The Water's Rising.

Chapter 6- Inej

Together, she and Kaz left the warehouse and headed towards her gondel, which still bobbed cheerfully in the canal, oblivious to the horrific memories that had risen to the surface in the run-down building  next to it. The Wraith was just about to leave and resume her usual route across the rooftops, her knees bending ever so slightly as she prepared to leap into the shadows, when a cane swung through the air and halted, just grazing her chest.

Inej didn't flinch.

She knew Kaz would never hurt her.

"Wait." 

Inej just raised an eyebrow. What possible reason could Kaz have for keeping her down here, unless he admitted he wanted her company, and that was never going to happen again.

She just managed to catch a flicker of longing in his dark gaze, but as soon as it appeared, it was gone. 

"Are you alright to travel across the roofs? Are you hurt? Tired?" He paused, and then said, "Wouldn't want my best Spider plummeting to her death, when she can still be of use to me."

It was clear that the boy had just made up that excuse on the spot, but she wasn't going to pressure him.

Instead, she just said, "I'm fine."

He nodded and turned away. Before she could stop herself, Inej blurted, "Is there anything else?"

There was a tinge of hope to her voice, and she prayed fervently that Dirtyhands hadn't spotted it. 

"Why would there be?" Came his cold reply, mask in place once more.

There was a sudden, sharp pang in the girl's heart, and she found herself saying, "Honesty is important, Kaz. It's like the sweet rain people say they want to do without, but clamour for when they find themselves suffering under the weight of their hardships and the drought."

"And you really think I'm capable of honesty, Wraith?" Brekker's voice was bitter.

"Of course. Just as you are capable of kindness and empathy. You're human, aren't you?"

"No." he spat. There was a cold anger burning in his steely eyes, and despite herself, Inej took a step back. "Kaz Rietveld was human, and he died long ago, drowned in Ketterdam's harbour because people took advantage of his humanity. Kaz Brekker is a monster, ruthless and cold. And Dirtyhands is worse. He's the thing that even the worst monsters fear." He stalked towards her, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, cane tapping on the cobblestones. "So keep your pretty proverbs, Inej. Console yourself with the lies that by the time you return from your voyages to dock at Ketterdam, I might've regained a bit of humanity. But I never will, and you know it! I'm the Ruler of the Monsters and the Bastard of this damn hellhole of a city, ready to steal the King's Crown! And you know I'll do whatever it takes to get it!"

And with that, he limped back to the gondel, clambered in and rowed away, leaving Inej to return to the shadows and the grimy gables once more.