The Love of a Crow - Wesper/Crows Fanfiction/AU

3.Nina

Nina:

Nina Zenik knew two things the moment the corpse had moved.

Something was definitely wrong

She was hungry

Since then she had learned that for once the latter could wait, and that clearly this rabbit hole was deeper than she could possibly imagine.

So she watched from afar, feeling Inej's pity for Jesper, and sensing both Jesper and Matthias' confusion. She looked at the bulking shape of the Fjerden now. He was frozen stockstill in the doorway, two bangs of his snowy hair shielding his eyes, but he didn't bother to move them. His face was pure tiredness. Like he had finally realised that nothing could ever be slightly normal when he was around the four.

Oh how innocent he was to the world, how he looked down on Ketterdam with childlike hope, as if the bundle of cheap booze and Barrel rats could ever be fixed. She still had many things to teach him.

But even Nina was surprised when Inej spoke those words. So much so that she almost was lost for words. Almost.

"Um... why?" She stuttered.

"Are you sure?" Jesper asked, flush returning to his beautiful brown skin that Nina had always admired.

Kaz sighed. "About a week ago a man that goes by the name of Edmund Rithouse came to the Crow Club. He asked for little favours at first, probably to draw away suspicion. I sent the lower crows to do the dirty work, until he mentioned Wylan. At that point I had already observed who Wylan was and that he had left home two months prior. Rithouse tried to keep it a secret about who he was and offered the sum to kill him instead. Obviously I accepted-"

"No offence Kaz, as I know you love telling stories, but what proof is this?" Nina yawned.

Kaz looked ready to explode, so Inej took over. "I followed him around for a few days. I found and met along with other spiders along the way. They were curious to know what business he had at the Crow Club. He shimmied around for a few days before finally visiting his brother, who just so happens to be one of Van Eck's closest lawyers. And besides, where else would he get one million kruge from?" 

  "So this 'Van Eck' man really wants his own son dead?" Matthias asked like a wounded puppy. "And he hired the DirtyHands to do it?"

Kaz flexed his hand on his cane. "I don't judge people's decisions, Helvar, and neither should you."

"I still don't get it!" Jesper fumed. Nina sighed. Now she was really hungry. "Why would this Van Eck guy hire us for one million kruge if he could just get his men to do it for him?"

"Probably because his men can easily be traced back," Kaz snapped. "And it would be easier to feign his death for a bad experience with the Barrel rather than an assassination.

Jesper shook his head. "This doesn't feel right. I... I won't do it."

Kaz gazed at him for a moment, and Nina wondered if he would argue with him, but he shook his head and looked into the empty fireplace.

"It seems when the work gets really dirty even the worst gambler in the Dregs can't be convinced." He strode towards the doorway. "It looks like it's time for me to do what I do best." And then he was gone.

The rest of the Crows remained for a second, and Nina was so lost in thought she didn't see Inej slip out, nor did she hear Jesper stomp towards the bar, mumbling about the stress of trying to imitate the Wraith. Her stomach brought her back to the now and she was just making her way to the exit when Matthias grabbed her arm.