"Ty-Ty!"
Ty opened his eyes to see Livvy waiting for him. He yawned and stretched his arms. He finally had the chance to look around him. Ty had fallen asleep on top of a pile of books and notebooks. He propped himself up on one arm, and noticed ink stains on his skin. He sighed as he rubbed it off.
Once all of the ink was gone, Ty changed into a forest-green t-shirt and gray shorts. He combed through his hair until all of the knots were gone. Then, he brushed his teeth and went downstairs for breakfast. Kit wasn't there yet, of course. He never woke up this early, unless something was wrong.
All of the others were awake. Emma and Julian were laughing at something while drinking coffee. Helen and Aline were waiting for the coffeemaker to finish their coffee. Mark was searching through the refrigerator for who knows what. Tavvy was reading a comic book to Mina. Dru was eating toast at the table. Magnus and Alec were helping their children get breakfast. Dru noticed Ty's presence and waved him over. He joined his little sister at the table after grabbing a bagel and some water.
"Ty!" Dru smiled at him.
"Hey, Dru."
"How's your arm?" she asked, looking around to make sure no one was listening.
"It's fine, Dru." The iratze had healed the injury, but Ty would still feel an occasional twinge of pain in his arm. It wasn't Kit's fault; it was his own fault. He should've been more careful. He should've known something was wrong, but he didn't. And now, he was stuck with a burning arm for his carelessness.
Dru carefully took Ty's arm in her hand and examined it. There were no leftover marks from the injury other than a white scar from the iratze. His arm seemed to be completely healed, but Ty knew it wasn't. It would take time for the occasional burning to stop.
"You're not mad at Kit, are you?" she asked.
How could Dru even ask that question? She should've known the answer. "No. Are you?"
She hesitated before answering. "I guess not." She shrugged. "I don't like the idea that someone hurt my big brother," she said, lightly punching Ty's good arm. This was something Dru would do often to show that she loved Ty.
"At least no one else got hurt," Ty pointed out.
"Not even that evil warlock." Dru crossed her arms. "I can't believe he got away."
"We were distracted, that's all."
"I should've gone after him while Kit healed you. Who knows what demon he planned to summon?"
"That's the problem," Ty said. "The demon could easily hurt a lot of mundanes."
"Are we going to go after him?"
Ty shook his head. "We can't. He didn't leave anything behind for us to track him with."
Dru sighed. "I feel so useless! I can't do anything to prevent that warlock from unleashing a demon on the world."
Ty felt the same way. He knew there were so many mundanes out there that couldn't protect themselves from a threat like that. It was his duty to protect them, and he couldn't do it. He felt like it was his fault if anyone died because of the demon. But, he couldn't be sure the warlock raised the demon. He took his things and fled. There was no proof that he raised the demon yet. Ty could only hope. "We'll watch for any signs the warlock could be near," Ty said, hoping the words would bring some comfort to his sister.
His sister nodded and gave Ty a small smile. "We'll know if he actually summoned the demon soon enough." Her smile brightened. "Hi, Kit!"
Ty turned in the direction Dru was facing and saw him. His hair was a mess, as always. He never seemed to care enough to fix it in the mornings. He was wearing a forest green t-shirt which Ty had never seen before. It must've been one of his new shirts. The shirt was slightly rumpled, meaning Kit had probably shoved it in one of his drawers without properly folding it. He wore gray shorts to go with the shirt.
When Ty looked at Kit's face, he couldn't help but think something was wrong. He didn't know what, but something was off. Kit's normally bright eyes were now blank and dull. Kit usually smiled when Dru called his name, but this time, he didn't. He just waved and walked over to the table. Ty wasn't sure what was going on with Kit, but he wasn't acting like the Watson he knew.
"Hey guys," Kit said with a yawn.
Ty pulled out his book and started reading, headphones over his ears. It was another Sherlock Holmes book. He'd read each one many times, but they never got old. He tried to learn from Sherlock so he could be a better detective. Livvy read over his shoulder without saying a word. She knew not to interrupt him while he was reading, unless he was needed for something.
Ty put his book down when Livvy told him Magnus and Alec were leaving. He marked his place with a bookmark and made his way over to the rest of his family. Ty said goodbye to the children first. He flinched away when Max hugged him. He barely knew the children and wasn't comfortable with them hugging him. Rafael nodded as his goodbye. Ty moved on to Alec next. He said goodbye and moved on to Magnus. Ty avoided making eye contact with Magnus. He said a quick goodbye and started towards his seat.
"Tiberius, can I speak with you for a moment?" Magnus asked.
Ty turned to face Magnus and nodded. He was led to a corner away from everyone else. He took off his headphones while he listened to Magnus. "Is something wrong?" Ty asked.
