Shadows and Demons || Kaz Brekker x Reader

• Prolouge •

"...Da?" A small girl steps hesitantly towards her father who was sitting on the floor of their small house, a distant and painful expression on her face.

"Da?" She tried again, needing to feel his comfort after the events of these last hours. She didn't understand much... it all happened to fast. She only knew that she would never see her mothers smile again.

This time, he did look up at her. But not with the comfort of a caring father. No, this was the grieving face of a man who just lost his wife. One full of the sorrow and agony that comes with the loss of a powerful love.

He took in the sight of his daughter. Her messy hair. Her tear-streaked cheeks. The small, tatter plush bird that was stitched by the woman he held most dear.

She was so much like her mother, it hurt to just look at her. Jesper had her same curse, the one part of his wife that he was so frightened of. But his daughter was cursed with an even worse power. And he knew what she could do. He knew what others called Grisha with power like hers.

Heartrenders. He knew what she could do with her power. So why didn't she save her mother? Why did she just let her die in front of her? The look in the man's eyes slowly turned from sorrow to anger. Then anger to blind rage.

The girl wasn't aware of her abnormality. She didn't know what it was or how to control it. And when she tried... bad things happened.

"Why didn't you help her?" He croaked out, his throat dry from the tears he had previously shed. Her gaze strayed to the ground.

"I-... I didn't know how—"

"YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HER! IF NOT FOR YOUR CURSE, SHE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!"

The girl flinched. Her father had never yelled at her like this before.

"YOU COULD'VE FIXED YOUR MISTAKE AND HELPED HER! FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE YOU COULD'VE BEEN USEFUL AND NOT BE THE MOSTER YOU ARE!" He spat, venom and hate dripping from his voice. He didn't see his daughter. He saw the girl who cost his wife her life.

Tears pricked her eyes as his words sunk in.

Useless.

Monster.

She didn't know what to do anymore. She sprinted out of the room and into an unoccupied corner of the house and let the tears fall freely.

And that night, she packed a small bag and left towards the boats that led to different worlds out at sea.

~

The winding streets of the Ketterdam seemed like a maze with no way out. After wandering for what felt like hours, the small lonely girl finally took refuge in a cramped, dimly lit alleyway, deciding to find someone to help her in the morning.

Her eyelids started to sag as she began to drift into unconsciousness, unable to stay awake after the long restless days at sea she had endured. Before she could fall fully asleep, a dark, shadowy figure crept into the corners of her vision. Not a second later, she felt rough hands grab both of her arms and haul her to her feet.

No matter how hard she thrashed or how loud she screamed, the man's grip never faltered. And she quickly realized that no one would be coming to her rescue.

The two men that grabbed her stopped in front of a large building with many people fussing about. The girl didn't know what this place was, but in time she would learn to hate it with her entire soul. The men shoved her up the front steps and inside, making a few turns before waiting outside of a door. One man lets go of the girl's arm momentarily and knocks a few times on the door. A faint "Enter," was heard from inside a moment later.