✓ | Hushed Whispers ⋆ Will Herondale [2]

CHAPTER TEN: TORN

◤How am I supposed to hold onto tiny ounces of hope that she will come back - that she will win - when there's not even a single sign that she is getting better? How do I stay strong for her?◢

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CHAPTER TEN: TORN

WILL Herondale had been in the Infirmary room of the London Institute ever since Gabriel Lightwood had brought Marie in. If his counting was to be trusted, over a week had passed since that moment. In the long time Will had had a chance of knowing the Wayland girl, he had never seen her in such a distressed, sick state. Marie had been as pale as a ghost, violently shivering and twisting her limbs in the humid room.

He briefly recalled the scene from a few nights ago; Marie's spine had curled into a most unnatural position. Her hands had flown to her chest, her nails clawing at where her lungs were. Marie's breathing pattern was fast, but too shallow and the Herondale boy couldn't help but wonder what gruesome sights she was seeing. He knew it couldn't have been anything nice. If it was, she wouldn't have been crying.

He had called Charlotte immediately, but not even she knew what was to be done. The woman had woken Sophie up, telling her to fetch some medicine for Marie, but it didn't help. She only kept on moving, her lungs fighting for air.

The only thing Will could do was watch as Marie wrestled her invisible enemy. It was a painful sight, that much he had known. His heart had died a little at every whimper that left the brunette's lips. Each tear that managed to escape her shut eyes felt like a bullet to Will.

The situation had escalated to the point where Will wasn't entirely sure if Marie would make it through the night, but he decided that he would not lose hope. He couldn't. He had promised.

Even though Brother Jeremiah had claimed that Imogen had placed Marie under a spell, the Herondale Shadowhunter was beginning to think that the warlock didn't quite understand the difference between a spell and a curse. The spell had, after all, caused Marie physical pain. It had tricked her into thinking that she was being tortured. Again.

In that moment, Will couldn't help but think if that was what it looked like when she was tortured by the Dark Sisters. If their torture had even resembled what he was seeing now, Will would have made sure to find a warlock that could find and resurrect the mentioned Downworlders, just so he could kill them again.

Just wake up, Marie.

In hopes that Will could somehow ease the girl's pain, he had climbed onto Marie's bed and embraced her into his arms. The boy had leaned against the bed's frame, making sure to elevate Marie's head against his chest. He had moved her tangled locks away from her face, uttering words of comfort. He whispered in her ear how he was there with her, offering her his support. He spoke of all the ways she could fight off her internal demons, how she could catch a thread of light and let it guide her back to him.

For a while, nothing happened. The girl had kept on repeating painful movements, allowing her body to fall under an enchanting spell of vigorous tremors. Only eventually, her activity had ceased and both, Marie and Will, had surrendered their bodies to sleep.

Since that night, plenty of events had taken place. Gabriel, who had insisted on staying in the Institute until Marie woke up, was sent home. Apparently, it had been something urgent, otherwise Benedict Lightwood wouldn't have showed up on their doorsteps personally. Josiah had also sent a letter to them, stating that a meeting was to be held as soon as Marie opened her eyes.