"Well, yes."
Thoughts raced through Ty's mind. He knew his family was alright, but he couldn't stop himself from worrying. What if something happened to one of his siblings? "Tell me."
"I cannot," Magnus said.
"Then, why did you want to talk to me?"
"I wanted to check on you and Livvy," the warlock explained. "Is everything alright?"
Ty nodded. He and Livvy had learned a lot about the consequences of bringing her back from the dead. They still had a lot to learn, but they were on the right track. Dru was learning how to see Livvy and was getting better each day. Livvy was so happy when Ty told her about Dru wanting to see her. She was so excited and hopeful. Three years later, Dru still couldn't see her fully, but she was getting closer. Ty hoped Dru could do it. He knew she could. He just wasn't sure how much longer it would take.
Magnus flashed a smile and returned to his family. Ty picked up his book and climbed the stairs to his room. It was peaceful and quiet in his room. He could still hear the sound of people talking downstairs, but it was mostly quiet.
"Ty-Ty?"
"What is it, Livvy?" Ty asked gently.
"I can't stop thinking about what happened to you last night."
Ty held up his arm to show Livvy that there was nothing to worry about. She examined his arm carefully, searching for any small scratches. Ty lowered his arm and immediately felt as if his arm was burning. He hissed in pain. Livvy looked at him, worry written on her face.
"What's wrong, Ty-Ty?"
"Nothing," he said through clenched teeth. Livvy shook her head and motioned for him to lift his arm. She looked at it again, but still saw nothing. "I'm fine, Livvy. This just happens sometimes."
"That's not normal, Ty," she said.
"I know, but I can't tell anyone. They'll worry just like you are now."
"Ty-Ty, sometimes that's just what family does. We're supposed to protect each other." She reached to put a hand on Ty's shoulder, but it went right through him. "Oh." Livvy drew her arm back. "I forgot about the whole ghost thing."
Ty wished Livvy wasn't stuck as a ghost. What Ty did was supposed to have brought her back completely, but the power source he used wasn't strong enough. Now, she was a ghost because of him. He was happy she was back, because he needed her, but sometimes, it seemed like she didn't want to be a ghost. It was selfish of him to bring her back, but at least they had each other.
***
The beach was deserted, even on a hot afternoon like today. After Magnus and Alec left, Kit decided to go to the beach for a run. Running on sand was much harder than running on a road. Kit's feet kept sinking into the hot sand, but he got used to it after awhile.
Sweat was dripping down Kit's face and the sun was shining on his skin. The skin on his arms were turning a shade of red. He knew his arms were burning, but that didn't stop him from running. His feet pounded to the beat of the music coming from his headphones. Kit didn't stop running for about an hour. Once he was done running, he soaked his feet in the ocean to cool them off. After a few minutes, Kit decided to run back to the Institute.
Dru was waiting for him by the doors, hands on her hips. "Where were you?"
"The beach."
"Oh, cool!" she said. "I'm going out with a bunch of my friends."
Kit nodded. He didn't know who Dru's friends were, but that didn't matter to him.
"I'll see you later!" Dru headed towards the truck, leaving Kit by the Institute doors. He quickly entered the Institute and found the Blackthorn family and Mina in the library. They were talking while eating pizza.
Kit took a seat next to Ty who was paying close attention to every word Julian said. Livvy was floating behind Ty, also listening closely. Ty filled him in on what he missed. Apparently, there was increased demonic activity around the world and the Shadowhunters didn't know why. That's what they were trying to figure out. Until then, there would be more demons around to fight.
Mina and Tavvy weren't paying attention to the conversation. They were more interested in their toy cars and crashing them into each other. Kit knew something was missing. He no longer felt love for Mina, his little sister. It was as if a wall was separating Kit from what he used to feel. He knew those feelings used to be there, but he didn't feel them anymore. Everything he used to feel was muffled and unreachable.
It was the same thing for Ty. Kit remembered how he used to feel, but he didn't feel it anymore. Those feelings had disappeared along with all of the others. He looked at Ty, but his heartbeat didn't pick up and he didn't blush when Ty noticed his stare. He remembered feeling all sorts of emotions, but Kit knew he couldn't feel them anymore. At least Magnus had done his job. Kit wouldn't have anymore problems with his magic. He knew that his old self would feel relieved, but when he tried to feel what his old self would feel, he came up blank. He couldn't reach what was on the other side of the wall separating him from his emotions.
