Natasha Van Doren is a shadow summoner. She bides her time and resides in darkness, feared and esteemed by Ketterdam's civilians, a ghost . She cons Kaz Brekker into joining a heist he can't refuse and with thirty million kruge on the line, the crow...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The world rocked, and the sky shuddered. Mountains crumbled, and the oceans withered. The planets fell like shooting stars, burning balls of light engulfing a tortured universe into flames. The light had won, destroying everything with it.
But at what cost?
___
"DINNER,"
Jesper Fahey called. He had polished his guns, slicking back a mass of brown curls with thick lumps of gel. He stood with his hands buried far into the pockets of his brown suit, grinning from ear to ear.
He swung his tall body around the wooden doorframe, barging into the room with no manner of knocking.
"Saints," he said, striding the length of the room to get to their sides. Natasha and Alessia were curled up by the windowsill, sharing a pack of beers and crooked smiles. They swayed from side to side, humming jolty tunes beneath their beer-laced breaths.
"Kaz is going to kill you two," he swore, running a hand through his hair. He wiped the slimy gel on the lapel of his suit, pressing the heels of his palm against his forehead. "He might as well finish the trinity and kill me too,"
He snatched up the empty bottles by their feet and stashed them beneath the piles of white sheets on Natasha's bed. "You two are going to be the death of me," Jesper groaned.
He hoisted his arms beneath Alessia's armpit and dragged her away from the window. "Get off me," Alessia moaned, eyes screwed tight. She lolled her head from side to side as if it were too heavy on her neck. "You're not the only one who knows how to use a gun,"
Ivanov rested her head against Jesper's chest, a frail arm curved around his back. If he wasn't irritated, he might have even enjoyed that moment.
"Carry me," Natasha whined, holding her arms out expectantly. Fahey tore his eyes across the room to the sleeping soldier in his arms and the unidentified Grisha summoner before him. Either way, he was going to die at the hands of Brekker.
"I'm carrying, Lis," Jesper shot back, tucking his guns far from Alessia's sly reach. He was sure she'd find a way to get her hands on them. He didn't think he'd mind that much either.
"Drop her and carry me," Natasha Van Doren whined, stretching out her arms like a baby.
"I can't do that,"
"You love her more," Natasha pouted, taking another long swing from her bottle. Jesper buckled his knees to pick up the discarded silver watch on the ground. He moaned in annoyance, watching the minutes slowly crawl forth.
