A convict with a thirst for revenge, a sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager, a runaway with a privileged past, a spy known as the wraith, a heartrender using her magic to survive the slums, a thief with a gift for unlikely escapes, a ballet...
Opting not to ask for questions, knowing she probably wouldn't get them, she waited for them to give her them instead. So, she headed to their arranged spot and smiled when she saw Trixie teasing Kaz while he fought off his own amusement, only she could get away with something like that.
"Hi." Inej greeted, snapping the two out of their staring competition.
"Hi, Inej." Trixie happily commented while Kaz only nodded his head. As soon as the Suli girl opened her mouth to speak, the dancer cut her off. "Before you say anything, look."
Following her gaze, Inej squinted but she couldn't see. Kaz handed her his long glass again and she gratefully took it, looking through that to see what they'd wanted her to witness. Two figures were walking with matching grace as her, posture pristine and perfect, like a sharp knife. She drew in a sharp breath, trying to convince herself this wasn't a cruel joke, she wasn't going to wake up and realise it had been a fantasy all along.
It was real, they were really here.
Judging by how pale the girl had gone, they assumed she was going to faint and so sharing a look, Trixie raced forwards and wrapped her around her, holding her upright, Kaz at the other side. With both holding an arm around the wraith, they waited for her realise what she was seeing was reality. It was the wrong time to be thinking this but Trixie couldn't believe how much Kaz had willed himself to change. For a boy who couldn't so much as bare the slightest shoulder brush in a crowd, he was holding onto the girl to ensure she didn't fall. All because he'd wanted to change, he tried, even though he still wore his gloves, he was trying.
"How?" Inej voiced, her voice hoarse as she tried to fight back the tears threatening to pour. "How did you find them?"
"Kaz mentioned he was looking for your parents and I know people who know people. As part of the deal Kaz made with Sturmhond, we knew were to look and so I sent Celeste out looking." Trixie explained and Inej's lip trembled slightly as she nodded. "If it was a mistake—."
"No," she cried, as the tears spilled over at last, sending a thankful smile to the two in front of her, "it was not a mistake."
"Of course, if something had gone wrong during the job, they'd be coming to retrieve your corpse." Kaz commented and Inej choked out a laugh while Trixie rolled her eyes.
"Just let me have this." Inej replied, straightening herself out once her balance returned to her, it was an odd sight, the wraith off balance. As soon as she took a step to race towards them, she paused, spinning on her heel to turn and face her two friends with a wide smile. "Come with me." She told them and when Trixie raised her brow she continued. "I want my friends to come meet them with me."
"Anything for you, Inej." Trixie grinned, ready to follow the girl before a hand grasped hers, pulling her back.
"Wait," Kaz called out to her when she turned around, "is my tie straight?"
Staring at him in disbelief, Trixie looked at him and then at Inej while the Suli girl shook her head with a bemused laugh, turning around to slowly approach her parents, giving them a chance to talk. When Trixie got over her momentarily stun, she tried to keep herself and her expression neutral but burst into a fit of laughter at the abnormality of the situation.
The Kaz Brekker was anxious about whether or not his tie was straight.
"That's the laugh." He had murmured as she shook her head, trying to calm herself down.
"You're an idiot, Kaz Brekker." Trixie commented, squeezing his hand softly as she lightly tugged him in the direction Inej had gone.
"Mama! Papa!" Inej had exclaimed, rushing towards the two figures as Kaz and Trixie followed behind them, watching as the family raced towards one another, reuniting.
Trixie felt Kaz squeeze her hand, not taking his eyes off the scene in front of him as they continued to approach the Ghafa family. When they'd finished exchanging laughter, tears and greetings, they turned to the two unfamiliar people. Immediately they were thanking them for what they'd done, reuniting them with their child. Hugs were exchanged between Trixie and the two but when it came to Kaz, a simple handshake was done.
"You shouldn't thank me, it was Celeste who figured it out, she was the one who managed to find your parents." Trixie explained, smiling at Inej's mother as Kaz shook hands with Inej's father.
"But still, we want to thank you for looking after our daughter all this time." Inej's father told the two as the trio exchanged a look.
"Inej didn't need anyone to look after her," Kaz announced, looking at Inej with what Trixie swore was a teasing smile, "she was the one looking after us."
"That's our girl." Inej's father nudged the girl who couldn't wipe the grin off her face.
"It was lovely meeting you both." Trixie told the two, announcing their goodbyes as she directed a small wave at the family. She knew that Inej would want a moment alone with her parents and so she directed Kaz away from the scene, walking along the path of Ketterdam, no location in mind but they just kept walking and walking. "You know, Matthias was meant to be going to my ballet performance before he and Nina returned to do whatever it is they're doing, I wasn't really listening when she explained it to me."
"Mhm." Kaz hummed, his familiar clicking echoing through the deserted streets of Ketterdam.
"Are you going to be there?" Trixie asked, her voice softer as if she was anticipating the wrong answer.
"I can't, I've got to speak to Anika." Kaz replied, noticing her frown as she looked away. "Come on." He nudged her into a cafe, quickly changing her mood as she happily followed him, ordering a waffle with strawberries.
Kaz turned up to the ballet performance, and to every single one after that. No matter the circumstance, everything would be dropped or rescheduled if he knew that she had one. Every time she'd tell him she had one, he'd act nonchalant, sometimes telling her he couldn't attend but she'd find his eyes in the crowd, and she could swear that he was smiling. Then the lights would turn on and she'd see his emotionless facade back.
It was like their little secret.
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
Words~1247. {edited:no}
Note: epilogue chapter is gonna be published in like 2-3 hours lolz can't believe this is ending
