𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 ↦ Kaz Brekker

xxviii. knife wounds

As soon as he was gone, Stasiaj sent Inej a quick signal, watching the Suli girl scamper up the rungs, licking her lips all of the while. This plan had a high possibility to go wrong, and Stasiaj didn't like leaving things to chance. When things were left to chance, something normally went wrong and with these sorts of missions, there was no heavy reliance on information, so Stasiaj's skill set was rendered useless.

She also didn't like having a waiting period. If Stasiaj had time left alone, her mind started to wander onto topics that she didn't want it thinking about. For instance, the wanted poster with her face plastered all over it, Kaz, having to leave her vipers, Kaz, the entire Anastasiaj Lantsov mystery and then back to Kaz.

Ever since Malkus had accidentally called him Da, Kaz has slowly been becoming more and more closed off, and Stasiaj feared that there relationship was going to revert back to it's Snake and Bastard era. She understood that Kaz had a hard time trusting others and communicating his feelings, but Stasiaj had thought that they were getting somewhere, that they were making progress. 

Obviously, she was wrong.

There was a soft clang from above, and Stasiaj looked around for the guards, before flashing Inej the signal to go ahead, watching her walk across the wire to the second silo, then retracting the balance pole. Stasiaj kept herself from her thoughts, her eyes watching as Inej slipped the next weevil into the silo

Two down and...someone had pushed Inej into the silo.

Stasiaj stood, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. Who had known they were going to be here tonight? Who had seen them? Had Stasiaj not seen a guard crossing by when Inej was about to cross? What was Kaz going to th-?

Pain stopped her and Stasiaj paused as she reached down to touch her stomach. Even in the dim light of the warehouse district, Stasiaj could see that her hand came away with something almost reflective on it. Something liquid.

The pain registered better as Stasiaj choked, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to hold back a shout of pain, to not alert the guards. How had she not heard her assailant?

A tap on her shoulder sent her faceplanting into the floor, and Stasiaj struggled to move from that spot as someone placed a foot in the centre of her back and yanked.

Burning pain shot through her again as whatever had hit her un-lodged from it's place between her ribs, and Stasiaj whimpered in pain at the feeling of blood bubbling from the wound. The foot came off of her back, pressing her head into the floor as they stepped over her and continued on.

Fighting the dark, yawning pit of unconsciousness, Stasiaj mind began to work faster and harder than ever. Who were these people? Were they Van Eck's men, Shu or Fjerdans? How had she not known this? What was Kaz going to think or her not knowing this? Was she going to die?

Her last conversation with the man had been an argument, of sorts, and he'd walked off without saying goodbye or wishing her luck. With the way it was going, and the blood forming around her, Stasiaj would have truly needed some of that luck tonight. She didn't want to die.

Spitting to the side, Stasiaj pushed herself to her feet, ripping her top to tie around her stomach, despite the burning pain it caused her. Tears dripped from her eyes, but Stasiaj continued on. She didn't want to die. She couldn't die. From somewhere to her left, Nina was sparring with someone and above on the high ropes, Inej was exchanging blows with an assassin.

"I did not think you would get up," Stasiaj turned to look at her attacker, who was watching her with a wide grin. "The feared Snake of Ketterdam, and you were no more than a child. I am..."

"I don't care," Stasiaj replied, before spitting to the side again, her voice hoarse and pain ridden. "I don't care who you are. I don't care who payed you and I don't care what righteous bullshit you're telling yourself for attacking someone when their back was turned. I've had a really, really, shit week and you're not making it any better."