the storm inside | kitty (boyxboy)

34 | Lazlo Balogh

Song: Power is Power by SZA, The Weeknd, Travis Scott 

The knife in my heart couldn't slow me down
'Cause power is power, my fire never goes out
I rise from my scars, nothing hurts me now
'Cause power is power
Now watch me burn it down

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Kit woke up to a cacophony of voices. His headache worsened as he struggled to sit up, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light around him. Magnus stood at the foot of his bed, in what he recognised as Ty's and his hotel room.

"—what do you mean, you don't know?" Emma was shouting into her phone. "How could you possibly not know what demon it was? I'm sure you should have them all documented in the archives."

Ty paced beside her. "It could be Hale at work. He has obtained the Gold Texts, after all, so it isn't entirely impossible for him to conjure up some insanely powerful demon up from the depths of Edom. He could also have even created a demon."

"That's not possible," said Magnus sharply. "Only a Greater Demon can do that. And it's not even that easy, either. It has to involve a sacrifice of some sort—I can't remember it right now—but even Hale, as powerful as he is, is unable to do that."

"What if he used the Gold Texts to summon—Kit? Are you awake?" Ty turned and caught Kit's eye. He rushed over to Kit's side, looking at Kit worriedly. "Do you feel better now?"

Kit's throat was dry; he licked his lips before he spoke. His voice came out raspy and thin. "I—I'm better than just now, at least. What were you saying before? Hale summoning a Greater Demon with the—"

He broke off in a coughing fit, earning quite a few anxious looks from Ty. A repeating buzz suddenly sliced through the loud noise in the room; Julian frowned and pulled out his phone from his pocket. Perhaps it was the caller ID that made Julian turn his phone on speaker mode; regardless, it explained the voice that everyone in the room recognised as the voice spoke.

"Fellow Nephilim," said Lazlo Balogh as Kit gave a violent start. How on earth had Balogh gotten hold of Julian's number? What did he want? "I'll keep this unwanted conversation short. I know where you all are. Come to the Tilla-Durieux Park now. Don't make me go to you. I know that Christopher Herondale is injured. If I do not see him with you, I will ensure that his injury worsens. Mark my words."

The phone gave a soft click before the line went dead. A heavy silence washed over them, throwing Kit's mind into confusion. Why me? He thought dizzily. Alec's voice broke through the ominous atmosphere in the room, his presence a quiet reassurance that a leader was amongst them.

"We have to bring Kit along," said Alec. "We have no other choice. Our goal today is to minimise the damage that we take, and achieve twice as much. Our aim is to get hold of Hale today, is that understood?"

Kit and the others nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then," Alec commanded, "take as many weapons as you need. Do not forget that Balogh is a Shadowhunter; he will not be easy to take down, even though his ways are corrupted. I do not expect that Hale will be there, but Balogh will definitely have brought reinforcements. Be prepared to be up against what we had fought earlier. Do not let your guard down. Ever. Understood?"

"Yes, mom," grumbled Kit. He promptly had a cushion thrown at his head.

"It's for your own safety. Do not fight, unless you absolutely need to. You are injured. We do not need to make it worse."