[Alec still isn't quite sure how to deal with what the demon had said to him. Most of it had hurt but not enough to shake his confidence. It was the comment about his father that had done the most damage. He still hasn't accepted or forgiven his father's actions and the idea that he might be following the same path is disturbing.

Except he cares for Sebastian and he doubts that Robert really cared about those around him. At least not in the way that they had all assumed.

He hadn't exactly been hiding but he'd been putting more energy into weapons practice and hunting that had been necessary, waiting for everything to settle down for everyone.]

"Shadowhunters really don't have holidays. Or if they did, my family never participated. We were exiles."

[It sounded strange since they had lived in the middle of New York, but the youngest Lightwoods had rarely been invited to the other Institutes or to Idris. Max had gone a few times but not the rest of them.]

"We celebrate Christmas but that's the only Mundane holiday we really celebrate. A friend of ours insisted that we have Thanksgiving."

[Pausing, he gives Sebastian a wry smile.]

I don't think most Thanksgiving dinners have Shadowhunters, a vampire, and a couple of werewolves as guests.

[There had also been the absence of someone there but Alec hopes that Sebastian doesn't pick out which type of Downworlder hadn't been there.]