Hi everyone! I am so incredibly sorry for the gap in updates. Some stuff happened shortly after I posted the last chapter, and it's take up pretty much all of my mental energy to deal with it. I can't promise my updates will get more frequent yet, but I am still working on this and will update when I can.

Thank you all for your kind words and feedback. I appreciate all of it and it makes me feel better!

….

Kit woke up to an empty bed and found it strange; Dalton didn't usually leave before Kit was awake. In any case, Kit was somewhat grateful. He had a vague recollection of dreaming, but the more he grasped for it, the more it eluded him. Whatever it had been about though, it left him feeling agitated and on edge.

He did his best to put it out of his mind. He had phone calls to make and other business to attend to regarding a certain warlock and a magical ring. He called Magnus as he headed to his own room to change. The warlock answered on the second ring. "I do hope this is a friendly, how's it going type of phone call?"

"Maybe?" Kit responded.

Magnus sighed, unconvinced. "Fine, spill."

"I'm in need of your assistance. Like, today."

Kit could almost feel Magnus rolling his eyes on the other end of the line. "You are all so lucky that I'm in love with a Shadowhunter. Seriously, what would you do without me?"

"Likely be dead, honestly," he said, recalling the incident at the London Shadow Market when Barnabas Hale threatened to make an example of them, and Livvy had been injured. Then Magnus had swooped in and saved their asses, just in time.

"You do have a knack for getting yourself into very bad situations," he agreed. "I'll be there in an hour. I have matters to attend to here first."

"Okay. Thanks Magnus."

"Oh, don't thank me yet."

Kit laughed and hung up, feeling a small weight lift from his shoulders. He took the quickest shower of his life before heading down to the kitchen.

Everyone except Dalton, Kit observed curiously, was bustling around the kitchen, drinking coffee and eating breakfast. Kit was relieved to see Ty eating something other than chips. Ty glanced up at him from the counter and smiled, and suddenly the images of his dream swept through his mind—images of that night at Lake Lyn, only this time it was different.

I love you, Ty. I love you.

Kit had said it again in his dream. And this time Ty had listened. It was the only thing Kit had ever wanted.

Kit poured himself a steaming mug of coffee, determined to distract himself from the recollection, and informed everyone that Magnus would be arriving before heading up to the study. He spread out the investigation files, took out the ominous ring, and set to writing up a report on the encounter the night before.

Before he knew it, an hour had passed, his coffee was long gone and Magnus appeared in the doorway with Ty. Magnus was dressed splendidly, as always, in a deep purple suit. The jacket was open, revealing a metallic gold button up shirt and sequined bow tie. Various rings adorned his fingers and he looked ready to model for an issue of Vogue. Kit made a conscious effort not to gape at the site.

"Tiberius filled me in on the way up here," Magnus said casually.

Kit noticed the slight flicker of annoyance in Ty's eyes at the use of his given name. It was the same way Kit felt whenever someone called him Christopher.

"Is this the ring in question?" he gestured to the gaudy item on the desk. Kit nodded and Magnus picked it up, holding it between his black nail-polished fingers. "Just as I suspected."

Kit started at that. "What do you mean?"

"This, my dear friend, is the Ring of Dispel."

For a moment, Kit felt like he'd been magically transported into the Lord of the Rings. A mental image of Magnus dressed up like Gandalf formed in his mind and he bit back his laughter. Ty stared at him curiously, seeing the small smirk that had formed on his face.

Collecting himself, he asked, "So you know what it does then?"

"Oh yes." Magnus explained that the ring was once created by a Byzantine clan to be a protective artifact against witches, preventing its wearer from being spelled or enchanted, but that it had once fallen into the hands of an ancient warlock who sought to turn it into a weapon against those who wished him harm. Instead of cancelling out magic used against the wearer, it became a weapon to nullify the magic of the wielder entirely. "It is rumored that it was spelled to remain stuck on the hand of whoever bore it."

Kit and Ty paled at the same time, but it was Ty who spoke, while he fiddled with the hem of his sweatshirt sleeve. "It seems that particular enchantment has either worn off or never existed in the first place."

"How do you—ah, you put it on, didn't you?"

"We both did," Kit nodded. He shuddered at the memory. "It made me feel…empty. Incomplete."

Magnus nodded and glanced between Kit and Ty with an unspoken question in his eyes.

"Don't worry. Ty knows everything now," Kit answered. "Dru also knows."

At that, Ty's pointed eyebrows lifted, but he didn't say anything.

