~ Y/N Pov ~
//It's the final countdown do do do doooo//
I dream of bloodshed, of stormwitches, and of Kaz. I silently curse my brain for never letting me get a second of rest from the matters at hand. With my eyes closed and myself still half-asleep, I can hear the chimes of the bells from the Church of Barter. They sound two...four...six times. It is still early in the morning. The auction won't start for another few hours.
I stir fully awake and in doing so, accidentally bump into Inej. She opens her eyes. "What time is it?"
"Six bells."
"Is Kaz awake?" She inquires.
I look over to the bastard of the Barrel, still snoozing. "Surprisingly, no."
Inej then rolls over and tries to salvage the few hours of peace we have left before all goes to hell. I don't blame her. I stifle a yawn, but my mind is awake. I glance over at Inej and then tap her shoulder. She turns to me with her eyes still closed.
"What?"
"Wanna go roof jumping?" I ask. When I arrived at Black Veil from Eil Komedie, I was weakened, and had to decline Inej's invitation to go roof hopping. Now is the last chance we may have before the world turns upside down.
Inej immediately opens her eyes and smiles, then stretches out. "Absolutely I do."
We silently braid our hair fresh for the day and grab our knives. Then we leave through the small bathroom window. Genya's tailoring skills are awesome because I can barely feel any pain in my shoulder, and I don't need any bandages because she closed the wound.
With that being said, Inej wastes no time. She quickly goes from rooftop to rooftop and smiles as if she's on the seas. I follow closely behind, letting the Wraith guide us over the Ketterdam streets where tourists stumble out of the casinos, unaware of the time. After a minute, I realize where she is taking us.
We soar down the rooftops of West Stave and swiftly approach Fifth Harbor. The sun is starting to rise. We stand on the edge of the roof closest to the water and look down. Sailors begin their day of work, too tired to look up. We both know it is too dangerous to try and steal a boat right now, so instead, we just let our legs dangle from the edge of the roof and let the sun warm our faces.
I look at berth sixteen. The Ferolind bobs gently in the morning tide. Grisha refugees are currently huddled belowdecks, where me and the Crows once called home for a few weeks at a time. No one knows of their whereabouts, though. They will depart to Ravka in a few hours, with the Grisha Triumverate on board. It is funny how this city can hold secrets in such plain sight.
Inej and I watch as a sailor walks onto the upper deck of the Ferolind, opening a fresh tin of Jurda for an early morning stimulant. I summon the water from the harbor and splash him from behind. The sailor drops his tin and turns around in fright, expecting someone to be there. Of course, that isn't the case. He quickly runs off the ship and down the harbor, as me and Inej snicker on the roof. For a moment, life is as it was before we knew that jurda parem existed.
We sit in silence for almost an hour, before our moment of peace is interrupted by the church bells ringing seven times.
I stand. "We better get back before Kaz wakes up."
Inej takes one last look at the ships in the harbor, seeming to possess a newfound determination. "I'd be surprised if he isn't already downing his fourth cup of coffee."
We both race each other back to the Geldrenner, feeling more free than we have in a while. For a fleeting hour, we weren't confined to a hotel room or worried that a passerby on the streets would notice us. It felt nice. Being stuck in one place made me forget how nice it feels to be free. It makes Zoya's words hit a little bit deeper.
When we enter the living room of the suite, Kaz is in fact drinking coffee. He stares at both of us unimpressed.
"Do you two have a death wish, or do you just like giving people heart attacks?" He asks, finishing his coffee.
I take the cup from him before he can refill it. "I think the amount of caffeine you've consumed in the past 24 hours will do that for us."
He rolls his eyes and goes to the kitchen to get another cup. "Where were you two?"
"On a roof at the harbor," I say.
Inej laughs. "Y/N practically made a sailor piss his pants!"
Kaz stares at me. "What did you do?"
I put my free hand up in defense. "I just splashed him a bit to scare him. Relax, he didn't see me."
