CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE ─── ❛ truths and injuries ❜
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𝕾tasiaj reclined on the sofa after Kaz, and then Inej, left, her mind still focused on the feather light feeling of Kaz's lips on her cheek. It had been like a brush of wind, but one so strong that it had fanned the flames in her heart into an inferno. Saints, she was in deep with him.
"Mama," The girl opened her eyes, as Malkus clambered over the back of the sofa and crawled back to lay on top of her. Stasiaj fought a groan of pain, as he landed on one of her stab wounds. "I took Crow Man to his club."
"Good boy," Malkus beamed, before waiting. "What do you want?"
"Toffee," Stasiaj paused, before groaning as she pushed herself half upright.
"Matthias," The Fjerdan appeared at her whining. "Do we have toffee?"
"Maybe,"
"Great. Malkus, go follow Matthias and get your toffee," The boy clambered off her, as Stasiaj let out another silent cry of pain. Somehow, Malkus seemed to have a talent for elbowing her on her wounds. He waltzed off as Nina snickered, coming to sit in front of the girl.
"He is a handful," Stasiaj nodded, leaning her head on Nina's shoulders. "I wanted to ask you something."
"If it's going to lead to me wanting to commit manslaughter, don't," Nina snorted, before shaking her head. "Good, then ask away."
"What was that thing about another contender for the throne?" Stasiaj chewed on an ulcer forming in her mouth from the lack of sleep, wondering how to answer this. "We know about Inej's shadow, but there aren't any more, unless you know something."
"I know nothing," Nina shot her a look. "I'm going off of rumours here, okay? That's waht I do. All I've heard is something about a younger sister?"
"The missing Lantsov daughter? She's supposedly dead," Nina replied, turning to face Stasiaj, who was wrinkling her nose. "That's your 'I-know-something' face. What's going on?"
"I just..." Stasiaj trailed off. It wasn't that she didn't trust Nina, she truly did. But, Stasiaj didn't trust her not to tell her Ravkan friends in the city about her and then be dragged from her home to go to another country and back to a family that she had no recollection of. "I just heard some information from a slaver."
"Really?" Nina perked up, waiting for Stasiaj to say something.
"Yeah, he was saying that he supposedly stole the Princess of Ravka from a party when she was six,"
"Five," Stasiaj nodded, licking her lips at the confirmation of one part of Hardy's story.
"Five, then, but the ship sank and he left her onboard," Stasiaj shrugged. "She would have a good claim, wouldn't she?"
"Well, if you believe the rumours about King Nikolai being a bastard, then she would be the true heir to the throne," Stasiaj did not want to run a country. Not when she had her vipers and Kaz here. "But, she's the younger so her claim isn't as strong."
"What was her name?" Nina didn't think a second more about why Stasiaj was asking questions, all too happy to speak on her home and country. In some ways, Stasiaj felt a little bit bad about manipulating the girl's inherent love for her home and royal family, but she needed to know if Hardy's information had been true. If it was, then the likelihood was that she was an heir to the throne was growing more and more.
"Anastasiaj Lantsov," Stasiaj felt her stomach plummet. Hardy's words had been true, and if so, that meant she was very likely Anastasiaj. "It's kind of funny that your names are so similar."
"What a bizarre coincidence,"
"Mama!" Malkus appeared, running over to her with toffees in his hand. "I got one for you as well. To make you feel better."
"Thanks darling," She replied, chewing on the sweet as Malkus curled back into her chest. The others were talking over the plan, but Stasiaj knew that she would most likely be too injured to go through with it. She didn't want to risk bringing harm down onto Kaz, or the others.
Plus, he would hardly be able to keep her from his mind if Stasiaj went along, so she'd spare him that for once.
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When Kaz returned, he looked worse than Stasiaj, which was saying something. He had a broken nose, split lip and his eye was swollen shut, hiding the coffee brown that Stasiaj adored. He was clutching his side, telling her that the fool had broken a rib, and he was coughing blood. Kaz's limp was worse than ever, but he was standing with members of his gang on either side of him.
"All Saints," Jesper said. "So I guess that went well?"
"About as well as expected."
Matthias shook his head in something between admiration and disbelief."How many lives do you have, demjin?"
"He's a cockroach, he never dies," Stasiaj murmured, smirking at him from her place on the couch as Malkus giggled and tightened his grip on her shirt. She knew that the little boy wanted to go and hug Kaz, as he was hugging her, but Stasiaj had given him very strict instructions not to touch Kaz because of his fear and Malkus respected that.
