the world ender! GRISHAVERSE

𝖝𝖝𝖎𝖛. 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖆𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖗'𝖘 𝖊𝖞𝖊!

"Zoya?!" Anya's eyes lit up with joy. "Oh, how is she? How did she look? What did she say? Does she know I'm here- "

"Sorry," Jesper interrupted. "But who is Zoya and since when has Anya been madly in love with her?"

Anya rolled her eyes and threw a cracker at Jesper. "Zoya is a Grisha Squaller; one third of the Triumvirate. She was also one of my dearest friends back at the Little Palace."

"She was scary," Matthias added on, looking slightly troubled.

"Zoya does have that effect on people," Nina shrugged, munching her way through a piece of dried meat. "And no. I didn't tell her; I didn't think you'd want me to unless it was absolutely necessary."

Anya's gaze dimmed slightly and she slumped back into her seat between Kaz and Wylan, who patted her knee amicably. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Saints, I miss Zoya." And Alina, and Mal, little Misha, Tolya, Tamar, Genya, David, and Nikolai. 

"Slow down Nina," Matthias said. "You're going to choke."

"Worth it," Nina grinned through a mouthful of crackers. "I'm pretending they're pie."

"You know, I do have brandy to wash that down," Anya insisted. "Or kvas. Not too sure, but I might have a flask of that spiced Zemeni rum too - you know the  one with the gold-"

"I'm starting to think we may have an alcoholic in our midst," Jesper muttered. "But I'm having a hard time guessing who it might be."

"Says the resident gambling addict," Anya gasped dramatically. "And if it wasn't for my love for drink, we'd never have met in the first place, although I'm starting to think maybe I would have been better off that way."

Jesper threw the stale cracker back at her with a wide grin. "She would have stumbled across the slat eventually. Trouble always finds trouble," Kaz said coolly. Like calls to like, she remembered him saying. "Now; back to business."

"We found a shipment of molasses headed for Os Kervo leaving at elevel bells," Inej told Nina, and Anya was immediately reminded of her friends' imminent departures. "Specht is working on your documents now."

Nina gave Inej a nod and pulled three crumpled up posters from her pocket. "We need to get out of town as soon as possible. One for Matthias, and two for Anya; one's Ravkan, the other's Kersh."

"How nice to feel so wanted," she smirked, rocking backwards on her chair, groaning as the wood scraped at her bandages. Kaz swung the but of his cane to set her chair back on all four legs. "Ravka's being a little stingy; the Kersh are offering 100, 000 kruge!"

"Damn in," Jesper groaned, pinning the posters up with all the others. "She's joined Kaz and Wylan in the lead."

"Technically, I am in the lead," Anya grinned. "50 000 from Ravka, 100 000 from the Kersh, and I'm guessing the Fjerdans have some sort of bounty after me too. That's at least 150 000."

"How is Kaz worth 100 000 kruge," Matthias grumbled, staring down at his own poster.

"Don't be rude," Anya gasped, playfully knocking her knee against Kaz' under the table. "He's one of a kind, our Kaz."

"So am I," Jesper whined. "And they're only offering 30 000 for me!"

Kaz gave her the hint of a smile and Anya grinned back. "I was serious about those conjugal cells. They keep you fed, watered and relatively entertained in Hellgate, you know."

"Your lives are at stake!" Wylan gasped, throwing his head back in despair. "How can you act like this is a game?"

"I spent three odd centuries locked in a tower," Anya glowered. "Let me have my fun."