The Dark Ones

Chapter Sixteen

I jerked upward, gasping for air. My hands cupped my throat as I coughed, trying to ease the burning sensation from within me that I had felt only moments before. I looked frantically around, and even though I could see that I was in my bedroom, I worried deeply that the horror had followed me here. As I came to my senses I realized that was not the case. I was safe, just simply caught up in a recurring nightmare that I had just recently faced.

I heard a knock on my door, and I moved into a sitting position, still inhaling as much air as I could handle. After a moment to calm my breathing, I croaked, "come in."

The door opened to reveal a concerned looking Noah, his brows furrowed and his eyes looking tired. "Are you okay? I heard a lot of noise."

"I'm fine," I turned my body, sitting on the edge of my bed. "I just had a nightmare again."

"Oh no," he murmured, coming over to sit beside me. He put a arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's pretty much just me drowning in Lake Lynn..." I told him, and I realized that I probably sounded stupid saying it. "But there's something yanking me under the water. I don't know who or what it is, though."

"You're sure it's Lake Lynn?" He asked, and I looked up at him. "It could be any lake and just a nightmare inspired by your inability to swim."

I watched as a smile formed on his face and I laughed, shaking my head. "I know how to swim, thank you very much," I said playfully. I thought about it, taking Noah's hand in my own as I looked away. "I just... have a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"Well, you're here. Nothing bad can happen to you here." He reassured me, hugging me a little tighter. "We'll all make sure of it."

"I appreciate that, Noah. Thank you," I responded. "What time is it?"

"Two. They haven't left yet, they're all training right now." He told me, and I nodded, "I think they're leaving around seven."

"None of them heard, right?" I asked, feeling a warm sensation rush to my cheeks.

"None of them came running, so I'd assume not," Noah said calmly, pulling back. He put a few strands of my hair between his fingers, just touching it gently. "We should get you out of here, take your mind off of things."

"What do you have in mind?" I asked, tilting my head. He seemed to think for a moment, but in an attempt to stay away from the idea of training with the guys again, I offered up a suggestion. "We could see if they want to watch a movie or something."

"I think they'd like that," Noah told me, holding onto me a little tighter. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I will be," I looked up into his eyes, smiling slightly. "Okay, you go grab them. I'll be there in a bit."

He kissed me gently on my forehead before getting up and leaving me in my room. I was hit with the overwhelming silence that I had felt before in my dream, forced beneath the surface of the quiet but violent lake. I shut my eyes for a brief moment, sucking in a breath, and then I got up and went into the bathroom to make myself presentable.

When I finished washing my face and cleaning myself up, I walked out into my room to see Noah standing beside the doorway. "Hey Clary," He said.