☆。*。☆。
★。＼｜／。★
xxiv. the
balancer's
eye!
★。／｜＼。★
☆。*。☆。
♥✎ ✲❁✰❄✫✾✹✾✷❂✷✬✶❄✲ 🐙ൠ
The first thing Anya noticed when Nina and Matthias stormed back into the tomb was the bright flush on the Grisha's cheeks. The second, was that Nina kept shooting her nerve wrecking stares. She hopped her seat atop the table where they were making adjustments to the tight rope Inej would be using to destroy Van Eck's silos. Much to her chagrin, Kuwei had spent the last hour hogging Jesper, who only had eyed to Wylan, who thought he was looking at Anya.
Sometimes she wondered how exactly they'd managed to pull off their heist in Fjerda.
She brushed past Kaz, gently running her hand along the back of his shirt as she went, and much to her delight, he leaned back into her touch. "Did you manage to contact the refugees?" Inej asked, moving the wire to the side.
Nina glanced at her nervously again. "Everything went smoothly. You know, besides breaking a few windows and nearly getting shot."
Anya felt Kaz's shoulders tense up under her hand. "Big trouble in Little Ravka?" Jesper asked.
"Oh, um well," Nina glanced at Anya again, and the older Grisha sent her a questioning glare. "Nothing we couldn't handle. Is there something to eat?"
Now this was new. "You're hungry?" Inej asked with wide eyes.
"I have half a bottle of brandy in my bed roll," Anya shrugged, moving her hand away from Kaz at Matthias' inquiring glance. "It's pretty filling."
"No, that won't do," Nina grinned. "I might have to pull an Anya and eat one of you for dinner."
"I wasn't going to eat you," Anya grumbled with a pout. Jesper gave a loud cough. "Oh, fuck off, Jesper! You're all skin and bone. If I was going to eat someone, it would have been Matthias. Lots of muscle."
Matthias took a step behind Nina. "What happened at the tavern?" Kaz asked.
"The refugees are hiding at the embassy," Matthias told them. "We met-"
"Their leader!" Nina said, shooting Anya another wide eyed stare. "They'll be waiting for word from us."
"Ok, I feel like you're not quite telling us everything, Nina," Anya finally said. "Who's here?"
The two girls stared at each other for a particularly long second, Nina finally caving when Anya's eyes began to darken. "Oh fine. It was Zoya."
"Zoya?!" Anya's eyes lit up with joy. "Oh, how is she? How did she look? What did she say? Does she know I'm here- "
"Sorry," Jesper interrupted. "But who is Zoya and since when has Anya been madly in love with her?"
Anya rolled her eyes and threw a cracker at Jesper. "Zoya is a Grisha Squaller; one third of the Triumvirate. She was also one of my dearest friends back at the Little Palace."
"She was scary," Matthias added on, looking slightly troubled.
"Zoya does have that effect on people," Nina shrugged, munching her way through a piece of dried meat. "And no. I didn't tell her; I didn't think you'd want me to unless it was absolutely necessary."
Anya's gaze dimmed slightly and she slumped back into her seat between Kaz and Wylan, who patted her knee amicably. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Saints, I miss Zoya." And Alina, and Mal, little Misha, Tolya, Tamar, Genya, David, and Nikolai.
"Slow down Nina," Matthias said. "You're going to choke."
"Worth it," Nina grinned through a mouthful of crackers. "I'm pretending they're pie."
"You know, I do have brandy to wash that down," Anya insisted. "Or kvas. Not too sure, but I might have a flask of that spiced Zemeni rum too - you know the one with the gold-"
"I'm starting to think we may have an alcoholic in our midst," Jesper muttered. "But I'm having a hard time guessing who it might be."
"Says the resident gambling addict," Anya gasped dramatically. "And if it wasn't for my love for drink, we'd never have met in the first place, although I'm starting to think maybe I would have been better off that way."
