Silver Threads ↠ Matthew Fairchild [1]

SEVENTEEN

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T H E H O L L O W S E A

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By the time Willa arrived back at the Institute, the coldness that surrounded her seemed to be ten times worse. She could feel it in every move she made, hear the creaking of her own bones as she shuffled up the front steps. Her body had grown so numb that it felt as if she were being pricked by hundreds of pins and needles. But worse of all, her chest felt empty as if her heart had disappeared. She felt like she was a shell of the person that she always had been.

She didn't feel like Willa Herondale anymore.

The dark haired girl managed to shakily push the front doors of the Institute open. She barely even stepped inside before she heard the sound of rushing footsteps. Willa was able to lift her head up in time to see her father running around the corner and into the hall. He paused at the sight of her, a look of relief yet frustration appearing on his face.

"Willa—" he began, attempting to sound as serious as possible due to the anger she knew he no doubt had. However, the sight of her father and the sound of his voice was all it took for the girl to dissolve into a puddle right then and there.

A heartbroken sob escaped her lips while her legs gave out and she barely caught sight of her father's stern look dropping before she was falling to the ground. Will was across the room in an instant, his arms wrapping around her as her knees hit the floor.

Willa was shaking, the most horrible sobs leaving her mouth and echoing through the house to the point where Will knew he never wanted to hear his daughter like that ever again.

The girl focused on her father's arms around her, her own hands gripping onto his shirt while Will held her trembling body and whispered, "You're okay, cariad. You're okay." She felt his lips gently press a kiss to the top of her head and she snuggled more into his embrace while she attempted to soften her cries.

It was at that moment that Tessa came running into the hall, her eyes wide with concern while her face was flushed from having been running in an attempt to see what was wrong. Her eyes locked onto her daughter in an instant and her hand flew over her mouth, her eyes pricking with tears as she looked to Will who had his own tears in his eyes as he held his daughter.

Tessa moved across the room without hesitation, falling onto her knees on the opposite side of her daughter and hugging her as well. The feeling of her mother's touch was enough to make Willa's whole body shake even more.