Let my fires protect you || Kaz Brekker X Reader

12. Jurda Parem

"An impossible job, near certain death, terrible odds, but we should scrape it..." He sounded so enthusiastic at the job, even with the fact the job terrified me the way his eyes lit up made me want to do it, for him. He looked me directly in the eyes smiling, "We'll be Kings and Queens, (y/n). What is there to think about?" Death, for one, I wanted to say but I didn't. Inej stayed leaned against the wall examining her knives which I decided to focus on when Kaz took off his vest and shirt. This wasn't the first time he'd done it, after the incident we had we became really close, I was trusted and I spent a lot of time with him, it still made my heart skip a beat. 

"I'm going to go." she said out loud then whispered to me, "tell me if he says anything else regarding this job I'm going to talk to Jesper." I nod and she leaves. "How long will we be gone?" I ask, Kaz shook his leather gloves off and all I see are his hands, slender and smooth. It made me laugh how people have the rumours about his gloves but they're all wrong. "A few weeks, maybe a month." I should probably leave a note to Nina then, that I'd be away and miss her dearly. Kaz started using a wash cloth to clean himself, running it along his arms and torso. My heart skipped another beat and my cheeks started to heat up, it was a familiar sight and I'd lost any innocence I had left at the Menagerie but I still was modest enough to do these things in private. "A month? Are you sure with everything so uneasy?" 

"Trust me, it's the right gamble. Speaking of which, round up Jesper and Muzzen, I need to speak with them at Dawn. And I'll need Wylan waiting at the crow club tomorrow evening." 

"Wylan?" If this is a -"

"Just do it." I felt my anger boil to the surface, why Wylan? from what Inej had told me, he was a demolitions expert but that was his only strength, Jesper just said he was cute. "Are you going to explain any of this?" I ask, "When we all meet." I know this is a big amount of money so this will be a once in a lifetime job but his secrecy for it, even to me, just opened my eyes to the gravity of the situation. He went to go get a new shirt, then hesitated as he went to fasten his collar, "(Y/n), this isn't an assignment, this is a job for you to take or leave as you see fit. There will be a special risk to you, I want you to know that." My eyes were opened even more. I put myself in harms way everyday simply by using my power and skill and Kaz had never hinted that these assignments were less than a command to be obeyed, even when we were in Ravka, infiltrating it's most guarded grounds. What made this job so much worse? How did it affect me? 

He finished with putting on his clothes then passed me a ruby tie pin surrounded by golden laurel leaves, Van Eck symbol.

"Fence it." he said, "Since when had Van Eck become more of a target?" I ask, I knew all the house symbols of the merch families, they could become a problem for me so now I know as much as I can about them, where they live, who they love, who they're enemies are, Van Eck was an exception, clouded in mystery. "Since he decided to jump me." 

"I'm sorry, did you just say you got jumped?" the thought sounded preposteous, and scary, he nodded. This wasn't good, if he could get the jump on Kaz could he give slavers the resources for me, or just do it himself. "It won't happen again." he promised, I still couldn't shake how terrified I was. He got the rest of his clothes on and snatched up his cane, heading for the door. "I'll be back in a few hours. Move the Dekappel we lifted from Van Eck's house to the vault. I think it's under my bed. Oh, and put in an order for a new hat." I didn't move, "Please." He said as he braced himself for the horror that those stairs are, I still didn't move, "Please my darling, (Y/n), treasure of my heart, please may you do me the honour of acquiring me a new hat." I couldn't help but smile, cheeky bastard. I went to the balcony of his room and jumped down in front of him. If he wanted to be an ass so could I.

~

That morning when we met, I was grateful but absolutely scared shitless. Kaz finally planned to break Matthias out of prison, I know after all the appealing Nina made me do that he wants revenge for what Nina did to him but he still was a druskelle who hated my kind and Hellgate was, well, fucking Hellgate. He also told me some detail of the heist and it made me absolutely terrified. There was a drug which could amplify my power more than it already is but it would turn me into this desperate, addicted husk of my former self, when I heard that I hoped the legend was true, if I was imbued with a gods magic then maybe I'd be strong enough to fight the addiction and win. 

We entered the prison for the hell show, I was wearing a mask of mister crimson, I missed my black mask that covered the burned half my face. It was a part of me now, the monster that Kaz has made me. We paid the Dime Lion who guarded the entrance we took and met up with Inej at the  second tower, eventually we came to a room full of people and an arena. The smell of everything was putrid, bodies, alcohol, sweat, it was disgusting and reminded me of the Menagerie but more gruesome and dark. That was fine, anything is better than the Menagerie. 

We watched a man get eaten by a Rinca Moten and after it had been sated people screamed in displeasure, they expected a fight and they didn't get one. "This is disgusting." Nina stated, I laughed, what did she expect? She's been in Ketterdam a year at the least she should realise that most people here would yearn for violence and the utter fear in the prisoners eyes as they die a merciless death, i'm sure it gives most of the people hear a rush of sadistic glee. It was conventionally, horrible but at this point who cares? "What's disgusting is that I didn't think of it first." 

"These men aren't slaves, Kaz. They're prisoners." Who have been convicted here for a reason, Matthias is here on charges of slavery, if he'd actually done it I would say let him rot. I would only say it in my head though because I wouldn't want to upset Nina, I'd say something similar but with less bite. "They're murderers and rapists." I state, Nina gives me a cold glare. I don't regret saying it, it was the truth. "They're thieves and con artists, your people." Ouch, I mean I was but the most thieving I do is when I steal from the bakery for her. "Nina, sweet, they aren't forced to fight. They line up for the chance. They earn better food, private cells, liquour, jurda, and conjugal visits from girls on the west stave." Muzzen made a comment but I just paid attention to Kaz, I felt a jealous feeling at him nicknaming her, I know it was seen as demeaning but my heart saw it as flirting, it was so bloody stupid to feel this way but I still felt it. 

"Helvar doesn't- he doesn't fight in the arena, does he?" This isn't going to go well, Kaz had told me that he had started, I can understand the desire to fight in here, to have things easier even if you have to fight. If I got put in Hellgate I'm sure I'd do this, my powers as an Inferni would make this a piece of cake. "We aren't here for the ambience." 

"Are you aware that if I waggle my fingers I could make you piss your trousers?" Nina threatens him, I glare at her and pull my mask off. This is what I normally do to my enemies as a warning, my face was a sight people don't really want to see but my eyes, my eyes that used to be so loved by everyone and still are by few, now terrify most people after I've become the monster that Kaz has painted me as. I didn't like doing this, especially to Nina, I wouldn't harm her, ever but I can't have Kaz harmed, that I won't allow. "Easy Heartrender, If you start messing around with my vital organs, Matthias Helvar will never see the light of day again." She settles down and I walk to her, putting my mask back above my face, "Nina-"

"Don't you start and what's with you defending him anyways?" 

"Just let him do what he does best."

"He's horrible."

"So am I and you still tolerate me. Being angry with Kaz is pointless and he's going to give you what you want so deal with his antics, get this job in Fjerda done then you never have to see him again." She seems to have relaxed a bit more and I'm just glad that this didn't become so heated, that I had to turn on the heat. 

Matthias entered the ring and Nina tensed. Let the Prison break begin, well as long as Matthias survives that is.