Kit returned his attention to what was going on at the table. Julian was assigning patrol groups. Helen, Aline, Julian, and Emma were a group. Mark, Ty, Dru, and Kit were the other group. Tavvy and Mina were too young to fight. Tavvy was learning, but he wasn't allowed to go out on patrol yet. Julian created a schedule for each patrol group. Kit's group would have patrol duty on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
After the meeting was over, Kit decided it would be a smart idea to train. It had been a few days since he'd actually trained. Kit was alone in the training room. His footsteps reverberated around the room. He found the Herondale dagger in his pocket and prepared to use it. Kit moved his body into a fighting stance, facing off an invisible opponent. He leapt into action, swiping at the air with his dagger. He kicked his right leg out which would knock someone to the ground. When he won his 'fight', he paused before starting again.
"Need a training partner?" It was Livvy's voice, but she couldn't train with him. He turned to face the entrance and saw Ty in his training gear. Kit hadn't taken the time to change into gear, but it didn't matter. He wasn't fighting an actual demon at the moment. "You can fight my brother."
Ty pulled his headphones over his ears and grabbed a wooden staff. He brought one over for Kit as well. Ty handed a staff to Kit and got into his fighting position. Kit did the same. Ty waited for him to make a move. Kit knew it was a trap, so he waited for Ty to make the first move. They watched each other for a few moments, carefully studying the other's movements, ready for an attack. Ty gave him a look that said, 'You first.' He lunged at Ty, swinging his staff, but Ty had already moved out of the way. Kit steadied himself before he fell over. He heard the whistle of air as Ty swung his staff while he was distracted. He spun around, stopping Ty's staff with his own just in time. He kicked Ty behind the knees, causing him to collapse. He landed with a thump, but he wasn't down for long. Ty pushed himself back onto his feet before Kit had the chance to attack again. He grabbed his arm and flung Kit onto the ground, keeping him down with his foot.
Kit searched for ways to get out off the ground. He could easily roll away from Ty, but he had a better idea. Kit dropped his staff and grabbed Ty's leg to pull it out from underneath him. Ty's eyes widened before he toppled to the ground next to Kit. Kit reached for his staff, but Ty rolled over Kit and grabbed it first. Kit was weaponless. But, he wasn't defenseless.
Ty had made a mistake. Even if he had had the upper hand, he should've shielded himself from any possible attack. Kit kicked at Ty's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He grabbed his staff from Ty's hand and scrambled to his feet. Ty wheezed as he brought himself up to his feet again. They were back where they started, just more exhausted than before.
Ty was still weak from when Kit had kicked him. He knew it was the perfect time to finish the fight. Ty would still be able to defend himself, but he was weakened and tired. It would be easier for Kit to slip past his defenses. He charged at Ty, raising his staff. Ty swung at Kit's legs, but he jumped over the staff. Kit spun around, moving behind Ty to swing at his legs. Ty turned around to keep his eyes on Kit, but was too late to defend himself. Kit's staff hit Ty's knees. Ty clenched his teeth through the pain, breathing heavily.
Kit knew his old self would stop the fight immediately. His old self would feel the need to save Ty from more pain, but now, Kit didn't feel the need to end the fight. He swung at Ty's legs again, aiming for behind the knees. Ty toppled over, catching himself on his arms. He looked up at Kit, determination and pain in his eyes, but before he had the chance to attack, Livvy's voice cut through the room.
"Stop!" she shouted as she flew over to them. "Kit, what are you doing? My brother is clearly injured!"
"He never surrendered."
"You won, okay?! Are you happy now?"
Of course he wasn't. He didn't feel anything. All he felt was a strange blankness that would never go away. His emotions were on the other side of a wall where Kit couldn't reach them. He remembered feeling happy in his life, but he couldn't feel that anymore. It was like a cloudy sky that would never clear was covering his emotions. They were gone.
"I'm not exactly happy," Kit said. "I'm not sure that's the word to describe how I'm feeling."
Livvy looked at him quizzically. "How would you describe what you're feeling, then?"
"It doesn't matter." Kit reached out a hand to help Ty up from the ground. He took it and Kit pulled him up. "Do you want an iratze?"
Ty nodded and handed Kit his stele. Kit held the stele and remembered what an iratze looked like. He then pressed the stele to Ty's arm and began drawing. Ty sighed in relief as the rune began to heal him. Kit finished the rune and handed the stele back to Ty.
"Thanks," Ty said.
Kit nodded. "No problem. I should probably go take a nap."
"Don't you want an iratze?"
"Right!" Kit took out his stele and handed it to Ty. "I almost forgot about that."
Ty gripped the stele firmly in his hand as he drew the rune. Kit felt the cooling relief of the iratze almost immediately after Ty had started drawing it. It healed whatever injuries Kit had from training with Ty. He had gained quite a few bruises from the fight. The iratze healed all of them. Once Ty finished the iratze, he handed the stele back to Kit.
"Thanks," Kit said and headed up to his room.