He rubs a hand over his forehead. "Y/N, you do understand that many people are out to kill you, right? You need to lay low-"
"I'm not going to hide who I am forever, Kaz. If the city wants me dead so bad, why can't I fight back? Never make decisions out of fear, Kaz, only out of spite," I say.
He looks unimpressed. "I bet you and Zoya got along swell yesterday."
"What is that supposed to mean-"
Inej interrupts us. "Enough you two. We are all tense right now, no need to have another Kaz/Jesper incident."
I turn away from them and refill Kaz's old cup with coffee, then take a walk through the hotel to clear my head. He isn't like you. He doesn't understand and I don't expect him to. But he at least needs to attempt to understand how alive tide summoning makes me feel. I will not cower in fear at the hands of this trading nation. Not anymore. I will make it accept me.
The coffee makes me feel fully alert, but still I am scared half to death when I see Wylan sitting around the corner. He stares blankly at the wall ahead of him, seemingly lost in thought, his brow furrowed. I sit down next to him.
"One kruge for your thoughts?"
"I'm actually selling them for fifteen kruge," he says.
I laugh. "Okay Kaz."
Wylan does a passable impression of Kaz's small grin and raspy voice. "As the market wills it."
"Woah, you are freakishly good at that. But seriously, Wylan, what's on your mind?" I ask.
He pauses, then sighs. "Today, my father will be at the auction. I don't want to see the look on his face when he sees me, actually me, again. He tried to kill me once, you know. He doesn't want me to be a Van Eck, and honestly, I don't want to be one either. I don't want to be like my father."
"You are not like your father in any way. I have never met your mother, but I have no doubt that you take after her. So...why not take her last name? You could be Wylan Hendricks from now on," I suggest.
Some tension seems to release from his shoulders. "I like that. And maybe one day I will be Wylan Fahey."
I smile and imagine Wylan and Jesper's wedding. It would probably be the most chaotic event in existence, but also one of the most fun. "Why do you say 'maybe'? You will definitely be a Fahey in the future. Have you seen the way Jes looks at you? Even Colm approves."
Wylan shifts his position. "Yes, we will just have to make it through today first."
"Of course we will make it through today. Remember, no mourners, no funerals. All seven of us Crows will bathe in our kruge by the time the sun sets today. And all of us Crows will have front row seats at your wedding. Count on it," I say with more confidence than I feel.
So much can go wrong during this auction. But we've already done things no one has ever done before. We breached a high security Fjerdan court and stole a prisoner from Hellgate. And we all turned out fine. For the most part.
Wylan grins. "Nina can set up the venue, Inej will be the flower girl, you will be my Best (Wo)man, Kaz can deal with the contracts, and Matthias will-"
Wylan's sentence gets cut off by the church bells ringing eight times. We look at each other. We must get ready to leave. We walk back to the suite, where everyone is now awake and preparing their weapons. Kaz adjusts his tie, Inej sharpens her knives, and Jes slings his guns in front of a mirror. In a strange way, life seems normal for a second. However, the normalcy is cut short by Kaz knocking his cane on the ground.
"The auction begins in an hour. Nina, make sure to stick to the shortcuts we discussed, just in case someone recognizes you. Inej and Y/N, be careful. And Jes... don't be stupid," he says.
With that, we all look once more at each other and take a deep breath.
"No mourners," I say.
"No funerals," a chorus of criminals calls back.
Then we are off.
Inej and I exit out of the bathroom window and travel by rooftop for the second time this morning. Now, we are more careful to ensure that no one, particularly Ravkan assassins, can see us. The trek to the infamous Church of Barter doesn't take too long, and soon Inej and I are on the roof, looking out at the crowds of people making their way to the church to witness the auction.
I let out a small laugh, and Inej raises a brow. "What in all Saints is funny right now?"
"No one knows that we are about to be some of the richest people in Ketterdam. Imagine if the merchant council knew that a bunch of criminals are about to be loaded."
Inej smiles at that. "Well, aren't the merchants criminals in their own corrupt ways?"
"Hmm yes they are. But could they survive a day in the Barrel?"
