Falling to Pieces(Kit and Ty)

Chapter 4

Kit lay down on his bed, listening to music. It had been three years since he had moved to Devon. He had trained with Jem almost every day. He now knew how to apply runes, use seraph blades, and he also improved on fighting. Kit hadn't killed a single demon yet, but he knew he shouldn't ask. Jem and Tessa would never let him go. Not until he was safe from the faeries.
     Since Kit was a descendant of the First Heir, he was in great danger. Three years ago, he had learned that he had access to faerie magic. Kit hadn't used his magic since that day. It was terrifying that he didn't even know how much power he had. When he thought about his faerie magic, which wasn't often, he usually thought of hurting the people he loved. He would never let his magic hurt Tessa, Jem, or Mina.
     Mina was three years old now. She was walking, and had a full head of hair. Her wavy hair was a dark brown. It reached just above her shoulders. Mina could talk too. She wouldn't stop talking. Sometimes it was just a bunch of words and noises that she threw together, but other times, her words actually made sense. Mina was learning to play the violin. Kit thought she was a bit young to start learning an instrument, but she was doing pretty well. Jem was a great teacher. Sometimes, Mina would put on a small concert for everyone at dinner to show how much she'd improved. When she'd first started playing, Kit had wanted to stuff cotton balls into his ears. The sound coming from the violin was demonic. But as she kept practicing, she improved. Someday, Mina would be a great violinist.
     Kit had dated a few girls over the years. One was named Emma. They usually went on long walks in the forest, or watched the sunset. Emma broke up with him after a month of dating. He wasn't overly upset about the breakup. Something about dating Emma didn't feel right. She wasn't the one for him.
     Kit had also dated a girl named Isabella. She was in Devon for her travel year. Isabella was from an Institute in Mexico. She was a Shadowhunter. He had been walking in the street with Jem and Tessa. Isabella had walked over and talked to him for a moment. He had asked her to see a movie, and she had accepted the invitation. They dated for half a year. They broke up around Christmastime. Kit was surprised when she broke up with him. He thought they were doing well, but he was wrong. Why else would she break up with him? He stayed locked up in his room for days, only leaving it when he needed food. He watched movies on his phone, trying to keep his mind off of Isabella, her long brown hair, her black eyes, her bright red lipstick. Isabella was kind and a total movie nerd, and she wasn't afraid to show it. When he was really upset about Isabella, he watched Titanic. He was a total mess after that movie. There was enough room for Jack and Rose on the door!
The next person he dated was another Shadowhunter. Her name was Diane. She was from an Institute nearby. They had met when Kit was on a late night stroll. He couldn't sleep, so he went for a walk in a peaceful town. He carried a seraph blade and his stele just in case he needed to fight a demon. He passed a dark alleyway and heard fighting. Kit knew he should turn the other way, but he went to see what was going on. A group of Shadowhunters were fighting a Raum demon. They seemed to be losing. He ran into battle without thinking, whispering the name Ithuriel. His blade lit up, and was ready to be used.
     The demon hadn't noticed him yet, but it did then. It turned to face him, and ran towards him, tentacles waving in the air. He prepared for battle, holding his blade in front of him. Before the demon could even attack him, it disappeared in a splash of ichor, some landing on his arm. He quickly wiped it off, but it still burned.
     The group of Shadowhunters walked over to him, clearly exhausted. They each held a witchlight in their hand. One of them already held out their stele, prepared to draw an iratze on Kit. He let them. Kit was still unused to the feeling of having a rune drawn on his skin. He winced when the stele touched his arm. He watched as the Shadowhunter drew an iratze.
     "I'm Diane," the Shadowhunter said.
     "Kit."
     Her black hair blew in the wind, covering her face. She brushed it away with her hand. "I haven't seen you around. Where are you from?"
     "Los Angeles. I moved here three years ago."
     "Why would someone ever want to leave Los Angeles? The weather there is almost always nice. There are so many beaches."
     "My parents died, so I came to live with a distant relative."
     Part of that was a lie, but Diane didn't need to know the truth. He barely knew her.
"I'm so sorry about your parents!" she said, immediately wrapping her arms around Kit.
He pulled out of the hug awkwardly. "Oh—uh—thanks." He looked up at Diane, the witchlight in her hand helping Kit see her correctly. She was taller than him. Her black hair contrasted her pale skin. She had chestnut colored eyes.