***
The whole Blackthorn family, plus Mina, had gathered together to watch a horror movie. Dru had somehow convinced them to watch one with her. She had made popcorn for everyone to share while watching the movie. Kit was missing from the family event. Ty wasn't sure where he had gone. Usually, Kit took care of Mina, but he had left her without a word. At least Mark seemed enthusiastic about watching her. During the scarier parts of the movie, he would cover Mina's eyes and comfort her if she was afraid. Ty didn't understand why Mina was allowed to watch this sort of thing. It could easily scare her to the point where she couldn't sleep at night.
Ty spent the entire time wondering why the people were so stupid. They literally ran right into the conflict. He wished the movie was more realistic. Then, it would be a decent movie, but that's not how it was. At least Dru seemed to enjoy it. Everyone else was terrified of the movie. Emma and Julian hugged each other, occasionally looking away from the screen. Mark would look away while covering Mina's eyes with his hands. Aline fidgeted with a dagger while telling Helen she'd protect her. Tavvy seemed to be very interested in the movie, but Dru would tell him to look away during the scary parts. Livvy watched the movie with Ty, unseen by everyone else.
By the time the movie was over, Kit still hadn't returned. Ty was beginning to worry. Kit never disappeared for long. He always returned a few hours later. Had something happened to him? He knew Kit could defend himself. He knew he shouldn't worry, but he was still scared for him. It was getting late and the children needed to go to bed. Mark had already thought of that and was holding both Mina and Tavvy in his arms. Mina was giggling and so was Tavvy.
"I don't wanna go to bed!" Mina laughed.
"If you don't, the scary tickle monster is gonna get you!" Mark tickled Mina and Tavvy to prove his point. Mina squirmed in his arms.
"I'll fight it off! Tavvy will help me!"
"Yeah!" Tavvy cheered.
Mark raised his eyebrows. "How about you go to sleep and dream about that?"
Mina shook her head, sticking her tongue out at Mark. Mark laughed as he carried Mina and Tavvy to their rooms. Ty couldn't stop thinking about Kit. He knew he had nothing to worry about, but what if something actually happened to him? He didn't even know where Kit was. He usually left a note saying where he was going, but Ty had checked everywhere. There was no note.
Once Tavvy and Mina were in their rooms, Dru popped in another horror movie. Ty tried to watch the film, but his thoughts kept wandering back to Kit. He decided to put his headphones on to calm himself. By the time the movie was over, Julian was asleep on the couch, Emma covering him with a blanket. Helen and Aline were both asleep, weapons nearby if they were needed. Mark seemed relieved when the movie ended. He had screamed frequently during it.
"Goodnight everyone," Dru said, yawning. She left and headed to her room.
Soon enough, everyone was gone, except for Julian. Ty refused to sleep. He would stay up all night reading if he had to. He wanted to be awake when Kit returned. It was past three in the morning, and he still hadn't come back. Ty was beginning to think he should try to find him.
"You should get some sleep, Ty." Ty turned to see Julian who was barely awake. Dark circles had formed under his eyes and his hair was disheveled. The blue t-shirt he wore was rumpled and his eyes could barely stay open.
"I can't. Not yet."
"Kit's fine," Julian said, blinking slowly. "He can take care of himself."
Ty fidgeted with the wire on his headphones. He didn't know how to explain what he was feeling to Julian. He knew exactly what he was feeling, but he couldn't put it into words. Sometimes, there were no words to describe emotions. There were no words to describe how he felt when Livvy died. Ty just knew he felt something. "I can't lose him too, Julian. I can't. I've already lost him once and I hate the thought of it happening again." Ty hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted Julian to know all of this. "I can't think of anything but him and what could happen while he's out there alone. Imagine Emma leaving without telling you and not returning hours later. That's what I feel now. I can't think. I can't sleep. I need to know he's safe."
"I understand what you mean. If Emma ever did that to me, I would search everywhere for her. I wouldn't sleep until I knew she was safe." He smiled. "I guess that's what you're doing for Kit, isn't it?"
Ty nodded.
"Just go to bed once you know he's alright," said Julian. He yawned and left Ty alone in the room.
Ty waited for Kit to return in the kitchen with Livvy, who seemed to be getting nervous also. She floated around the room, searching for a note. Ty helped her, knowing they wouldn't find anything. Ty had already looked everywhere, but there was a slim chance he had missed something. He knew that probably wasn't the case, but looking around gave him something to do while he waited for Kit to walk through the Institute doors.
"You're sure you didn't find a note?" Livvy asked as Ty flipped though a stack of papers.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"What I don't understand is why he would leave without telling us!" Livvy crossed her arms, pouting. "Doesn't he know how worried we are?"
