Chasing Ghosts (under construction)

chapter fourteen

The Eternidad that Cristina had worked like a charm, and ten minutes later, Ty and Mark were in Faerie. It was nothing like what Ty had ever seen before; the books he had read and the stories he had heard did not do it justice. Ty felt the urge to run for the hills, to try and find Kit. He didn't want to waste a second, not even to take in the sights. Marks gentle hand on his shoulder was enough to ground him for the moment.
"Do you know where we are?" Ty asked. Mark took a moment to look around. A chorus of laughter and music sounded from somewhere off in the distance.
"Vaguely." Mark responded, "I'm a little rusty on my Seelie geography. We should head east, away from the revels." Before Mark could finish his sentence, Ty had started off east. Mark jogged to catch up to his little brother.
"I know you're eager, but you have to stay by my side." Mark chastised, but Ty was hardly listening.
"Do you know if there is any way we can get a message to him, to let him know we're here? We have no idea where he is, and I'm guessing this is a large place." Ty asked. Mark didn't reply for a long time, causing Ty to begin fidgeting with the hem of his t-shirt. He wished he had his headphones, so he could block out the sounds of the faeries, the whistle of the wind taunting him, his brother's unnerving quietness.
"You still have the acorn, right?" Mark asked. Ty pulled the small, bronze acorn out of his trouser pocket. The lid had been pressed back on tightly, concealing Kit's message. Ty had refused to let anybody else read it. It was private, between him and Kit, and the last thing he wanted was for his brothers to go prying through his business and asking more questions than he had answers to.
Mark popped the lid off of the acorn and removed the coiled slip of paper. Ty snatched it out of Marks' hand before he could open it, and shoved it back into his pocket. Ty watched as Mark ran to the nearest tree, and plucked the largest leaf he could reach off of it.
"Do you have a pen?" Mark asked. Ty frowned.
"No. Why would I have a pen?" Mark nodded and plucked Ty's knife out of his boot before Ty could protest. Using the knife, Mark hacked a piece of bark off of the tree and began carving into a sharp point.
"That's probably going to cost me later," Mark muttered. Ty watched fascinated as Mark drew the knife back and hurled it into the bent he had made in the bark. Thick, rouge coloured tree sap started leaking out of the hole.
"write on the leaf. I can't guarantee this will even work, but it's worth a go. I don't even know if he is going to be able to reply, this isn't like a text chain." Mark handed the leaf and makeshift pencil over to Ty, who ducked under the tree so that he could easily reach the dripping sap. In a hasty scrawl, Ty formed an urgent message. He made sure to write Kit's full name at the end. Ty handed the leaf back to Mark. Mark rolled the leaf up as careful as possible and slotted it inside the acorn. As soon as he re-sealed the top, a warm amber glow emitted from the slits in the top, and the acorn disappeared from his hands.
"By the angel, I hope he receives it quickly, we are on borrowed time," Mark said, looking past Ty and up at the sky. Ty followed his gaze to the sun, that had begun to set in the sky.

**

'Mark and I are in Faerie. We are coming to get you. Please try and find a way to let me know where you are. Tell me you are alright. I will see you soon. Ty.'

The leaf was ripped out of Kit's hands before he had a chance to react to the message he had received.
Kit understood only three things:
One, he was really bad at the whole 'staying out of sight' thing, and that landed him right back to where he started; in front of the Seelie Queen.
Two, the Queen was most definitely going to kill him.
Three, Ty was in faerie. And he was on his way to save Kit's ass.
Right now, however, Kit had to find a way to survive on his own, and with his wrists bound above his head and his ankles shackled to the floor, that seemed kinda impossible. The queen sat in her throne on the other side of the room, examining the acorn Kit had just received, the one that he had sent Ty previously. She had a vile sneer on her face.
"Now I'll have three shadowhunters to play with. Well, two. You and Mark Blackthorn are just halves. But Tiberius Blackthorn, purebred shadowhunter, he'll be fun to kill." The queen stated. Kit pulled against his chains, a snarl building up in his throat.
"Do not touch him, or Mark. You want me." Kit responded.
"Want is a strong word boy. Before you... escaped me, I could have used you, you would have made a powerful ally. Now you are just a nuisance."
"Why don't you just kill me then?" Kit sounded a lot braver than he felt. He felt weak. If Ty ever found him, Kit hoped he was either dead or at least out of the shackles. It would be mortifying for Ty to think that Kit wasn't able to handle himself, that he always needed saving by someone. And that may be true, but Kit couldn't stand the idea of Ty thinking any less of him.
The Queen stood up, the guards on either side of her somehow managing to watch her and Kit at the same time. She practically glided over to him, her feet looking as though they barely touch the floor. The dagger she seemingly produced from the ether was something else; longer than a knife but not long enough to classify as a sword, it looked sharp enough to cut through diamond, and Kit suspected it probably could. She ran a long finger down the jewelled hilt, before twisting it so that the point faced directly above Kit's heart.
"What I wouldn't give to end your pathetic life now, and it would be so easy too." Kit's heart thundered against his ribcage. "But there are no witnesses. I crave an audience." She licked her top lip and Kit felt his soul leave his body. The Queen lifted the dagger up to his cheek and scraped a long, deep gash from the corner of his eye down to underneath his ear. Kit tried not to make any noise, but the tears that pricked his eyes gave him away. She smiled and stepped away. Kit watched as she plucked a fresh acorn from a long branch protruding across her ceiling. Kit watched as she sat back down and wrote a message back to Mark and Ty, no doubt luring them here. Kit watched her send it off, her eyes never leaving his. A single, stinging tear escaped his eye before he could stop it, and without the use of his hands, he had to feel it burn its path down his face. The queen signalled to one of her guards, who advanced so quickly on Kit that he could barely register what was going on. The guard raised a metal cuffed fist, and the world around Kit went dark.

