Echo • Six Of Crows - Kaz Brekker

18

Mavka would have loved a proper night's sleep in her bed back at the slat, but there would be none of that at the Inn or any others if they were to find their way onto a prison wagon and into the Ice Court before Hringkälla celebrations officially began.

After the horrors at the Gestinge, practically everyone save for Mavka had demanded Kaz take them somewhere decent so they could have actual edible food. Now they sat around a cosy cafe, nursing warm mugs of coffee and chocolate at a quaint table in the corner by the frost coated windows where ribbons hung down from the decorations outside along the ridge above.

Upon their table lay the demolition of rolls and buttery cookies in piles of scattered crumbs, and even though Mavka had been satisfied by the bread back at the precious inn (that had more a consistency of crackers now she thought about it,) she had to admit this was a million times better.

The moment she spotted the pepper cookies in the shape of little wolves hanging as decorations outside of shop windows, she had secretly craved one. And now her and the others had polished off an entire plate and more. Nina would be in heaven when she came back, but she was off chatting up locals and putting her charm to good use to discover the best place to ambush the prison wagon. They had to be thorough.

Mavka had been half listening to Inej and Matthias's conversation, and half Kaz and Jespers. But with buttery crumbs lingering on her fingertips she ended up drifting off, legs curled up under her in her chair and the side of her head resting against the cold window.

It took them all quite a long time to realise she had nodded off as the silence from her was expected, but Matthias had asked Inej if she was alright, something very out of place coming from his lips as he nodded to behind the Suli girl. She had turned and her eyes had softened, alerting the boys who made a silent agreement to not wake her.

Nina had said the healing from the injuries she'd sustained was still pending and she wouldn't be fully back on her feet for at least a week or so. She hid any pain remarkably well, but with one hand lying against her side, her unconcious mind couldnt hide it. There was a thin line at her brow as she breathed softly, her breaths gently clouding the window she rested against.

When the bell above the door jingled and Nina sailed inside, cheeks rosey, brown hair in a gorgeous tangle, and declared, "someone needs to start feeding me sweet rolls immediately," Mavka had been roused from her little nap and snuck another cookie from the plate that was placed before Nina.

The brown haired girl shot her a look, half a roll in her mouth. "How many of those have you had?"

Mavka shrugged and nibbled at it.

"Again, I dont know where she puts it." Jesper mused from the side. "All that sugar in such a small container."

She rolled her eyes and continued eating, glancing at Nina who was literally licking her fingers before going for another sweet treat.

"Its not fair," Nina whined around a mouthful of food. "I so much as look at a crumb and I struggle fitting into my dresses the next day."

Inej giggled as Nina continued eating. "Speaking of crumbs..."

"Nina, dear, there are crumbs on your cleavage." Kaz pointed out.

Mavka caught Matthias looking as she brushed crumbs off of her chest nonchalantly. She tilted her head, her hair falling across her shoulder. The movement made the man look her way and when he caught her staring, he looked away. She grinned as his cheeks turn red.

"Only you could say that sentence without it being even remotely suggestive." The woman said to Kaz, who simply tapped his fingers along the tables edge and barely dipped his head in response.