Kaz Brekker and his crew - criminals, thugs, murderers, the scum of the Barrel - they'd heard it all. But wanted by the Black Heretic was one they were eager to avoid at all costs.
It was a deal gone bad and now the Dregs are wanted by the most pow...
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"Well, I don't blame Kirigan for wanting to leave this shit-hole of a town but c'mon, stowing away on his boat is seriously the dumbest plan."
Inej cast a side glance at Jesper as he blew a puff of cigar smoke up towards the morning sky. The hues of gold and pink would soon be reflected on the waters of Fifth Harbour and the Barrel would soon be bathed in a golden light. The scene would have been welcoming for any aspiring young artist; it was just too bad Ketterdam's filth and beggars cast a dark stain over the picture.
Inej sighed. "Kaz knows what he's doing," she returned flatly, leaning back against the balcony railing and crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hmm, does he though?" Jesper cocked his head to one side and pulled a face. He held out his cigar, almost searing Inej's sleeve with the angry red end.
Inej frowned and swatted his hand away. "You know I don't smoke."
"This plan better bloody work or we're all dead," Jesper huffed dramatically. "Why does Kaz want this money anyway?"
"When doesn't he want money?" Inej snorted. "It's just typical Kaz...his greed is too big even for his quick, thieving hands."
"Is that your way of saying you don't know?" Jesper jibed but Inej could sense the concern lacing his voice.
She didn't reply. Instead, she looked away - past Jesper and towards the pub down the street where Kaz and Nina stood talking with a man in the doorway.
Even though Inej didn't want to disclose her feelings to Jesper, he must've seen something in her eyes because he leaned over and touched her arm lightly. "Hey. It's okay, Wraith. If we don't die escaping, we'll die here anyway. It's up to us how our story ends."
Inej looked back at him and offered a small reassuring smile. She didn't have the heart to tell him that it wasn't death she was afraid of, it was Kaz Brekker not knowing what he was doing.
~~~
"I have a feeling you don't like me very much."
Inej jerked her head up and glanced over at Nina who was standing amid a chaos of flouncy dresses, dangly gold jewellery and colourful crystals.
She scoffed and replied coolly, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean." She returned to folding some of Nina's less eye-catching outfits – as few as they were. "You know you don't have to bring everything you own, right?"
"Oh, dear Inej, it's not a want, it's a need," Nina protested laughingly as she draped one of her dresses over the top of her. "How badass would I look stepping off the boat in Great Britain wearing this?"
Inej rolled her eyes, trying to hold back a smile. She refused to let Nina in on the fact that she was actually quite funny. "We're trying to look boring, not badass."
