The men cheered and yelled, there were loud noises everywhere, it was a good night at the Crow Club.
A gambler yelled. "Yes, I love it. Darling, please. Drinks here. Drinks all round here, please." He took another shot, sat down and tossed a pouch of coins to the waiter. "Hey, you take zemeni coin, yes?"
The waiter catches the pouch, but there was a young Zemeni lad at the table. Watching the gambler ever since he arrived. "Let me see that," the young guy gestured, the waiter tossed a coin to him.
He catches the coin and leans forward. "The Lucky Nine casino up the block has had trouble with counterfeit coin lately. Heavy, but brittle."
"Oh, come on, now. I've been here for hours. My money is good no?" The gambler looked at the guy across the table.
"Zemeni coin can take a bullet. But the knockoff..." the guy winked as he tossed the coin and shot a shot, the coin fell on the table with a hole. "Busted," he flipped his revolver back into his pocket.
"What does that prove?" The gambler asked. As two men came and grabbed him from the table. "Hey! Wait! What are you doing?" He tried to shake them off. "Get off me." But he was taken away.
And before the young Zemeni lad Jesper Fahey, the sharpshooter reached for the money laid on the table. A cane appeared, and he gazed up knowing exactly who's cane that was. "No loud noises at the table, Jesper," the guy cocked his head. "You'll scare off the pigeons."
Jesper shook his head. "Wouldn't want that, boss."
"Shouldn't you be on the door?" He asked.
"Yeah, right away, boss." Jesper replied, with a shake.
The guy walked away. A man appeared behind him, "early for action, innit, Kaz?"
"What do you want Rotty?" Kaz asked limping ahead.
"Someone stole a Dekappel from a merch's private residence last night," Rotty followed.
"Is that so?" Kaz continued walking forward.
"It's a painting. A landscape of Ravka. The Fold. Oil on parchment," Rotty followed still.
"I know who Dekeppel is," Kaz still continued walking.
"Well, he don't do nudes, so I never heard of him." Rotty mentioned.
"Get to it, Rotty." Kaz finally stops and turns around.
Rotty pulled out the picture of the painting. "Worth something like 10,000 Kruge," he said. "The thief had to get past four roving guards, high fences, padlocked doors, and a security system designed by one of them Grisha witches."
Kaz kept his attention on the crowd. One can tell he wasn't amused by what Rotty was saying. "Fabrikator," Kaz said.
"Whatever," Rotty said. "The point is, either it was a group effort or a ghost."
Kaz finally faced Rotty. "Why does this concern me?"
Rotty looked around and whispered. "I've got a buyer lined up. Legit money. So, uh...if you hear a whisper..." He clicks his tongue.
Kaz leaned forward. "Who can hear a whisper here?" And limps away, climbing up the spiral stairs above.
He was Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, the bastard of the barrel. A thief, a liar, utterly without a conscious but he'll keep any deal he strikes. He enters his drawing room, and smiles at the Dekeppel he stole the one Rotty was talking about a few moments ago. As he entered his bedroom and takes off his gloves, he gazes into the mirror and turns around to check the open window. As he got back with washing his hands, he feels her presence in the room. "Hello, Inej. What information do you have for me tonight?"
The young Suli girl take off her mask, she was Inej Ghafa, the Wraith. The best spider in the barrel.
"A lead on a job. A big one. Enough money to change lives," she said.
"It doesn't take much to change someone's life in the Barrel." Kaz said.
"A million Kruge?" Inej asked.
That catches the the attention of Kaz. "What's the name?"
"Dreesen. A wealthy merchant," she said.
"Dreesen. I've heard of him. He could afford it." His brows shot up. "The question is, what's worth a million Kruge to him?"
"He's looking for a crew willing to cross the Fold into East Ravka and bring back something." Inej explained.
Kaz turned around and faced her. "The Fold? Well, of course, certain death pays a million. He didn't say what he wants nicked?"
"No," Inej mentioned. "But he's taking meeting tonight, staring at midnight."
➖➖➖➖➖
She could see the bright city lights of Ketterdam from afar. They were brighter than any city lights she had ever seen before. Ketterdam was not only the capital of Kerch but it's commercial hub and one of the most congested city in the world. She knew that once she steps out of the ship, she'll have to embrace her new life as a stranger to the new world in front of her. But her job always demanded that from her and she had face it all; hunger, pain, loneliness, hopelessness and tragedies. When you're born royal people don't expect you to go through all these, but she wasn't just royal, she was a fighter and a weapon for her Empress. And she had waited almost half of her life for a mission like this.
