Hell to the Liars//Six of Crows

04

Chapter Four:
Aki Cain

Aki watched as Kaz walked out of the door, where the strangers had hidden him. She watched as he looked up at the roof where she sat, quickly she slid down a water pipe to the ground, landing right in front of him.

With a groan, she clutched her side and Kaz's eyebrows furrowed, she felt his eyes wander over her body. Her eyebrow and forehead was cut open and she kept a grip on her ribs, which she had inspected earlier, not broken just bruised. She looked over Kaz, who's lip and forehead was split, a bruise on his cheek.

"Are you okay?" She questioned the man as the two began to walk down the alley.

"Yes, I'm fine, how many did it take to get us?" Kaz questioned still eyeing the girls injury's, he was curious. Not much took down Aki Cain, but he knew she had gotten distracted. The two had both let their guard down last night, their own mistake.

"Six, four on me, two on you." Aki spoke and he looked down at the girl, pitying her.

"Heard you tracked me." Kaz spoke, immediately sounding impressed as Aki smiled up at him.

"I'm no idiot." Kaz snorted at the girls words as they turned the corner to the Slat.

"We've got a job, do you need someone to set your ribs?" Kaz asked the girl, stopping in front of the door to the Slat.

"No" Aki gave the raven haired man, a small and painful smile as he frowned.

"I'll send someone up to-"

"No, I can do it." Aki spoke, giving him a larger smile although her hand never left her ribs. "What's our job?"

"I'll tell you later, I'm going to round up the rest. You go set your ribs, I'll find you soon." Kaz spoke to her, opening the door, allowing her to walk in first.

You always knew when Kaz Brekker entered the Slat, quickly it went quiet, but soon the noise resurfaced, everyone excited to see Kaz once again.

Aki, made her way to the stairs, using the railing to get to her room on the third floor, she practically dragged herself up the stairs. Something that did not go unnoticed by Kaz.

Aki's room was small, it sat across from Inejs room, the two often sat in the hallway, giggling and gossiping late into the night. Aki's room was bigger than Inejs. It held a single bed cot, a small dresser, a mirror, and a chest that held reading books, dictionaries, and her machete.

Aki closed the door, dropping her machete to the ground and tossing all her clothes off. She looked at her self in the mirror, the left side of her ribs were bruised to shit, dark purple, fading to a gross yellow hue.

She let out a sigh, lifting her chest, she moved her left arm back, rotating it, until a pop filled her ears and a sharp pain.

Aki groaned, in pain, which quickly turned into relief. She heard a knock on the door, Aki grabbed a black coat she had stolen from Kaz. She wrapped it around her self, before cracking the door open, peaking out, she met Kaz's bright blue eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kaz Brekker didn't show emotions unless he was angry or annoyed. But, Aki had seen him experience every emotion, it was hard to miss when you grew up with somebody. And it was harder to miss when for the first years of knowing each other, you relied completely on body language. And, when Aki looked up at Kaz, she knew he was feeling guilty.

"I'm okay, Kaz." Aki, looked him up and down, a soft smile on her lips. "Are you?"

"Yes, of course." Aki, looked at his bloodied lip, she felt bad.

"I-I, I'm sorry Kaz." Aki spoke, softly, leaning against the door way. Her lip pouting. "I couldn't save you."

"Hey" Kaz spoke sternly, all of Aki's attention was now on his pale face. "I don't want you to save me, always save yourself first. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if something were to happen to you, especially because of me."

Aki nodded, she could never save herself over Kaz. She would agree with him, just to make him happy, but Kaz Brekker was Aki's life and she refused to let him die.

"Now, come on. We've got a job to discuss"