**

'The court'.
That's the only thing Kit had replied with, that's how Ty knew something was very wrong.
"Kit's in trouble," Ty said. Mark nodded.
"If he is in the Seelie Court, then he most definitely is."
"Well? We have to go then. Get to the court, get him out." Ty said. Mark had to hold his hands out to stop Ty from running off in the wrong direction.
"Whoah now, slow down. You don't know how dangerous the Seelie court is."
Ty shook his head and held out the acorn.
"We're being baited. Kit didn't write this. Even if he had someone looking over his shoulder, he would have found a way to communicate with me in some way, but this is nothing. It isn't even his handwriting. The queen wants us to go there, for whatever reason. I doubt she'll kill us before she's done whatever she's trying to do." Ty explained. Mark knew it was beyond silly to underestimate Ty, so Mark nodded.
"Okay, so we just need to get there," Mark said.
"Any ideas?"
Mark looked at Ty with a face-splitting grin.
"I know someone who owes me a favour."

**

Two hours and a very awkward Kelpie ride later (Ty really didn't feel like asking) and Mark and Ty were being led roughly by two Seelie guards clad head to toe in metallic uniform. Ty had hardly got both legs off of the Kelpie before he had been taken by the guards. It was like they had been waiting for their arrival because they had been. Mark was being half dragged behind Ty. Ty had told him on the way there that he suspected they were going to be expected, and that they should go along with whatever happens. Mark was sure Ty had a plan, but he still didn't feel like letting himself be escorted by faeries who are out for his blood.
The boys were led straight into the Queen's chambers, much to Ty's surprise. The guards let go of Ty a little too hard, and it took him a moment to recompose himself. The Queen was sat on her throne, a broad smile on her face.
"Well, you two took your sweet time. I had to knock that one out thrice so that he didn't get any ideas." The queen pointed behind Ty. Ty followed her finger to an unconscious and bloody Kit. Both of his wrists were shackled above his head, so tightly that his hands had turned a strange blue colour. Blood was seeping slowly from a large gash in his cheek. Ty practically threw himself in front of him, taking Kit's face in both of his hands. Kit's face was wet with blood and tears, and Ty gently wiped away a stripe of blood on Kit's lip.
"Hey. Hey, Kit, wake up, it's me. It's Ty. I'm here to take you home." Ty's voice was gentle. He brushed Kit's matted hair away from his face. A soft groan escaped Kit's mouth and his head lolled to one side. Ty Kept Kit's face steady as he came to, his eyes fluttering open. The faintest of smiles played on Kit's lips, and Ty had to fight the urge to kiss him, instead resulting in stroking a thumb across Kit's jaw.
"Ty..." Kit started, but about of coughing cut his sentence short. Ty remembered the situation he was in and turned back to the queen, who was now standing up from her throne.
"Unshackle him." Ty's voice was all fire and fury. The queen cocked her head.
"Why? You can't help him, your runes don't work here." She said, her voice sweet as honey.
"Let. Him. Go." Ty growled. The queen held her hands up in mock surrender, and one of the guards came forward to unlock the chains at Kit's wrists and ankles. If Ty hadn't been there, Kit would have fallen flat on his face, but Ty held him gently and guided his upper body onto Ty's lap.
"NnTy. You have to go." Kit mumbled, his breathing laboured and ragged, every inhale sounding as though it was taking up all of his energy. Ty ran a hand through Kit's hair.
"Shh, don't talk. You're alright now. I've got you." Ty looked the queen directly in the eyes. She sat back down,
"Now. Let us discuss business."