"I guess not."
Livvy shook her head furiously. His sister was just as worried about Kit as he was. Ty hadn't thought of how losing Kit would affect his family. Dru would be distraught. Kit had been kind to her and she certainly hadn't forgotten about that. Everyone would be affected if Kit died. He couldn't imagine telling Jem, Tessa, and Mina. They were a family and he knew what losing a family member felt like. It was a nightmare you couldn't wake up from. There was always a piece of you missing that couldn't be replaced. Ty put on his headphones, blocking out those thoughts.
"Should we track him?" Livvy asked.
Ty nodded and went into Kit's room. He looked through his closet and picked out a shirt. It was a simple, gray shirt that had many creases. He unfolded the shirt and returned to Livvy. Ty placed the shirt on the table and took his stele out of his pocket. His hand was steady as he moved the stele on the fabric. He returned the stele to his pocket and grabbed the shirt. He immediately felt a strong pull towards the Institute doors. He let the rune lead him and bumped right into Kit. Ty wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there. He hadn't heard him come in.
Kit had his Shadowhunting gear on, his weapons belt filled with weapons. Ty saw the glint of silver and knew there were daggers hidden in Kit's boots. His hair was drenched and covered half of his face. The stench of ichor filled the room, causing Ty to wrinkle his nose. Runes meant for combat covered Kit's skin. Ichor, gear, weapons, and runes led Ty to making a conclusion.
"You went demon hunting without telling anyone." It was a statement, not a question.
Kit nodded.
"You didn't have patrol duty."
He shrugged. "Is it bad to want to fight demons?"
"No," Ty said. "What's bad is that you went demon hunting without anyone to back you up."
"I didn't need backup."
"No one knew where you were. You could've been hurt! Did you at least bring your phone?"
Kit was silent.
"So, you didn't bring it. You couldn't call anyone if you got hurt."
"I didn't need anyone's help. I was fine on my own."
"But what if you weren't?!" Kit didn't understand the possibility of something happening to him. He didn't understand the risk of demon hunting. Ty lowered his voice. "What if you died?"
"I didn't."
"That's not the point!"
"What is your point, then?"
"Shadowhunters can't afford to make stupid mistakes like that, Kit. Going demon hunting alone is dangerous. You're lucky you didn't get hurt."
Kit stared at Ty blankly as he spoke, waiting for him to finish. "I should go clean up. I'm covered in ichor." He turned and walked away without another word.
Ty watched him leave, hands fluttering at his sides. He had already lost so much. Helen had been exiled. Mark had been with the Wild Hunt. His parents were dead. So was Livvy. Kit had just come back to him, but Ty knew he was already losing him again, if he wasn't already gone. The Kit he saw moments ago was not Kit, but that didn't make any sense. How could Kit not be Kit?
***
Kit ate his breakfast in silence. Neither Ty nor Livvy had anything to say to him. He hadn't expected them to be so mad at him for leaving without telling them. It wasn't a big deal. He didn't understand why Ty had been so upset. Sure, fighting demons alone was risky, but it was part of being a Shadowhunter. Kit didn't need backup, so he didn't ask for it. He didn't think it would offend anyone, but it had.
Kit tried to understand what Ty was feeling, but he couldn't. He didn't see anything wrong in Shadowhunting alone. He blindly reached for his emotions, pushing through the clouds that hid them from him. He came back empty handed, still unable to feel anything. The wall still separated him from his emotions. He couldn't get past it, no matter how hard he tried. Kit didn't even know why he tried to reach them. He didn't care that his emotions were missing.
Once Kit finished his breakfast, he cleared his plate and went to the training room. Last night had been crazy. Julian was right about the increased demonic activity. There had been demons lurking around every corner. In many situations he was outnumbered. There were large groups of demons that he fought alone. He had gotten numerous scratches on his arms, but an iratze had healed them.
Kit practiced throwing knives at the targets in the room. He was still working on that with Jem. The knives hit the target with a loud thunk. He kept throwing knives, working on his stance and aim. When he threw knives, he'd often miss the target.
After practicing for a few hours, he ran laps around the training room. Kit started off at a reasonable speed so he could run for longer. Sweat was dripping down his face after a few laps. Kit quickly wiped his forehead before the sweat dripped into his eyes.
Once he was done running, Kit walked over to the climbing rope in the middle of the room. Kit looked up to where the rope dangled from the ceiling and back down to the ground. It would be a long way down if he fell. Kit grabbed onto the rope and began pulling himself up it. His hands burned as the rope rubbed against them. The rope was old and some parts of it were thin and could easily snap, which would send Kit tumbling back to the ground.