"You know, we're going to get some tea. Wanna come?"
"Uh—yeah. I mean yes. I'd like that," he stuttered.
Diane smiled at him, and motioned for him to follow her. They walked down the streets, heading towards a tea shop. Surprisingly, they were still open at this time of night. They entered the shop and ordered whatever tea they wanted. Kit had never had tea before, so he ordered chai tea. They sat at a table with comfortable chairs, and talked while drinking their tea. He learned everyone's names. He already knew Diana. Her parabatai's name was Gabriella. She had auburn hair, green eyes, and freckles. She reminded him of Clary Fray. Gabriella's boyfriend was Luke. He had dirty blonde hair, and brown eyes. He seemed to be about the same height as Kit. Luke's parabatai was Cameron, but he went by Cam. He had brown, curly hair, and blue eyes.
     He left with Diane's phone number and a date with her on Friday night. He had been so excited for Friday night. They were going to go out to dinner and see a movie. That date was followed by many more, until their unfortunate breakup. He hoped Diane would find someone she loved and would end up happy.
He had dated Diane for over a year. They had broken up just a few weeks ago. He missed Diane. She was kind, strong, talented, and intelligent. Kit decided not to date anyone for a while. He had a broken heart that needed time to heal. Kit trained a lot after his breakup, using his anger to help him fight. He didn't let it control him, but he let it give him a little push. That helped him a lot when he trained with Jem. He was still learning. He had a lot to learn, but he was getting better every day.
On the weekends, Jem, Tessa, Kit, and Mina would watch a movie. Mina didn't understand the plot of them yet, but she still enjoyed the movies. Tessa, Jem, and Kit took turns picking a movie. Tessa usually picked a sad, romantic movie. Jem usually picked an inspiring movie, and Kit usually picked an action movie. Kit couldn't have been more happy. He had a family that loved him, an awesome house, and a great training instructor. Jem trained him every day, except if one of them was really sick or busy.
Kit looked out his window, and saw the sun setting. It was truly beautiful. The sky was painted with bright oranges, reds, and purples. The sunsets in Devon were always amazing. He heard a knock on his door.
"Come in!"
Tessa opened the door, and peaked her head in. "Dinner's ready! Also, it's my turn to pick the movie tonight. Prepare yourself for a very tragic love story!" She closed the door as she left.
Kit followed her into the kitchen, and saw his family waiting for him. Mina no longer needed her high chair. She sat on a stool now. He took his usual seat, and began eating. Dinner tonight was lasagna. Tessa was very good at cooking. She had taught herself when she had her first child, James. That was many years ago, of course.
"So, how was everyone's day?" Tessa asked.
"Mine was awesome, Mommy!" Mina said excitedly. "Dad taught me how to play 'Happy Birthday' on the violin!"
"Wow, Mina! Are you going to play it for Kit and I?"
Mina nodded. "After dinner."
Tessa smiled. "Jem?"
"My day was also great. I took Mina to the park, and taught her 'Happy Birthday.'"
"How was your day, Kit?"
Kit sighed. "It was alright. I didn't do much, but I look forward to watching our movie."
"Can I play my violin now?" Mina asked, already moving to get it.
Tessa nodded. Mina left, coming back moments later holding her violin. She smiled, showing her tiny teeth. She hadn't lost any yet, but in a couple years she would. She held up her violin, preparing to play. Kit gave her an encouraging thumbs up. Mina began to play, focusing on her violin and playing the right notes. She messed up a few times, but most of what she played was perfect. When she finished, everyone clapped.
"Good job, Mina!" Kit said, hugging her.
She laughed. "Thank you!"
Kit released her from his embrace. Mina ran off to put her violin in the music room. She came back, a big smile plastered on her face. "Can we watch a movie?" she asked. "It's a movie night, isn't it?"
Jem nodded. "Yes we can, Mina!" He picked her up and carried her to the sitting room, and carefully placed her on the left couch. Kit relaxed on the center couch like always. Jem sat with Mina and Tessa after setting up the movie. There was popcorn and bowls filled with candy. Movie night was a tradition. It happened any night during the weekend. There was always popcorn and tons of candy. Kit loved this tradition. He always looked forward to it. He really enjoyed watching movies with his family. They would laugh, cry, and shout together. Sometimes, Kit thought people could hear them from miles away. If that was true, people would think they're crazy.