"Anyone else?"

Kit shifted his gaze away from Magnus and began intently studying his fingernails. "I may or may not have accidentally revealed my magic to the vampire we were tracking last night…" he admitted.

"Kit."

"I know, I know. I need to be more careful. To be fair, it's not like I can control it."

"I may be able to help with that," Magnus mused. "Though to be honest, I'm not sure why I didn't think of it sooner."

"You don't have to convince me. Whatever it is, I'm in."

"Anger is your trigger, yes?"

Kit was thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, among other things."

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that."

Kit glanced at Ty, then away very quickly, feeling a little embarrassed. "Well, intense emotions in general. Anger, distress...fear. Last night I was afraid of Ty getting hurt and angry when the vampire attacked him."

Magnus' mouth curled up into a small smile, as if he was witness to some inside joke that Kit wasn't aware of. "Give me your mother's necklace."

Kit did as he was told, dropping the heron pendant into Magnus' palm. Magnus placed his other hand atop the necklace and closed his eyes, murmuring an enchantment. When he was done, he dangled the pendant from his fingers and Kit and Ty watched in awe as the heron changed from silver to gold right in front of their eyes.

"Here. I've put a simple charm on it. It will help take the edge off your emotions, just enough so you can remain in control. You don't have to wear it all the time, but perhaps it would be best to wear it anytime you leave the institute?"

Kit slipped it on, and felt a soft wave of serenity wash over him, like a comforting blanket. "I owe you, Magnus."

"Hakuna Matata." Magnus clapped his hands together and plopped down in a chair by the fireplace, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. "Back to business, shall we?"

Ty took the seat across from Magnus, sitting in an odd position with his knees hugged against his chest and his chin resting gently on his knees. Kit thought Ty looked exhausted and considered telling him to go rest, but decided against it knowing Ty would refuse anyway.

Ty hadn't spoken much either, which wasn't unusual, but Kit couldn't help wondering what was going through his beautiful, brilliant mind.

"So how should we handle Hypatia?" Kit asked.

"I think the three of us should meet her tonight, as she requested. We need whatever information she is offering us, but we also can't give up the ring," Ty said.

"I'll deal with Hypatia. She hates it, but I still have authority over her as the warlock representative. Also, since the ring doesn't actually belong to anyone, she has no claim to it. The clave can arrest her if she doesn't comply."

"How did the Ring of Dispel end up in a vault at Hatton Gardens?"

"Simple. I put it there," the warlock shrugged. "Curious though that she knew about it. I suspect that she's working with someone else."

"Like who?" Kit wondered.

"The Cohort, perhaps? Or the Seelie queen?" Ty suggested.

"Likely. We have yet to figure out any of the Cohort's plans," Magnus agreed, looking at Ty. Ty shifted in his seat, avoiding both gazes on him.

"Ty?" Kit asked.

He looked up at him then, eyes shifting and fingers fluttering slightly. "There are some things I haven't told you yet. From my journals. I wasn't keeping it from you, there just hasn't been time."

Magnus waved a hand. "There will be time for that later."

Kit nodded. He wanted to reassure Ty that he wasn't upset with him. But Magnus was right, now was not the time. It was, however, time to formulate their plan.

…

Dru could hardly contain herself. The moment Kit and Ty informed her they wanted her along on their mission, she rushed back to her room to change into her gear. She had previously been in the library with Jaime and Thais, researching the most haunted locations in London and making plans to check them out.

However, despite the fact that she typically enjoyed the company of her two best friends, she found herself quickly becoming annoyed by their relentless flirting. They had never kissed in front of her, but she could have cut the tension in the room with a knife. She didn't even know what they had or had not done together, and found that she didn't want to know, either.

It wasn't that she didn't like them dating, or whatever they were since they hadn't made anything official yet. It just did nothing to help ease the feeling that she didn't fit in anywhere and never would. She constantly struggled with her self-image, and even though Dru had snagged a good-looking guy to dance with at the club, it wasn't something that happened often for her. For Thais and Jaime, it was just second nature. They were both attractive, charming and outgoing and there were times she felt she was completely unwanted in their company.

She had expressed as much, and in true Jaime fashion, he had responded in a way that made her want to cut his tongue out.

"Amiga, you're just jealous."

He had taken it back almost immediately, realizing that it was uncalled for, but Dru found that she couldn't let it go that easily and was grateful for the opportunity to go on mission to keep her busy.