He continued scrambling up the rope, legs wrapped tightly around it to prevent him from falling. His arms felt weak after throwing all of those knives, and he was already exhausted from running, but he continued climbing the rope. Soon enough, he was at the top of the rope. Kit lowered himself onto the rafters and let his legs dangle over the edge. He could see the whole training room from up there. Normally, heights like that scared Kit, but he didn't feel anything. Being on the rafters felt the same as being on the ground.
Blisters were forming on Kit's burning hands. There were two on his right hand and one on his left. He winced. He should've climbed the rope with gloves on to protect his hands. Kit took one last look at the training room below him before climbing down the rope. Just as Kit's feet touched the ground, the training room doors flew open. Dru sprinted over to Kit.
"There are demons outside of the Institute!" she said.
"How many?"
"Do you think I had the time to count?" She thought for a moment. "There's about two-hundred."
"But, demons never fight in groups like that."
"That's what I was thinking! Someone must've summoned them or something!"
Two-hundred demons. Kit and the Blackthorns were greatly outnumbered. Mina and Tavvy couldn't fight, so that left Helen, Aline, Mark, Ty, Dru, Emma, Julian, and Kit. It was likely that they would lose, but they had to try. Kit raced to his room to change into his gear. Once he did that, he sprinted to the weapons room and stocked up on weapons for the battle. There were two-hundred demons out there. Kit would need a lot of weapons.
He met Dru and the other Blackthorns in the kitchen. The room was filled with people's voices. Everyone was ready for battle. The only thing Kit needed was runes. Ty quickly marked him with all of the runes he would need and Kit returned the favor. They looked out the window and saw rows of all kinds of demons waiting for them. Ty put his headphones on and fidgeted with one of his throwing knives.
"Everyone!" Julian yelled, silencing the room. "There are a lot of demons out there and only a few of us. I called for backup, but they aren't here yet. We're going to go outside and start fighting off the demons. I need everyone to stick together and help one another. I will not be losing anyone today, do you hear me? Fight in groups and keep each other safe. Do you understand?" Julian was answered with a chorus of yesses. He smiled grimly. "Let's go get those demons!"
Kit followed the Blackthorns to the Institute doors and watched as they opened, revealing rows upon rows of demons. There were definitely more than two-hundred demons. Kit estimated that there were about five-hundred demons, maybe more. He grabbed a seraph blade from his weapons belt and whispered, "Gabriel." Kit heard whispered names and saw seraph blades shine brightly in the night sky. The Shadowhunters stepped out of the Institute and charged at the demons.
Kit sprinted towards a Raum demon. He swung at the creature with his seraph blade, barely missing one of its tentacles. Kit ducked under three tentacles just before they began to wrap around him. The demon wrapped a tentacle around Kit's hand, forcing him to drop the seraph blade. Kit struggled out of the demon's grip, knowing that its tentacles had rows of poisonous teeth. He quickly examined his arm. The demon hadn't left a mark. Kit searched for his seraph blade, but in all of the chaos, he couldn't find it. He reached into his weapons belt and searched for another blade. The Raum demon kept swinging at him, making it difficult to grab his weapon. He kept his distance from the Raum demon, but it kept moving closer. The demon swung its tentacles at him and Kit leaped over them, spiraling like an arrow shot from a bow. His hand landed on a seraph blade and he pulled it out of his weapons belt.
"Ithuriel!" he shouted. The blade lit up, brighter than before as he slashed at the demon, dropping out of his spiral to the ground. The demon screeched and disappeared in a splash of ichor. Kit jumped away from the ichor before it landed on his skin. He looked around and saw demons everywhere. Emma and Julian were fighting a group of Mantid demons. Mark, Helen, and Aline were fighting a Behemoth demon. Ty and Dru were fighting Ravener demons. The Shadowhunters were greatly outnumbered and backup still hadn't come.
"Kit!" Dru's voice called. She and Ty were surrounded by Ravener demons and seemed to be struggling.
Kit fought through the crowd of demons to reach them. When he finally made it, a Raum demon stepped in front of him. He looked for a way around it, but more Raum demons moved to block his way. Kit looked in every direction and realized that he was surrounded.
***
Ty threw a dagger at the Ravener demon in front of him. The dagger hit its mark and the demon screeched before disappearing in a splash of ichor. The Ravener demons tightened their circle, making up for the loss of one. Neither Ty nor Dru had been hurt, but it was getting difficult to dodge multiple scorpion-like tails at once. Ty jumped over a tail as it swung at him. He turned to check on his sister and realized that while he had been distracted, the demons had created a separate circle around her.