Inej laughs a boisterous laugh at the thought. "Absolutely not, they'd be begging for mercy by noon!"
Our laughter fills the air, cloaked by the sounds of the crowds beginning to enter the church. The only way you could hear us is if you already knew we were up here. Inej gives my hand one tight squeeze, then swiftly scales down the side of the Church to keep watch of the front doors. I look out in the crowd and spot Jes in traditional Zemini attire, walking behind some Zemini delegation. His hands tap the top of his hips, where his revolvers lay hidden under his coat. Dummy.
Finally, after the crowds have shuffled into the room below me, the church bell rings. I cover my ears and feel the sound vibrate through my body. Note to self, never be on the roof of the Church when time is approaching a new hour. I can't hear anything.
After the ninth toll of the bell, I spot them, punctual as usual. Kaz and Matthias stand on either side of Kuwei, guarding him as they walk into the church at exactly nine bells. I can already hear the commotion down below as the ringing in my ears settles down. However, the hair on my neck rises when I sense someone behind me. I turn and quickly dodge the jab of knife that cuts the air a mere inch from my torso.
A tall girl dressed in white with brilliant red har pulls her knife back and stares at me with challenging eyes. "For someone known to be stealthy, you and your friend sure are loud."
She must've gotten up here when the church bells were ringing. Shit, out of everyday she could've showed up, why now?
I quickly pull out both of my knives. "You must be Dunyasha."
"The one and only, true heir to the Ravkan throne. And you must be Y/N, Kaz Brekker's prized possession."
I bristle at that. "You know nothing of I nor Kaz. You only know what Pekka has told you, which is all lies."
We parry and as we circle around each other, she talks. "All lies? Really? So you aren't a Tidemaker with the power to take over this whole city if you please? You haven't killed Pekka's men and attempted to take Pekka's life yourself?"
I stay silent at that.
Dunyasha smiles a sickening grin. "That's what I thought. And that is the exact reason why I must put you down, once and for all. You and Kaz would be too powerful, take too many lives."
She lunges forward and I step back while attempting to slice her outstretched arm. However, she is too quick and dodges my own jab. She is agile, like water itself. We go back and forth a second, but we are at a stalemate. I do admit, she is giving me a run for my money, and I am brought back to practicing on a warehouse roof with Inej. I remember what she taught me, how to not only use a knife, but be one with the blade. No one can best the Wraith.
We parry again, and I take this time to stall while observing her body movements. "How will killing me help you in any way? You are Ravkan, I am Kerch. Why would you accept Pekka's offer and come all the way to Ketterdam?"
She straightens her shoulders with pride. "I am the true heir to the Ravkan throne. It is my duty to keep peace in other nations so that my Ravka won't be involved in any turmoil. I am doing this for my country."
"Let me guess, is that what Pekka told you? You are killing a Grisha. You are no better than the Fjerdans. Ravkans protect people like me, not kill them," I say, tightening the grip on my knife.
She scoffs. "You wouldn't understand. You come straight from the slums. You aren't of royal blood."
That is true. I am not. But then again, I doubt Dunyasha really is either. But, in this world, there are people born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Maybe Nikolai is one of those people, never knowing what it is like to face the slums. People like him take what the world offers them from birth and use it to create something great, to lead a nation to prosperity.
But what happens to the nobodies, the nothings, the invisible girls? The world offers us nothing, yet we demand something from it anyways. We have to fight tooth and nail to gain any recognition, a place of power. It never differs. Here I am, on the roof of a Church, fighting for my life. Ketterdam has given me nothing, it won't ever give me anything. But I will demand something of it anyways. The ghost of a kiss, the safety of my friends, the strength to stay alive, a reason to stay.
I lunge forward and narrowly miss Dunyasha's side as she swiftly moves out of the way. She is using two knives at the same time, and I have to channel my inner acrobat to dodge some of these blows. I won't be able to just get her with knives, I need to use our height from the ground to my advantage. I quickly pray to my Saints that the auction is going well and start to advance on Dunyasha with all of the energy I can muster. I push her back to the edge of the roof, while sustaining a few slices and punches myself.