It didn't keep the thoughts at bay though, and she found herself thinking about Kit and Dalton and Ty, and how complicated Kit's emotions had to be, all things considered. She was proud of Kit and her brother for finally making amends, but she was worried about Dalton getting hurt. He was her friend too, and though she was rooting for Kit and Ty-well, mostly Ty-to realize that they were both stupidly in love with each other, her heart went out to Dalton.

She was no expert on relationships, but she sure was witness to far too much denial and avoidance. As far as Dru was concerned, she was the only sane one in the institute, and the only one focused more on being a Shadowhunter than being in a relationship. She couldn't speak for Ty, though. She didn't even pretend to have an inkling of what was going on in his head.

Whatever.

She put it all out of her mind and focused on getting ready for the mission.

She was in the weapons room now, Marking her short swords so they were glamoured against mundane eyes. She made sure to tuck some silver and iron blades into her belt as well, wanting to be as helpful and prepared as possible.

"Dru," said a voice from the doorway. It belonged to Dalton. Her earlier thoughts came back to her and s felt a pang at the realization that she hadn't had much of a chance to talk to him lately.

"Oh, hey Dalton. What's up?"

"I need to talk to you. I think you're the only one I can talk to about this."

Dru set down her weapons for the moment, noting the clear anxiety in his body language. He paced back and forth, not making eye contact with her. "Okay? What's going on?"

Dalton finally walked up to her and picked up one of the daggers, fiddling with it as he searched for the right words to say.

"Is it about Kit?"

"He said something in his sleep last night," Dalton blurted. "And I haven't been able to get it out of my mind." She knew instinctively that whatever Kit said in his sleep was something Dalton didn't want to hear. She reached out for his hand and he took it, squeezing tightly as he told her. "He said 'I love you, Ty. I love you.'' And I don't know what to do about it." He turned away and ran his palms through his hair impatiently.

Denial and avoidance, indeed.

"Please be honest with me, Dru. Does Kit have feelings for Ty?"

She was silent for a moment too long, which Dalton took to mean that Kit did, in fact, have feelings for Ty. He began to back away but she didn't let him leave.

"Dalton. I don't know how Kit feels now. Their history is complicated…" she tugged on one of her braids frustratedly, not wanting to lie, but knowing she couldn't be entirely truthful either. It was obvious to her that Kit still felt something for Ty, but Kit was also one of the most loyal people she had ever met. "Ty didn't return Kit's feelings. Then he went to Devon, and Ty went to the Scholomance. And now we're here." Dru saw the flash of anger on Dalton's face upon learning just how Ty had hurt Kit. "I think you need to talk to Kit, Dalton. I can't give you the answers you are searching for."

As if right on cue, Kit entered the weapons room with Ty alongside him. Dru was instantly worried that Dalton would confront Kit right then and there. If he did, she would drag Ty out of the room before Dalton throttled him. But she needn't have worried. Dalton simply strode back out the door without a word or a glance at the others.

Kit approached Dru with a concerned and confused expression. "What on earth just happened?"

Dru kept her mouth shut, shaking her head.

"Dru. I know you know. What was that all about?"

She shook her head more vehemently. "I can't tell you."

"Bloody hell."

Ty chortled beside them, catching both of their attention. "I think London is rubbing off on you."

Dru couldn't help but laugh along with her brother, but the murderous look on Kit's face didn't disappear.

"Ugh, fine. Kit, come here," she dragged him away from Ty, who busied himself with his weapons anyway, with a still amused expression on his face. "Kit. I don't want to tell you because you need to stay focused."

"Dru. I will be fine. Tell me."

She sighed. "You may or may not have said something in your sleep last night…"

Kit's face paled. She didn't blame him. "Please tell me it's not what I think it is?"

"I don't fucking know what you're thinking so I can't very well tell you that, can I?"

"I was dreaming about that night. When I said some things," he whispered pointedly.

Dru nodded, and Kit's face fell. She actually felt bad for him. He couldn't exactly help what he dreamed about or what he happened to say in his sleep. And it was clear that he cared about Dalton, despite the complicatedness of everything else.

"Shit, shit, shit."

He looked to be on the verge of a panic attack, which was exactly what Dru was hoping to prevent by not telling him.

"Kit, you will just have to talk to him."

Ty came up to them then, an equally panicked look on his face at seeing Kit's distress. They are all disasters, what the fuck, she thought exasperatedly. Dru was ready to put them all on time out.

"Kit, are you—? What do you need?"

