The Shadow Assassin

Chapter 12

                                                               Ketterdam, Kerch

I woke up to the black sea crushing my legs. I still couldn't breath, but I gasped desperately every other second. I must be close. My feet dangled in the ice-cold water, as I floated on a log. I could tell by the smell of rotten smoke, and burned flesh. That's what Ketterdam is for...

I was half excited to see the Crows again, but none more than seeing Inej. I met her a week after I got pulled from Mal. She was separated from her family , just like how I got separated from my own brother. Betrayed. Hurt. We healed each other's wounds, we gave revenge on the ones who stole our hearts, but we stayed together enough through everything. Until Kaz came. Kaz Brekker. 

I groaned to the name, letting the boredom inside of me settle.Kaz never has a heart. Or feelings, not even depression. You could never read the face of Kaz Brekker.  Inej had real talent, so she asked me to join them, but I refused. I didn't want to screw up her time when she had the chance to roam around the world. So I started my new life, locked up in the same place I've always be- 

My thoughts were interrupted with a jolt in my legs, so I swerved my feet,but the pain was still there. I looked to the ripples of the tide, but it was only pitch black. My foot felt in shock, maybe from the coldness, or something was in the water. The True Sea contained many unexpected things. Danger and murder was the most of it. 

I couldn't believe what I was doing, but I stuffed my head into the water, trying to keep my eyes wide open to a clear sight. That's when a black dot ran around my legs again, and I felt the same pain. I went up to the shore, gasping for air, but before I could see again, a big creature shot out of the water, creating a big wave around me. A sea monster. Just what I needed for food. The monster screeched at me, and threw itself into the water again. The water shaked, so I grabbed for my dagger which was still clipped to my chest. Until I could climb onto the board, my back got hit, which threw me off, plummeting into the water. I tried swimming to the top, and right when my nose reached the tides, my chest seared with pain like my heart was pulled out of my chest with bare hands. 

I screamed for help, but no sound or call appeared. I'm close to Ketterdam, I thought. Just a little bit further..

I reach for my board again, but I smelled something. Like metal, so I looked around me, and the water was painted red. It wasn't the monsters blood. It was mine. I gasped for more air, and my legs were so numb I couldn't feel anything ; not even a deep cut. The water shaked again,so I shifted my fingers into shadows made to a long sharped blade, and got ready. My arms grew more goosebumps, and my lips trembled with my teeth. The water soared with the sea monster ; I squinted my eyes and pushed my arms hard. 

The sea collapsed into a big wave, which drenched me more wet. The monster was sliced in have, with it's guts and bones revealing, sinking into the water. The blood splattered on me dried fast, which was colored silver black. I groaned with disgust, making a retching sound to the horrible smell. 

My chest was lifted to the log, leaving my feet dangling. The stinging pain in my leg came at once, but I didn't look down to inspect it. Lights pearled ahead in the midway fog, as the smell grew rapidly dead each inch I swimmed by. Smoke mixed in the air, which I noticed wasn't the fog. A deck a feet away creaked from the tides hitting in. I swimmed toward it, trying not to swallow in the polluted water. The sea foam soaked my hair, and the horrid smell of seaweed filled my dry nose. It felt like home. 

But therefore, I kept to my hip to see my leg, as I winced to the image of the infection. Blisters were growing around the deep cut, drenched in blood which trickled down my knee. I went down to touch it, but a door slammed open, in which a young man drifts side to side, singing drunkly with a bottle of alcohol clenched in his hands. His words made no sense as he singed horribly. 

" Oh, old lady, can't you defy me?  My ears have washed away, and so has me!" 

He hit himself to the wall, but just when I was about to get to my feet, he caught sight of me and whistled slowly. I kept my anger deep inside of me, but he didn't keep his dirtiness to himself. 

" Well, hello, er- svjgjgg lady" he murmured, laughing occasionally and speaking gibberish 

" Whoah! All Saints, what sddejdjdndud do you have there?" 

I wobbled to my feet, but my knees hit the floor, leaving the man cursing.

" Let mer help you out, now, shall we?" he yelled

" No. I'm fine." I said instantly, but he stepped in front of me, and traced his hands over my arm. Not a good time. 

" No,no,no! Please, let me. I have sturdy hands, I do!! " His hands were still on my arm, but I leaned closer whispering to him just how I did to the Darkling, snarling " Touch me, and you won't have any hands." 

He didn't remove his palm from me. He only stood there laughing, getting more closer to me each second. So I twisted his wrist, and a loud crack came from it, leaving him yelling with pain. 

" You're crazy, you are!" he cried

" You're lucky I'm not crazier." I chuckled, and left him cursing, limping to a bar. The door jingled open, and handfuls of groups of people danced around the doors, gambled, drinked, and I even caught sight of two men fighting in the corner. Woman laughed rapidly , letting the men touch them all over.  I sat on a talk stool to the front row of the bar counter. The bartender had a ginger-haired beard hanging down to his chin, and he asked groaning, " What's for today? " 

" Jug of beer." I replied, chipping my nails with my dagger. I just noticed I had no money, so I slid off the stool, and went to the center of the bar, and started dancing with a tall man, having a mustache covering his mouth. I let my body press to his, as I secretly grabbed a handful of Kruge from his pocket, and left him graciously. I slammed the Kruge to the bartender, as he slid a jug of beer so fast, the foam spilled onto the counter. He cleaned the cups and jars with all the same one towel, which grew dirtier each time he cleaned it. I jugged the whole entire thing in one bet, and left limping to the door. 

" You gonna heal that nasty wound of yours?" the bartender yelled out from behind. I lifted my hand for a sign of approval, and pushed the door open.