Dunyasha looks backwards at the ground below her, then laughs. "Do you really think you can best me?"
"You are such a bluff. May the Saints bless you with a quick death," I reply, getting ready to push her off.
She twirls her knives. "I will not go down before you."
That is when I see it. The knives that she is twirling are mine. Well, they were once mine, from when I first accidentally ran into the Barrel and killed a couple of Dime Lions. I forgot that I dropped them; Pekka must've picked them up. And now they are in the hands of my assassin.
It is funny how the world works. Dunyasha is using my old weapons against me; my old self. The girl who needed constant stealth and protection to survive, the one who didn't realize the amount of power she held. Dunyasha may be able to best me, but can she call to the tides?
I call to the canal, farther away from me than any water that I've summoned. I can't see the water, but I can summon it to my bidding. I feel it.
My old self is long gone. She was scared to show herself, to weild her power that is unique to such a small percentage of people. She never held her head up high when she felt that irresistible pull of the tides.
Now, I feel the rush of the canal, every small ripple and dip, the splash against a boat or swirl in the harbor. I bend it to my bidding. The world won't give me an answer as to where I'll end up, but I demand one of it anyways.
I can see in Dunyasha's eyes the moment she realizes what I am doing. I feel alive. A stream of water shoots from my palms and into the sky before I focus it into a tight beam. I look at my assassin straight in the eye.
"Any last words of wisdom, your highness?" I ask.
She takes a deep breath. "The Saints will never forgive you for this. You will be damned!"
I focus the water at her. "Then I guess I'll face you once more in hell, Dunyasha. I'm looking forward to it."
With that, I send the red haired Ravkan off of the Church roof, along with my past self once and for all. I don't need to look down to see that she is dead. I just know. I feel connected to the world. I hear water rushing everywhere. Water dripping belowdecks in the Ferolind where Grisha refugees await rescue. Water sweeping away the petals of the blooming cherry blossoms. I never realized how loud it all is. I feel so alive, and I know exactly where I am going after I get my money. The pull of the tides is too strong to ignore now. Zoya was right after all.
I am shaken from my thoughts as I hear a gunshot below. Jesper. He has already shot Kuwei? The auction must've gone to shit way earlier than expected. It is time to move. I quickly scale down the back side of the Church and enter through the back door. I pass Matthias and Jesper carrying Kuwei out, where they will bring him to the canal. From there, Zoya will bring his now-dead body back to life. It is a ghostly scene to see Kuwei limp and pale. I have witnessed too much death already today.
If Matthias and Jes are gone now, though, that means that Kaz is alone in here. I can hear the screams and yells of protests from the crowd in the main room, and I run straight into the chaos to look for my best friend. It doesn't take long to spot him, clad in black like usual, swinging his cane at angry delegates demanding to know of Kuwei's whereabouts. I summon some water and push them out of the way and stand next to Kaz. We are back to back, fighting off people who don't even know who we are, but just want the secret to jurda parem. It takes a minute, but the crowd thins and we are left alone.
"What took you so long?" Kaz asks over the din.
"Let's just say a certain Ravkan assassin wanted to say hello."
Kaz stops surveying the room to look at me. "And? Are you alright?"
"I took care of it. And I'm fine. I've got the water on my side," I say.
Before Kaz can respond, we hear a rush of water and see figures appear in a shroud of mist. The crowd screams and I know exactly who I am staring at right now: The Council of Tides. I can't make out their faces, but if I could, I know they would be staring at me. And they mean business.
One of the figures steps forward. "Y/N, you belong with us. Step forward and no harm will be done."
Curse this stupid city with its stupid Tidemaking Council. The Kerch are so weird about Grisha. But I know for a fact that I am not joining their stupid group. I glance at Kaz and he steps in between me and the figures. I remember once we made a deal that as long as I am in this city, I will have the freedom of choice. And he definitely knows what choice I am making in this situation. I just don't know how he thinks he can handle three Tidemakers.