Two of Dreesen men came to pick her up. And as she stepped out of the ship with her belongings, her maids and guards said their last goodbyes. She gently slipped her mask on and followed the two men towards the carriage. Her black cloak and black mask both has linings of gold, her mask was that of a jackal. She represented the animal cunning, intelligent, ability to adapt herself in any environment and even as gods in some religions. From her clothing to her mask and weapons were all Grisha made, so everything was as light as a feather and bulletproof.
She peered through the carriage window because she wanted to study her surroundings. She had been studying the maps and important places of Ravka as well as Kerch, ever since this mission came into light. She had been to the East of Ravka once but not the capital. And even though she was good with locations and places, Ketterdam was something else, she wanted to hop off the carriage and take a stroll on her own to familiarise herself with her surroundings but she had to stop herself. She knew she couldn't be loitering around, she needed to meet the merchant first hand.
Dreesen's mansion at the garden district was quite spacious compared to the tightly packed city of Ketterdam, and she was welcomed warmly. She pushed her mask on top of her head and revealed her face to the merchant. She don't usually like revealing her identity but in a mission like this, she knew she had to, she can't create any suspicion. The sealed letter from Shu Han to Dreesen clearly noted that this business was to be kept private or else he'll face the wrath of the Shu's. And Dreesen knew very well that he couldn't mess with them, he was to be paid in full when the job was done. And as for the princess she was under the false name of Yui, and under the occupation as the personal spy of the Empress and even Dreesen had no knowledge about her being a real princess.
Dreesen looked at the young girl who stood in front of him, he was a rich merchant and he had seen beautiful things and beautiful girls from all around the world in Ketterdam. But the girl who was standing in front of him was something else, he had never seen such a beauty in his life before. He couldn't really tell her heritage from the way she looked, because even though he knew she was Shu, she was totally different from all the Shu's he had come across. She has alabaster skin, raven black hair and her eyes were the colour of emeralds.
She smelled divine and expensive, it was ylang-ylang. Hard to come by, pricy and a precious scent to the Shu's, so she wasn't any ordinary spy. And the amount of accessories she wore, he can clearly see that she had a thing for emeralds and gold. He could hardly belief his eyes that a beautiful girl like her was a spy, to the most dangerous Empress alive. She didn't look like she had hurt a fly, but he saw the knives she carried and her very dangerous claw like jewellery on her left fingers and he didn't want to find out what it does. Because they were unlike anything he had ever seen before.
"Shall we get on with the business, Mister Dreesen?" She asked, her voice as smooth as silk.
"Sure," he nodded. "Please, take a seat miss."
She took a seat and observed the merchant, he looked much older than he was. And she could tell he was a lazy old fellow, who liked people to do his bidding while he relaxes in luxury.
"The crew I've chosen for this job. Will very much be to your liking," the merchant said. "But the Empress wanted to keep your options open, so you can check the others as well." Then he gazed at her, "but I'm sure you'll like Pekka and his men, he's King of the barrel for a reason."
"Hmmm. And how much are you offering them?" She arched a perfect dark brow.
"One million Kruge," he mentioned.
She sunk back on her chair, the Empress has offered two million Kruge for this job. So by staying at home Dreesen was profiting a million Kruge, he's one hell of a lazy Kerch merchant. She wasn't even surprised, she read him in those few seconds.
There was a knock at the door, and as one of Dreesen men walked in. She slipped her mask on in a blink, it was that easy for her. He informed that the survivor they caught from the Shadow Fold was still very shaken, and he was unable to give them any real answer of who the Sun Summoner was and what he really witnessed. The princess flushed a shade of anger as she heard that, because she assumed by now that the merchant would find out if the rumours were true or not and if they were, he'd get a name. She didn't want to think that her journey went to waste. But before she could react.
The door swung open as three figures walked in, the princess was clocked and she didn't turn but she could tell by the footsteps, that one among them was light footed. And if she hadn't been paying attention she'd have missed his or her footing. They stood a good distance from them. Dreesen looked shocked and surprised, these were not the people he was expecting to see. She gracefully turned around and looked at them, her mask still covering her face.
The guy on the left was Zemeni, tall around 6'3, she could tell he was bubbly in nature. And he carried two zemeni revolvers, real mother of pearls. The girl in the middle was Suli, short around 5'3 and petite, she noticed her knives, and she could tell that she was the light footed one. The guy on the right gave her a strange aura, he was Kerch around 6 foot and wore black clothing like that of a businesses man and he held a crow cane, he was a limp. They were all teenagers like her.
As soon as the door swung open, Kaz could smell the pure expensive scent of ylang-ylang on the air. Whoever was masked, and seated on the chair, was no ordinary spy. She comes from money, because he knew the price of ylang-ylang in the market and it didn't come cheap. He couldn't see what she was wearing underneath her long black cloak but he could tell, the cloak was Grisha made and so was the mask, they were bulletproof. He had the urge to walk upto her and slip off her jackal mask, he had never been this curious in his life before but he hold himself back. He needed to get this deal by any means, one million Kruge was at stake.
Dreesen has informed the parties that to lead this job, he has hired a secret spy from overseas. He didn't tell them the truth that she was a Shu spy from Shu Han because in the letter, the Empress had clearly specified Dressen to lie that; Yui was a spy he hired himself because the Empress didn't want anyone else to have a clue about the Shu's involvement in this.
"One look and I can tell. Criminals," Dressen looked at the three figures. "I'm not meeting anyone till midnight."
Kaz said. "I heard there was a lead on a job, to cross the Fold."
"Yes," Dreesen puffed. "If we find you fit for the job." Kaz scoffed. The merchant rose up, "Mr. Brekker no businessman worth his salt hires his first applicant."
"No. No. I understand," Kaz responded. "Of course, I will have to report you to the guild for kidnapping and harbouring a prisoner without chain of title."
As soon as those words left his mouth one of Dreesen men reached for his pistol, and so did the zemeni guy. Yui didn't expect this, but she was kind of impressed.
"You wouldn't," Dreesen replied, unsure of what Brekker might do.
"No business worth his salt. Bargains for what he can take," he shut Dreesen down.
The merchant was now face to face with him, eye to eye. The temperature in the room has gone up, and the princess knew that if he can threaten a merchant like Dreesen in his own house without fear, he's the prefect man for the job.
Yui rose up. "We have a bigger problem. The man Dreesen caught he's not speaking, we will need a heartrender."
All eyes were on her, even though cloaked she had this aura and her voice was almost hypnotising. Kaz thought that's what an angel would sound like, and he grew more curious to see the face behind the mask, but he brushed it off.
He said. "We bring you the heartrender, and we have an exclusive on this job?"
She gave a slight nod to Dreesen, as he faced Brekker once again. "All right then."
Brekker and his crew left in a wink. She didn't have to check the other party, this lot was young and promising. Whoever Dreesen chose might be the best in the eye of the merchant but the merchant didn't know the world like the princess did.
➖➖➖➖➖
The garden district was quite at night, and the princess could see the four figures approaching from the balcony, and she could hear them loud and clear. From the little instrument she put around one of her ear to eavesdrop.
"I really appreciate new business, but you've only paid an hour of my time, and I've to go back to the Orchid," the lady said.
Kaz said. "The Orchid isn't safe tonight. Your life is in danger with this job. Make yourself scarce for a few days afterwards."
"Mr. Brekker are you threatening me really? Even if I'm nice, my boss will call the stadwatch on you," she told him.
Kaz turned around. "It's not me you're in danger with. It's Pekka Rollins."
"My boss will call the stadwatch on him as well," the lady replied confidently.
"Which is why your boss is already dead," Kaz told her. The princess studied Kaz expression while he was talking about Pekka Rollins and she could tell that Kaz hated that man.
They entered the mansion yet again, but this time with a heartrender. Dreesen walked down the stairs as the princess glided down behind him. The merchant wasn't impressed, and he didn't want Yui to choose this young crew because he felt like they were all kids. But he knew he has no say on it. He inhaled and exhaled heavily as he stood in front of Brekker once again.
"I have to be back in an hour," the lady raised up her hand, as the princess saw the Orchid tattoo in her wrist. The brothels mark their employees with tattoos, it was quite common.
"Come on," Dressen called as he lead the way towards the cellar. They entered the basement, and there was a man hooded and tied up.
"Who's this?" Kaz asked.
"So you don't know everything after all," Dressen said. "This..." he pulled out the hood as it revealed a young man. "Is Alexei Stepanov. Two weeks ago young Alexei here, crossed through the Fold on foot. Alone." He patted the young man and walked towards them.
"How?" Inej asked.
"They're keeping it quite, but allegedly he was one of a few witnesses to...an event," Dressen said.
"Water." Alexei croaked. Inej was quick to pour him a glass of water, as she gently pressed the cup on his lips and let the poor man drink.
Yui was standing at the door observing the crew that she was going to work with. She noticed that Inej was not like the rest of them, Inej was different, she has kindness in her. A quality most people definitely lack, the princess doesn't consider herself kind either, she was far from kind.
"What kind of event?" Kaz asked.
"I know an expedition was swarmed by volcra. Should've been a total loss, but something happened." Dressen poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Some device detonated. Obliterated the volcra, lit up the dark like a forest fire. I know it wasn't a fire or else no one would have survived. This was some invention no one had seen before."
The merchant sipped his drink and pointed at Alexei. "He knows. But he didn't seem to be able to articulate his account of events. Some form of traumatic lapse."
Inej looked at Alexei wearily, she felt for the poor man. He wasn't in his best shape.
"So..." Dreesen pushed the heartrender towards Alexei, to let her do her job. She removed her gloves and spoke to him, "you're safe now," as she touched his wrist and lowered his heart beat. "Now you can just speak and I will just listen."
"All right." Alexei responded.
"Tell me what happened in the Fold," the heartrender said. "What saved you?"
"You won't belief me, but...it was a Sun Summoner."Alexei said.
Everyone looked at Alexei in disbelief. Inej gasped unable to contain herself as she glanced at Kaz, Kaz was unfazed as always. The princess slowly pushed her mask on top of her head, she had heard rumours about the Sun Summoner but coming from the mouth of a survivor himself was different.
Dreesen mouth agape as he walked forward. "Who was it?" He asked.
"If I tell you, you'll set me free?" Alexei asked hopefully.
"You have my word. I'll set you free." Dressen squatted down. "You're in Ketterdam now Alexei, you can go anywhere in the world from here. Just imagine...come on."
Kaz and Yui were the only ones in the room, that knew Dreesen was lying he was not going to set Alexei free. But they didn't interfere.
"Her name is...Alina Starkov," Alexei said.
"Alina Starkov," Dressen nodeed. "Good boy" he rose up and walked towards his men, "show me the manifest."
All eyes turned around the back and that's when they all saw Yui, standing at the door, without her mask. And for a moment there, the people who haven't seen her without the mask were taken aback, she was like a picture perfect painting, standing by the door. Kaz was not the kind of guy who finds things attractive, but he couldn't deny that she was something else, he blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing things but she was real. And she didn't even look human in his eyes, and he was taken aback and that never happens.
Dressen was busy scanning the papers with his eyes, when he finally found the name. "Perfect," he exhaled. Kaz came back to his senses.
"You'll set me free now?" Alexei asked.
"Thank you. Of course," Dreesen pulled a gun out from his pocket and shoot Alexei down. The heartrender gasped and screamed as she fell back. The others stood still, they had all seen enough deaths already. Expect for Inej who looked as shocked as the heartrender.
Dressen walked forward. "We are now the only people west of the Fold with this information. My ship sails for West Ravka at dawn if you can prove that you have a way through the Fold and back, I'll put you on that ship with an advance. If you don't, I'm giving this job to Pekka Rollins."
"Give me a day. I'll have a plan," Kaz said.
"You have until sunrise. Then your ship will have sailed, Mr. Brekker. The prize is one million kruge. Now bring me Alina Starkov." Dreesen said, as he walked up the stairs and Yui followed. As they were clear from the people around. The merchant looked at her, "was that good enough?"
"It was," she nodded. "Now none of them will suspect that the Shu wants Alina."
"Are you sure you want this crew instead of Pekka's?" He asked again.
"I'm positive," she said. "But...I'll have to follow them, see how they operate before we move."
"Very well then," Dressen nodded. "Long live the Empress."
"Long live the Empress,"'she responded as Dreesen left for his chambers. He turned back to see the girl walking into her charmers to grab her stuffs, he couldn't even belief it still that a flower like her would be a spy to the Empress of Shu Han.
Kaz and his crew walked out of the mansion as she waited for them at the gate. "Since we're going to work together, let me introduce myself," she said gracefully. "I'm Yui."
"Jesper," the zemeni guy introduced himself. "You can call me Jes, or whatever you like love."
"Inej," the suli girl mumbled.
"Kaz," the guy in black leaned on his cane.
➖➖➖➖➖
Now they had to find a way together to cross the Fold safely without one of them being plucked off by a volcra. But all they met were dead ends, from going around it which would take months to some fake tales these frauds sells to the tourist. And that brought them all back to square one. And the princess found herself at the Crow Club, thinking about what her next move should be.
"Here's what I don't get?" Jesper furrowed his brows.
"We're going to be here all night." Inej spun one of her knives.
"Rude," Jesper said. "Why haven't they tried going under it? Just dig a tunnel."
"Tried that. More than a century ago," Kaz said. Trying his best to cook up a plan and not get distracted by the new presence in the crew.
"Something...heard them digging," Yui said.
"It was made hundreds of years ago by that crazy Grisha," Jesper muttered.
"The black heretic." Inej mentioned.
Jesper sighed. "Yeah. The one who controls shadow. They've got one in their army now. Don't they?"
"Yes," Yui replied. "General Kirigan."
"If one of his kind made it, can't he unmake it?" Jesper looked at the beautiful girl seated besides Inej, it was hard to belief that she was a spy but Jesper had seen those finger claws that she wore on her left fingers and they were deadly.
The crew noticed that underneath her cloak she wore black, and she had a lot of jewelleries on her, they were all made out of gold and emeralds. From arm cuffs, bracelets, necklaces, headpiece, earrings, rings, to anklets she wore them all. The strangest jewellery was that on her right shoulder, a screaming lion with emerald eyes. None of them had heard of any spy, who's stacked with jewels, they assumed she was a part of one of the most elite members of the spy industry out there. But the one thing that caught Kaz's attention was the gold earring on her right ear, it looked like the jewellery was a part of her.
"Have you ever put out fire by adding more fire?" She squinted.
"Then what's the opposite?" Jesper raised a brow.
"A Sun Summoner." Inej responded.
"Right then," Jesper shrugged. "The one we're after."
"Doesn't exist," Kaz replied. Unable to belief anything that Alexei had said, that man looked like he had gone through hell and back and was hallucinating the whole time.
"We can let this one go Kaz," Inej huffed.
"Sounds like a trap, anyway," Jesper sipped his whiskey.
"A trap would sound easy. This is something else." Kaz fiddled with his cane.
Yui glanced at Kaz briefly, this guy was smart that's what she could tell. Then she said, "it's not a trap, why would Dreesen go all the way if it wasn't real...I can't tell if she's really a Sun Summoner or not, but she exist, a Grisha who's like no other and we need to get to her before anyone else does."
Kaz asked suspiciously, as he looked at her. "So what's in it for you, anyway?"
After they left the mansion this was the first time he was looking at her, and she was real in flesh and bone, but she looked so unreal. No one should be this alluring, she was born out of a dream that makes a man want to sleep forever, both a goddess and demon at once. The only thing more tempting than a million kruge was right in front of him.
"My indenture," she lied in that fairly enchanting tone of hers. She could lie as easily as she takes a breath, that was her speciality.
✨✨✨
White shirt now red, my bloody nose
Sleepin', you're on your tippy toes
Creepin' around like no one knows
Think you're so criminal
Bruises on both my knees for you
Don't say thank you or please
I do what I want when I'm wanting to
My soul? So cynical
So you're a tough guy
Like it really rough guy
Just can't get enough guy
Chest always so puffed guy
I'm that bad type
Make your mama sad type
Make your girlfriend mad tight
Might seduce your dad type
I'm the bad guy
Duh
I'm the bad guy
I like it when you take control
Even if you know that you don't
Own me, I'll let you play the role
I'll be your animal
My mommy likes to sing along with me
But she won't sing this song
If she reads all the lyrics
She'll pity the men I know
So you're a tough guy
Like it really rough guy
Just can't get enough guy
Chest always so puffed guy
I'm that bad type
Make your mama sad type
Make your girlfriend mad tight
Might seduce your dad type
I'm the bad guy
Duh
I'm the bad guy, duh
I'm only good at bein' bad, bad
I like when you get mad
I guess I'm pretty glad that you're alone
You said she's scared of me?
I mean, I don't see what she sees
But maybe it's 'cause I'm wearing your cologne
I'm a bad guy
I'm, I'm a bad guy
Bad guy, bad guy
I'm a bad
✨✨✨