The Love of a Crow - Wesper/Crows Fanfiction/AU

5. Jesper

Wylan started awake as Kaz chucked the pile of junk in front of him. "Build this."

Wylan looked around frantically, eyeing each crow, Nina's magic wearing off almost immediately. "What?"

This time Jesper jumped in, eager to get this over with. "Word around the Barrel is that you know your way around a chemistry set. Am I right?"

"What? I... yes, a bit." Wylan stuttered, in an attempt at the best possible answer.

"Well then, let's see what you can build out of this." Kaz flicked his cane towards the pile of scraps clustered in front of Wylan, his voice a deep scratch against stone. Jesper hated how that voice fascinated him, even if it only ever spoke to him in anger.

"What am I supposed to build?"

"A bomb."

Wylan's eyes flew open, his hands flinging back from the objects like they burned. "No! I-I can't! I won't! This is... it's wrong!"

Jesper rolled his eyes. "Relax merchling, as if we'd ever let you build us something important."

"As blatantly as Jesper put it, yes, this is just a tester." Kaz stepped towards Wylan. "I've decided to give you another chance, and that is not something I do very often. So, if you can prove your worth to me, then I won't kill you. Deal?" He held out a leather-bound hand.

Wylan looked sceptical, and Jesper actually wondered if he would refuse. But just as he was imagining the chaos that would unfold Wylan took a deep breath and shook his hand.

Kaz immediately drew back. "Excellent. Now, get building."

Jesper hated to admit it, but the boy was resourceful. Not a word breathed out of him about the lack of materials, nor working conditions. Apart from one small incident where Wylan had whispered something about stage fright. To be honest, Jesper couldn't blame him. It wasn't like any of them wore friendly faces. But he would gladly dance half naked in front of these people if it would get him 5 kruge, and, like it or not, Wylan would have to get used to Kaz's keen eye.

Finally, after what felt like an age of knife-cleaning, off-key singing and cane tap-tapping Wylan yelled.

"Done!"

He stared down at his work triumphantly. It was the first time Jesper had seen him smile. When he did his cheeks seemed to light up, the paleness blushing into a light pink, his amazing eyes widening and creasing slightly at the corners. It was a smile Jesper never expected to see on someone being held prisoner by Kaz Brekker.

Then Jesper saw what he had built, and he burst out laughing.

"That? That thing is your bomb?! Ha!" He clutched his sides. "If that string of junk's a bomb then I'm the Shu Han prime minister!"

Wylan's face immediately fell, and Jesper was almost sorry for what he said. But what he had built was laughable. From far away it looked like a strange drink container holding liquid jurda. From closer up Jesper could see the strange cuts and clasps of metal fastened on both sides, and a small glass vial containing the liquid, which bubbled and frothed pathetically for something that should level twenty people.

Jesper gave it a little kick, exclaiming; "I think Matthias could build something better than this, and he's hollow when it comes to this sort of stuff!"

"Careful! I didn't have enough materials to make a fuse, and it doesn't have any proper bomb casing! It only takes a small throw for it to ignite."

Before Jesper could mock him again Kaz stepped forward and picked up the bomb, much to the protest of Wylan. He examined it in one gloved hand before passing it to Inej. "Well then, kid. We'll have to see what happens."