The first part of the plan I was let in on was my own part. I was with Kaz when Nina came storming in, frantic, and obviously upset. She told us everything that Pekka had told her. That if she brought in Kaz he could get Nina's guy out of Hellgate.
'He's lying,' Kaz said. 'No one has the power to spring a prisoner from Hellgate. Not even Pekka.'
'His heart rate confirmed that,' Nina said, annoyed. 'But if I don't deliver, then... Look, he can make good on his promise to hurt Matthias.'
'Once Pekka's out of the way, I'll pay the guards to keep Matthias out of the fights. But I need you to do something for me and I need you to make it look real.'
Nina sighed. 'What?'
'Firepox is coming back,' Kaz said. 'In the form of a powder, Wylan is working on it as we speak. I didn't know a good way to get to Pekka in the Emerald Palace. But he'll be expecting you. You need to take me to him. Me and Natalia.'
'Like... pretend I betrayed you?' Nina asks.
'Why me?' I ask, crossing my arms.
Kaz glanced at me. 'Because I need you next to me. And Pekka will like the idea of getting you in front of me.'
I nod. 'So, Nina is kidnapping us. Got it.'
---
The plan started early in the morning. Kaz didn't share the entirety of the plan. We were on a step by step need to know basis. Inej and I had gotten back before Wylan and Jesper and we sat there, waiting.
'Have you noticed that Kaz keeps putting Wylan and Jesper together?' I wonder, messing with a dagger. 'They're cute.'
'Jesper and Wylan?' Inej said. 'Wylan is way too good for Jes.'
'Don't say that. Jesper is a great guy he just has some problems.'
'Wylan is sweet. Jesper is... Jes.'
'Damn,' I mumble.
Inej smiles. 'I didn't mean it like that.'
'I know. Still, though. They're cute.'
'I guess they are.'
When Wylan and Jesper finally get back I go to find Kaz. I found him sitting at a desk passively glaring out the window. He had a pen in his hands, flicking his fingers in a way that made the pen disappear from sight. I watched him for a second. It was rare that I was able to stand near Kaz and just stare. He was usually always aware of a presence, but right now he was clearly distracted. Kaz could never teach me sleight of hand. It was the one thing he would admit he failed. But, then again, he said I was unteachable and too sarcastic.
'Kaz?' Nothing. 'Kaz!' He startles and turns to me. 'Wylan's brought the compound. Jesper's helping load it in.'
'In a few hours, when the chips fall... it'll give me some comfort to know that you're with me by my side.'
'I wouldn't miss it,' I say, quietly.
Kaz stands up. His face grew solemn, and if he was anyone else, he would have already keeled over from the sheer stress of knowing what was coming.
'If the plan goes awry,' Kaz said, moving closer to me, 'promise me one thing. Get out of the city as fast as you can, find Sturmhond again, and never look back.'
I think about it. I think about promising Kaz what he was asking of me, but I couldn't. I knew that if that time came, I would stay by his side no matter what. I would die with him. Die fighting.
'I can promise you only that Pekka will beg for his death,' I whisper. 'But I can't, and I won't, promise anything else.'
I walk off before he can stop me or say anything else. I walked out to where Jesper and Wylan were weirdly staring at each other.
'If you two stare any harder your eyes will pop out of their sockets,' I say, walking around them to sit at the table.
Jesper clears his throat as Inej comes walking up to us. She was in a very eccentric outfit, and I smirked at her.
'Well, look at you,' I joke.
'Smells like these haven't been washed since last year,' Inej complains.
Jesper winces and I chuckle. Kaz comes charging into the room, opening the container with a bunch of powders. Kaz stared at it for a second before glancing up at Wylan.
'It'll mimic it in every way?' Kaz asks.
'Mm-hmm,' Wylan nods.
Kaz closes the lid. 'Good.'
Kaz turns to look at Jesper.
'You're gonna say you can't do this without me, yeah?' Jesper says, an arrogant look on his face. 'And that you hate it when we're angry at each other, but sometimes brothers fight. And that when all of this is over, you'll open a tab for me at the club of my choosing, cause when Pekka's gone, you're gonna take it all. That's what you were gonna say. Yes?'
I scoff. 'What the hell?'
'There's a cap on the tab,' Kaz said slowly. 'But otherwise, yes. To all of that.'
I feel myself smile. 'That was adorable. Your black heart is thawing.'
'Let's go take down the king,' Jesper said, pinching my arm.
'The plan is this,' Kaz said. '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. 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 Harbor, and when the chaos begins, she'll hand the note to Pekka's driver.'
Nina walks up to the table and both me and Kaz straighten. She gives me a slight nod.
