Inside You (Mortal Instruments FAN FIC:: Malec)

Chapter 10-Birthday Distraction

Hullo there! :D Well for once it hasn't actually been that long since I last updated-WOOP WOOP!!! I just want to thank everyone for your lovely comments and support <3 They are what keep me writing and make me want to update fatster :P

This chapter is quite....dark. And rather depressing for Alec. :( my poor baby I don't know why i'm being so mean to him! I've had some good theories and guess from people as to what's going on with him so please message me if you have an idea and want to let me know-i'd love to hear it!

Ummm that's all for now-i'll try to update soon though i'm going away on thursday-i'll do my best. PLEASE VOMMENT!!!!! sorry for mistakes this is unbetad and it's 11:22 pm where I am.

Nearly a fortnight had passed since the strange demon gathering outside the Institute and since then things had been pretty quiet.

However more and more shops were being broken into but with no casualties and no understandable motive the Shadowhunters could do nothing but visit the crime scenes and route out any lingering demons.

The owners were all members of the Downworlder community and all shops specialised in antiques: old relics and rare, recovered artefacts. That was the only link they could find. The types of demons used seemed to vary, the times at which the shops were attacked, although generally at night, followed no set pattern-everyone was stumped.

And the downworlders were not happy. Many went to Magnus to complain-full aware of his involvement with the Shadowhunters and as a result he had not been able to go and see Alec since the morning the young Shadowhunter had tried to run out on him.

But the break in weren’t the only problems. The residents of the Institute had been noticing a definite change in things-mainly Alexander Lightwood.

He was spending more and more time away from the others: hidden in his room or down in the training rooms beating the hell out of the punch bag.

Occasionally Isabelle would bump into him late at night when she went to get a glass of water-he would claim the same although she never really believed him.

Usually rather quiet and reserved anyway he now only really spoke when talked to directly. His eyes were dull and dark purple bags were growing beneath them but when anyone inquired about his well fare he would snap at them, forcing them to back off, or just ignore them until they gave up.

But all of this wasn’t just affecting his appearance. It was affecting his fighting ability-although they had only encountered a few relatively weak demons he’s still managed to get a large scratch across his back which he had somehow failed to mention to Magnus during their brief text conversations.

That night after he’d done his best to clean the wound he’d been staring at his reflection in the mirror when he could have sworn he’d seen his eyes flash red again. But just like the last time as soon as he blinked it was gone. The lack of sleep really was getting to him.

Despite all of this neither Isabelle’s worried questions, Jace’s joking and teasing or even Magnus’ constant text messages were enough for Alec to reveal the truth about his problems.

A good night’s sleep was a thing of the past; something he only day dreamed about now. The nightmares continued to haunt him and he would wake in the early hours in the morning drenched in cold sweat and with a terrified yell which he immediately tried to muffle.

The nightmares didn’t strike every night but even then he would lie in bed for hours dreading falling asleep. Some nights he wouldn’t sleep at all but he couldn’t hold it off forever and every time it washed over him he struggled against it like a drowning man fought against the waves.