Dru watched as Kit looked up at Ty then. It was a strange sight, to see the way Ty looked directly at Kit. She wondered if Ty even realized that Kit was the only person he did that with. It wasn't the first time Dru had observed how Ty acted with Kit, but Ty's tone and body language were almost intimate. Careful. Purposeful. Those weren't the behaviors of a person who didn't have feelings for someone else.

Oh, the denial. She rolled her eyes.

She heard Kit say, "I'm okay, Ty. I just need a minute."

Ty walked with Dru back to the wall; Ty glancing back at Kit one more time before refocusing on his blades. Dru observed with interest as Ty sharpened his karambits.

"May I?" she asked and he nodded as she reached out to pick up one of the blades. She almost swooned; they were gorgeous daggers. Curved to fit perfectly in the palm of the hand, they were made from layers of Damascus steel, runed as most Shadowhunter weapons were. "These are beautiful, Ty," she breathed. She found she was envious. She wanted a signature weapon of her own. Maybe her and Thais could choose weapons together to celebrate their upcoming parabatai ceremony.

"Thanks," he said, a bit sheepishly.

"Where did you get them?" She handed the dagger back reluctantly.

"There was a student at the Scholomance from the Jakarta Institute. We went on mission there about a year ago."

Dru wanted to ask what sort of mission had sent them to Indonesia, but knew that Centurion missions tended to be kept secret. It wouldn't pay to ask, because he probably couldn't tell her anyway.

"He had a set of karambits and I guess I liked the way they felt, so I had him take me to a shop when we were there. I think I sort of fell in love with these when I saw them."

"I don't think I've ever heard you talk that way about anything, except maybe animals," she mused.

"I don't know," he shrugged, gazing at them fondly. "They're just special."

Kit rejoined them then and appeared to have regained his composure. Ty's gaze flicked to him worriedly, and then relaxed.

"Did the necklace work?"

Dru didn't know what Ty was talking about.

Kit tugged his heron necklace from under his gear. She could have sworn it used to be silver. "Yes, having a warlock to help with magical maladies is quite useful. Wish I didn't need it though."

"Can't always get what we want," Dru muttered, more to herself than anything. "Runes?"

"I'll do my own," Kit said.

Ty looked at him curiously, looked like he was about to ask why, then decided against it. Dru had always been curious about it as well, but since Kit had told her everything that one day, she now fully understood why he didn't let others Mark him and why he wasn't about to let Ty do it now. Especially with whatever was going on with Dalton.

So Ty and Dru spent the next few minutes placing runes on each other's skin. When they were all done they checked each other over and retreated to the front hall to meet Magnus, with a shimmering portal already summoned.

Kit looked to Ty, who had his phone out. "Well, where is our idiot vampire tonight?"

"Greenwich Park."

"Off we go, then," Magnus said merrily, and Dru followed Kit and Ty through the portal, emerging onto a grassy hill. When she righted herself, she exhaled a gasp at the view of the London skyline, colors shining brightly against the darkened sky. It was a clear night, no rain or haze, and when she looked up, the stars took her breath away. She wished she could take the time to enjoy it, but at that moment, a yell sounded from her left, tearing her gaze away from the lovely view.

…

Kit spotted the vampire the moment they stepped through the portal and was already halfway across the grassy knoll when the vampire intercepted his path.

"How are you following me?!" Youngblood seethed with rage. He hissed at Kit, who was still reeling from the vampire's attack on Ty the previous night.

"Seriously? You haven't figured it out yet?" Kit taunted. "Where's Hypatia?"

"How am I supposed to know? She finds me, not the other way around!" As if finally remembering Kit's magical display, he began to back away warily. "I'm getting the hell out of here."

"Oh, no, you aren't," Magnus called from beside Kit, blasting the vampire with a burst of his own magic, binding his legs and arms together, similar to how he had bound Kit and Ty to that tree in Idris. Damien was rendered motionless, but he could still talk, much to Kit's displeasure.

"I really hope I never see any of you again after tonight."

"Believe me, the feeling is one hundred percent mutual," Kit drawled sarcastically.

"Come now, no need to be so hostile," came a sleek feminine voice from the shadows. Hypatia stepped forward, with her cloaked minions behind her. She had ditched the cloak in favor of a plain black pantsuit. Just like every other time Kit had seen her, she had her bronze hair piled atop her head in a neat bun. Her eyes gleamed in the dark, shining bright stars against dark skin.

"Hypatia."

