Chapter eleven: Waters

Isabelle struggled to reach the surface of the water, but it kept pulling her back down. She felt as though hands were grasping her ankles, teethe biting into her arms. The more she struggled, the more the grip would strengthen and harbor. She constantly looked down in an ever-growing fear, waiting for her eyes to see those retched hands which held onto her – waiting for her death.

Nothing was there, though. Isabelle could see nothing. She wallowed and she thrashed her arms in the water, a desperate attempt to get to herself free. But nothing happened. She could do nothing.

It was then she thought she was going to die; she thought she was going to drown, going to never get the help her brother needed. But her eyes had caught a glint of light – a pink one, coming towards her. She squinted her eyes, and saw golden locks – sun's rays delving into the insides of the murky water – and green eyes that glowed feverishly; green eyes that glowed in power.

Gemma grasped her by the arms, showing a new strength Isabelle never knew a little woman like her could muster. Before she knew it, she was once again being dragged – though by a new force. Gemma was bringing her towards something in the ground; at closer look, it seemed to be an unturned patch of dirt… something Isabelle recognized as an entrance – the entrance into the Faerie's court.

Isabelle couldn't stand the loss of air anymore. As they had gotten closer and closer to the entrance, she had gotten more and more faint. Blackness burned underneath her eyelids like ink.

It was then she closed her eyes for good, and drifted into a reluctant sleep. She Hoped she hadn't died, and she hoped Gemma knew what to do as they swam into the delves of the Faerie's court.

Just as Alec was about to give up, he had felt a strange pain in his head. At first, it started to pulse – not exactly excruciatingly, but definitely painfully. He brought his good hand up, and pressed it against his right temple. The skin around his eyes scrunched up like paper.

It was then he leaned over to the side, as though he were going to double over. Alec heard the joyous chatters of the former council members around him, and was tempted to look up again with a scowl. But he couldn't. No matter how much will power he had put into it, he couldn't.

The pain grew stronger, and he fell onto the stone floor. He no longer heard the chatters of those around him. He just felt the now excruciating pains that enveloped his head, his arms, his torso – everything he needed in a battle. He could have screamed. He could have crawled on the floors and whimpered like a dying animal. He could have even vomited all his stomach's contents, and cried for his loved-ones to save him so.

Images flashed through his mind. The places where Alec had seen the demons, Sebastian, and even the building where Magnus had went to the council's meeting. They had looked so real, he felt like he was there. He felt like he was being dragged from place to place, he felt like his soul was being yanked from his body tenfold.

The only new thing he had seen was a rune. A rune he had never seen before. It was curvy, corners drawn in nothing but grace. It had glowed in an icy blue, charted and written with lines built with nothing but power.

If someone had asked him to show them what it exactly looked like, he wouldn't be able to. He knew there would be no way he could draw it in such precision, in such skill and such refinement the other angel-human hybrid had been able to.

It was then an image of a boy flashed under his eyelids. He had dark hair, much like Alec's. He was pale and small. Frail. His pink lips' corners were turned up, right in a smile. His thick-rimmed glasses hung on his nose loosely, which made him look even smaller. His eyes shone in a brilliant blue, which let Alec swim and delve into every hidden part of the boy's mind.

But the image was gone, almost as soon as it had came. Someone's hand had grasped his shoulder, and was dragging him away. Alec blinked, and looked up. His vision was blurred, but he recognized him almost immediately. Jace.

He didn't want to know why Jace was there. He didn't want to ask what happened to the former-council members – he just wanted to know where the boy he had seen went.

"Max!" He yelled, startling Jace. The blonde lifted another arm and was once again pulling him away. Alec realized he was trying to get out of his grip. "Max! Max!" He yelled again, though louder. He was trying to be heard. He was screaming into the skies, the heavens – attempting – hoping his little brother would hear.

Alec wanted Jace to let go, but he had merely pulled on him more. What was Jace trying to get him away from? As Alec attempted to yell even more, Jace placed hands over his mouth. His cries came out in mere muffles; burdens wading through the air. He tried to pry Jace's fingers from his mouth, but it didn't work.

Between his struggling, he had caught a glimpse of Clary. She was holding a canvas close to her chest, and a bag of paints in another. She was wide-eyed – in awe, almost fear – but at what?

In last resort, Alec paused in his struggle and leaned back. He lifted his right leg, and brought his foot down – right on Jace's foot. As his grip loosened, Alec fell foreword, and Jace fell back. Alec immediately felt his head collide with the stone ground. He felt his knees rip and bleed, and his fingers and palms scrape in vain. That didn't stop him from looking up, though – moving – moving and looking –

He paused. The former council members weren't standing – they were on the ground, motionless – as if they'd just dropped onto the floor, as if they suddenly decided to go into some kind of slumber. From what he saw, they didn't have any cuts. They just looked… dead. One woman's face was a mere five inches away from his own, making him shiver in something he would almost call fear. Her still fiery eyes were open, staring into his. Her lips were parted, and her eyebrows were knitted – as if she were glued into a permanent scowl.

Though to Alec it felt like minutes, he had jumped back in almost a millisecond. He had fallen back and let his hands hit the stone again – as if he didn't care about his older injuries. He felt his broken arm crack again, making him wince.

Someone came from behind him, touching his shoulders. Jace was yelling at him. "We have to go, you idiot! Now!"

A note: Hey guys. It's been a while, hasn't it? I apologize - I've been hooked on my finals lately. I saw multiple people ask me to make these chapters longer, and I've honestly tried to do so. Let me explain: on Microsoft word, these chapters are usually about three-four pages. I struggle to make each chapter in this fan fiction longer than that. :] I honestly have no clue as to why. *shrugs* I just hope you guys know I don't ignore requests like that. I tried~

And, since I live in New York, I managed to grab a copy of Clockwork Angel at BEA. I did finish it, and I thought it was amazing! If you would like to know anything about it, feel free to message me. :] I'm not going to give out spoilers, though.