'Nina, Natalia, and I will handle the Emerald Palace. See you there.'
'No mourners,' Jesper said.
'No funerals,' we all repeat back.
Kaz looks at Nina. 'You've been quiet. You ready?'
Before we can say anything, else Nina is punching Kaz right in the face. I try not to burst out laughing. But then her fist is connecting with my cheek and I'm slamming into the ground with a groan. I could almost feel her messing around in my body before my heart rate slowed and the world turned black.
---
Being slammed onto the floor of the Emerald Palace was not a highlight of this job. Kaz was right next to me, and I could feel his arm brush against mine as Nina keeps us down. My inside felt like they're being squeezed, and I was having trouble not writhing on the floor. I can hear Kaz wheezing. I wish we had any other plan than this. I was entirely seized up and I could barely breathe. I can just barely make out the brush of Kaz's arm. It pressed harder against mine and I knew I wasn't doing a good job not wheezing and writhing on the floor.
'Tell your boss I got what he wants,' I faintly hear Nina say.
I hear Pekka's laugh before I see him. 'No match for a Heartrender are ya, Brekker? A real boss knows how to inspire loyalty in his people. Isn't that right, boys?'
A bunch of people murmured. 'Right, boss.'
'Why did you bring me the Venom?' Pekka asks.
'They're never apart,' I hear Nina say. 'It was both or neither. I figured you wouldn't be too disappointed.'
'Good job, lass. I got it from here.'
Suddenly, the pressure on my insides disappeared and I took a gasping breath. I coughed, licked my lips, and tried not to wince at my split lip.
'Move those hands and you lose 'em,' one of Pekka's men says, holding a gun at Nina.
'I'm gonna make you regret the day that you crossed me,' Pekka said. 'Get them up.'
Multiple hands were suddenly on me. They yanked my arms behind my back, keeping my hands in their grasp. They shoved me to my feet at the same time as Kaz, but they let go of him. I was kept in tight clutches. There was a hand in my hair, keeping my eyes locked on Kaz.
'We had a deal,' Nina said. 'I did my part.'
'We'll get to that,' Pekka says. 'First... I need to make an example out of this rat.'
Kaz turns to Nina. 'You'll pay for this, you double-dealing witch!'
'Nah, she won't.'
Pekka punches Kaz hard in the gut and I flinch. Kaz goes down, sputtering, trying to breathe. Pekka grabs a fistful of Kaz's hair to make him look up.
'When I'm done beating you and your Venom,' Pekka said, 'I'm gonna hang both bodies on a post as a reminder to anyone who forgets... that I'm king of the city.'
'Do your worst,' Kaz seethes.
Except Pekka just pushed him down onto the ground. He came over to me and I saw Kaz freeze. We knew this was a possibility, but I didn't fully believe Kaz would hold back the second Pekka's dirty little fist connects with my face. Pekka moves closer to me and slowly runs a knuckle down my face. I try to control my breathing.
'You are a very pretty girl,' Pekka whispers. 'Too bad I need to ruin it.'
When his fist connects with my face, I swear I black out. The man behind me lets me fall to the ground. Pekka's foot connects hard with my stomach, twice. I coughed. Pekka kneels down and runs a finger slowly up my leg. I feel myself shiver as I try to crawl away.
'Don't worry,' Pekka whispers. 'That'll be for another time. In private.'
I grit my teeth as Pekka goes back over to Kaz who had stumbled to his feet. I wheezed every time I breathed and when Kaz gets punched in the face I try to struggle to my knees. Pekka kicks Kaz in the stomach three times before forcing his head up again and slamming his fist into the side of his skull. Pekka came back over to me when it was clear all Kaz could do was writhe on the floor. I had no warning before Pekka punched me in the face.
I slam into the ground, everything burning, spitting out blood. His foot connects with my stomach again. I can't resist it, anymore. I flex my hand and start to collect the wind to push him back. To force his foot away from me. Pekka is quick to slam his foot onto my hand and it makes me scream out. My hand throbbed as he pushed harder against it. Before anymore could happen, the siren started to sound. A guy comes racing in, right up to 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 Harbor. The Council of Tides shut down the harbor. No ships in or out.'
'Damn it.'
'Shay said the Menagerie and Sweet Shop both got hit bad.'
'Sweet shop?'
'Yeah.'
'That's not near the harbor.'
Pekka stepped off my hand and I gasped in a breath. Kaz was struggling to his feet.
'There will be outbreaks at all of your establishments,' Kaz wheezed out. He was clutching his ribs. 'And only yours. The path of contagion will be clear. A ship in your harbor spread the disease to your clubs.'
'What did you do, boy?' Pekka asks.