"Magnus." It was like a foul word the way she said his name. "Always serving your precious Nephilim."

"Is that the only insult you can come up with? I hear you are claiming the Ring of Dispel as your own. You had to have known they would verify that claim with me."

"Oh, I had planned on it," she smirked.

Kit's eyes narrowed as he realized what had happened. They had all walked right into her trap, bound inside a pentagram carved into the hillside.

"You lying piece of shit!" Kit kicked at the bound vampire, also trapped within their magical prison.

"Hypatia, what is the meaning of all this?" Magnus asked calmly, holding out his hand to silence Kit. Kit didn't understand how Magnus could be calm. While his necklace was keeping him in control, he still felt the simmering rage of his magic clawing at his insides, begging to be released.

A cool hand twined around his own and he looked over at Ty in surprise. Ty gave him a sideways glance and squeezed gently, simply letting him know that he was there and they would figure something out. The touch sent a jolt through him, but he didn't have time to reflect on that at the moment.

"Think of it as a warning to quit meddling in Downworld affairs."

"Why do you hate us so much?" spoke Dru. "We have nothing against Downworlders. Don't we all want the same thing? Peace and equality?"

"Do not presume to know what we want, stupid girl."

Kit nearly ripped his necklace off then and there. No one insulted Dru. He didn't even realize he had taken a step forward when Ty's grip tightened and tugged him back.

"Wait," Ty whispered, glancing at Kit's other hand clenching the delicate heron dangling from his neck: Somehow, he knew exactly what Ty was thinking.

"Do not call me a stupid girl." Dru had her short swords in her hands now.

The warlock and her followers laughed. "What do you plan to do with those? They will do you no good from in there."

"Enough. Hypatia, what is it that you want?"

"The Ring of Dispel."

"Why?" asked Ty.

"That is none of your business."

"Like hell it isn't!" Kit snapped.

Hypatia ignored him, fixing her gaze on Magnus. "Hand over the ring Magnus, and nobody gets hurt."

"Do you take me for a fool? You promised information if we gave it to you, now out with it."

Her face contorted into a snarl, "Fine. Allothia, come forward." She beckoned for one of the figures, who pulled down the hood from around her face. She was Seelie. "You wish to know how the Cohort has been spying on the Shadow world from their self-made prison? Allothia, tell them what you told me."

"My Queen has gifted them a scrying glass."

Kit looked at Ty, whose eyes were wide. "Of course, that makes sense. But why?" he asked the faerie.

"I know not the specifics; just that the Cohort has something she wants."

"Enough," Hypatia cut her off.

"And you, Hypatia. What business do you have with the Cohort?"

"I don't have to answer that, I am not a faerie," she replied haughtily. "Now, the ring, if you will."

Magnus dug around in his breast pocket for the ring, and tossed it reluctantly from within the circle. Hypatia caught it in midair, examined it to make sure it was the real thing and tucked it into her own coat pocket, momentarily distracted.

"Now," Ty urged, tugging the necklace from around Kit's neck with a quick snap.

Magic exploded through his fingertips and into his saber as he drew it from its sheath, blazing with a bluish glow. He sliced through the magical barrier, and light exploded in tendrils like lightning, shattering the barrier and freeing them all from Hypatia's trap. He hadn't been certain it was going to work, and had been banking on Hypatia not knowing about his faerie blood. Luckily for them all, he and Ty had silently suspected correctly.

In moments, he was on the warlock, pinning her to the ground with the blade against her throat, before she had a chance to use her abilities. Magnus bound her wrists and murmured an enchantment that likely rendered her powers useless, by the way she sneered at him. Many of her followers fled, all but the faerie girl, who stared at Kit in open shock, before disappearing into a copse of trees.

"So the rumors are true then about the mysterious lost descendant of the First Heir. The Seelie Queen will love this. And by that; I mean that you are as good as dead, Herondale."

The magic surrounding his blade hissed and forked with his emotions, but he didn't let it touch her. He was doing everything in his power to control it, and despite his hatred for Hypatia, he did not want to start a war by unintentionally killing her.

He released her from his grip, sheathing his saber at his hip and retreating a few steps. Warm wisps of magic swarmed around his fists, illuminating the dark and reflecting in her star shaped pupils.

"Magnus, release her."

"Are you certain?"

"I want it to be known that I wish no harm to Downworlders. You are free to go, Hypatia, but let me make this very clear: if you ever try anything like this again, I will not be so forgiving."

