Bound Together

IX

WHEN LANYING ARRIVED BACK AT THE HOUSE THE CROWS WERE USING AS A BASE — she heard Kaz say, "Ohval's not just a fence. She's The Disciple."

"What... what tipped you off?" Came Wylan's voice

"Her tea cup." Kaz replied evenly. "When she set it down, she did so without a sound."

That's when NBina interjected, "And her heartbeat never fluctuated once. It held at one beat a second like a clock."

"So, she can control her heart rate and her emotions." Tolya said after a brief pause.

"Those are useful skills for a thief." Wylan muttered

"This is where you tell us where the blade is." Jesper said looking at Kaz

"Ohval has it. Her signal to the waitress to spill tea on me told me as much." Kaz replied

"It's as if I know you." Jesper whispered as he narrowed his eyes in an imitation of suspicion

"And if she's not going to sell it to us, we'll just have to take it. After Nina and I ordered the tea, I had Inej follow the tea shop employee who was sent to notify Ohval." Kaz informed the rest of the group

It was Inej's turn to reply as she flicked her knife. "She lives just outside the city. When she stopped at the tea shop, she placed an order at the apothecary that she'll be picking up tonight. I watched her at home a while, no one came or went except her."

"While she's out of the house, Nina will tail her to make sure she stays out of the house. The rest of us will grab the blade." Kasper said

Zoya scoffed. "You don't seriously expect me to break into this woman's house."

"Uh, why do you think we're here?" Jesper asked

"I'm a soldier, not a thief. Why else would I need you criminals?" Zoya asked as she gave Kaz and Kasper a look that screamed annoyance.

That's when Lanying decided ton make herself known. "What of it Zoya? I am a solider and a thief. Can one not be both at the same time?"

Zoya shot Lanying a look and decided to ignore her while Kasper fixed Lanying with a curious expression that seemed to ask, "Where have you been since I left you at the Stupa?"

"There's much less of a difference there than you think." Toyla replied while laughing

"You just keep eating your walnuts." Zoya narrowed her eyes and quipped in Tolya's direction. "I'll go with Nina." Zoya finished. 

Nina coughed and asked, "Are you sure you don't need me? I mean, Zoya can tail Ohval."

"Nina and Zoya will wait for Ohval at the apothecary. Follow her. If she starts heading home, buy us some time. Distract her." Kasper instructed and he looked back and forth between Zoya and Nina who clearly had some unspoken history.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The group arrived outside of Ohval's house and gathered before the main entrance. Tolya, using a stick scratched out the layout of the house in the dirt as he explained how the house was laid out. "This house is traditional. It has a specific layout. We enter through the front courtyard, antechamber, middle courtyard, main chamber."

"We sweep the entirety." Kasper said as Kaz made his way to the front door to unlock it with his wires.

"How long will it take you to set up?" Kaz asked Wylan as he took his spot by the door.

"I can have the door open in about five minutes. And if Ohval trips it, we have two minutes before the firecrackers go off to get out." Wylan replied

Lanying resisted the urge to roll her eyes at these idiots she called her "friends". Ohval would never trip the trap that Wylan would set for her as she never used this door. It was a false front and the real one was in the back. But then again, the crows needed to learn a valuable lesson about not breaking into a place before knowing all the secrets that lay inside. That they could learn to plan more carefully before embarking on heists.

"Even if she returns prematurely, we cannot leave without the blade." Inej said firmly.

"Yes, the future of Ravka and my payment depend on it. I'm aware." Kaz replied as he poised his lockpicks

"It's more than the future of Ravka at stake. If we fail, Shu Han, Fjerda, Ketterdam, and beyond, they'll feel the weight of the Darkling bare down on them." Tolya said.

"Way to up the stakes." Jesper complained.

Just then the lock clicked and the group made their way in and Wylan moved to set up his trap and the group gathered at the main door. After a while of Jesper talking to Wylan, Kaz called out, "Jesper. We're going in. Close the doors behind you."

The group gathered behind Kaz as he slid the heavy doors open and followed him into the room.

"Spread out." Kaz instructed and the group did as he had instructed.

Lanying made sure to skirt around the perimeter of the room as she knew the mechanism that lay in the middle. It was easy for her to spot as Ohval had once taught her how to keep an eye out for the "secrets of a place" and the lever was easy to spot. Three planks that were cut straight across and joined by horizontally cut planks that didn't seem to fit.

"I sense a heartbeat." Tolya reported and Lanying sensed the same one. She recognized it. It was her father, her a'zha, the Disciple.

"I thought the compound was empty." Jesper replied in confusion

"It's faint. Further in the house." Tolya replied.

By this time, Lanying had made her way around to the door that led out of the room and stood beside it in case something happened. And it did. Tolya was about to step on the mechanism and Lanying shouted, "Wait Tolya don--" But it was too late. Tolya's right foot stepped on the mechanism and triggered the mechanism. Lanying rushed to help Tolya and Inej with the door but it was too late. It clanged shut before Lanying could make it outside to stop the poison she knew was coming.

Inej pulled out her knives and tried to dent the doors so they could get out. But her knives did nothing. "It's impenetrable."

Kaz banged his cane on the support frames and a hollow metallic sound echoed in the chamber. "The frames are made of metal."

"They're Durast-made." Jesper confirmed

The sound of a mechanism creaking could be heard and Jesper said, "That does not sound good."

And a red smoke started spilling out into the room.

"There's something in the air." Tolya said

Everyone started coughing as the cloyingly sweet red mist spilled into the room. "This is how we die." Jesper said as he fell down and everyone quickly followed suite as the poison did its work. Lanying tried to slow down her heart beat in an effort to slow down the Datura Meloxia, but she knew it was of no use.