(malakai is partially non-verbal, so when dialogue is in italics it means that she or another character is using sign language.)
"i tell you all the time, heaven is a place on Earth with you."
video games by lana del rey
Malakai quietly entered the crypt, leaning against the doorframe. Kaz had his eyes set on piles and piles of notes scattered in front of him.
"You've been laying low?" He spoke without turning around.
"I've been laying low my whole life." She walked forward, leaning against the concrete block.
"I've been paying off debts. Visiting friends."
"You've been staying with Poppy."
"Yes. Doing some of their bidding. They helped you buy me out of the market. It's the least I could do. And I gave Rotty the rest of the money Baghra gave me."
"Why are you off repaying debts all of a sudden? Since when do you clean up the messes you make?"
"Because, Kaz, if something happens to me then I need to make sure I don't leave any unfinished business behind, that you'd probably have to deal with."
"Nothing will happen to you."
"That's what you said before, and yet Pekka Rollins had me in his grip. He was going to take me."
"But he didn't."
"But he could have. You're gambling with our lives here, Kaz. My life. This isn't just a game anymore. This is a war. And war means blood is going to be spilled." She paused, considering her next words carefully. "I should have gone with Alina."
"I gave you that option but you stayed anyway."
"Because I promised you I would come home. And I take promises seriously..."
Malakai pulled her half of the butterfly out of her pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. She stared deep into his eyes.
"And you promised me that you would protect me. But you weren't there. You weren't there when I needed you. You asked me, who watches my back when you're turned away? That night, with the Dime Lions? I found the answer. Me, Kaz, I watch my own back. I pull myself out of every situation. Every. Single. Time. Everything I do is for you. So, I'm sorry that I took the liberty of taking care of myself for once. That I'm making sure that I won't be a burden even after I die."
Malakai paused, her eyes wide in realisation. Cursing herself for letting her secret slip out so easily.
"After you die? What do you mean after you die?"
She shook her head and looked down at her boots. "It doesn't matter. I'm tired. I'm not making sense right now."
"No. You talk about my secrecy, but you've been keeping something from me since the Fold. I know it. I see it in your face every time you look at me. What happened with your father, Malakai? What did you do?" Kaz demanded.
"I didn't do anything."
"Okay, then what did he do?"
She looked at him blankly but she knew that he wouldn't back down. Kaz is the Bastard of the Barrel. He's smart. He can know more about a person just by looking at them than they know about themselves. It was too late to uphold the lie now.
"He said... He said to me... that when the Fold falls. Everything that he has ever created will fall with it."
Kaz stared at her in silence.
"That includes me, Kaz."
"And when were you planning on telling me this?" He asked frustratedly.
"I was going to at some point, but, I just... I didn't want to distract anyone from getting this done. And besides, there's nothing we can do about it."
"You're not going to die. You might lose your abilities, yes. But you're not going to die. He only said that to distract you from the task at hand. To make sure that we have doubts on letting the Fold be torn down."
She nodded in agreement, realising that she may have overthought his words, leaning back on the table. Kirigan was a psychopath, a master at manipulating her emotions. And it worked. It made perfect sense.
"You're probably right. But why did my hair change? Why did I feel like the world was shattering when he said that to me? We all knew that tearing down the Fold would come with a price. Now we know what that might be. And I'm willing to pay it if I have to"
He moved to stand in front of her. "Well, I'm not, Malakai. I'll figure something out. I always do."
"This is isn't your battle, Kaz."
He placed his hand against her jaw. Gently running his thumb over a cut on her cheek. "Yes. It is. When it comes to you, it's my battle too. I've failed you before and I'm not failing you again. We fight this together. Because that's what we've always done and that's what we'll always do." He paused.
"And I'm sorry, for what I said. I was wrong. You don't need to lose something to see. Because I can see it all so clearly now."
He flicked his gaze between her eyes and her lips.
"If you're right about this... we have all the time in the world, Kaz. I'll wait for you for as long as I have to. I don't want to force—"
Her words were cut off when Kaz gently pushed his lips against hers. They both fluttered their eyes shut.
Malakai had always imagined this moment, fireworks, and the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. But it was nothing like she had imagined. Instead, everything felt quiet for once. Her racing mind was silent. The world around them faded away, as if they were the only two souls left on the planet. She felt the same warmth she felt the night she slipped into his bed.
To Malakai, home smelled of dark amber and leather.
Kaz could feel the anxiety bubbling up inside of him. His brain screamed at him to stop. But, for the first time in his whole life, the Bastard of the Barrel listened to his heart instead. That familiar voice that haunted him his entire life started to slowly fade into the back of his mind. He felt the same peace he had felt the night after she had slept in his bed.
