𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 ↦ Kaz Brekker

x. grisha squallers

A shot rang out, and the Squaller was hurtling towards the earth.

Another slab of ice slid into place. They were being trapped like animals in a pen, ready for the slaughter. Jesper aimed between the slabs at a distant stand of trees, as Stasiaj pulled Inej to her feet once more, dragging her away from the ice. Before Jesper could get off a shot, he was thrown off his feet by a shaft of earth. He rolled as he fell and fired from the ground.

Someone in the distance cried out and Stasiaj saw a figure drop to one knee, but his arms were still raised, and the ground still rumbled and rocked beneath them. Jesper fired again and missed. Nina lifted her hands, before cursing as Stasiaj looked around. 

She saw Inej signal to Kaz. Without a word, he positioned himself against the nearest slab and cupped his hands at his knee. The ground buckled and swayed, but he held steady as she launched herself from the cradle of his fingers in a graceful arc. She vanished over the slab without a sound. A moment later, the ground went still.

"Trust the Wraith," said Jesper, as Stasiaj watched Kaz with a confused expression. He raised an eyebrow at the girl, who shook her head.

The group stood, dazed, the air strangely hushed after the chaos that had come before.

"Wylan," Jesper panted, pushing to his feet. "Get us out of here."

Wylan nodded, pulled a putty-coloured lump from his pack, and gently placed it against the nearest rock. "Everybody down," he instructed.

They crouched together in a cluster as far away as the enclosure would permit. Wylan slapped his hand against the explosive and dove away, careening into Matthias and Jesper as they all covered their ears.

Nothing happened.

"Are you kidding me?" said Jesper.

Boom. The slab exploded. Ice and bits of rock rained down over their heads.

"You spoke way too soon," Stasiaj teased Jesper, pulling pieces of ice out of her hair.

Wylan was covered in dust and wearing a slightly dazed, deliriously happy expression. Nina started to laugh. "Try to look like you knew it would work."

They stumbled out of the corral of slabs.

Kaz gestured to Jesper. "Perimeter. Let's make sure there aren't more surprises." They set off in opposite directions.

Nina and the others found Inej standing over the body of the trembling Grisha. He wore clothes of olive drab, and his eyes were glassy. Blood spilled from the bullet wound in his upper thigh, and a knife jutted from the right side of his chest. Inej must have thrown it when she'd escaped from the enclosure.

Nina kneeled beside him.

"I need a little more," the Grisha mumbled. "Just a little more." He grabbed at Nina's hand, as Stasiaj stepped away. She didn't like watching people die.

Sure, Stasiaj had given multiple orders to have people killed on her behalf and thrown into the river or shallow graves, but she, herself, only threatened to have people killed (or threw knives at them if they were named Kaz Brekker). She had never watched the life leave someone's eyes, not for a long time anyway.

Not since the boat.

"Snake?" Stasiaj looked up, as Kaz came over, panting. "What's going on?"

"The Grisha died," Stasiaj replied. "Your heist is causing more problems than you first thought."

"We knew that was going to happen," Kaz replied. "You've got a cut."

"Where?"

"There," Kaz gestured to her face, and Stasiaj raised her eyebrow at him.