The lead figure disappears into a cloud of mist and appears beside me, seizing my arm. Kaz swings his cane, but a blast of water knocks it back. The two other Tidemakers seize him.
He struggles to get free. "Let her go now!"
The figures grip on my arm tightens and I get yanked from my stance. "Do not resist, Y/N. You belong with us."
The crowd in the church has mainly cleared, not wanting to be at the mercy of the Council of Tides. I don't blame them, they aren't very nice company. I try to yank my arm free to no avail. "And what if I don't want to join your Council?"
The lead figure grips my arm so tight I yell out in pain and Kaz starts thrashing and yelling out my name. Everything in this world blurs. I focus on the sound of the rushing water in the canals, the sizzle of the mist that floats in the air. The rush of using my powers on Dunyasha is still fresh in my body. With one arm, I summon the mist that the figures were summoning and use it to my own advantage. As I draw the mist to my hand, I uncover their faces. I don't know what I expected to see, but they are just regular people like me, and shocked ones at that.
I smirk and use the force of the water I have to push the lead figure away from me, then use both of my hands to deal with the two restraining Kaz.
The lead figure starts running back to me. "Seize her!"
I call to all of the canals in this city, and to the harbor. I can best this. Just as I feel my lungs start filling with water, I summon a wave that knocks all three figures down hard and washes them out of the Church. Instantly, water stops entering my lungs and I fall to my knees coughing. Kaz grabs his cane, then comes to my aid, helping me up.
After I catch my breath, we begin heading to one of the back rooms of the church to get our bearings.
"I don't like those people," I say, checking to make sure my knives are still on my belt.
"That makes two of us. But seriously, what the hell happened back there? I've never seen that kind of power come from you."
He isn't like you. "I guess that's just what happens when people piss me off. It is crazy, I can hear everything."
"Everything? Can you hear the Saints telling me to go to hell?" Kaz asks, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
I smirk. "I mean that I can hear all of the water in town. But I do also hear the Saints, and they have some choice words to say about you. I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate to say them out loud."
"A real shame," Kaz replies with a grin. However, his grin slowly turns into a grim stare at the door of the room behind me. I turn and see Pekka Rollins walk in and shut the door. Kaz and I stand close to each other. We spare a quick glance. It is time to take this son of a bitch down.
Pekka holds his hand at the gun on his hip. "You play a smart game, Brekker. Killing Kuwei so that no one can have him. Are you really that ruthless?"
Kaz can't contain himself. "Who are you to speak to me about ruthlessness? You tricked me and Y/N to do your bidding and then left us both to the streets."
Pekka looks confused. "You speak nonsense. And I thought Dunyasha would take care of your little sidekick here. Where is the assassin?"
I hold my head up high. "Check the front entrance. And keep my knives, everyone could use a little reminder now and then."
When Pekka realizes what I am implying, he turns to go find Dunyasha's body, but Kaz puts his cane on the door to stop him from leaving. Pekka pulls out his gun and Kaz knocks it out of his grip. It clatters to the floor and I kick it away.
Kaz stares daggers at Rollins. "You were Jakob Hertzoon. You left us to the streets. I had a brother. He died because of you. What was his name?"
I can see the sweat on Pekka's brow. "I- I don't know. All that I remember is a girl...she had a red ribbon in her hair..."
Pekka glances at me and quickly looks away. I have the tides in my hands, ready to put an end to this son of a bitch, and he knows it. Kaz slams his cane on the ground and shoves Pekka against the door.
"What is his fucking name!?" He yells. I can hear the pain in his voice.
Pekka looks completely lost. "I don't know!"
That's it. I walk over and prepare to fill his lungs with water, but Kaz puts a gloved hand on my arm and shakes his head.
"Brick by brick," he says, not looking at me.
I nod my head. "Brick by brick."
Killing him now would be too easy. For now, I summon a sharp piece of ice and slice his arm.
Kaz lifts his cane in the air. "You may be the Kaelish Prince. But I'm the fucking King. You messed with the wrong bastard in the Barrel."
With that, he swings once at Pekka. A warning shot, really. But enough to make Pekka fall to his knees in agony. Kaz checks his watch and as if on cue, the church bells ring once again, ten times. He hooks my arm with his cane, leading us out of the back door and running as fast as we can to the canal. As we sprint, Kaz glances at me multiple times.
"What?" I ask.
Kaz looks straight ahead. "Nothing."
We arrive at the boat on the canal, where everyone is, except for Matthias, who is on his way to the hospital for help, and Nina, spreading plague throughout the city. Zoya summons lightning in her palms, and it crackles in the air. She uses it to shock Kuwei and start his heart again. I summon some water from the canal and cool him down as he lays limp on the deck.
Nikolai watches in amazement. "Damn, Y/N, you're glowing. I didn't spend extra time getting ready today for you to show me up."
Zoya doesn't look up. "Now is not the time to flirt, Nikolai!"
He puts his hands up in defense. "I'm not! Look at her."
Zoya looks at me and for a moment, we connect. We both know what we are feeling right now. That absolute rush of summoning, connecting with the world. Zoya's skin has a slight glow, and she's only been summoning for ten minutes. I can't even imagine what I look like, but it must be good because Zoya grins and gives me a lingering stare that says, see how good it feels to use your potential? I do admit, it feels amazing. I nod once at her and she seems satisfied, back to working on Kuwei. Jesper, Wylan, and Inej look at me like I'm some sort of Saint. Would it be self centered to say that I feel like one right now?
After a few blinding lightning flashes, Kuwei convulses and gasps for air. There is smoke practically wafting off of him, and I keep splashing him with water while Zoya looks around hastily.
"Where is Zenik!?" Zoya yells.
I look down the street. "She should be here soon. But since she took parem a month or so ago...she has changed."
Zoya stares at me. "What the hell does that mean?"
I shift from one foot to the other. "Well, she can now raise the dead, instead of aid the living."
If Zoya is shocked, she doesn't show it. "Damn, Zenik. Always the culprit."
Inej begins to put pressure on Kuwei's chest repeatedly to get his heart beating continuously. He makes ragged, short breaths, but he is alive and steady. All Saints, if he dies now after we went through all of this shit....
"I'm here!" A familiar voice yells.
As Nina runs onto the boat, out of breath, Kaz steps to her. "How did it go?"
She grins like a child who just stole a piece of candy. "It is chaos in town. Everyone is going crazy! The hysteria should be spreading here soon. Oh, and by the way Inej, I spread the plague at the Menagerie first. Tante Heleen is going down."
Inej beams at Nina, then her eyes focus on something in the distance, and her smile turns into a frown. "Is that Matthias coming back already?"
Kaz looks at his watch. "He shouldn't be back for another ten minutes."
I feel a knot forming in my stomach. "Matthias is always punctual, but never early."
And that is when it happens. That feeling when your heart drops to your stomach because you just know deep down that something is terribly wrong. That brief thought of we are so close, why must something go wrong now? The tension on the boat is unbearable, but the stretch of silence is even worse. We all wait and hold our breath to ensure that the figure slowly coming towards us is Matthias and not an enemy. And after an excruciatingly long twenty seconds, we gasp as we witness our fellow compatriot, strong as the trees themselves, fall to his knees.
"Matthias!" Nina screams, pushing past Kaz off of the boat and sprinting towards the fallen Fjerdan. She falls to her knees beside him and once I hear her sob, I take off from the boat, and the other Crows follow.
We all give then distance, letting then exchange their final words to each other as Matthias bleeds from his chest onto the ground. I feel a lump forming in my throat as I hold Inej and Wylan's hands tight in my own. We all know what is going to happen. Nina can't stop this, she isn't a Heartrender anymore. We all feel the heavy weight of grief settle on our shoulders. Even Kaz looks slightly distressed.
For a few minutes, we just stare at the ghostly scene where Nina holds the lifeless frame of her lover. We are interrupted by Zoya clearing her throat to get our attention. "I hate to intrude on your mourning, but the Ferolind needs to leave soon with the Grisha refugees."
Kaz is the first to look away. "No mourners...," he whispers under his breath.
I stay where I am as Nina and Jes loft Matthias' limp body onto the decks of the boat next to Kuwei, who is starting to take deeper breaths. I guess we exchanged one life for the other. That is how it works in Ketterdam. Before we depart to the Van Eck mansion, I use some canal water to wash Matthias' blood off of the cobblestones and into the canal. Maybe one day it will end up in the harbor. But I hope he ends up somewhere much nicer than that.
We all cruise the canal on our boat to the back of the Van Eck mansion, where a rose garden is set up with a path that leads to the back door, where Kaz, Wylan, and I made our grand escape a few days ago. Time flies by fast. None of us know what to say. What is there to say when your friend passes too soon?
Inej and Nina grab roses from the garden and distribute them to each of us. We all stare at his body on the boat, wondering who will break this silence first.
I step forward. "Matthias and I prayed to different gods, and I know almost nothing about Djel. But I know for a fact that he will spend eternity somewhere good. There should be only good things for the boy who overcame his prejudices and tried to better his country, even if he was standing alone against his fellow people. May his efforts never be in vain, and his spirit continue in the Fjerdan people."
I spread my rose petals over his body and step back as Inej steps forward. "Though Matthias still had a lot to learn, he was kind. He gave Nina a second chance, he saw Y/N as more than just Grisha, and he even gave Alys foot massages when we had taken her captive. Though he seemed broody on the outside, he had a golden heart, with golden hair to match. May his eternity be blessed beyond measure."
Jes steps forward. "I am going to miss you, man. Being the tallest members of our group is not an easy task, but someone has got to do it. Maybe when we meet again, I'll get you a large coffee. I owe you one."
Wylan stands beside Jes. "To be honest, when I first met you, I was scared shitless. But, Matthias, you were one of the strongest people I have ever known. Nina is beyond lucky to have had you in her life. May you give her strength to get through this."
Kaz steps forward and spreads his petals without a word. He turns and walks into the mansion behind us. This is just like Jordie for him all over again.
"Where is he going?" Inej asks.
I watch his figure. "Kaz doesn't do goodbyes. He just lets go."
Nina takes a deep breath and walks to Matthias. "You were a pain in the ass at first, and you made me madder than anyone else could. But you were my best friend, and taught me things I could have never learned on my own. Not all Fjerdans are bad, some of them are beyond kind, are willing to learn, and are capable of love. And I swear that one day, all of Fjerda will be just like you, Matthias. What a wonderful world that would be. My original plan was to stay here in Ketterdam with you, but now I must bring you back to your homeland and return you to your God. This is isn't how I planned on celebrating our kruge, but plans change. And so do minds. And you taught me that minds change for the better. I-"
Nina cuts herself off and quickly spreads her rose petals onto Matthias' body, while stifling a sob. Inej consoles her as Colm joins our group [don't ask where he came from, I don't know either] and lays down on the boat, ready to go back to his farm. Nina says her goodbyes to us and lays down next to Matthias. Nikolai and Zoya then look at me expectantly, waiting for me to step on the boat and begin my journey to Ravka with them.
But I just stare at the ghostly scene ahead, watching Nina fall apart and Matthias stare blankly into the sky. We were all supposed to make it. To laugh and celebrate, and go to Wylan and Jesper's future wedding.
The church bells ring eleven, solemn times.
Zoya turns away and begins steering the boat towards the harbor. I call to the tides and send them on their way quicker from where I stand on the grass. I can't bear to see that Saint forsaken boat anymore.
Wylan, Jesper, Inej, and I all stand outside of the mansion we now own. Rich with kruge and with grief. We cheated death too many times to never have paid the price with blood.
And then there were five Crows in Ketterdam.
//THANK YOU FOR 4K READS WOW
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I apologize if this chapter made you cry lmao
There will be one more chapter after this, and then an author's note to talk about me and the story//