After finishing the movie, Kit started towards his room, but Tessa stopped him.
"Kit, I have some news for you. I'm not sure if it's good or bad."
"What is it?" he asked.
Tessa fidgeted with her hands nervously. "We—uh—we have some business to attend to in Los Angeles."
"So we're moving?"
"No, not exactly. Jem and I will be gone for most of the time we're there, and we want you and Mina to be protected. There's no one in Los Angeles I trust with protecting you and Mina other than the Blackthorns." She seemed relieved after telling Kit.
"That's neither good nor bad news," Kit said. "I'll be perfectly fine at the Los Angeles Institute."
Tessa smiled. "Thank you for taking this news so well."
"It's nothing. When will we be leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning. We'll be there for a couple weeks, maybe more."
"I should start packing," Kit said, rushing to his room. He pulled a suitcase out of his closet, and unzipped it. He quickly shoved his gear, seraph blades, witchlight, and stele into a side pocket of the suitcase. His toothbrush and toothpaste went in another side pocket, and his clothes went in the large compartment. It wasn't very organized, but it would work. He zipped the suitcase, and looked around his room. This was the last time he'd see his room for a few weeks.
He didn't want to leave, but he couldn't tell Tessa that. He would have to deal with the situation like any good Shadowhunter. He would stay at the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorns for a few weeks. No big deal. They were always kind to him. They had been his friends before he left. It had been three years since he'd last seen the Blackthorns. They probably weren't friends anymore, but Kit had something better. He had a family. If going to the Los Angeles Institute made Jem and Tessa happy, then he would do it without a doubt. Mina would be there. He'd make sure she's happy.
Kit checked the time, and saw that it was late. He wasn't tired yet, so he stayed up watching movies on his phone. He made it through the first and second movies. He still wasn't tired, so he started a third. Kit yawned. His eyelids began to feel heavy. Kit didn't want to fall asleep yet. He was at the best part in the movie. He fought to stay awake, but after a few attempts, he inevitably fell asleep.
Kit woke up the next morning to the sound of Tessa's voice. She was gently shaking him awake, saying his name. He opened his eyes groggily.
"What time is it?" he groaned.
"Eight o'clock."
"Already?" Kit rolled over to check the time. Tessa was right. It was eight o'clock.
"I would've let you sleep longer, but we have to be in Los Angeles soon."
     Kit looked at his suitcase. He'd almost forgotten about Los Angeles.
     "How long until we leave?"
     "About half an hour."
     Kit nodded and got out of bed. Tessa left, shutting the door behind her. He got dressed, wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Kit quickly shoveled oatmeal into his mouth at the table, and brushed his teeth. He still had fifteen minutes until they left. Kit decided to check his suitcase. He had his stele, witchlight, gear, clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, and everything else he needed. He let out a sigh. He was really going to Los Angeles.
     He met his family in the kitchen with his suitcase. Tessa led them outside. She had created a portal for them to go through.
     "Ready to go?" she asked.
     Everyone nodded. Mina looked excited to be leaving Devon. She hadn't been to Los Angeles, or anywhere really. Jem carried a large suitcase holding Tessa and his things. He held Mina's suitcase in his other hand. Tessa went through the portal first. Then Mina. Then Jem. Then Kit.
     Moments later he was standing outside of the Los Angeles Institute. It was full of life, as it always was. Julian was probably making pancakes for everyone. Kit walked up to the doors with his family. He opened them tentatively. The doors flung open when he touched the handle. Mina sprinted past Kit and into the Institute.
"Mina!" Tessa called.
Jem and Tessa hurried after her. Kit looked around and took a deep breath before following Jem and Tessa. Kit was right. The Blackthorns were in the kitchen, waiting for their pancakes. Everyone was laughing, and smiling. Julian was making the pancakes. He was an expert by now. Helen and Aline were by the coffee maker, drinking their coffee. Mark was talking to Emma, who seemed to be almost bursting with energy. Kit wondered if she'd had any coffee this morning. Dru was playing on the floor with Tavvy. Ty sat in a corner, reading with Livvy. Livvy was still a ghost. The other Blackthorns couldn't see her. Kit thought Ty and Livvy would still be at the Scholomance, but he was wrong.