Jesper threw the stale cracker back at her with a wide grin. "She would have stumbled across the slat eventually. Trouble always finds trouble," Kaz said coolly. Like calls to like, she remembered him saying. "Now; back to business."
"We found a shipment of molasses headed for Os Kervo leaving at elevel bells," Inej told Nina, and Anya was immediately reminded of her friends' imminent departures. "Specht is working on your documents now."
Nina gave Inej a nod and pulled three crumpled up posters from her pocket. "We need to get out of town as soon as possible. One for Matthias, and two for Anya; one's Ravkan, the other's Kersh."
"How nice to feel so wanted," she smirked, rocking backwards on her chair, groaning as the wood scraped at her bandages. Kaz swung the but of his cane to set her chair back on all four legs. "Ravka's being a little stingy; the Kersh are offering 100, 000 kruge!"
"Damn in," Jesper groaned, pinning the posters up with all the others. "She's joined Kaz and Wylan in the lead."
"Technically, I am in the lead," Anya grinned. "50 000 from Ravka, 100 000 from the Kersh, and I'm guessing the Fjerdans have some sort of bounty after me too. That's at least 150 000."
"How is Kaz worth 100 000 kruge," Matthias grumbled, staring down at his own poster.
"Don't be rude," Anya gasped, playfully knocking her knee against Kaz' under the table. "He's one of a kind, our Kaz."
"So am I," Jesper whined. "And they're only offering 30 000 for me!"
Kaz gave her the hint of a smile and Anya grinned back. "I was serious about those conjugal cells. They keep you fed, watered and relatively entertained in Hellgate, you know."
"Your lives are at stake!" Wylan gasped, throwing his head back in despair. "How can you act like this is a game?"
"I spent three odd centuries locked in a tower," Anya glowered. "Let me have my fun."
"Our very own Rapunzel," Inej smiled, and Anya didn't have the heart to tell her that she was in fact, the root of the origins of that particular fable.
"Maybe we should all go back to Ravka," Nina suggested. It isn't safe here. Inej could find her family; Jesper could come study at the Little Palace; Wylan would be safe from his father; Kaz could make his money in the capital; and Anya will always have a place in Os Alta, no matter what the people might think."
"It's not a bad idea," Kaz shrugged, and Anya turned to stare at him in disbelief. There was no way in hell Kaz Brekker would ever leave the empire he was building in Ketterdam behind.
"It's an awful idea," Anya said, staring desperately up at Nina. "I can't go back to Os Alta. I'd be locked up in that damned tower for another three centuries!"
"You're on the run here too," Nina exclaimed. "The King would pardon you, Anya. Why else do you think he wants you captured alive."
"The world is searching for the World Ender," Anya whispered. "Not Anya Varamyr; as long as I keep by powers buried away I could walk the streets of Ketterdam a free woman. I miss Ravka, I really do - but I can never go back."
"Ravka," the voice in her mind cooed. "Take us home, little Nastya." And that was the reason why.
"She'll be fine," Kaz spoke up from beside her. "I'll lie low here too. I want to see Van Eck's life come apart when the hammer falls."
Kaz's hand brushed against hers under the table, and before she knew it, his gloved little finger was intertwining with hers. Whatever would happed, they'd manage - together.
♥✎ ✲❁✰❄✫✾✹✾✷❂✷✬✶❄✲ 🐙ൠ
Anya pulled Kaz outside of the tomb as he and Wylan prepared to leave. "Are you positive there's nothing I can do to help?" she asked. She'd been instructed to keep hidden, the Ravkan embassy being too much of hazard for a Grisha as high profile as her. She'd probably end up regretting not being able to even see Zoya once more, but it was too risky.
"Stay alive," Kaz told her without a hint of amusement. "Stay hidden; I'll feel it if something goes wrong."
Anya glanced down at Kaz's coat, where her dagger was safely buried. Whenever she turned, it sang with power, almost as though it were fighting to reenter its vessel. "Once for safety, thrice for danger," she reminded him with a stern glare. "Use it if you're in trouble - and take care of Wylan."
