𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒅 || 𝐊𝐚𝐳 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

Loyalty

I watch Kaz leave with the boy that stopped the cripple and the girl by the door. I slip from the banisters and make myself known. My knives are a sweet weight in my palm as I strut through the crowd.

"Brekker need his blade to protect him?" A man crosses his arms over his chest. "Or perhaps just to warm his bed?"

A grin spreads over my face.

"Only an idiot comes to a fight without a bit of backup." I grab a star knife from my coat pocket. "And as for the bed, you wish it was you."

The man looks appalled. Before he can speak a word, my blade is lodged in his throat. It takes a minute for him to bleed out. When he finally does, I retreated my knife and watch the life leave his eyes.

"I'll give you all a tip." I spread my arms. "Fuck with me and you're dead. Fuck with Kaz and you're dead. Betray the dregs and you're dead."

"So, stay loyal is all?" A woman asks.

"And a little honorable. Wouldn't want your corpse taken from the streets to your family."

I walk out and see Kaz just down the road a ways down. I quickly scale a building and catch up. I emerge from an alleyway and walk behind them.

"Blade, bring this to the Ravkan embassy." The two accompanying him whirl around and I take the paper from Kaz's hands. "Be quick."

I slip away and to the embassy.

——————————-——————————-———

I slip through the window at the Ketterdam suite and see the team sitting around the table. I find Kaz at the head and hand him a note I received from the Embassy.

"Are they coming?" Nina asks me.

I nod. "I gave them your letter to the guard at the door and it did the trick. They brought me directly to two members of the Triumvirate."

"Who did you meet with?" Kaz asks.

"Genya Safin and Zoya Nazalenski."

Wylan leans forward. "The Taylor? She's at the Embassy?" Taylor? I can get my scars hidden again.

Kaz raises a brow. "What an interesting fact to forget to mention, Nina."

"It wasn't relevant at the time."

"Of course it's relevant!" Wylan yells angrily. We're definitely a bad influence on the boy.

Nina winces slightly. "Wylan, I thought you were coming to Ravka. You would have been able to meet Genya as soon as we were on the boat."

"We all know where Nina's loyalties lie," says Kaz. I nudge his foot warningly. He looks up and back at me.

"I didn't tell the Triumvirate about Kuwei."

A faint smile touches Kaz's lips. "Like I said." He turns to me. "Did you state our terms?"

"Yes, they'll be at the hotel baths in an hour. I told them to make sure no one saw them enter."

"Let's hope they can handle it," says Kaz.

"They can run a country," says Nina. "They can manage a few simple instructions."

"Is it safe for them on the streets?" asks Wylan.

"They're probably the only Grisha safe in Ketterdam," says Kaz. "Even if the Shu are working up the nerve to start hunting again, they aren't going to start with two highly placed Ravkan dignitaries. Nina, does Genya have the skill to restore Wylan's features?"

"I don't know," says Nina. "She's called the First Tailor, and she's certainly the most gifted, but without parem..." She doesn't have to explain. Parem was the only reason Nina had been able to manage Wylan's miraculous transformation into Kuwei. Still, Genya Safin is a legend. Anything might still be possible.

"Kaz," Wylan says, twisting the tail of his shirt. "If she's willing to try—"

Kaz nods. "But you're going to have to be twice as careful until the auction. Your father doesn't want you showing up to skunk the scam he's pulling on the Merchant Council and the stadwatch. You'd be smarter waiting—"

"No," says Wylan. "I'm done being someone else."

"Won't there be hotel guests at the baths?" Jesper asks.

"I had them reserve the whole place for Mister Rietveld," says Nina with a fake pained expression. "He's very self-conscious about disrobing in front of others."

Jesper groaned. "Please don't talk about my father taking his clothes off."

"It's his webbed feet," says Nina. "So embarrassing."

"Nina and Matthias will stay here," demands Kaz.

"I should be there," Nina protests.

"Are you Ravkan or a member of this crew?"

"I'm both."

"Exactly. This conversation is going to be tricky enough without you and Matthias there to muddy it up."

Though they went back and forth for a while, eventually Nina agreed to remain behind if Inej goes in her stead.

But Inej only shook her head. "I'd prefer not to."

"Why?" Nina asked. "Someone needs to hold Kaz accountable."

"And you think I can?"

"We should at least try."

"I love you, Nina, but the Ravkan government hasn't treated the Suli very well. I'm not interested in exchanging pleasantries with their leaders." Inej gives her a tight hug. "Come on," she said. "We'll get Colm to order us something decadent."

"That's your answer for everything."

"You're complaining?" Inej asked.

"I'm stating one of the reasons I adore you."

They went to find Colm, arm in arm, but Nina's teeth were worrying her lower lip. She had to be used to Matthias criticizing her country, but I guess it stung more coming from Inej.

"I'll go in Nina's place." I offer to Kaz.

"What makes you think you weren't already invited?"

"Don't know. Why don't you try to find out." I say, going to find Nina and Inej.