The Return | Alec Ligtwood - Book 2

Like drowning in the ocean

The water. Salt. Pain. Drowning.

You know when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's called voluntary apnea. It's like no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But then when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's - it's actually kind of peaceful.

I felt the swell of the waves carrying my body like a simple feather. Water was the predominant factor here, I was aware of it.

For a moment my sleeping mind wondered if I had fallen asleep in one of these waterbeds but the sensation was far too real.

Just as my body suddenly comes into contact with a more solid and sticky surface. Very sticky. Uncomfortable actually.

I tried to open my eyelids as best I could but it was as if a brick covered my eyes. I was unable to do anything. My body felt paralyzed from head to toe and an icy, damp cold was consuming me.

No matter where I was, there was water. Lots of water.

Just like that, a flood of image assailed me and I suddenly opened my eyes as I straightened on my hands to take a breath of long breath. I blinked several of my eyes to get used to my new environment and I soon realized that I was on a beach of some sort.

I looked around me in a somewhat disoriented state before letting out a whistle at the sensation of my throbbing temple. I brought my hand to my face realizing that I had several notches along my hand.

I instinctively sought my stele to realize that it had disappeared. I glanced over my shoulder and straightened up quickly. I realized that the uncomfortable feeling was actually sticky sand to my skin and I was trying to sweep my wet clothes out of boring grains before dropping a frustrated and disoriented grunt.

'' Where am I ? '' I murmured for myself before I stood up to the fast paced agreement.

"Oh my god!" Exclaimed a typically female voice from my left forcing me to turn in that direction just to be attacked by a woman looking hysterical. '' Are you okay ? Did he hurt you? Are you hurt ?''

Honestly, her rodomontade was almost incomprehensible to me only I had managed to spot the part where she was talking about a man and I decided to take a guess on that.

I knocked her hands out of me with a dry gesture before immediately taking a cold step towards her. "Jace? You see Jace? Where is he ?''

'' I... uh ... ''

She seemed honestly frightened and confused at the same time by my appearance as well as my reversal of behavior.

However, I did not have time for that.

'' Where ? '' I whispered furiously this time, catching her wrist firmly causing her to startle with fear.'' I don't like to repeat myself. ''

She was trembling and trying to get rid of my grip at this point but she did not understand the situation. It was Jace we were talking about and he was my brother. Even if I did not want to recognize him as such before, it was the truth and I was not going to lose him again.

'' Where is he ! '' I poked once more into her face, maltreating her a little, making me almost guilty as I saw tears begin to form in her eyes.

She was a complete disorder crying and trembling as if I were a sort of monster and that was all it took to get me out of my trance of induced rage. I immediately let go of her wrist as if she had just burned me before suddenly shaking my head in realization.