To Kaz Brekker, home smelled of lavender and
rain.
He was her warmth. And she was his peace.
Pulling away, she smiled up at him through her eyelashes. Her eyes twinkling in the sunlight. "Are you okay?" She asked him.
He smiled down at her too. Taking her face in both hands. "Fine. Are you okay?"
Malakai laughed a breath out of her nose. "Yeah."
"I'm sorry it took the possibility of you dying for me to do that."
"I would have died peacefully even if you never did. I devote my entire soul to you, Kaz Brekker."
He stepped back to sign to her. "And mine to you, Malakai." Kaz smiled at her, pulling out his half of the butterfly from his pocket. "When this is all over, I promise you I'll buy that boat we talked about. We'll leave Ketterdam forever. Live on a farm like you want to. So, I need you to stay alive for me."
"For you? Always. I've taken care of myself my whole life. I can take care of myself from here."
"I know you can. But you won't do it alone anymore. I'll think about us and I'll do better. So, stay vigilant. If you are attacked again, stay focused, watch for their tells."
"I always do, you know that. Do I have one?"
"Yes. When you're using your blade you shift your weight onto your back leg before you lunge. When you're summoning you're already holding your hands out before you've even attacked."
"What's yours?" Malakai tilted her head in thought.
"The limp. The cane. No one's ever smart enough or has cared enough to look for the real one."
She furrowed her eyebrows at this, frowning.
"Well, what's your plan now then? With Pekka still on us?"
"I'm going to round up the Dregs for what comes next. I have a plan, but everyone needs to be here to hear it."
She nodded. "Be careful."
"For you? Always." He smiled, brushing a kiss lightly against her forehead before heading out of the door.
"Kaz." He turned back at the sound of her voice. She lifted her shoulders. "Because of your limp, you favour your right leg more. So, when you're about to swing, you step forward on it."
The floorboards of the Slat creaked quietly as Malakai moved her way through the hallway, stopping at Kaz's, unsurprisingly, open door. The Bastard of the Barrel was deep in thought and didn't notice the cloaked girl standing in the doorway until her calm and quiet voice reached out to him.
"Kaz?"
He snapped his head over to her, the haze of his previous thought clearing as he saw her smile.
"Wylan's brought the compound. Jesper's helping load it in."
Kaz nodded. "In a few hours, when the chips fall... it'll give me some comfort to know that you're with me. So, thank you."
"I wouldn't miss it."
He stood up from his seat and walked to stand in front of her, leaning his arm against the doorframe. "If the plan goes awry, promise me one thing. Leave Ketterdam as fast as you can, find Alina and help her tear down the Fold. Don't look back. I'll come find you."
Malakai stared up at him for a moment before speaking with poison dripping off of her lips. "I can only promise that Pekka will beg for his death."
The Bastard of the Barrel smirked to himself as the Phantom turned away. Once downstairs, the crew huddled around a table.
"The plan is this." Kaz began. "Jesper and Wylan, you're gonna hand out Komedie Brute costumes and vials of the compound to all of the Dregs. Per Haskell's gang, our gang now. The compound will give the same effects as Firepox, but it will only last a day or so. Long enough before anyone realises it's not the real thing. By sunset, the streets will be crawling with Sankt Emerens revelers. They'll provide us with the cover we need. Hit all of Pekka's businesses, the clubs, the brothels. All to destroy Pekka's reputation. Inej will cover Fifth Harbour, and when the chaos begins, she'll hand the note to Pekka's driver. Nina, Malakai and I will handle the Emerald Palace. See you there."
"No mourners." Jesper began.
"No funerals." They all chimed back.
People gasped as the doors to the Emerald Palace flew open. Nina Zenik pushed Kaz Brekker to the floor, holding him down with a tight grip on his heart. Followed by the Phantom, still cloaked, bound in shackles, her hands encapsulated by the metal. A Dime Lion held a gun to her head almost immediately.
"Tell your boss I have what he wants." Nina ordered a Dime Lion who was watching in confusion.
Malakai's body tensed as Pekka Rollins appeared from the crowd of gamblers, approaching them with open arms and a smug grin on his face. It took everything in her not to break out of the shackles and kill him right then and there. He looked down at Kaz, who writhed at his feet. "No match for a Heartrender, are you, Brekker?" Then he looked to the Shadow Summoner in shackles, chuckling. "And of course your Princess isn't too far away. A real boss knows how to inspire loyalty in his people."