She staggered to her feet, glaring at him with all the hatred she could muster. She laughed ruefully, "You're weak. Your father would have had me killed me for threatening you. No wonder he kept you so secluded from the world."

"I am not my father."

"Yes, that I can see."

"And I am not weak."

"We'll see about that."

Her words reminded him of something Arthur Blackthorn had asked him so long ago, "What kind of Herondale will you be? Beautiful, bitter, or both?" In truth, Kit had thought about that question often. He was still figuring it out, but he knew he wanted to be good. He may have been raised by a con man, taught to use tricks and persuasion to get whatever he wanted, but he had learned not to rely solely on that.

Magnus waved his bejeweled fingers, undoing the magical bind on her wrists. "You would also do well to remember that whether you like it or not, I am still the warlock representative of the alliance and whatever you are doing…it will not end well for you if you continue down this path. Give up your grudge against Shadowhunters; work with us instead of against us. I promise it will be far more rewarding in the end."

"Save your frilly Nephilim-loving speech for someone who cares."

Magnus' previous calm dissipated into anger and his cat eyes narrowed to slits. "So be it, then."

"What, nothing more to say?"

"You've made it clear you are not interested," Magnus said coolly. He flicked his hand and removed the remainder of his incantation. "You are free to leave."

"Before I go, do me a favor and remove that tracking device from the poor vampires arm."

At that, Youngblood scowled at Ty and thrashed against his magical bindings. "Nephilim scum! How dare you!"

"By the angel, will you just shut up?" Dru shouted, pointing her blade to the skin over his heart.

Hypatia chuckled darkly before creating a portal next to her, shimmering dark purples and blues swirling in the center. She stepped toward it, and turned back for only a moment to say, "Wish I could say I'm sorry about the recent deaths of your beloved Shadowhunters, but I'm not. I'll have to thank the vigilante next time I see him."

"Wait—!" The four of them yelled in unison, but she had already disappeared, along with the portal.

Him? Well, that was more than what they had gathered since the murder occurred. Kit suddenly had the thought that he should have killed her when he had the chance.

Kit turned on the vampire. "You. What do you know about the vigilante? And I recommend you tell me the truth before I actually turn your eyeballs into cake pops."

"Oooh, can I help?" Dru volunteered beside him, wiggling the blade towards his face.

"He's all yours if he doesn't tell us what he knows."

Damien looked from one face to the next, all towering over him; he had genuine fear in his eyes. Kit's blue orbs of light still swirled angrily in the palms of his hands, casting an iridescent pallor over the vampire's already pallid skin.

"I swear, I don't know anything about him! I've never even seen him or heard of him until now!"

"You've never noticed anyone strange hanging around Hypatia? Someone who maybe keeps to themselves and doesn't show their face?"

"That's half of Hypatia's followers!"

Kit knew instinctively that he was telling the truth.

"Ty, take out the tracking device. Release him when it's done, Magnus," he sighed, feeling suddenly very depleted of energy. He looked around, searching for the heron necklace.

Ty held it out to him in the palm of his hand. "Turn around." Kit did as he was told, unable to argue about anything anymore. He felt Ty's cool touch as he slid the necklace around his throat, his fingers gently grazing the nape of his neck as he secured what remained of the clasp. He shivered and told himself that it was just a chill from the cool night air.

The comforting calm washed over him again and soothed the fire within him. He paid no heed to the others; could no longer focus on anything but the fog forming in his mind. Kit stumbled and found himself in a pair of sturdy arms.

"Woah there," Dru said softly, lowering him to the grass. "I got you."

Kit looked up at her through half-lidded eyes. "You're the best, Dru," he mumbled, and the world went black.

….

"Um, guys? A little help here," Ty heard Dru say while he was removing the tracking device from Youngblood's forearm.

He glanced over at Kit, collapsed in his sister's arms, and felt his heart sink into his stomach like a lead weight. He hastily pulled the chip from the Downworlder's arm and rushed to Kit's side. Magnus waved his hands in the vampire's direction, releasing the bonds that held him. Then he was gone.

Ty pulled out his stele, pulling the collar of his shirt down just enough to draw an iratze near his heart. It began to disappear before he even finished. Every worst-case scenario flashed through his mind, each more unbearable than the last. "Why isn't it working?"

"Too much faerie magic coursing through his veins," Magnus said simply. Within moments, he had a portal summoned and Ty and Dru were carrying Kit between them through to the grand entry.

