CHAPTER NINETEEN ─── ❛ the den ❜
∘☽༓☾∘
𝕴f there was a material item that Stasiaj Yahontov was most proud of, it was her home. Her house, of if Stasiaj was keeping true to her aesthetic, the Den, was a tall home on the outskirts of the Barrel, with multiple bedrooms, a large basement and lower area for her Vipers and multiple exits and entrances for reasons such as this.
She might not have brought it entirely through the legal means, but it was her home. Her den and she loved it nearly as much as did her fangs.
"Are you not worried that they will find us?" Jesper whispered, the four boys, Nina and the real Kuwei hurrying along behind Stasiaj through the streets of Ketterdam. The girl hushed him, before whistling quietly and waiting. It took a moment, before a small child appeared in front of her.
Stasiaj grinned at the sight of one of her vipers, a smaller girl named Ophelia who Stasiaj had found months earlier wandering the streets and calling for her mother. Her mother had never been found, so Stasiaj had taken her in and now Ophelia was one of her lookouts for the Den.
"Darling, take them through the south entrance. You know the one," The girl nodded, before Stasiaj turned towards the Crows. "You'll follow her. She'll take you in."
Stasiaj didn't wait for a response, though her eyes did linger on Kaz for a moment longer than she would have liked. Turning away quickly, the girl swept away from the ragtag group and up towards the main entrance to her house, opening the door quickly and slipping in.
The entrance hallway was still bathed in a warm glow, as Stasiaj had left it, and she threw her cloak over the bottom of the staircase and hurried down towards the basement.
The crows were already inside her basement when she made it down the stairs, looking around at the dorm room for her vipers in awe.
"Who lives here?" Wylan asked, his eyes wide at the kids toys by their pillows, clothes thrown over the ends of beds and books abandoned on the floor. Paintings done by the children were over the walls, along with rare photos of special times. Stasiaj smiled at the sight of one photo of her and Ivarn at a carnival when she was fifteen, and him, ten.
"My vipers," Stasiaj replied, before turning to Ophelia. "Good girl. Tell Ivarn and Celia that I wish to speak with them, would you? They'll be around the Fifth Harbour area."
"Yes, Miss Stasiaj," The girl lisped, before heading for the northern exit and scurrying up into the sewage tunnels. From there, she would appear in one of the alleys off of main street and the girl could wind her way down to to Fifth Harbour, where the older children listened for information from people coming off of ships.
"Those are your vipers?" Matthias asked, eyes wide with disappointment. "They are children!"
"No one expects a child to be listening," Stasiaj shrugged. "Come, there's food in the kitchen and we can sit and discuss what we are going to do from there. I've got beds upstairs and available."
"Snake, people will find out you're helping us and they'll come for this place," Kaz called, leading the others up the stairs after the girl. "They'll burn it to the ground if they fear that we are here."
"That would be a problem, Bastard," Kaz almost flinched at the word, not liking it when it came from Stasiaj's mouth. "if anyone knew where this place was."
"Snake, I came here to conduct business deals with you," He replied, as they came up in the entrance hall. Stasiaj opened a door into the kitchen. "You use this place to conduct business deals."
"Matthias, Wylan, Jesper, take the food through that door," Stasiaj instructed, motioning to pots, plates and cutlery that was left on the wooden table in the kitchen. "Nina, darling, go and sit down. The boys can bring food to you."
Stasiaj touched the heartrender's cheek briefly, before turning away, except Kaz's cane stopped her.
"We've had an incident like this before, Bastard, and it didn't turn out well if my memory serves me correctly," Stasiaj reminded him, her eyes dark. Kaz sighed, before shooting her a look. He didn't want to anger her further.
"Snake. I don't want to put you, or your vipers, in danger," Kaz replied, staring down at her as Stasiaj huffed.
"The only person I conducted business deals with, in here, was you," Kaz raised an eyebrow, as Stasiaj shrugged, her guard dropping slightly as she avoided his eyes. "You have an aversion to touch and some decency and respect. There was no chance of you taking advantage of me here."
Kaz dropped the cane that was blocking her from walking away, leaning back on it as he watched her with worry clear in his eyes, though not her expression. She saw the look and shrugged again.
"I'm a woman, Kaz," She murmured softly. "We have paranoia drilled into us from a young age, especially when it comes to men who get angry when they don't get their way. Ask any woman and that's why we need to get Inej back. Van Eck is an old man and the chances of Inej giving him information is little to none. I don't dare think about what he might do when she proves to be uncooperative."
She brushed past him, being careful not to let their shoulders bump together, as she followed the others through to the dining room, leaving Kaz to his thoughts. Jesper was dolling out bowls of stew, all of them drooling at the smell of the food, and Stasiaj found her stomach rumbling at the smell.
"Big bowl for me, Jes," Stasiaj called, accepting the money (from their little bet) and bowl that was handed her way as she slumped into the chair at the head of the table and kicked her shoes off. Kaz entered moments later, sitting to her right and accepting the food that Jesper passed to him.