"Kit!" Dru shouted, running up to give him a hug.
"Hey, Dru!" He pretended to smile and patted her back. He didn't really want to be here.
Dru had grown so much over the past three years. She looked so much older. She was probably about sixteen now. All of the Blackthorns looked so much older. Time really changed them. Livvy was the only one who didn't look different. She was stuck looking like a fourteen year old. Kit pulled away from the Blackthorns and joined Tessa, Jem, and Mina by the kitchen entrance. Mina looked at everything in awe. She was so excited to be here.
"Welcome back, Kit!" Julian sounded overwhelmed, as always. Helen and Mark were back, yet he still did so much for his family. "You can put your things in any empty room. Mina can also do that."
Kit nodded, said a quick 'thank you,' and headed off to find an empty room. He went up the stairs with his family and saw that his old room was empty. He put his suitcase down in there, and looked around. He was really back at the Los Angeles Institute. Jem and Tessa put Mina's things in the room next to his. If she needed him, he would be right next to her.
"We'll only be gone for a few weeks," he heard Jem say from the other room.
"But, I'll miss you." That was Mina's voice.
"Don't worry, Mina. You have Kit and the Blackthorns with you."
"Please don't go." Mina sniffled. She was crying.
"When we get back, you can have all the ice cream and movies you want."
Mina laughed. "Okay! Just come back as soon a you can."
"We will," Tessa said.
Kit heard footsteps leaving Mina's room and coming towards his. Jem and Tessa stepped into his room, looking worried.
"You'll be alright here?" Tessa asked.
Kit nodded, pasting a smile onto his face. "I'll be fine. I'll take good care of Mina."
She smiled. She looked so young, but Kit knew she'd been alive for a long time. "Don't be afraid to ask the Blackthorns for help," she advised.
Kit didn't think he'd need it, but he nodded. Tessa and Jem wrapped their arms around him, squeezing him tightly. He loved his family. He would miss them while they were gone. Kit had to stay strong, and survive a few weeks without them. He'd lived for years without a real family. He would be fine. Jem and Tessa looked at him one last time before saying goodbye and leaving.
     Kit began unpacking his suitcase, tucking his clothes away in drawers. He put his stele on the nightstand by his bed, along with his phone. He plugged in his charging brick, and charging cord so he could revive his phone when it was dead. Kit sighed. He would only be here for a couple of weeks, but he already missed Jem and Tessa. There was a quiet knock on his door. He barely even heard it. Kit wasn't in the mood for conversation, so he pretended he wasn't there. He stayed completely silent, hoping whoever was out there would leave.
     "Kit, if you don't open the door I am going to ghost through it and force you to open it for my brother!"
     That was definitely Livvy. "How can you force me to open it?" he yelled so she could hear him.
     She hesitated. "I will annoy you until you do!"
Kit had no doubt Livvy would do that. He imagined Livvy following him around in his room, screaming at him to open the door. He shuddered at the thought. "Fine!" Kit walked to his door and twisted the handle. Ty and an angry Livvy were waiting for him.
"When my brother knocks on your door, you better answer!" she yells. "When he writes to you, you better write back!"
"It's alright, Livvy." Ty sounded embarrassed. "He probably doesn't want to talk to anyone and I wrote that letter three years ago."
"Did you read the letter?"
Kit nodded.
"Then why didn't you write back?"
Kit felt like he had been backed up into a corner. He felt threatened by Livvy. It was like she was holding a knife to his throat, like when he and Ty first met. "Listen, Livvy. I'm not in the mood to be lectured on writing back to your brother. I don't have to explain anything to you. Maybe I just didn't want to write back! There doesn't have to be a reason for everything!"
Livvy and Ty were shocked by his sudden outburst. Kit immediately felt terrible for what he said. Ty's grey eyes were filled with sadness. Kit still hated to see Ty upset. Kit wanted to make him feel better.
"The three years away has really changed you, Kit," she murmured.
Any bit of regret for what he'd said before vanished. Kit was outraged. She was blaming him for this? She had attacked him for not writing back to Ty. She had attacked him for not opening the door. She was right about one thing, though. He had changed over the three years.
"You're right," he said. "I have changed over the three years I've been away. I don't depend on the Blackthorns to be my family anymore." With that, he pushed past them and hid in the training room.