the steps in his hurry to keep up. Aline's forehead wrinkled. "Do you need help?"

"No, we got him—" Jace started.

"Help would be nice—" Adrian started.

"By the Angel, please—" Alec started.

All of them stopped at the same time, looking at each other, and Aline raised a single eyebrow.

"So clearly you three have this under control." Her voice was flat. Adrian flashed another smile. She rolled her eyes and continued up the stairs. At the top, she gave a sharp left and led them to a door that was cracked open. When she pushed on it, it creaked. As far as manor houses went, the room was small, which probably explained why it looked like it hadn't been inhabited in years. Aline hurried to yank the sheet off the bed, and Jace, Adrian, and Alec all heaved relieved sighs when they laid him down on it.

"Sorry it's such a mess," Aline said, folding the sheet over her arms. "We were only expecting you three, Isabelle, and my cousin—oh, I better close the curtains. He's a vampire, right?" Before any of them could say anything, she was across the room and pulling the curtains shut despite it being night in Idris.

"You don't have to do that," Jace said, sounding amused. "He can walk in the sun."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Aline scoffed, not taking him seriously. Adrian didn't blame her.

"Do you have any blood?" Jace asked, changing the subject. When Aline stared at him blankly, Jace sighed. "Like...raw meat we could..." He mimed squeezing something between his hands. Adrian's nose scrunched up, and Aline's face went pale. She grimaced and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Check the kitchen." Jace nodded and disappeared. Once he was gone, Aline looked at Adrian and Alec, offering a warm smile. "Your bags arrived earlier. They're in your rooms. Sebastian showed up unexpectedly, so you two and Jace are going to have to share a room. Hope you don't mind." Adrian nodded, while Alec frowned and cocked his head to the side.

"Who's Sebastian?" he asked.

"Oh, Sebastian Verlac." When she saw their blank expressions, she grinned. "My cousin from dad's side of the family. He's around here somewhere. Anyway, your room is the second to last door on the right."

"Thanks," Adrian said, getting to his feet, only to pause and glance at Simon. "Will he be alright alone up here?"

"I'll stay with him until Izzy gets here," Alec said, shrugging his jacket off before he pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down. Adrian touched his shoulder briefly before he followed Aline down the hall. If she had seen the touch, she didn't say anything. Adrian had been friends with her for years—she was one of the few children his age who lived in Idris—but he had yet to come out to her. He hadn't come out to anyone in Idris, actually. He didn't want to know what his father would do if he ever found out, and Maryse and Robert weren't about to tell him. He didn't know how Aline would react to it, either. She had a habit of saying ignorant things without realizing how offensive they sounded, which wasn't surprising considering she was raised in Idris.

"I love it when you visit," Aline was saying as she opened the bedroom door and motioned him inside. The room was large, with two king-sized beds. He stopped at the sight of only two beds, then shook his head, burying the nerves suddenly erupting in his stomach. Their bags were piled in the middle of the room. "Something exciting always happens."

"Well, I have to bring it with me," Adrian said, laughing as he grabbed his duffel and threw it onto the bed closest to the windows. "Otherwise, I'd be bored." Aline scoffed.

"You could never be bored with me," she pointed out. Adrian stopped and looked at her, then grinned. She brightened and skipped forward, throwing her arms around him in a hug. He happily returned it.

"How have you been?" she asked as he pulled away. "I thought for sure I wouldn't see you this year, with everything going on."

"I didn't know if I would, either," he admitted. "Do you know what the meeting is about?" Aline frowned.

"I don't know," she admitted with a scowl. "My parents won't give me a straight answer. I've heard we were called here to talk about Valentine, then I heard we're here to discuss a new treaty with the Downworlders, I heard we're going to discuss a war, then it went to we're signing the Tenth Accords." She shrugged her shoulders. "We'll find out eventually."

"It probably is the Tenth Accords," Adrian said, straightening a bit. "It's been about fifteen years since the last one was signed, right?" Aline nodded.

"Ironic, considering Valentine is back again." Both of them fell silent at that. The signing of the Ninth Accords was when Valentine attacked the last time. If it hadn't been for Luke and Jocelyn, a lot more people would have died that day, and the Ninth Accords never would have been signed. Valentine wanted to break the truce between Shadowhunters and Downworlders. It made Adrian sick to his stomach to think that he wanted to do that again.

"Do you think he's going to try and stop it again?" Aline whispered, following Adrian's train of thought. Adrian grimaced.

"It wouldn't surprise me." He shrugged. "Hopefully, he'll lose again." He lapsed into silence when he heard footsteps outside in the hall. A moment later, a boy Adrian had never seen before appeared in the doorway. He stopped when he saw Adrian.

"Oh," the boy said. Adrian stared at him, face twisting into a frown. The boy had black hair and eyes the same color. There was something familiar in his face, but Adrian couldn't put his finger on it. He cocked his head to the side while the boy took him in.

"Adrian, this is Sebastian, my cousin." Aline motioned between them. "Sebastian, this is Adrian Dieudonne." Sebastian's eyebrows went up.

"You're the Consul's son."

"Well, biologically," Adrian said before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat, then offered Sebastian a smile. "Nice to meet you." Sebastian offered his own smile.

"Likewise." His eyes flickered down to Adrian's right arm. "What happened there?"

"Oh, we were just attacked by Forsaken at the New York Institute." Adrian waved his hand dismissively in the air. "No big deal."

"No big deal?" Aline echoed. "Was anyone hurt?" Apparently she hadn't even noticed his torn sleeve. She had probably just assumed all the blood was from Simon.

"Not badly," Adrian reassured. "Well, aside from Simon and—and another woman you don't know. Maryse is telling the Clave about it now." Just then, Jace appeared behind Sebastian. Sebastian, to his credit, didn't jump, despite how abrupt Jace's appearance was. Jace's arms were filled with meat packages. Adrian's nose crinkled again.

"A little help?" Jace asked, staring at Adrian.

"You look like you're doing fine," Adrian said weakly. Jace gave an impatient sound.

"I thought Simon was your friend—"

"He's your friend, too."

"Well, come on, then," Jace said, sounding exasperated as he turned on his heel. "Let's go save our friend."

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edited: 11.5.19