Dalton came flying down the stairs and into the hall, immediately taking Ty's place. The action made Ty feel angry, which only served to heighten his building anxiety.

He had known it would be a risk—Kit using that much of his magic. But they'd dared risk it anyway.

He barely recalled entering the infirmary or anything after that, until Magnus pulled him from the room and into the hall.

"Tiberius, are you listening to me?"

He wasn't. The noise in his head was too much. The constricting feeling in his chest too heavy. He was approaching a panic attack, and the two people who could effectively help him calm down were either dead or unconscious. And he didn't know where Shadow was.

Magnus put a hand to his chest and Ty revolted at the touch. But Magnus held firm, whispering words of comfort, muttering something that Ty couldn't understand. He felt a warm sensation flow into his chest and through his veins, calming the storm that raged inside. The noise in his head quieted and the hall came into focus again.

Magnus pulled his hand back. "I didn't mean to startle you, Ty. I apologize for invaded your personal space, but I know a panic attack when I see one..." he trailed off.

Ty nodded mutely. He should thank Magnus for whatever he just did to ease the panic, but the words wouldn't form. Instead, his fingers fluttered gently at his sides and he fumbled for his headphone cord, needing something to ground him.

"He's okay, Tiberius. Just a classic case of magical energy depletion from lack of training." Ty realized that Magnus was attempting to lighten the mood, however it wasn't exactly helpful. It was honest though, which Ty appreciated. "Dalton is staying with him now, which proved to be more of an inconvenience than anything, since he doesn't know."

Ty had wondered about that—how Kit could be in a relationship with someone who didn't know who he truly was. More than that though, he wondered what made Kit trust him with the secret more than his own boyfriend.

"Get some rest, Ty. He'll be a little weak; but he will be fine by morning."

"Thank you, Magnus," he finally managed to say. "How long will you be in London?"

"A few days, I reckon."

Ty nodded assent, and retreated to his own room. Anxiety still lingered, leaving him exhausted, but he was determined to write down his observations from the evening. He took out his journal, flipping to the page where he had jotted down notes about Kit's lineage.

So far, they knew very little about what Kit was capable of; he had made the steeds of the Riders of Mannan disappear, was able to cut through magical barriers, but without being able to control how much he used...it was still far too unstable.

Volatile, even.

And Ty was going to help him.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Livvy," he breathed. "Where have you been?"

"Hanging around with Jessamine."

Right. He told himself not to be annoyed that she was spending more time with another spirit than him. At least she hadn't left London.

A scratching sound came from the door. He got up and opened the door, letting Shadow into the room. She hopped up onto the bed and curled up beside him. Ty smiled, grateful for her and Livvy's presence. Livvy floated up onto the mattress, wiggling her fingers playfully in front of the lynx. She lifted her eyes lazily, and then ignored Livvy.

"Fine, don't play with me," Livvy pouted. "You didn't answer my question. What are you working on?"

"Just trying to figure out how I can help Kit with his faerie magic," he said tiredly. "And keep him safe."

If Ty had thought it was dangerous when Kit told him the night before, it was exponentially more dangerous now.

Livvy gazed at him curiously for a while. "I'm glad you two have patched things up."

He nodded, looking at Livvy closely; nothing strange had happened since they came to London. But that didn't mean anything. Strange things had happened, when they were testing the limits of their connection back at the Scholomance.

He focused on something else. Whatever the consequences were for what he did to bring Livvy back; it didn't matter. What mattered was Kit.

"Why don't you do some testing with him? The way you and I did…"

Ty took some time to think about it. "You're right. We could find out what his limits are; what he's capable of...if he is able to use it without emotional triggers. But he would have to tell everyone here. No, that's too risky," he said decidedly.

"I think you should let him make that choice for himself."

He dragged a hand through his hair, wishing for an easy solution. He huffed in irritation at his own thoughts. Life didn't run on wishes. If it did, his mother wouldn't have died of cancer, his father wouldn't have been turned into an Endarkened, and Annabel wouldn't have killed his twin.

No, the only way to effect any sort of outcome was with tangible, quantitative measures. It went against his instincts to bring more people into the mix, but he would let it be Kit's choice.

"Okay, Livvy."

….

Kit opened his eyes to a stark white brightness surrounding him and a weight resting on his arm. The weight was Dalton, sleeping soundly. He wriggled his fingers, only to discover they were also asleep.

Dalton stirred at the motion, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, before they came to rest on Kit. "How are you feeling?"

