GHOSTS • ⟨Inej Ghafa⟩

Chapter Nine

They slipped down the passageway.
Instead of going back the way they had come, they moved counterclockwise around the old tower. The guards that were posted at each archway only spared them a single glance, nodding at Kaz as he passed, his face buried in his collar. Finally, he held up a hand for them to slow when they were in between two archways and, shadows covering them. Only half of it was Niklaus's doing, most of the shadows were natural.

A medik emerged from a cell accompanied by guards, one of whom carried a lantern which prompted him to draw the shadows closer over them. "He'll sleep through the night. Make sure he drinks something in the morning and check his pupils. I had to give him a powerful sleeping draft" The medik said. As the men moved off in the opposite direction, Kaz gestured them forward. The door in the rock was solid iron with a narrow slot used to pass the prisoner's meals. Kaz bent to the lock. "This place is barbaric" Nina stated. "It's a prison Nina. I don't know what you expected" Niklaus said.

"Most of the better fighters sleep in the old tower. Keeps them away from the rest of the population" Kaz said as he picked the lock. Once he did so, the door creaked open and they slipped inside. Though the cell was pitch black Niklaus could see perfectly fine. He saw Helvar sleeping against the wall in a corner, his face was swollen and some kind of ointment was smeared on his face. Judging by the look of it and the smell, it was most likely Calendula. The dim green glow of a bonelight flickered to life in Inej's hands.

Nina moved towards Helvar but Kaz stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Klaus can assess the damage" he said "I can-" Nina began. "I need you to work on Muzzen." Kaz said as Inej tossed him his cane which had been hidden in her Gray Imp costume. The Shadow Summoner crouched beside Helvar, he could see the injuries as clear as day with or without the bonelight but he took it anyway so as to not give away how well he could see in the dark.

Muzzen began taking off his costume and underneath it he wore a prison uniform. "You can't possibly mean for Muzzen to take Matthias' place" Nina said as it finally clicked for her. "He isn't here for his sparkling conversation" Kaz replied dryly. "You'll need to reproduce Helvar's injuries. Klaus, what's the inventory?" He asked "Bruised knuckles, chipped tooth, two broken ribs. Third and fourth on the left" he responded "His left or your left?" Kaz asked. "His left" Niklaus said.

"This isn't going to work. I can match the damage to Helvar's body, but I'm not a good enough Tailor to make Muzzen look like him" Nina said, frustration seeping into her voice "Just trust me, Nina" Kaz said "I wouldn't trust you to tie my shoes without stealing the laces, Kaz" Which sounded completely reasonable to Niklaus. "Even if I swell him up, he'll never pass" she said with a shake of her head

"Tonight, Matthias Helvar, or rather, our dear Muzzen, is going to appear to contract firepox, the lupine strain, carried by wolves and dogs alike. Tomorrow morning, when his guards discover him so covered in pustules that he is unrecognizable, he will be quarantined for a month to see if he survives the fever and to outwait the contagion. Meanwhile Matthias will be with us. Get it?" Kaz explained

"You want me to make Muzzen look like he has firepox?" Nin asked "Yes, and do it quickly, Nina, because in about ten minutes, things are going to get very hectic around here" Kaz responded. Nina stared at him for a few moments before she finally spoke "No matter what I do to him, it won't last a month. I can't give him a permanent fever" she pointed out. "My contact in the infirmary will make sure he stays sick enough. We just need to get him through diagnosis"

Now get to work" Kaz prompted. Nina looked Muzzen up and down. "This is going to hurt just as much as if you'd been in the fight yourself" she warned. "I can take it" Muzzen responded, bracing himself for the pain. First he let out a grunt and doubled over when Nina snapped his ribs. "that's a good boy. Taking it like a champion. Knuckles next, then face" Kaz instructed. Nina spread bruises and cuts over Muzzen's knuckles and arms, matching the wounds to Niklaus's descriptions. "I've never seen firepox up close" Nina admitted.

"Count yourself lucky" Kaz said. "Hurry it up" She swelled up his face, cracked the skin on Muzzen's face and chest, and raised blisters until the swelling and pustules were so bad that he was truly unrecognizable. "Why would you agree to do this?" Nina murmured as she worked. "Money was good" he responded simply. Nina sighed. "You do know that's the only reason anybody does anything in the Barrel, right?" Niklaus asked dryly. "Doesn't mean I have to like it" Nina muttered.

"Good enough to get locked up in Hellgate?" She asked, turning back to Muzzen. Kaz tapped his cane on the floor. "Stop making trouble, Nina. If Helvar cooperates, he and Muzzen will both have their freedom just as soon as the job is done" he said "And if he doesn't?" She asked "Then Helvar gets locked back in his cell, and Muzzen still gets paid. And I'll take him to breakfast at the Kooperom" Kaz responded simply "Can I have waffles?" Muzzen mumbled.

"Can I have waffles too?" Niklaus asked hopefully "We'll all have waffles. And whisky. If this job doesn't come off, no one's going to want to be around me sober" Kaz said before looking at Nina "Finished, Nina?" He asked. She nodded, and Inej took her place to bandage Muzzen to look like Matthias. "All right, get Helvar on his feet" Kaz ordered. Nina crouched beside Helvar while Kaz stood over her with the bonelight. The sleeping Drüskelle looked troubled. Nina's hands traveled over his jawline "Not the face, Nina. I need him mobile, not pretty. Heal him fast and only enough to get him walking for now. I don't want him spry enough to vex us" Kaz said.

Nina lowered the blanket and went to work. Once she was done she touched his shoulder gently. "Helvar" she murmured. He didn't stir. "Matthias" she tried again. She pressed a kiss to his temple. Niklaus averted his gaze, letting the heartrender have her moment with Helvar. Normally he might say something but he wasn't big on getting his vital organs crushed, and (believe it or not) he did have some small amount of sympathy in him

"Matthias" she repeated. "Nina?" Helvar asked, his voice raw. "Oh, Saints, Matthias, please wake up" She whispered. "Nina" he said softly. "Nina?" He repeated "Shhhh, Matthias. We're here to get you out" Nina said. "Nina" he growled. Hearing the change in tone Niklaus looked back at them, only to see Helvar's hands closed over Nina's throat.

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