The room fell silent as they all began to eat, chowing down on the warm food in front of them.
"This is heavenly," Nina groaned, reaching for another bowl, as Stasia did the same. "My compliments to the chef."
Kuwei said something to her in Shu.
"Kuwei says this is the best food he's had since he was captured," Stasiaj grinned, before they all froze at the sound of a door opening. Jesper aimed a gun at the door, before a voice caused Stasiaj to relax.
"Miss Stasiaj?"
"In here, Ivarn!" Stasiaj called back, wiping her mouth as her two eldest Vipers came into the room. "You know these lot."
"Yes," Celia replied. "Ophelia said you needed us."
"I want Van Eck's territory monitored, the ins and outs, what time guards change but stay out of clear sight as he's got Grishas," The pair nodded. "Also, all of Crow Man's establishments should be watched, Rollins also needs to be watched."
"Got it," Celia nodded, disappearing from the room as Stasiaj turned back towards Ivarn.
"I want all Vipers to report back in every couple of hours, so that we know everyone's accounted for," Stasiaj commanded. "We're not having anyone go missing. Send all those not helping with this back home to monitor those around the den."
"Yes, Miss Stasiaj," Ivarn replied.
"Oh, and Ivarn," The boy turned around. "Make sure everyone's got their fangs. The streets are about to get bloody and I don't need any vipers as casualties."
"Of course," He sped out of the room, as Kaz turned to her.
"Do you have people watching all of my establishments?" He raised an eyebrow, as Stasiaj sent him a grin.
"Please, Crow Man," Stasiaj rolled her eyes. "I have people watching every single person in the Barrel, and sometimes if they're particularly special, they have a little shadow. Isn't that right, Malkus?"
"Yes, Miss Stasiaj," The Crows turned around to see a small five year old in the corner of the room, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Meet your shadow, Crow Man. You're just that special to me," Kaz sighed as Stasiaj ruffled Malkus's hair. "I need to go over some other information. If you need anything, ask Malkus or Ivarn or Celia. Don't go into the basement, don't bother my vipers, stay clear of the guards and try not to do anything stupid in my house. I want it standing, please."
∘☽༓☾∘
Sighing, Stasiaj rubbed her forehead as she read through another packet of information later in the night. The Crows had mainly gone to bed, and had hopefully not destroyed her house in the process. As far as she knew, it was just her and Kaz going over separate plans.
But, whilst her eyes focused on the paper in front of her, her brain was turning over her words and conversations with Kaz Brekker in her head. She was replaying the situation on Vellgeluk on repeat.
Kaz had turned his head a fraction, his eyes catching hers and Stasiaj had never seen such panic in them as she did when Van Eck called for her to be taken. The fear in his eyes had made her own heart skip a beat, before suddenly Grisha were descending on her from the sky and Stasiaj was forced to use her fangs. Forced to watch the light leave someone's eyes again, forced to watch one of her first true friends be stolen away from them, all the while leaving the Snake useless.
She was supposed to be an information broker, supposed to know everything and somehow she hadn't seen that coming. How could she call herself the Snake if she didn't see something like that happening?
Stasiaj groaned, threading her hands into her hair and tugging at the roots as she sucked in deep breaths, that rattled her chest and lungs as she forced down tears and sobs. Stasiaj was the reason that Inej was being held captive. All of this was her fault.
Tears spilled over, as the emotions of everything caught back up to her. Placing a hand over her mouth, Stasiaj tried to quieten the heaving breaths that she was taking. She didn't want to wake anyone up.
She was Snake. She was strong and she could do this. Read the information. Find blackmail. Get Inej back. That was all she had to do.
Taking another heaving breath, Stasiaj brushed the tears from her eyes and face, smoothing her hair out and turning back to the information before her. Now she read it properly, she realised that it was from Crow Man.
Her Crow Man and suddenly her brain was back on Kaz.
Stasiaj growled, tugging the roots of her hair again as she pulled herself out of her thoughts and back to the information in her hand. It was on Fifth Harbour and some of the new traders that had begun to deal in the area.
Flicking through the names, Stasiaj memorized them quickly, before doing a double take. She paused, before turning back a page and reading one of the names on the list.
Gurnar Hardy.
Stasiaj lost her breath again, her hands starting to shake as she read and reread the name. It couldn't have been. It shouldn't have been there but it was there. It was truly on the list. Stasiaj thought he was dead, but obviously not.
She stood up so suddenly that she knocked her chair over in the process, hurrying out of her room and down to the dining room, the paper clenched in her hand. Slamming open the doors, Stasiaj found that only Kaz was inside. But she only needed Kaz.
"When did you get this?" He raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Date, Kaz, give me a date," The man took the paper from her hand, reading over it carefully.
"I don't know. Two days before I gave it to you?" He replied, shaking his head slightly. "Why?"
"Would he still be in the harbour?"
"I would assume so," Stasiaj nodded, turning and pacing as she chewed on her lips and hid her hands. They were starting to tremble and she knew Kaz had an annoying ability to read people's tells.