Dru was cutting down demons with a seraph blade, trying to reach him, but the demons just closed the circle whenever one of them disappeared. Ty fought to make an opening in the now tiny circle of Ravener demons. He didn't like the thought of the circle getting much smaller. It would be almost impossible for him to avoid getting stung by one of the demons. Ty grabbed a bunch of daggers from his weapons belt and threw them, spinning around in a circle. He hit each demon, causing them to disappear in a splash of ichor. Music played in his ears to help him focus on the battle.
Ty ran over to Dru and realized that she was no longer alone. She had another Shadowhunter helping her. Backup had come. Ty threw daggers at one side of the demon circle. Dru took care of the other side. Once she was finished, she quickly thanked the other Shadowhunter and looked over at Kit worriedly. He was surrounded by Raum demons and one of them already had him wrapped up in its tentacles. He was kicking viciously at the demon, but it had no effect. He couldn't reach his weapons belt and seemed to have lost his seraph blade. The demons formed a circle around the Raum holding Kit and began to walk away, the other demons following behind.
The Shadowhunters looked around confusedly as the demons retreated. Ty chased after them, searching for the circle of Raum demons holding Kit. Dru followed him, seraph blade at the ready. They fought the demons in their way, desperate to reach Kit. Eventually, they made it to the circle of Raum demons. Ty leaped into the circle and threw daggers at all of the demons. Most of them dodged the knives, but some screeched in pain and disappeared. Ty reached into his weapons belt for more daggers and realized that he had run out. He grabbed a seraph blade instead and quickly named it. Dru had already defeated two of the demons, but there were still five left and the one holding Kit.
"Distract them while I free Kit!" Ty called to Dru over the noise of the demons. She nodded and turned to face the Raum demons, swinging her seraph blade in her hand. Ty lunged at the demon holding Kit, swinging his seraph blade at its tentacles. The Raum dodged the blade and sprinted into the crowd of demons. Ty chased after it, praying to the Angel that he could save Kit.
Ty saw Kit's golden hair through the clusters of demons and followed it. He eventually found the Raum demon and attacked it from behind. It screeched, losing its grip on Kit. Kit kicked the demon as he fell to the ground, landing with a thud. Ty looked around to make sure the demon was gone. It had disappeared. He returned to Kit and offered him his hand.
"Are you alright?" Ty asked, lifting Kit off of the ground.
"Yeah," he said, panting.
"Good, because we have to get out of here."
***
Julian searched frantically for his siblings. Emma was beside him, holding his hand, keeping him partially calm. Tavvy and Mina were inside. He knew that. Helen and Aline were by the Institute doors, waiting for him to return with everyone else. Mark had gone inside after the fight to check on Mina and Tavvy. The only people he couldn't find were Dru, Ty, and Kit.
"I'm sure they're fine," Emma said, her voice cracking on the word fine. Julian knew she was just saying that to comfort him. She was probably just as stressed as he was. Julian's finger traced letters on Emma's arm.
A-R-E Y-O-U O-K-A-Y-?
She nodded. "Let's just find them, alright?"
Julian and Emma searched the yard for any sign of Dru, Kit, and Ty. They found nothing. The only place they hadn't looked was the army of demons.
"Do you think—?"
"Yes," Julian said, cutting her off. "I think they're stuck fighting the demons."
They sprinted towards the demons, weapons ready. Julian shot arrows at the demons with his crossbow while Emma fought them with Cortana. Julian saw a glint of golden light and pointed it out to Emma. They raced over to it, hoping they had found Kit, Ty, and Dru. Julian's heart skipped a beat when he saw his siblings and Kit. They were alive and unharmed. He sighed in relief.
"This way!" Emma said, beckoning for everyone to follow her. Julian waited for everyone to pass him and then followed, protecting the group from behind. The demons didn't seem to notice them. They continued walking away which left a lot less work for Julian. He would defend the group no matter what, but it was a lot easier if he didn't have to do any fighting. Soon enough, they had made it back to the Institute. Helen ran over to the group and hugged everyone.
"I'm so glad everyone is okay!"
Julian smiled. "Me too. Our backup came a little late, but we did well on our own."
"Did anyone else find it odd that the demons retreated in the middle of the battle once they had Kit?" Ty asked.
Julian's smile vanished. "What happened?"
"Raum demons captured Kit and almost got away."
Emma reached out for his hand and squeezed it tightly, letting him know that she was there for him. Julian thought for a moment. "Raum demons are often sent to retrieve people. I don't find it unusual that they walked away with Kit. The thing I don't understand is why whoever summoned these demons sent so many of them."
"Exactly my point," Ty said, gray eyes flashing in the light. "They didn't need to send hundreds of demons to retrieve one person."