"Hey," Kit said quietly, shifting to sit up, as he recalled the events of the night before. "I feel fine, just tired. I wasn't sure if you were gonna be here when I woke." Dalton grabbed for his hand, which caused Kit to groan in pain from the circulation returning to his outer extremity.

Dalton released his hand immediately, resting it on Kit's thigh instead. "Why would you think I wouldn't be here?"

Kit glanced at Dalton and then back down towards his feet, worrying at the edge of the blanket with his other hand. "I know you heard me say some things...in my sleep."

Dalton didn't deny it.

"If you're still angry, I get it."

The other boy sighed. "I'm not. At least, I'm trying not to be," he admitted.

The feeling was returning to Kit's hand, and he reached out to caress Dalton's cheek. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the whole truth. That you had to hear it mumbled in my damn sleep."

"You don't have to apol—"

"I do, Dalton. I didn't tell you the truth about how I felt about Ty, because I was…I don't know, embarrassed, I guess? And I didn't want you to think that him being here now changed anything between you and I."

"I don't think that." Dalton leaned into Kit's hand, his eyes fluttering shut. When he opened them again, his hazel eyes met Kit's with an intensity that made him want to look away. "I told you that I love you, Kit. Don't think you can get rid of me that easily."

Kit smiled in spite of himself. "You're crazy for loving me."

"Maybe," he shrugged, then added, "I don't like that Ty hurt you."

"Dalton, don't."

Kit could see Dalton struggling internally with his anger for a few moments, but he ultimately nodded. "I'll try."

Ty entered the room then, stopping just inside the door and Kit watched Dalton take a deep breath. Ty shifted his gaze between them, settling his gray eyes on a spot on the wall behind Kit. "Can I talk to you?"

Kit beckoned him in. "Of course."

"Privately." Ty glanced at Dalton for a brief moment.

Dalton tensed visibly, hand clenching in the blanket draped over Kit's leg. "I'm okay, Dalton."

"Alright," he replied hesitantly. He rose from his seat and stooped to place a kiss on Kit's forehead. When he looked up, Ty's focus was anywhere but on the two of them. Dalton reluctantly exited the room, leaving Kit and Ty alone.

"You look better," Ty said, fidgeting with something in his pocket. Kit knew him well enough to guess that it was probably a pipe cleaner. "I was worried."

Kit's stomach filled with a fluttery butterfly feeling. "I've survived worse. Herondales are relatively indestructible," he joked. "Or so I'm told."

The corner of Ty's mouth lifted slightly, but he didn't laugh. "I want to do some testing."

Kit's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Ty took the seat Dalton previously occupied. "When I was at the Scholomance, I took meticulous notes of everything Livvy and I did to test our connection, our limits, and whether or not there were any adverse side effects. I want to help you figure out your magic, learn to control it...so that you can wield it, and not risk depleting your energy every time."

"How?"

"Training. Every day. Until we figure it out. It means telling everyone here, which is a risk, but I'll take the risk with you, if you are willing."

Kit found himself at a loss for words. Hearing Ty say he would support whatever decision he made, and would be there every step of the way, was more than he could ask for. Kit realized that it meant Ty did not intend to leave London anytime soon-that despite everything that had happened between them, they had found a way back to each other.

"If you don't want to, I understand. This is dangerous territory. The more people who know, the less control we have. So much could go wrong." Ty rarely said more than he needed to, but he appeared to not be able to stop himself at the moment.

"Tiberius." Kit rarely, if ever, used Ty's given name and Ty looked up at him with wide eyes. "You're rambling. Why are you rambling?"

"I'm afraid," he said simply.

Kit was afraid, too. This was uncharted territory. Danger had followed him his entire life, but embracing his faerie lineage-using it to his advantage, and putting himself at risk to figure it out, wasn't something he had planned for. By now though, the Seelie queen knew exactly who he was, and he needed to be able to protect himself.

He knew exactly why Ty was scared, but he found himself asking anyway, "What are you afraid of?"

Ty didn't answer for a few moments, and Kit wasn't sure whether it was because he couldn't find the right words, or if he didn't want to tell him.

But then he spoke in a voice barely more than a whisper, intently studying the frayed edge of his oversized and well-worn sweater. "Losing you."

Kit felt unbidden tears well up along his lower lashes; felt the burning sensation of the emotions in the back of his throat.

Ty's striking gray eyes lifted to Kit's and he felt his heart stutter.

"I'm afraid of losing you."

…...