Walk With The Devil [ Kaz Brekker - Six Of Crows ]

4. Four

"Are you sure, Erin? Doing so would be like putting a target on your back," Nina warned.

"And keeping it will get me killed in two seconds. I can't show up on their territory if I still have it."

"Erin, this is dangerous."

"If you don't do it, Nina, I'm going to ask Matthias to do it for you. At least he won't have a problem with his conscience."

"OK. OK. It's okay. I'll do it."

Nina took the knife that Inej had lent her for the occasion, with her free hand, she held Erin's arm in place. Nina took a deep breath before bringing the knife to Erin's skin but she put the knife down before doing anything. Erin groaned before standing up and grabbing the knife. She left Kaz's office and started looking for Matthias.

"Hey! Matthias Zenik!"

The giant Fjerdan turned around, trying to hide his amusement. Erin knew he hated it when she called him that but she continued to do it because she liked to see him get angry, over time Matthias had come to terms with the idea that whatever he might say or do she would not stop, so he had learned to like that stupid nickname. It also gave him the feeling of truly belonging to this small group of criminals.

"What can I do for you, Erin?"

She handed him Inej's knife which he took and observed carefully. Erin then held out her forearm to him and he understood what she was asking him to do.

"So it's true? You're really going to do it?"

"Yeah, I like to live dangerously."

"Get ready, I'm going to do it. And it might hurt a little."

He had barely finished saying the sentence when he cut Erin's arm, ruining the tattoo she had – a crow drinking from a glass surrounded by a bramble branch – the tattoo that clearly showed her membership in the Dregs. They had looked into each other's eyes while Matthias had cut her arm and he was surprised not to see her flinch, as if the pain didn't exist.

"If you ignore the pain, the pain goes away," she told him as if she could read his thoughts.

Matthias didn't answer, he just nodded and handed the knife back to Erin. She took it back before thanking Matthias and they left in two opposite directions. Erin went to make a makeshift bandage before going down to the Crow Club, it was still early and there weren't many people in the club. She went to join Wylan who was sitting alone at a table, he was drawing, like every time he was alone.

"Can I sit with you?"

"Yes, of course, please sit down."

She pulled the chair out before sitting on it. They were silent for a few moments before Erin asked him what he was drawing.

"Let's say I'm taking a family portrait."

"How so ?"

Wylan handed her the sheet of paper with different portraits, Erin took it and she immediately recognized the people he had drawn. She couldn't help but smile like an idiot. Erin had always said that Wylan was far too pure, too precious to live in the Barrel and leaving the Dregs for a while bothered her just because she wouldn't be able to watch over him anymore.

"We're all there. See, there's even Kaz."

Erin returned the sheet but Wylan told her that it was for her, that she could keep the drawing. She sighed lightly.

"Why are you all acting like I'm going to die? It got boring after a while."

"Do you want me to list all the ways you could die on this job?"