Malakai side eyed Nina, a small smirk appearing on her lips, thankful for her cloak and hood for hiding the impressed look on her face. She never expected that the Bastard of the Barrel and the Heartrender would be such good actors, enough to fool the King of the Barrel anyway.
"Good job, lass. I got it from here."
Nina moved her hands away, Kaz immediately stopped struggling. Pekka ripped his coat off and threw it to the side, rolling his sleeves up. He loomed over Kaz who was still on the floor. "I'm gonna make you regret the day that you crossed me. Get him on his feet."
A few Dime Lions members stepped forward, hauling him up roughly.
"We had a deal. I did my part." Nina held her hands up in surrender.
"We'll get to that. First..." He stepped forward to come face to face with the Bastard of the Barrel.
"I need to make an example out of this rat."
Kaz turned Nina, his voice gravelly and deep. "You'll pay for this you double-dealing witch!"
"No she won't."
Malakai suppressed a gasp as Pekka threw a punch at Kaz's stomach, he doubled over in pain. She took a step forward but halted at the feeling of the cold barrel of the gun being pushed harder against her head.
"After I beat you, I'm gonna hang your body on a post as a reminder to anyone who forgets... that I'm king of this city. And I'll hang your princsss right next to you. To prove that royalty is earned around here."
Kaz groaned as Pekka pulled against his hair.
"Do your worst." He growled. Before another punch was thrown at his face. Then another. It took everything in the Phantom to hold herself back, wincing as each hit cracked across her lovers face.
Then, in the distance, a siren echoed over the city. Firepox. The plan was working. Everything was falling into place. Malakai was practically beaming under her cloak. Thank the Saints for Jesper, Wylan and Inej. She was shoved aside by a broad Dime Lion, his voice desperate as he reached Pekka.
"Boss. Firepox is back."
"We can all hear the bloody sirens, Edyck. Hope you brought more than that."
"Word is it started on the Drakonasha."
"Fifth Harbour?"
"Yeah. The Council of Tides shut down the harbour. No ships in or out."
"Damn it." Rollins muttered under his breath.
"Shay said the Menagerie and Sweet Shop both got hit bad."
"Sweet Shop? That's not near the harbour."
"There will be outbreaks at all of your establishments." Pekka's attention turned back to Kaz who was now speaking, standing from his spot on the floor. Malice laced in his tone. "And only yours. The path of contagion will be clear. A ship in your harbour spread the disease to your clubs."
"What did you do boy?" He stepped forward in challenge.
"There's nothing an island nation fears more than disease. The Merchant Council's going to want a proper investigation."
Malakai watched carefully as Pekka loaded his gun. "Hmm. You got my attention. But you're not worth the time it'll take to put a bullet in your head."
"Fifth Harbour is shut down. Your businesses are tainted."
"My businesses will be fine."
Malakai turned at the small sound of the doors opening and closing again, turning slowly, her eyes met Jesper's. They nodded to each other.
"But you?" Pekka pointed his gun at Kaz's head.
"I'd reconsider. If you want to see your Kaelish prince again."
"Oh. What are you gonna do? You gonna blow it up again? You need to learn some new tricks, boy."
Kaz laughed, shaking his head. "Your other Kaelish prince. Fond of sweets. Blond hair... Alby?"
Pekka's expression faltered, panic and fury filling his eyes. "I will kill everything you love, Brekker."
"And if they kill you first?"
Malakai took this as her cue, she willed the shadows to come. Everyone turned to her as her shackles fell to the floor with a clang.
"The trick is not to love anything. Your mistake was that you let someone get in. Someone you'd sacrifice everything for."
Pekka cocked his gun and turned it to Malakai with a shrug. "And you didn't make the same mistake? I'll just kill your Phantom then."
"Do that and you'll have the Ravkan Royal family after you... and you'll never find your son in time."
"What did you do?" He was shaking now, the barrel of the gun lowering with every second.
"I buried him. Six feet deep. He went into that box so easily. Didn't even cry."
"Where's my son?"
"Make smart choices, and you might just reach him before the air runs out."
"You trifling piece of Barrel trash. What the hell do you want?"
"I want you to remember."
"Remember what?"
"A con you ran... on two farm boys. Orphans. A promise to replace the family that they'd lost. And then you duped them out of everything. They ended up on the streets and they both died." Kaz looked maniacal now, grinning as he watched his victory near. "But one of us was reborn."
Pekka stumbled on his words and shook his head in confusion.
"Too many pigeons to remember? Let me help you. Jakob Hertzoon."
Malakai could see the cogs in the King of the Barrel's head as he watched his kingdom come undone. "That was a long time ago. So that's what this is all about? Why you look at me with murder in those shark's eyes of yours? You were just two pigeons who I just happened to have plucked, and if it hadn't have been you it would've been somebody else."