"Wylan's a big boy; he can take care of himself," Kaz grumbled. "I'll see you later," he said and just as she thought he was going to turn away, he reached forward with a shaky hand to take hers in his grip. Then, as quick as lightning, he pulled her bare hand to his mouth and pressed the lightest of kisses to her pulse point, before dropping her arm and taking a trembling step back.
Anya looked up at Kaz with wide, gleaming eyes. "Kaz," she murmured, smiling softly as he glanced away from her, breathing heavily. "No mourners," she whispered, wrist still scorching from the intensity of the gesture.
Kaz glanced back at her through his lashes, the barest of smiles on his face. "No funerals."
And then Kaz Brekker was pulling himself back together, armor falling back into place. "It's time," he barked through the doorway, leaving Anya smiling like an idiot just outside the entrance. "Now!"
Kaz didn't turn back to look at her as he left, so Anya brushed a scarred hand through Wylan's hair. "See you on the other side, kid."
Wylan wrapped his arms around her tightly, and jogged off after Kaz. She slid back inside to say her goodbyes to Nina and wish Inej all the luck in the world.
"Promise you'll visit," she whispered into Nina's ear as they hugged each other tightly. "And send me letters; as many as you can. I want all the gossip you can get your hands on - and I want to be the first one to know when you start popping out baby Fjerdan giants."
"You're an idiot for not coming with me," Nina sighed. "You know perfectly well that King Nikolai would give you a place in court, and more. There's a reason he's still unmarried and looking for you - and here you are; blushing at Kaz as if you weren't this close to being Queen of Ravka."
Anya's lip trembled and she pulled Nina closer, despite the girl's harsh words. "I'd be signing myself up for a life locked behind closed doors," she muttered, the scraping at the back of her mind getting louder. "And there's more I need to sort out. Maybe some day, I'll claim my pardon and visit you - but that day is not today."
"I love you Anya," Nina sniffled. "You've been a excellent roommate, and a wonderful sister."
"As have you," Anya answered with a teary grin. "And Nina; Genya and Zoya will be so proud of who you've become; just as I am."
The girls finally let go of each other, and Anya moved towards Inej. "I'll be seeing you soon," she smiled. "Break a leg."
Inej snorted. "Don't let Kaz hear you saying that. No mourners."
"No funerals," Anya grinned. "Stay alive, Wraith - or I'll kill myself and fly up from hell to heaven to drag you back down to earth."
♥✎ ✲❁✰❄✫✾✹✾✷❂✷✬✶❄✲ 🐙ൠ
She'd been sat by the stained glass window, head on her knees and eyes closed when disaster struck. Her brother's cries had been particularly loud since her fall into the canal. Maybe Ulla had been right; each time she used her power, he grew stronger. Once a leach, always a leach.
"Do you ever shut up?" she muttered into her knees, trying not to catch any unwanted attention. Instead, she began to him old nursery rhymes to sound out the echoing cries.
"For he who escapes the balancer's eye,
may raise his head, proud and sly;
but be warned, for the living death,
that lingers on in one's last breath,
is a curse so tormenting,
he'll never stop lamenting,
the justice that is the balancer's eye."
And then the window shattered, shards embedding themselves into the side of her body and onto her dark hair. Anya let out a mangled cry, and flung herself across the room and into Jesper's outstretched arms. Her uninjured arm reached for the cutlass she'd strapped over her teal blue frock coat.
"Unless the ghosts just got a lot more lively," Jesper said, "it looks like we have company."
But all Anya could do was stare up at the man only she could see, smirking down at her as the edges of his form stopped flickering. Even as Jesper shouted in her ear, and Matthias pushed her to the floor, her eyes didn't move. The call of the water slapping against the shore outside barely gave her any solace. She couldn't turn and give him more power; she couldn't reach Ulla for help; she couldn't get them away from the bullets flying through the windows; she couldn't banish the Darkling from her mind. For the first time in a long time, Anya was scared.