hoax | kaz brekker

six. light years

The little girl trembled, her puffy pink dress shaking. "I- I don't know..."

He pushed her away, she landed in a heap on the floor. Backing up towards the door, he held his hands out in defence. "Monster... You're a monster!"

Tears welling in her eyes she pulled herself up onto her knees, sitting back on her heels. "No.. No I'm not, I'm just Daisy!"

"Demon."

Then his body hit the floor.

Malakai stared at the table, the hairs on the back of her neck rising from the memory. She didn't mean to do it. She was scared. He loved her as a daughter.

Whispering, she kept her gaze averted. Toying with the ring in her palms. "I was scared that I would hurt you guys."

Inej took the small girl's hand, but she pulled away quickly. The Suli girl's eyes softened. "What you have is a blessing, Malakai. You're our Phantom. Our protector. Sankta Malakai."

"This isn't a blessing. This is a curse."

Quickly changing the subject, Jesper sloshed the liquor in his glass. "So... That went well."

The four having flashbacks of the ordeal. Volcra growling. Everyone shouting. Then an unlikely Saint raising from the ashes.

Arken spoke, a piece of gold encrusted parchment in his hand. "The Little Palace Winter fete. There's no way we can find a way to the Sun Summoner without Nina. Especially during this ridiculous party. The place will be crawling with Second Army."

Malakai jumped in her seat as Kaz suddenly appeared beside her. He lifted his hand to his chest.
"Sorry."

All eyes shifted to him. "We're in luck. There's a good chance we can crack on. Now that we're three days travel from the capital, the next play is finding a way inside the Little Palace. It turns out the Kribirsk archives house the Little Palace blueprints. But... they're kept under lock and key. Far from the prying eyes of the masses."

Malakai sat up straighter. Jesper too following suit, knocking his hand against the bar. "Yes!"

Arken looked around at the visibly excited Crows, a small smile on his face. "Okay... What does that mean?"

Jesper smacked a hand on his shoulder. "It's time for a heist."

The Gunslinger turned away, saying his final goodbyes to the goat on his way. Malakai could've sworn she saw a tear escape his eye. Inej followed close behind shaking her head.

Malakai watched as Kaz stepped towards the Conductor. "I have a job for you, too. We need to hitch a ride east to the Little Palace. So," He placed a  bundle of money on the bar. "Make friends. Let's go, Malakai."

The pair walked away, Arken chuckling behind them. "But that's the hardest job. Why can't Malakai do it?"

The polar opposite duo turned back to him, eyebrows raised. The dark haired boy scoffed. "Because, Conductor, Malakai has much more useful skills than you do. And you managed to win us over, didn't you?"

Kaz and Malakai gave each other a knowing look.

Scattered around the bedroom, the Crows lounged back allowing themselves to rest after the last twenty four stressful hours. Jesper is slumped on an old arm chair, a plume of dust rising into the air when he sits down. He throws a ball of parchment into the air and catches it repeatedly. Inej sits behind Malakai, who sits criss cross at the foot of the large bed, braiding her soft blonde hair meticulously. Tying it off with a silk black ribbon. Malakai was preoccupied by the sketch book in her lap, she drew the Fold in dark charcoal. The three turn to Kaz Brekker who walks out of the bathroom wearing a very eclectic outfit, a black beret slouched on his head. They had never seen him wear so much colour.