The exception ° Six of crows

Chapter thirteen

Adelaide and Kaz rushed through the halls, alarm blaring through the building signalling that something was wrong. They were late, they might not be able to get out and Adelaide feared that not even Kaz Brekker would be able to save them if that was the case.

Just as they hurtled through the door to the laundry they saw Jesper grabbing the rope hanging in the incinerator.

"Hurry," Kaz said and without hesitation, Jesper did exactly that.

Adelaide felt the rope tremble when she grabbed ahold of it beneath him, Kaz grabbing it beneath her. She did not know if the rope would be able to hold them all but there was no other option. The blonde braced her feet against the wall of the incinerator when she needed to, he feet would just scrape the surface for a few seconds before she recoiled at the heat of the bricks. Inej had had to make this climb with nothing to hold on to. Adelaide hoped that she was alright.

High above, the Elderclock's alarm bells still clanged like a drawer full of angry pots and pans. She couldn't believe that Kaz had been the reason why everything was now a mess. She was certain that it would be Jesper who messed up.

"Thank the Saints," she heard Jesper gasp when Matthias and Wylan grabbed his shoulders and hauled him up the last few feet. He tumbled over the lip of the chimney and onto the roof, drenched and trembling like a half-drowned kitten. "Kaz and Adelaide are on the rope."

Matthias and Wylan seized the rope to pull them up. Jesper wasn't sure how much Wylan was actually helping, but he was certainly working hard. They dragged the two out of the shaft.

Adelaide let out a sigh of relief, every muscle in her body was screaming in agony. She wasn't as used to the exertion of heists as the others were.

Kaz flopped onto his back, gulping air. "Where's Inej?" he gasped. "Where's Nina?"

"Already on the embassy roof," said Matthias.

"Leave this rope and take the rest," Kaz said. "Let's move."

Matthias and Wylan tossed the incinerator rope into a grimy heap and grabbed two clean coils.

Jesper took one and forced himself to his feet. He followed Kaz to the lip of the roof where Inej had secured a tether that ran from the top of the prison to the embassy sector roof below. Someone had rigged up a sling for those without the Wraith's particular gift for flouting gravity.

"Thank the Saints, Djel, and your Aunt Eva," Jesper said gratefully, and slid down the rope, followed by the others.

The roof of the embassy was curved, probably to keep the snow off, but it was a bit like walking on the humped back of an enormous whale. It was also decidedly more ... porous than the prison roof. It was pocked with multiple points of entry – vents, chimneys, small glass domes designed to let in the light. Nina and Inej were tucked up against the base of the biggest dome, a filigreed skylight that overlooked the embassy's entry rotunda. It didn't offer much shelter from the dwindling rain, but should any of the guards on the ringwall turn their attention away from the approach road and onto the rooftops of the Court, the crew would be hidden from view.

Nina had Inej's feet in her lap.

"I can't get all the rubber off her heels," she said, as she saw them approaching.

"Help her," said Kaz.

"Me?" Jesper said. "You don't mean—"

"Do it."

Jesper crawled over to get a better look at Inej's blistered feet, keenly aware of Kaz tracking his movements. Adeline had already gotten down on her knees next to the injured girl, examining the damage. Jesper was just happy that it wasn't the blonde that was hurt this time, Kaz's reaction last time had been more than a little disturbing. Jesper focused on the particles of rubber, trying to draw them away from Inej's flesh the same way he'd extracted ore from the prison bars.