"How long will he be in the harbour?"
"I don't know," Kaz replied. He had already picked up on her panic. "What's going on?"
"I just need to know..."
"Sna..." Stasiaj cut him off again, deep in her muttering as she thought of a plan in her head.
"If I can get there...Maybe I should send one of the Vipers..."
"Stas..."
"Celia's used to Fifth Harbour, maybe..." When Stasiaj turned back around again, she came face to face with Kaz, who had stood to get her attention. "What?"
"What's going on, Stasiaj?" The girl shook her head but Kaz could see her hands trembling, and the redness of her eyes. He might not have a lot of knowledge about girls, but Kaz knew how to read people. "Stasiaj, what's going on?"
"I need to speak to him,"
"We're fugitives. You can't otherwise everyone's at risk,"
"No shit, Kaz!" Stasiaj snapped back, but Kaz merely raised an eyebrow at her outburst. "I know that. But I've got to speak to him."
"Why?" She didn't reply, starting to pace again. "Why do you need to speak to him so badly?"
"I just do, Kaz! Okay, I just do," Stasiaj slumped into a chair, as the room fell into silence and the girl began to tug at the roots of her hair, taking yet another harsh breath. Kaz paused, watching her tug her hair. "I have to speak with him."
"Why?" Kaz sat down next to her slowly, wincing as his leg ached. "Stasiaj..."
"He was the captain,"
"What?"
"He was the captain of the ship I was on," Stasiaj replied, finally un-tangling her fingers from the roots of her hair, to instead hide her face. Kaz froze, his brain beginning to make the connection. The only thing more important than her life in Ketterdam, for Stasiaj, would most likely be the thing that caused her fear of the ocean. One of the things she hadn't told him.
He didn't know what to do. Kaz wanted to comfort her. He wanted to reach out and wrap an arm around her shoulders, press a kiss to her head, like he'd seen Matthias do to Nina. He wanted to hold her hand or tell her something reassuring, but he couldn't. Maybe in another life, he might have, but he was Kaz Brekker and she was Stasiaj Yahontov and thus, it wasn't going to happen.
"Oh," Stasiaj chuckled at his words, wiping her eyes quickly.
"Yeah, 'oh'," His heart broke at the sight of her red eyes and defeated expression. "I need to speak with him, Kaz. I've got to. If I don't, I'll never know why I was on that godforsaken ship in the first place."
"Stasiaj, what happened with the ship?" He asked gently. They fell into silence, as he hard Stasiaj take a deep breath.
"It sank," She laughed, wiping her eyes again. "The ship sank and I was still inside. That..." She struggled with the words, not finding a rude enough name to call the sailor. "He left me on the ship, below deck, and took his men and rowed away in the only lifeboat. I was five. Five!"
Kaz nodded, letting her get the words out.
"I need to know why I was on that ship, Kaz," Stasiaj replied. "I need to know who I was before that ship. Whether or not I had family or siblings or anything waiting for me before this life. If I don't, it's gonna kill me."
"Is being here, in Ketterdam, not enough?" He asked, feeling his heart sink. Was she going to leave?
"You had Jordie and parents, Kaz, even if you like to pretend that you didn't," She snapped. "I've had no one for years. For twelve years! I've been on the streets since I was five. I don't even have a family! I chose a name for myself and went from there but I have no ties to anything. To a home. To parents."
"You have us," Kaz replied, as Stasiaj rested her head in her hands. "You have me."
"I know, Crow Man," She murmured, shooting him a tearful smile. "But I just want to know if there's anything out there for me."
"And you will," Kaz nodded his head. "I'll help you find out but we have to get Inej. We have to make sure that we have a home to come back to when all of this is over."
Stasiaj looked up at him through the corner of her eyes.
"You'll get your answers, but Inej and the heist comes first," Her eyes narrowed, before she huffed and took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair as she wiped her eyes. He licked his lips, before saying the first words that came to mind. "Are you alright?"
"You have no idea how to comfort someone, do you, Crow Man?" She joked, pulling a veneer back up. But Kaz saw the cracks in it; the weariness, the sadness and the pain of not knowing. "Kaz Brekker, Bastard of the Barrel, doesn't know how to comfort a woman to save his life."
"Shut up, Stasiaj," He replied gently, but there was no malice behind the words. The pair fell into silence. They had impossible choices and tasks ahead of them, but for now, Stasiaj and Kaz sat in silence together until the dawn light cast the dining room in a pale glow. Only then did they drop Stasiaj Yahontov and Kaz Rietveld and become Snake and Dirtyhands. They had work to do and for them, emotions were a luxury that only the weak could afford.
Snake and Dirtyhands were not weak.
∘☽༓☾∘
Hiya,
This was long, very long. I was gonna split it into two parts but decided against it. So, Stasiaj and Kaz's relationship is at a who knows what's going on point? I have no clue either tbh. Also, more Stasiaj backstory. I'm kind of interested to see, what's your guess for her other bit of backstory? (I'll be surprised if someone gets it)
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx