~ Y/N pov ~
One black coffee. That is all that Kaz wanted me to bring him from the waffle house this morning. Jesper, Inej, and I sit at a corner booth, indulging in the best waffles we have ever had. Kaz was busy and decided not to come, though we aren't surprised. It has been a few days since the merchant party heist, and he has been busy ever since.
"What do you think he does in his office all day? Plan world domination?" Jesper asks.
"Probably something close to it, let's be honest," I chime in between bites.
"If anyone is capable of taking over the world, it is Kaz," Inej states, to which me and Jesper agree.
We are all about the same age, yet Kaz has the mind of someone far older. Only 17, basically running the Dregs at this point. So much pressure, yet he seems to welcome it with open arms.
"How does someone even become like Kaz Brekker?" I ask, thinking out loud.
Jesper thoughtfully considers and responds, "it is simple, really. A whole lot of trauma❤."
"At the hands of Pekka Rollins," I add on quietly, remembering our common past. Inej obviously hears me, though.
"Wait, Y/N, do you know what happened in Kaz's past? Is that why he always wants to interfere with Pekka's plans?" She asks, sitting up straighter. If Inej doesn't even know his past, no one does.
"No, I don't know." I reply.
"Thats surprising, considering he looks like he would sell the whole world to spend time with you." Jesper adds, with a smirk.
I raise my eyebrows in surprise, though I shouldn't be surprised at this point. We all know that Kaz isn't one for just letting people hang out in his personal quarters. Though, no matter how close I am with him, I still don't know what he faced at the hands of Pekka. Just like he doesn't know what happened to me. We have an unspoken agreement to keep it that way.
To change the subject, I say, "you know what we need? A catchphrase. Just for us Crows, when we go on heists."
"Like a verbal good luck charm?" Inej asks.
"Exactly that."
"What about 'Break a Leg'?" Jesper suggests after a minute. We all go silent contemplating why that would be a horrible decision before we all burst out laughing.
"Don't let Kaz hear you say that, or he won't be the only one using a cane in the Barrel," Inej says with tears in her eyes.
"How about 'No Mourners, No Funerals'? Think about it, we are all at the Slat because we have nowhere to be. No one will look for us if we dissappear. There are no funerals for criminals like us. No one to mourn us or put a rose on our stones. That binds us together. What do you think?" I ask, though I know the answer when I see Jesper and Inej's eyes light up with excitement.
"That is perfect," Inej says.
Jesper eagerly nods his head, "agreed, though your explanation was kind of depressing. But I'll forgive you, since you are paying for my waffles."
"I am not-" I start to say, but Jesper is already up and out of the door. That little rat. Inej laughs and stands to leave as well, paying for her own meal.
"I'm going to the harbor, want to come with?" she asks. Kaz wants his coffee. But an hour of waiting won't kill him. Plus, I need to be surrounded by some water. It makes me feel refreshed.
I agree to Inej's offer, pay for me and Jesper's waffles, and head down to the little boat that she uses to practice her sailing. There is no wind to fill the sails today, however. We are just awkwardly bobbing by the dock, until an idea strikes me.
"Inej, steer the boat out towards the open harbor."
She does so with ease, but questions me. I check to make sure that no one is looking and use my powers to push the boat out into the harbor. I create a current under the surface that drives the boat, and with every stroke of my hand, I feel more alive. Using my powers definitely has to increase my health in some way, because I always feel amazing when I practice my skills with Inej.
Once Inej steers the boat out far enough to where no one can make out who we are, she sits back and watches me as I begin to arc the water into the air and twist it around. It all comes naturally to me, like I am a part of the harbor itself. Inej has seen me use my power before, but she still looks at me as if she is witnessing a Saint.
"You know, Ravka has a palace for people like you. You can train and strengthen your powers there, like Sankta Alina of the Fold did," she says.
My power falters, as my focus shifts to the future. Inej raises a brow. I didn't know that there was a whole palace for Grisha. How would I even get to Ravka? No, I don't want to leave the Crows. I focus back on the water and take my mind off of foreign countries and their opportunities.
"I'll think about it," is all that I can muster, and I guide the boat back to the dock with my current. Inej seems to sense my touchiness to the topic, and doesn't push it anymore.
On my way back to the Slat, I pass by the waffle house and buy one black coffee. Very fitting for Kaz Brekker, I do say, though I know that he actually likes his coffee sweet, so I grab a few sugar packets. How can a broody 17 year old boy single-handedly make me hesitate to leave this sinkhole of a city to go to a palace. A whole ass palace. I wouldn't have to worry about money ever again. But I wouldn't have Kaz's ghost of a grin, windowsill chats, or comfortable silences. No more Suli folksongs or terrible dance partners.
Five minutes later, I stand in his doorway, holding his steaming beverage. He is focused on his paperwork, but as always, sees me even when he isn't directly looking.
"Hello, Y/N."
I close his door and step forward to place the coffee and sugar packets on the corner of his desk. He tears his eyes off of his work and runs his hand through his hair. My jaw drops silently. Kaz isn't wearing his gloves. I don't know what I expected to see. Claws? Permanent blood stains? But all I see are two normal hands that belong to a boy, not a monster.
I close my mouth before Kaz can sense my surprise. No one has ever seen him without his gloves on. I guess he trusts me enough to let his guard down a little bit. And to get his coffee order right. He eagerly pours his sugar packets into his coffee and gives me a slight grin as a 'thank you'. There is progress in that department as well. One day, I will make Kaz Brekker smile. And he won't dissappear soon after.
I go to his windowsill as usual, and sitting there is a fresh plate of sweet rolls -- my favorite treat (closely followed by waffles). I smile and begin to indulge while settling into my place on the windowsill. If I can describe me and Kaz's bond in one word, it would be 'silent'. We do little things for each other and show our thanks through trust and small gifts like coffee or sweet rolls.
Some crows flock to the window, interrupting my view of the city. I tear off a piece of my sweet roll and toss it to them, which they happily peck at and devoure.
"You shouldn't feed crows," Kaz says turning his head.
"And why not?" I ask, tossing another piece to them. He starts to answer but then pauses, so I turn to look at him. He immediately glances down at his paperwork once again and hastily replies:
"They have no manners."
"Well then you all must get along well," I say sarcastically, but Kaz just looks frustrated at his work, like he is trying to solve an equation that doesn't have an answer. I hate seeing him like this. He shouldn't have to shoulder the work of a whole gang at seventeen.
I finish my sweet rolls and hop down from my perch. I silently walk over to Kaz and peer over his shoulder. Pekka's name appears much more than usual on today's paperwork. Upon further inspection, I see that Kaz is trying to figure out what job Pekka could possibly have that Inej said he was getting funding for. He doesn't seem to be getting very far.
"You know, me and Inej could probably figure out Pekka's plans in an hour if we sneak into his office," I suggest. I expect Kaz to brush off my offer and ignore me, but he sits up straight and considers. After a moment, he says:
"Take Jesper with you. You're going to need a distraction to get into the Emerald Palace. That's where Pekka's most important information should be. Get in, get out," he pauses briefly, "and be careful."
"I am always careful."
"Debatable."
My jaw drops in exaggerated surprise.
"And what do you mean by that, Brekker?" I ask, crossing my arms.
"You may be careful when defending yourself, but your whole body tenses right before you make a move. Your shoulder rise up. You look as if you are about to start a race." He replies, finally forgetting his work for a minute. I think of when I used to race Kaz Rietveld up the stairs in Jakob Hertzoon's house. That's probably where that habit started. Classic of him to notice something like that.
"Well, I'll try not to get into any trouble with my tensed up shoulders," I reply, heading out of his room to go to Inej's.
She is sharpening one of her knives at her dresser. I knock on the doorframe to notify her of my presence, and walk in. She greets me with her usual warm smile, then continues her work.
"Sharpening Sankt Petyr today?" I ask while opening her window to let in the breeze.
"Yea, the blade became a bit dull after you cut open Pekka's arm at the heist with it."
"Proper use of Sankt Petyr, I must say."
Inej responds with a small laugh. She finishes sharpening Sankt Petyr and stashes the knife on the right side of her belt. I don't want to burst her bubble right now, but we need to figure out what Pekka's plans are.
"Inej, we need to go to the Emerald Palace and sneak into Pekka's office today," I blatantly state and wait for her reaction. I know that Inej hates pleasure houses more than anyone else here, and I hate asking her to enter one after what she has been through. She blinks in surprise.
"Why?" Is all that she mutters, immediately starting to fiddle with Sankt Petyr.
"We need to figure out if Pekka actually has a big job planned, regardless of having the pocketwatch or not."
At that, Inej stops fiddling with her knife and straightens her shoulders.
"I'll do it with you. But I need to know something. Why does Kaz want to interfere with Pekka so much? I see the way something changes in his eyes when he talks about Pekka. If anyone knows it is you. So what happened?" She asks.
"I really don't know Inej. And I don't care to ask. That is his business to deal with, not mine."
She doesn't ask anymore questions and leaves the conversation at that. It is for the best. Don't question Kaz Brekker. Somehow, he always knows what he is doing. I head out of Inej's room and we stop by the Crow Club to drag Jesper out of a game of Makker's Wheel.
"Just one more game, please. I'm going to win this time, I can feel it in my bones!" He protests as I tug on his arm.
"Remember that I paid for your waffles this morning. You are in debt to me currently. Help me out right now and I'll forget all about it," I tell him.
"Wow, you are really starting to sound like Kaz now. Maybe you should spend more time with me to cleanse your mind," Jesper suggests, reluctantly standing up from his table.
"So I can sound like a pigeon instead?" I ask, leading him out of the casino while Inej snickers behind us.
Jesper scoffs dramatically as if he has never been made aware of his poor earnings at card games.
"Has Kaz been giving lessons on how to insult me recently?"
"No, you simply make it too easy my friend. However, Kaz did tell us to sneak into the Emerald Palace and steal some information."
Now, Jesper's jaw drops.
"Go into the Emerald Palace?"
"Well, me and Inej are sneaking in. No offense, but your six foot frame wouldn't go by unnoticed that easily. You are going to use your unmatched, top-notch shooting skills to distract everyone outside so that me and Inej can sneak in. Though, I am sure you wouldn't even need to pull out your guns to attract a crowd," I explain to him as I lead all three of us toward Dime Lion territory.
"Are you trying to butter me up? Because it is working."
"Maybe Kaz was giving lessons on how to compliment charming Zemini sharpshooters."
"Oh, you're good at this," he says with a smirk, now fully ready to do his job.
Inej and I depart from Jesper as we close in on the pleasure house. After thirty seconds of mingling in the crowd of the Barrel, we hear a gunshot. Jesper has begun his distraction. Everyone turns to look at the area near him as me and Inej inch toward the Emerald Palace door. As we slip into the building, I can hear bits of conversation, as Jesper convinces the people around him that he doesn't know where the gunshot came from. He would make a fantastic actor, as long as he doesn't get too trigger happy and blow our cover.
The Emerald Palace stinks of heavy perfume and is decked out in green decor. Everywhere. Definitely not my favorite color. I try to hide my look of distaste at the atmosphere this building has as I silently head up the stairs with Inej. We get a few curious stares from clients in the pleasure house passing by, but it is nothing out of the ordinary for two young girls to be in a pleasure house. We slip into Pekka's office on the second floor without interruption. And thankfully, he isn't here right now.
His office smells just like his old office did in the mansion on Zelvarstraat. New money and a big ego. I try not to let my mind wander to that place again, but his lavish decor is the same. His desk chair still looks stiff and uncomfortable. But now, he won't ask you to pretend to be someone else, the voice inside my heads tells me. Now, you are the one stealing money and opportunities from him. That boosts my confidence a bit.
We begin our search for any sign of a big deal or job that would be worth a lot of Kruge as a reward. I could kill Pekka right now. If he just walked into his office at this moment. I could make him pay for what he did to me and the Rietvelds. They both could be dead for all that I know. Pekka should know what that feels like. But now, Kaz's voice is the one barging into my mind. Brick by brick. He is right. Slowly deteriorating everything he knows will be more satisfying.
I focus on sifting through some papers on the side of his desk when Inej quietly gasps.
"Saints, Y/N, look at this," she says and hands me a paper with big letters written in fancy merchant scrawl:
BREAK INTO THE ICE COURT.
BRING BACK BO YUL-BAYUR.
30 MILLION KRUGE.
My breath hitches in my throat. Me and Inej exchange a glance. Thirty million kruge. That could make us all rich beyond our wildest dreams. Rich enough to take down Pekka Rollins brick by brick. Enough to live comfortably in Ketterdam for a lifetime, or travel around the world. This is the job that Pekka is taking. And if he already has enough funding for this, then he must be leaving soon.
I fold up the paper and jump out of my skin as the office door slams open, revealing Pekka standing in the doorway. He pulls a knife out from his inner coat pocket. Me and Inej quickly unsheathe our own, and I shove the paper into my pocket. Where is Jesper? How did he let Pekka slip by?
"What fortunate timing. I need a Grisha like you for my job you seem to have taken interest in," he says, walking my way, "and then maybe, you'll be worth a lot of Kruge."
I see Inej's eyes light up with rage. We need to exit out of the window right now. I try to back away from Pekka, but I am stuck in an awkward position between the wall and his desk. He grabs my wrist and cuts my arm in a deep gash that immediately starts to bleed. I see stars as pain explodes across my body. Inej jumps onto the desk and kicks Pekka away from me. She swiftly disarms him and holds his own knife to his throat and warns him to back off or she'll cut him with no mercy. He raises in hands in surrender. But the look in his eyes tell me that he is far from done with me.
I head out of the window first, and Inej backs out behind me. Before she takes off to the next rooftop where I stand, she throws Pekka's knife, and it lands right next to his head. A warning shot. He flinches slightly. Let him be afraid. We head back by rooftop to the Slat, and my head starts to feel dizzy from all of the blood loss on my arm. Right when I feel like I am going to pass out, Inej and I slip in through Kaz's window to enter his office.
While Inej lands with silent grace, I land with a thud and start to sway. I really need to get this taken care of right now. Kaz's attention is immediately drawn to my bloody arm and he tenses his jaw as if he wants to help, but can't. Inej loops an arm around my waist and I lean on her as we shuffle across the hall to my room. Kaz quickly follows behind.
"What happened?" He asks as Inej settles me onto my bed.
"Ask Pekka," I reply. Kaz tenses his jaw once more and tightens the grip on his cane. His hatred is clear.
"Well where was Jesper, did he not go with you?"
Inej and I exchange a glance. We were too busy escaping that we never really figured that out. Just as Kaz turns around to find Jesper's whereabouts, he comes into my room panting, like he has just run a marathon. He has a bit of bruising and a busted lip, but he seems to have escaped any altercations he endowed with little harm. When he notices my wound, he gags and looks away.
"Saints, Y/N, what happened to you?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Jesper. You were supposed to be keeping watch outside of the Emerald Palace," Kaz pipes in, giving Jesper a death glare.
"Someone recognized me from a casino. I got ganged up on. Pekka must've slipped in then, I assume," Jesper explains guiltily.
Kaz looks as if he wants to take out his anger for Pekka on him right now. I am not letting that happen. I clear my throat and ask what can be done about my arm. Inej inspects the wound and says that I need stitches, so she quickly goes to get the supplies from her room. I glance at Kaz and try to give him a reassuring look that says I am fine, but he looks unconvinced. He stands a few feet away from my bed as Inej comes back and starts stitching up my wound.
Just when I thought the pain could not get any worse, having a needle pierce my wound what seems like a million times makes my vision blurry again. I bite my hand to keep from screaming in pain. Jesper gets grossed out by the sight and distracts himself by looking at the items on my dresser. Kaz's gaze stays fixed on me.
"Talk to me. What did you find?" He asks, tapping his finger repeatedly on the top of his cane.
I am in no shape to have a conversation right now, so Inej explains while stitching my arm:
"A big heist. Pekka is going to break into the Ice Court and capture a prisoner there. His name is Bo Yul-Bayur. I don't know much else about it."
Kaz considers this as his gaze goes distant.
"How much?"
Inej pauses her work for a second and turns to Kaz.
"30 million."
Jesper scoffs, "I guess certain death and imprisonment is worth 30 million Kruge."
Kaz ignores him and glances at my condition.
"When?"
"I saw some papers on his desk about departing from the harbor tomorrow," Inej explains.
Kaz goes silent, the wheels turning in his mind once again. Inej wipes my tears and adds some fresh bandage to my wound, and I feel some relief now that I'm not being stabbed by a needle.
"Who even is this Bo guy, and why is he important enough to be worth 30 million Kruge?" Jesper asks, breaking the silence. Inej and I wonder the same thing, but Kaz, as usual, seems to know things that we don't.
"He is a Shu scientist. Inventor of Jurda Parem, a variant of Jurda that can enhance a Grisha's powers intensely. Though, it is addictive and can quickly lead to death of the consumer," he explains, "it could change the way the market functions completely. But that is exactly why the Merchant Council would want him."
At that, Kaz seems to have enough information, and leaves my room. A chill runs through my body. Jesper and I both love to chew on Jurda in our free time, unaffected by the strong taste, since we both grew up on farms in Novyi-Zem. I didn't know that such a variant of it existed. What could it do to enhance my powers? I would not like to find out.
Jesper walks over to me and apologizes for his absence at the Emerald Palace earlier, and I forgive him much more easily than Kaz did. He heads out to get a drink at the Crow Club bar; today has been a bit stressful. Inej turns to me once he is gone.
"So Pekka knows about your powers?"
"Yea, ever since I arrived in the Barrel, he has been trying to take me captive."
"That makes a lot more sense. I guess it is a good thing that he is keeping your secret all to himself. If Pekka wanted you dead, he would've been sending more men to take you down."
"What a comforting thought."
"You mean besides possibly going to Fjerda and risking certain death at the Ice Court?"
"That is a close second," I reply, then yawn. My body is tired from my fight and injury, and I want nothing more than a quick nap. Inej sees my exhaustion, stands up, and leaves my room without a sound. I doze off quickly.
Once again, he is there. A hazy figure amongst a ghostly scene. Instead of being inside Jakob Hertzoon's house, we stand outside of it, weeping for all that we've lost. He doesn't seem to notice me beside him.
"Saskia!" He calls out, looking right through me. That's not my name, I try to say, but no words come out. As I reach out to touch his shoulder, he turns into dust, and then the world around me collapses into darkness as well.
I wake up in a cold sweat, breathing hard. I am parched. Suddenly, the information that I learned today comes flooding back into my mind. The Ice Court. 30 million Kruge. A chance to avenge myself and the boy in my dreams who never got to truly know me. I drag myself out of bed and shuffle across the hall. To no surprise, Kaz sits at his desk, sifting through papers and jotting down notes.
This time, he looks up to check on me as I lean on his doorframe. Acknowledging my presence, he gestures to a glass of water that sits on his desk. I walk over and empty the glass swiftly. Kaz's eyes never leave me as I perch onto his windowsill with less grace than usual. My arm throbs.
"Can you fight?" Kaz asks.
"Enough."
"Enough is not good enough. You know that. Will you be able to fight well in a few days?"
The ache in my arm seems to have spread to my head.
"Yes," I reply, but Kaz doesn't seem convinced in the slightest. Silence follows, but now it is more tense than comfortable.
"Are you going to take the job?" I ask.
"I am going to need a steady crew."
"You have one."
"No, I have an injured Crow, a distracted sharpshooter, and a Suli girl that listens to the Saints more than herself. We need more than this," Kaz explains, breaking eye contact to look back at his papers.
"We are more than this. I am more than that. Trust me Kaz, I'll be fine," I say.
"Not with a four inch gash in your arm," he retorts swiftly. I can use my Grisha powers with an arm injury. I want to scream those words. But I can't. Not with people around.
"I said that I'll be fine in a few days."
"Forget that I asked. A few days is too much time. Pekka leaves tomorrow, which means we may leave tomorrow. That is final," Kaz says, his tone becoming harsher.
"Well maybe we can wait a few days-"
"Well maybe you'll stay here then!" He shouts, then instantly regrets his choice as I lunge from my perch and exit his room.
"Y/N!" Kaz yells as I start down the stairs.
I hear my name called once more, as if he rushed to his doorway to catch me before I go. But I am already out of the door of the Slat and headed to the Crow Club. Jesper better have saved a drink or two for me when I get there.
Inej sits with Jesper at the bar. I honestly did not expect her to be here. The bartender gives Jesper a shot of something strong, but I take it and down it before he can get his hands on it. He stares at me in surprise.
"Hey, that was mine," he protests.
"Bought your waffles, remember?" I retort.
"Went with you to the Emerald Palace, remember?"
"You got your ass beat resulting in my life being endangered, remember?" I say none too gently. Inej quickly shifts the conversation by asking Jesper what he was talking about before I interrupted, as a way to resolve the tension.
"I think we really need a demo man," he explains.
Inej rolls her eyes, "you are always saying that."
"Well, now we have a good reason to have one," Jesper replies matter-of-factly.
I pipe in and add, "you should actually take that up with Kaz. He is looking to expand our crew for this heist." And leave me here too, apparently.
"He has agreed to go on the heist?" Jesper asks, sitting up straighter.
"Only if he has a solid crew," I remind him, "we may be the best theives in Ketterdam, but in Fjerda, we are just some teenage criminals. We need more help."
We all sit at the bar and think about the possibilities. Tomorrow, we could potentially leave this city behind for a while. Well, Jesper and Inej will. Though, I am not giving up without a fight. I will convince Kaz that I can go on this heist. We agreed to take down Pekka together. And this is how we are going to do it.
The bartender slides another shot Jesper's way, and he offers it to me. I put my hand up in refusal and give him a small smile. He downs the shot and averts eye contact. I really made things tense between us for no reason. I am really not too terribly mad at Jesper. It wasn't completely his fault.
I touch his arm and he looks at me. I hand him a bit of Kruge and nod towards the card tables as a peace offering. He gladly accepts and gives me an awkward hug, careful to avoid my wounded arm. Then he is off, laughing loud enough for all of East Stave to hear as he bets off half of the Kruge in his first game. Pigeon move.
"Are you sure you want to be here right now? You should be resting," Inej brings up quietly.
I don't want to head back to the Slat just yet. I would rather not see Kaz right now. And I don't want to sleep either. I don't want to be visited by him again.
When I don't answer right away, Inej grabs my hands and gently starts to lead me back to the Slat. I am too tired to fight her off. Instead of bringing me to my room, she takes me to hers. She settles me on her bed, takes out of my braids, and starts doing them again. As usual, she starts humming Saints Guide Us Home. At this point, I am familiar with the tune and can hum along with her perfectly. Once she is done with my braids, Inej gets up and starts dancing around in the middle of her room while singing the lyrics in Suli.