"Thank you, Stasiaj," She shot him another grin, as Kaz wriggled out of his coat and threw it behind her head. It fell onto her shoulders, as Stasiaj curled around the warm wool, her eyes following the Crow Man. He headed for the bathroom, yanking his shirt off in the process, and Stasiaj found herself having to fight down the blush that came to her face at the sight of his pale chest, lean with muscles. She didn't need to give Nina more ammunition to bully her.
"For Saints' sake, let us help you," said Nina.
"I don'tneed your help. Keep working with Colm." Kaz hissed, disappearing towards the bathroom, as Malkus once more scrambled off of her and Stasiaj pulled herself up to follow the stubborn Crow.
"What is wrong with him?" Nina huffed.
"He's been hit one too many times on the head," Stasiaj shrugged as she passed Nina. "or someone slapped the feelings out of him."
Nina laughed at that, as Stasiaj disappeared to the bathroom, knocking on the door. It opened beneath her touch, and Stasiaj pushed the door open to watch Kaz attempt to tie bandages around his waist. She wanted to offer her help, but she doubted he would accept it. That might be too overwhelming for his mind.
"Everything alright?"
"The Dregs are mine again," He replied, trying to tie a bandage off with his teeth. "Per Haskell has left."
"Good. I never liked old men in power," Stasiaj shrugged, scratching the scab that was forming on her cheek. "It always makes them amplify their worst qualities."
"You're not wrong,"
"I never am," She snarked in response, as Kaz shot her a look. "You need ice for that eye. The swellings hiding one of my favourite things about you."
"My eyes?" Stasiaj nodded, before shrugging.
"You have nice eyes,"
"They're mud brown," He deadpanned, wrapping another bandage around his ribs, as he watched her through the mirror.
"No, they're not," She huffed as she grabbed one of the towels from beneath the sink. "They're like coffee and in firelight, they look more like hot coco. Plus, you don't hide things from me in your eyes. I always know what you're thinking."
"Do you?" He raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. "Not possible."
"Yes, you constantly think about how amazing I am,"
"No, I don't," Kaz did, in fact, constantly think about how truly amazing Stasiaj Yahontov was, especially when she grinned the way she was doing in that moment.
"I know I'm right," Stasiaj replied, as Malkus peered around the doorframe. "Yes?"
"I..." He mumbled after that, as Stasiaj smiled, and pushed him into the bathroom and towards Kaz.
"What?" Malkus huffed, before holding out a toffee to Kaz. The teenager paused, looking between Malkus and the toffee, before back at the little boy. "What's that for?"
"Toffee and hugs make me feel better," Malkus replied, scuffing his boots along the floor. "But I can't hug you, so you can have toffee to feel better. You look like you're hurt."
Kaz paused for a moment, before carefully reaching out to take the toffee from Malkus' hands, unwrapping it and eating it in front of the boy's watchful eyes. The child nodded and grinned, before hopping back across to Stasiaj.
"Can you fill this up with ice?"
"Yes Mama," She ruffled his hair, as he ran past her, before turning back to Kaz.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Stasiaj waited, giggling as Kaz struggled to chew the toffee fast enough to talk to her. "It's okay. Take your time. I like seeing you speechless in front of me."
He swallowed, before turning to look at her, his eyes narrowed. "You blushed earlier."
"You're good looking, sue me," Kaz rolled his eyes at her retort, as Inej appeared in the doorway. "Oh, it's my favourite Wraith."
"I'm the only Wraith," Inej replied, placing a letter on the counter for Kaz as she wrapped an arm around Stasiaj.
"That's why you're my favourite. Thank you, Malkus," The boy had wriggled past the pair, handing the ice and towel to Kaz, who was reading through the letter with his one good eye. "Who's the letter from? A secret admirer that I have to duel to win your affection."
"Shut up, Snake," A grin formed on Stasiaj's face at the words. She hadn't heard them in a while, and she had begun to miss it. "It's from the Ravkan embassy. They've agreed to a meeting and we need to talk to the others."
Stasiaj reluctantly pushed Inej off of her, watching as she and Malkus hurried down the hall, before turning back to Kaz.
"You didn't answer my question. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Feelings have made you sentimental," He murmured in response, as Stasiaj shot him a glare. "I'm fine."
"Alright but if you're lying, I'll break your other leg, with your cane,"
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Hiya,
I listened to Goodnight Sweet Possums by John Powell for this entire chapter and it just made me think of Malkus and Stasiaj (if you wanna listen to it, please do and come and aww with me). Also, I don't make the rules, Malkus is the absolute sweetest and Stasiaj is so in love with Kaz, it's unbelievable (though he's still being uncooperative with his own feelings).
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx