corvus//kaz brekker

ten

After days of traveling, we finally arrive back in Ketterdam.

"Home sweet home," Jesper remarks. "Straight off the boat from Ravka and no one was waiting to kill us as soon as we arrived. Yay. That's a good sign. I think I might celebrate with a little dice and debauchery."

"No debauchery," Kaz tells him.

"Dice then," Jesper says.

"No dice," Kaz states. "We have stops to make."

"What's first?" I ask. "Tante Heleen?"

"We get to the Crow Club," Kaz tells me.

We stop in front of the Crow Club. Or what used to be the Crow Club. Our sign is gone. Replaced with another.

"Where's our sign?" Jesper questions.

"It's been replaced," Kaz states.

"The Kaelish Prince?" Inej asks.

"What sort of name is that?" Jesper asks.

"Dime Lions," Kaz states.

"Pekka Rollins owns the Crow Club?" I question.

"Where does that leave us?" Jesper asks. "Are you saying we have no home? My suits. All my hats."

"Split up," Kaz instructs. "It's not safe."

Before we can go anywhere, we're stopped by the stadwatch.

"Halt! You four. Hands up!"

We do as were told. Were surrounded.

"Kaz Brekker. Jesper Fahey. Inej Ghafa. And Tereza Damcevski. Only a matter of time before you turned up."

"Is there a problem?" Kaz asks.

"For you? Yeah. You're wanted for murder."

"What? We just got back in town," Jesper says. "Unless it's a crime to kill Volcra."

"Very funny, gunslinger. Now, slowly, hand over those shooters. And you. Give up the cane."

Before anyone can realize I slip away into the shadows. I'm not getting hauled in for murder.

I don't want to, but I head to the Menagerie. I know people there will be able to tell me what the hell is going on.

"Eshana," I say, greeting the girl out front.

"Tereza! You're back," she says. "It's not safe for you on the streets right now."

"Tell me why. Who's been murdered and who pointed at us for it?" I ask.

I'm able to find Inej, Kaz, and Jesper walking down the street. I knew Kaz and Jesper wouldn't be held for long. And Inej was never caught in the first place.

"Tereza, what did you find?" Kaz asks.

"We're accused of murdering Tante Heleen," I inform him.

"Wait, what?" Jesper asks. "We didn't do that, though." He turns towards me. "Wait, did you do that?"

I shake my head. As much as I would love to have seen her demise, we've been a little too busy lately for me to be the one who murdered Tante Heleen. All I've killed are volcra.

"It was Pekka Rollins, wasn't it?" Kaz says. "He framed us for murder."

"He wanted to punish us for taking the job after he warned you off," I explain.

"But why take it out on Tante Heleen?" Jesper questions.

"She held the deed to the Crow Club," Kaz tells him. "We cut a deal so Tereza could help us with the Sun Summoner, so Rollins killed her."