5
" ...; Clary saw the group of lycanthropes look up, alert as a group of hunting dogs senting game. She turned-
And saw Luke, tired and bloodstained, coming through the double doors of the Hall.
She ran toward him. Forgetting how upset she'd been when he'd left, and forgetting how angry he'd been with her for bringing them here, forgetting everything but how glad she was to see him. He looked surprised for a moment as she barreled toward him- then he smiled, and put his arms out, and picked her up as he hugged her, the way he'd done when she'd been very small. He smelled like blood and flannel and smoke, and for a moment she closed her eyes, thinking of the way Alec had grabbed onto Jace the moment he'd seen him in the Hall, because that was what you did with family when you'd been worried about them, you grabbed them and held on to them and told them how much they'd pissed you off, and it was okay, becaused no matter how angry you got, they still belonged to you. And what she had said to Valentine was true. Luke was her family. "
― Cassandra Clare , City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)
15
" Alai saw the tears but had the grace not to say so. " They're fartheads, Ender, they won't even let you take anything you own." Ender grinned and didn't cry after all. " Think I should strip and go naked?" Alai laughed, too.On impulse Ender hugged him, tight, almost as if he were Valentine. He even thought of Valentine then and wanted to go home. " I don't want to go," he said.Alai hugged him back. " I understand them, Ender. You are the best of us. Maybe they in a hurry to teach you everything." " They don't want to teach me everything," Ender said. " I wanted to learn what it was like to have a friend." Alai nodded soberly. " Always my friend, always the best of my friends," he said. Then he grinned. " Go slice up the buggers." " Yeah," Ender smiled back.Alai suddenly kissed Ender on the cheek and whispered in his ear, " Salaam. "
