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...
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"IF WE GET THIS RIGHT, we're going to be in and out of the Ice Court before the Fjerdans ever know their prize scientist is gone," Kaz grimaced, pants legs cuffed above his ankles, the fabric drenched by wet snow.
"When we enter the prison, we'll be taken to the holding area beneath the men's and women's cellblocks to await charges. If Matthias is right and the procedures are still the same, the patrols only pass through the holding cells three times a day for headcounts."
"Once we're out of the cells, we should have at least six hours to cross to the embassy, locate Yul-Bayur on the White Island, and get him down to the harbour before they realise anyone is missing."
"Everything you're saying is going in one ear and out the other," Nina groaned. With little to no rest, the crows were exhausted. Kaz had them up at dawn, unsmiling as ever, but set today's pace at an impossible level. "How is the cripple faster than us?" Alessia whined.
"Don't say that," Natasha whispered, slapping her shoulder.
"It's not like he can hear me,"
"I can hear you just fine, Ivanov," He watched Alessia's cheeks flush and fall back in step with Inej. Nina had gone quiet, moving towards the pair. Matthias was listening, walking in step with Kaz, Jesper lugging behind them both.
"What about the prisoners in the holding cells?" Helvar asked in broken Kerch. His nose wasn't red like the others, his skin not a pale blue. His hair was sparkling against the snow, his crystal eyes glimmering like a shiny meandering snake.
"It's covered,"
His thin lips dropped to a scowl, his head bent to face the ground. He was guilty. Natasha couldn't blame him. Matthias Helvar was about to storm the palace of his people, moving against every moral code he had grown up to learn and respect. She sighed empathically.
"Once we're out of the cells," Kaz said, seemingly ignoring Helvar. "Matthias and Jesper will secure rope from the stables while Wylen and I get Nina, Inej, Alessia and Natasha out of the women's holding area. The basement is our meet."
"The incinerator is in the basement. No one should be in the laundry after the prison shuts down for the day. While Inej makes the climb, Natasha and I scour the laundry for anything he can use for demo. And just in case the Fjerdans decided to stash Bo Yul-Bayur in the prison and make life easy on us,Nina, Matthias, Jesper, Wylen and Alessia will search the top level cells."
"You and Natasha?" Alessia said, slipping up to walk in Kaz's pace - her black brows were bushy and sticking out. "Why does she get to go with you?"
Kaz sighed, keeping his composure still. "Because she's competent and she knows prison procedure well,"
"Couldn't you have taken Helvar? he's the blonde,"
"It would look rather suspicious if I was walking around with a polar bear," Kaz caught the raise of Helvar's brow, silencing him with a smart kick at his calve. Matthias barely flinched, his eyes lowered in a nasty glare.
"You will be with The Wraith if that is what's worrying you," He picked a snowflake off his sleeve, kicking it down onto the ground. "I'm not a cruel as you think, Ivanov," Kaz stomped forward.
"The rest of the prison isn't designed like the holding area. Patrols in the cellblock rotate every few hours, and we don't want to risk anyone sounding an alarm, so don't be fools. We coordinate everything to the chiming of the Elder clock. We're out of the cells right after six bells, we're up the incinerator and on the roof by eight bells. No exceptions."
"What if one of doesn't make it?" Wylen's voice was barely audible over the lashing wind. Kaz paused in his stride, twirling his cane over in his palm.
"The Frejdans are fit for a feast," he shrugged lazily, moving on as if nothing happened. Natasha watched Wylen's pace fail and she held out her arm so he could steady himself.
"The trick is," Natasha said smiling kindly. "Don't think about moving forth it's only ever going to confuse your brain. Imagine each step is a milestone, plant your feet like your already at a mini destination. Think of it like a world tour, you're moving from country to country,"
"Why do all the countries have to be so cold?" Wylen shivered. "Why couldn't the country be some place nice and warm?"
"Because that place doesn't buy you 40 million kruge," Alessia added. "Seems like becoming snowmen is the only way to get rich nowadays,"
"He'll cut off your arms and replace them with twigs," Jesper said, poking his head between the three of them. His arms were slung over Wylen and Natasha's neck. It seemed the cold didn't bother him as much as Wylen. "Then he'll shove carrots up your nostrils,"
"That'll make a nice front for the crow club Christmas Card," Natasha laughed. "Kaz Brekker with his butchered and bloody group of snowmen,"
"That has a nice ring to it," Kaz hummed. They all yelped, scattering back into little groups. Wylen, Jesper and Matthias was in the lead. Nina walking with Inej and Alessia, who clasped hands beneath their thick cloaks.
"Sometimes fear is a good thing," Kaz said, walking alongside Natasha. His crow cane separated them both, the back of his hand brushing the wool of her sleeve. Natasha snorted and beneath the heavy material of his scarf Kaz smiled.
"Installing fear through snowmen?" Natasha raised her brow. "That hardly sounds scary,"
Kaz scoffed. "Not until I've actually hacked off Jesper's arms and shoved tree bark up the sockets," They both heard Jesper squeak bloody murder behind them. "Doesn't matter what you say," he said coolly. "More so the tone you use when you speak,"
"What are you suggesting?"
"Kaz Brekker doesn't mean anything to me" He mimicked her tone, keeping up his relaxed facade. "He doesn't mean anything to me like that. You're a liar, Van Doren," Natasha was grateful for the cold, it was covering her embarrassed blush.
"I can easily make Wylen come with me." He was smiling to himself, his face arrogant. "He's got a better hand at bombs, the boy knows when to keep to himself. He's an honest mercher boy,"
"People are looking," Natasha hissed, creating distance between themselves. "We can't keep anything up during the heist, it'll get in the way. I'm not going to loose 40 million kruge,"
"You're breaking my heart, Van Doren," he said coldly, grabbing his cane and moving to go over the plan a second time with the others.
A/N
- I write like a 12 year old it's embarrassing. Anyways, this chapter uses extracts from Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows all credits respectfully go to her. If you enjoyed please vote and comment, you all are literally the sweetest people!!