"Bad luck for Alby it was you."
Pekka lunged forward, taking Kaz by the collar and shoving him against the wall. He was seething. But the Bastard of the Barrel just smirked down at him in amusement.
"You... you tell me where to find my son!"
"It's a simple trade, Rollins. Speak my brother's name and your son lives."
He let go of him, walking backwards. Kaz stepped forward, gaining dominance in the room.
"How about another hint? You called your daughter Saskia. She wore red ribbons in her hair."
"Okay, two b... Two boys from Lij." Pekka muttered. "You had a piddling little fortune. Your brother, he fancied himself as a trader, wanted to get rich quick like every other nub who steps foot in the Barrel."
"I want you to say his name." Kaz growled. "Come on!"
"I- I don't remember his name!" He paused, pleading now. "I just want my son. He's all I have. I'll give you whatever you want, Brekker. I'm begging you."
Kaz's eyes darkened as he tilted his head slightly. "Are you?"
Everything stood still for a moment, the air in the room felt tight and heavy with tension. No one dared to breathe or say a word. Watching in utter shock as Pekka dropped to his knees in front of the Bastard of the Barrel.
Kaz pulled a stack of parchment from his coat, throwing each of them to the floor as he named each one. "A confession to the murders of Tante Heleen and Constable Sem. A quitclaim deed for Inej Ghafa. And a decommission of bounty for the Phantom. Sign all of them... if you want to find your son alive."
Pekka picked the papers up without hesitation, signing all three and holding them up to Kaz. Without raising his eyes.
"Now apologise."
"I'm sorr—"
"Not to me." Pekka looked up in confusion. Kaz nodded to the Phantom, who took her hood off.
"To her."
Rollins turned around to face the Phantom who glowered down at him. "I'm sorry."
"Save your apologies for the devil. Now say his name." Malakai's voice was low and menacing.
"Wha—"
"Say his name!" She lunged forward, pulling at his collar roughly. Glaring into his eyes. "Say. His. Name."
"I told you I don't remember!"
Her chest was heaving as she leaned in closer. "Jordie Rietveld." Pekka stayed silent, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Malakai screamed at his face. "Say it!"
The man sighed. "Jordie. Jordie Rietveld."
She pushed him away satisfied.
Pekka quickly stood up. "Where's my son?"
"Black Veil Cemetery. You'll need all your men digging to find him in time."
Malakai sat down on Kaz's bed quietly, scanning his face. He remained fixated on the candle on the desk in front of him, the only thing providing light in the dark bedroom. It flickered and danced casting shadowy ghosts on his face and on the walls. Kaz had taken over the Dregs and so, the Slat was their new official home. It wasn't the Crow Club but Malakai was happy that they could all live together again. The Bastard of the Barrel ensured his room be at the end of the hall, right across from the Phantom's. There was nothing more that he feared than the idea of not being there when she needed him. And she always needed him. Just as much as he needed her.
"Jordie would be proud." Her voice airy and warm.
His gaze softened at the sight of her in the candlelight. "I couldn't have done it without you."
She smiled.
"You said you lost someone once. But I never asked. Who have you lost?"
Malakai was taken aback at this. She had never spoken of it before. She shuffled in her spot, tucking her legs under her.
"He was the closest thing to a father I've ever known. He saved me, long before you did. Bought me out. Bought me everything I could ever want. But..." She trailed off, looking down at the floor.
Kaz didn't say anything, letting her tell him in her own time. He understood what it was like to relive the same moment over and over in your mind. How exhausting it is. Like your entire life is a marathon that restarts every time you near the finish line.
"But when he found out who I was... what I was... He resented me for it. In his eyes I was a monster. And as a five year old girl... That scared me. It scared me to know that I was the monster under the bed. The monster mothers warned their children about. And I... I didn't mean to do it..."
The raven haired boy pulled his chair towards her, craning his head to look into her downturned eyes.
"It wasn't your fault, Kai. It never was."
"Yeah, I know..." She whispered.
"It wasn't your fault."
"I know. Everything that happened to me as a child has made me who I am. Made me stronger. I realise that now."
"Yes. It has. But you were just a child. You didn't need to be strong. You needed to be loved."
Malakai reached out and took his face in her hands. He placed his hands over hers. "Yes but... I'm loved now. That amounts to something."
Author's Note
okay, cut the cameras, deadass. roll the fuckin credits. god i love them so much.
i hope you're all having a good day/night. if not i hope that this will pass for you soon. this is a safe space. crows take care of one another. reach out.
love from valerie <3