Julian knew Ty was afraid. He could see it in the way his hands fluttered by his sides, and the way his eyes darted around searching for any sign of danger. Julian knew his brother. He was ready to protect not only his family, but Kit. He had been worried when Kit didn't return to the Institute after being out for hours. His brother hated the idea of losing another person that was important to him. He had almost lost Kit again when the Raum demons carried him away.
Julian wanted to tell Ty that everything would be okay, but he couldn't. More demons could come and take Kit away again. There was only so much they could Julian could do to protect him. He couldn't tell Ty that. Julian was sure that thought had already gone through his head. Ty was smart. He knew that more demons were coming. Julian didn't know what to say to his family.
"Since the demons didn't get what they came for, more demons will be sent to the Institute," Julian said, putting as much strength into his voice as he could. "When they come back, Kit will stay inside the Institute, away from the battle." Julian was surprised when he didn't hear any protests from Kit. "I will call in more backup and tell them to be ready for when we need them."
Everyone nodded. Kit sat in silence, unmoving. Julian assumed it was because of the Raum demons. Maybe he was in shock. Julian held back a sigh. His family had fought hundreds of demons, alone. Backup hadn't come until the battle was almost over. What if they hadn't come at all? What if he hadn't found Ty, Dru, and Kit? Julian pushed those thoughts away. Thinking of what could have happened didn't help him at all. His family was safe and that was all that mattered.
***
Kit couldn't stop thinking about the battle. He had been captured by Raum demons and hadn't felt any fear. The only reason he fought to free himself was instinct. Kit's old self would have fought even more desperately. He would have been terrified. Kit knew he should've felt something when he saw Ty and Dru surrounded by Ravener demons, but he hadn't. He knew that they were in danger, but he hadn't felt anything.
The only thing Kit did feel was empty and blank. He knew that he should feel frightened when Ty was in danger, but he didn't. He felt nothing. He knew he should feel love for Mina and the Blackthorns, but that love was gone. Kit knew he had loved them, but he didn't feel that way anymore. Magnus had ripped that away from him, just as he'd asked.
Kit remembered blue sparks dancing on Magnus's fingertips. He remembered the blue fire that filled the room. He remembered seeing Magnus's sad face before closing his eyes. Kit had felt so many emotions in that moment. He had been afraid of what would happen next. He had been relieved that no one else he loved would be harmed because of his magic. So many thoughts had been running through his head. Now, his emotions were gone. He didn't know how to feel about that, because he couldn't feel anything. Kit decided to go up to the roof for some fresh air. He opened the bedroom door and Ty fell backwards into the room. He quickly got up off the ground, blushing slightly.
"Hi, Kit!" Livvy said, floating into his room.
"Hey."
"Is something wrong?"
Kit shook his head. He felt the same as usual, blank. "I'm fine."
Livvy looked at him quizzically. "If you say so. You know you can tell us anything, right?"
"Yeah," he said automatically. Kit knew that that was what Livvy wanted to hear. She smiled.
"We'll always be here for you, Kit."
Kit feigned a smile. "Thanks. So, why are you here?"
"Livvy wanted to make sure you're okay," Ty said. "And, dinner's ready."
Kit looked out his window and realized that it was almost dark. He hadn't noticed that before. "I'll be down in a few minutes." Ty nodded and left, Livvy following close behind.
***
Ty ate the chicken on his plate without saying a word to anybody. Kit wasn't talking much, and Ty couldn't think of what to say to start a conversation with him. The chicken was decent. It didn't have much flavor, but it was acceptable. Julian had almost forgotten about dinner until Ty reminded him, so he just cooked chicken in the oven. It was simple and easy. Ty finished the chicken and cleared his plate, washing it in the sink. He returned to the table and saw that Kit still hadn't talked to anyone.
Ty knew something was wrong. He tried to read Kit's facial expressions, but he couldn't. His face was blank. Ty searched for the emotions that always hid behind his blue eyes. Nothing. His eyes were dull and empty. Ty felt like Kit was slipping away from him again, but he was still there. He was still there, but not at the same time. It was like someone had taken everything that made Kit himself and thrown it away. It frightened Ty to see Kit like this.
Ty knew he was the only one to notice this about Kit. Everyone else seemed to think he was the same, but a few days ago, something about him changed. He couldn't tell anyone about this. They wouldn't believe him. Kit couldn't have become a different person overnight. The only thing Ty was sure about was that if he didn't figure out what had happened soon, he could lose Kit. He could lose his Watson.
ΔΙΑΒΑΖΕΙΣ
Falling to Pieces(Kit and Ty)
Fanfiction**Spoilers** This story takes place after Ghosts of the Shadow Market/Queen of Air and Darkness. Kit is still living with Jem, Tessa, and their baby. Ty is at the Scholomance, taking care of Irene, his pet Carpathian Lynx. **Note** The cover art is...
