Drowning (Kaz Brekker)

viii - Eye For An Eye

"I never plan for Asra." He never had to.

Her grin was a bloodied knife as she dragged Oomen over and shoved him to his knees before Kaz. Then an actual bloodied knife was in her hands, pressed to his throat.

"Brekker here's wondering how you managed all this? Care to share, Oomen?"

Despite it all, Oomen managed a smile. His face was a bloodied mess, head yanked back thanks to Asra's hand in his coarse white hair. "I stuck your Wraith. And this mad bitch."

"Looks like they got you too." He turned to Jesper and Matthias. "Stand him up."

Asra stepped back and allowed Matthias to haul Oomen to his feet with one huge hand. She was smiling like a madwoman, eyes locked on Oomen and Kaz as she walked around them back to the railing. She gripped it with scared and bloody hands and lifted herself up to sit on the beam.

Asra's eyes felt like pinpricks on Kaz's neck, but he ignored them and focused on Oomen, who was grinning through bloody teeth. "Why don't you tell ne what brought so many Black Tips out in force tonight?"

"We owed you." Oomen shrugged.

"A public brawl with guns out and thrity men packing?" Kaz raised a brow. "I don't think so."

Oomen snickered. "Geels doesn't like being bested."

"I could fit Geels' brains in the toe of my boot." Kaz said. "And Big Bolliger was his only source inside the Dregs."

"Maybe he -"

"I want you to think real careful now, Oomen. Geels probably thinks your dead, so there are no rules of barter here." Kaz said. "I can do what I want with you."

Oomen spat in his face.

Kaz wiped his face clean with a handkerchief. He could somehow feel Asra's grin, hot and manic as she looked on. He thought of Inej's limp and bloodied body, of Asra's still-bleeding arm. She wanted a show. Who was Kaz to deny her?

"Hold him."

Jesper and Matthias grabbed his arms and held him still. Kaz summoned a blade to his hand. A tidy, wicked little oyster shucking knife. Before anyone could blink Kaz had made two cuts along Oomen's face, crossing over his eye. An X.

Oomen was screaming. Kaz ignored him. He stashed the blade back in his sleeve and plunged his gloved fingers into Oomen's eye socket. He was screaming, thrashing, but it didn't stop Kaz pulling out his eyeball and shoving the handkerchief in its place.

"Listen to me," he hissed. "You have two choices. You tell me what I want to know and we drop you at the next port with your pockets full of enough coin to get you sewn up and buy you passage back to Kerch. Or I take the other eye and I repeated this conversation with a blind man."

Kaz didn't recognise his own voice. This wasn't him, wasn't his rage. His rage was a whip, precise and careful and driving him forward when he otherwise would've stopped. This was something else. This was wild and free and burning. This was a flame. This was Asra's rage.

He suddenly noticed her soft laughter behind him. Then Oomen's babbling.

"It was just a job. Geels got five thousand kruge to bring the Black Tips out in force. We pulled some Razorgulls too."

"Then why not more men? Why not double your odds?"

He was crying. Tears streamed down half his face, blood the other. "You were supposed to be on the boat when it blew! We were only supposed to take care of the stragglers."

"Who hired you?"

He suddenly went quiet, gnawing on his lip to stop himself.

Kaz stepped closer. "Don't make me ask again Oomen. Whoever it is can't protect you now."

"He'll kill me." Oomen said.

"And I'll make you wish for death, so you have to weigh your options."

Oomen sobbed. "Pekka Rollins. It was Pekka Rollins!"

"Saints," Jesper groaned. "We are so screwed." Kaz ignored him. The whip was there too now, that familiar driving force. Brick by brick. He'd bring it down. He'd burn it down with this new rage and woman to wield it.

"Is Rollins leading the crew himself?"

"What crew?"

"To Fjerda."

"I don't know about no crew. We were just supposed to stop you getting out of the harbour." Oomen said.

"I see."

"I need a medik." Oomen babbled. "Can you take me to a medik now?"

"Of course. Right this way." Kaz grabbed Oomen by his coat and braced him against the railings, right beside Asra. Her face lit up like a child given a new toy. She shifted, perching on the railings beside Oomen like a cat about to pounce.

"I told you what you wanted!" Oomen screamed. "I did what you asked!"

Kaz turned to Asra. "Care to do the honours?"

Her grin widened. "I'd love nothing more."

She gripped the back of Oomen's coat and yanked him over the edge.

Asra was laughing. She met Kaz's eyes, grinning like anything, eyes alight, face spotted with blood. The wind whipped at her hair and the dim light made her scars stand out like stars. Kaz was aware of the blood splashed on his own face, the way his lips tipped up at the sight of her. They must've looked mad.

They probably were.
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Author's note:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!
Have some Kaz stuff as a present. You deserve it.

I feel like I didn't write it very well but Kaz was simping so hard in that last scene.

Also kinda shitty ending but hey ho! I like this chapter :)

Some soft Asra in the next chapter, Inej and Nina content and some character development and whatnot. Fun stuff :))))))