I slowly get up and join her, making careful movements and singing along in harmony as we make circles around her floor.
Through blood and bruise
Through shadow and bone
Saints tie us together
Saints guide us home
Through siege and storm
You must always know
Saints may pull us apart
But Saints guide us home
For a few minutes I forget the stressful events of today. No tension, no wounds, no nightmares. Just a small sense of bliss. One day, the Saints will guide me home, and I will know it. I will feel content, like I am in the right place at the right time.
When the sun finally sinks under the horizon and the moon rises from the depths of the harbor, I say goodnight to Inej and head back to my room. I pass by Jesper in the hallway, stumbling forward. He definitely has had one too many shots. He always get talkative when he is tipsy. Right now, he is mumbling to himself about Kruge and pigeons. Neither of those surprise me.
After I make sure that he gets into his room without incident, I finally make my way back to my door. I pause outside of it, knowing that I won't be able to sleep well with the knowledge that Kaz is pissed at me. I take a long breath, then turn around and walk across the hall. I knock on his door. No response. Kaz isn't fooling anyone, we all know that he rarely sleeps a healthy amount. I slowly open his door and see him standing at a wash basin, cleansing his torso and arms.
He doesn't seem surprised to see me. He almost looks like he expected me to come back and put up a fight.
"I am capable of going on the heist with you," I start, getting it out of the way.
"Didn't ask," Kaz replies, beginning to dry himself with a towel.
I stride over to him and use my good arm to snatch the towel from his hands. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"I am going on the heist," I state, looking him dead in the eyes. In the dim light of a lone flicking candle, his eyes look almost black.
"What, are you a Saint now? Magically healing your own wounds and kissing babies?" He asks, unamused and snatching his towel right back from me.
"Follow me," I say, keeping my chin up high. Kaz's grumpy demeanor isn't getting in my way tonight. After a moment, he releases a long breath.
"Fine. Where are we going?"
"The harbor. But it is chilly outside, so you need to put on a shirt," I add, then start heading out of his room.
"Much to your disappointment, I assume?"
"Didn't ask," I say with my back turned, so he can't see the sudden rosy color on my cheeks.
We head out of the Slat and down to Fifth Harbor. Kaz seems very tense here. I'm sure it must be the cold temperature.
"So, what do you want me to see here?" He asks, his breath showing in the cold.
"I am more than just an injured Crow. I can fight. We can use this heist and the money from it to take Pekka down together-"
"Y/N, I am done talking about this. You need to rest-"
Kaz's words get cut off as his gaze fixes on an arc of water coming to shape. I curve my hands in easy motions that don't strain my arm, and showcase my Grisha powers to the Bastard of the Barrel. In the moonlight, Kaz watches in fascination. I trust him enough now to know that he won't tell anyone about this. And now that no one is around, I would say that this is prime timing.
"Now everything makes sense. The way Pekka's men never killed you at the gunfight. He called you a witch at Dreesen's mansion. You are a Tidemaker. Why didn't you tell me before?" He asks.
"You know how this city is with slavers. If any more word got out, people would be hunting you for information on my whereabouts."
"Pekka wants you for Kruge. He wants to exploit your gifts. It isn't going to happen, Y/N, do you hear me?"
I slowly let the water drain back into the harbor.
"Yes, Kaz, I trust you. We never stop fighting," I say. To that, he nods and his scheming face is back.
"So... are we heading to the Ice Court?" I ask, with a hopeful tone.
"We need a Heartrender, and a Fjerdan," he says.
"Both rarities to find in Ketterdam," I mumble.
"I have my ways," Kaz replies.
"Anything else? Maybe a whole Sun Summoner while we are at it?" I say with a grin, which he mirrors slightly. Glad to know that the tension has dissolved.
"We need a demo man," he states.
"Oh, trust me, I know exactly who can help you with that."
//Have you guys seen the Season 2 cast announcement for Shadow and Bone?? They are all perfect I swear
And thank you once again for reading my story 🥳//