Touch of Fire

Revenge

Kaz led us all over to the north end of the building that had no windows. There was a storm cellar on this side of the building and the pad lock had been sawed away.

I had to fight my laugh. Kaz was always thinking two steps ahead.

" What if the man that was signaling us, warns them all?" I asked Kaz as he was quietly opened one side of the cellar door.

"He won't." Kaz said this so matter of fact I didn't want to guess what this meant for that man's well being.

Jesper gave me a toothy grin and I had to smile back.

Jesper went down into the cellar first and Wylan followed shortly afterwards.Kaz instructed two of his men to stand guard out here and call out if anyone tried to come in behind us. Kaz then held a hand out for me and I let him lead me down into the cellar.

When we were down inside of the cellar Kaz didn't wait to see if the other's followed after him, he trusted that his crew would follow him.

I pulled my dagger from my boot sheath and gripped it firmly keeping my eyes on Kaz's broad back as he started towards the set of stairs at the other side of the cellar.

Jesper and Wylan were standing at the base of the stairs waiting for us to catch up. I heard Jesper's trigger being cocked,the sound echoing loudly off the stone walls of the cellar.

One of Kaz's men was standing close enough at my back that I could hear his nervous breathing.

Kaz glanced over his shoulder at me briefly and I tried to give him a reassuring smile. I wasn't sure if I managed to be convincing enough because Kaz's brows furrowed before he turned back around.

He needed to focus and not be worrying about me. I didn't need him being distracted and getting hurt or even worse.

I moved up to his side and whispered urgently," Kaz focus please don't worry about me I can handle myself."

Kaz didn't bother to reply he just looked up at the closed door at the top of the stairs.

I wasn't sure that the door above was unlocked. I started to offer to go up and check but before I even got one step up the door handle turned over. I tensed ready to push Kaz away from the entrance and the direct line of fire. Inej's face appeared in the doorway. She was wrapped in shadow but I could easily see her bright smile. I blew out a breath,calming my anxious energy.

I led the way up the stairs silently and waited at Inej's side for the others to make their own accent.

Kaz came up last, knowing he would be slower. I flinched when his cane slipped a bit on the middle step. I intended to go back down to help him but Inej grabbed my arm. She shook her head at me and I frowned at her but stayed put.

Kaz needed to do it himself I knew but it wasn't easy to watch him struggling.

I saw him clenching his jaw but he hid his pain well as he managed his way up the remaining stairs.

I noticed the unconscious bodies strewn down the hall from where we stood and I smirked over to Inej, " Your handiwork then?" I asked softly pointing my dagger down the hall at the bodies on the ground.

Inej grinned but stayed quiet.

Kaz ordered his other men to go in the opposite direction.

When it was just Kaz,Inej, Jesper Wylan and I left ,Kaz started down the long corridor, his gait changed slightly from the strain he'd put on himself getting up those cellar stairs.

If you didn't know to look for it you would never know that he was hurting. He hid his pain so well.

I knew he was strong and capable but his enemy didn't have any physical impairment and it could make all the difference in a deadly scuffle.