Kaz was smiling and he came over to me. I tried to smile at him, but my face was swelling, and I couldn't really breathe.
'C'mon,' he whispered. 'You can stand, alright?'
I nod and struggle to my feet. He offers me a hand, but I don't take it knowing that it'll only bring us both down. When I finally managed to get to my feet, I clutched my stomach with my bad hand. Kaz gave me a nod and I moved a little behind him.
'What did you do?!' Pekka yells.
'There's nothing an island nation fears more than disease,' I wheeze out.
'The Merchant Council's going to want a proper investigation,' Kaz said.
Pekka hums and gets two bullets from one of his men. He loads his gun. 'You've got my attention. But you and your Venom are not worth the time it's gonna take to put a bullet in both your heads.'
Kaz steps more in front of me. 'Fifth Harbor is shut down. Your businesses are tainted.'
'My businesses will be fine.' Pekka points his gun at Kaz. 'But you?'
'I'd reconsider,' Kaz said. '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.'
'Your other Kaelish prince,' Kaz seethed. 'Fond of sweets. Blonde hair. Alby.'
Pekka's face fell. 'I will kill everything you love, Brekker. I will kill her right in front of you.'
Kaz stiffens but he doesn't look back at me. 'The trick is not to love anything. Not even her.'
The words hit like whiplash even though I saw his own body tense at them. Almost like he didn't want to say it.
'Your mistake was that you let someone get in. Someone you'd sacrifice everything for, and it makes you weak.'
'Then, I'll just kill you.'
'Do that,' Kaz shrugs, 'and you'll never find your son in time.'
Kaz's glee was obvious and a bit terrifying. But I was going to stand with him, just like I promised. My ribs ached, I wheezed every time I breathed, and my eye was swelling shut, but I was standing. I wasn't leaving him. Except, I was no longer standing next to Kaz Brekker. No, Kaz Brekker was gone, and Dirtyhands had come to see the rough work done.
'What did you do?' Pekka asks, gun hand shaking.
'I buried him,' Kaz said, almost with pride. 'Six feet deep. He went into that box so easily. Didn't even cry,' Kaz takes a dirty toy out from his pocket, 'until I took this from him.'
'Where's my son?' Pekka asks.
'Make smart choices, and you might just reach him before the air runs out.'
'Kaz—'
'You trifling piece of Barrel trash,' Pekka seethed, not even hearing me. '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. But one of us was reborn.' There was a pause. Silence. 'Too many pigeons to remember? Let me help you. Jakob Hertzoon.'
Pekka shuffled. '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 been me, it would've been somebody else.'
'Bad luck for Alby that it was you.'
Pekka snaps and grabs Kaz, slamming him against a wall, gun still pointed at him. I step forward but Kaz slowly shakes his head and I know it's for me. I hesitate but stay where I am.
'You—You tell me where to find my son!'
I look back at Nina who was looking at Jesper. He must have entered a while ago. They both turn to me, and I shake my head, signaling them to stay put.
'It's a simple trade, Rollins,' Kaz says, calmly. 'Speak my brother's name and your son lives.'
Pekka pushes back from Kaz, breathing heavily. Nina walks over to Jesper, and I take a couple steps closer to Kaz. He had a horrible look on his face. Menacing. I don't know if he was bluffing about burying Alby. I didn't know if the kid really was buried somewhere, running out of air. I had to hope that he wouldn't do that to a child. I had to pray.
'How about another hint?' Kaz says. He walks closer to Pekka. 'You called your daughter Saskia. She wore red ribbons in her hair.'
Pekka was thinking hard. Suddenly, he points a finger at Kaz. 'Okay, two b... Two boys from Lij. 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.'
Kaz stepped closer to Pekka. 'I want you to say his name.'
Pekka couldn't stop moving. He couldn't come up with the name.
'Come on!' Kaz yells.
'I—I don't remember his name! I just want my son. He's all I have. I'll give you whatever you want, Brekker. I'm begging you.'
Kaz paused. 'Are you?'
Pekka hesitated, looking around his crew. He rubbed his hands over his face. Then slowly, his movements heavy, as if he had to fight every muscle of his body to do it, Rollins went to his knees. I saw the Dime Lions shake their heads. Weakness never earned respect in the Barrel, no matter how good the cause.
'Kaz,' I whisper, walking up to him. 'This is enough, okay?'
Kaz glanced at me, ran his eyes up my body. He saw me clutching my stomach, the bruise forming on my hand. When he made it back to my eyes, I tried to plead with him. Slowly, with dramatic movements, he pulled a piece of paper out of his coat pocket.
'A confession for the murders of Tante Heleen and Constable Sem.' He looks at me again. 'And two quitclaim deeds for Inej Ghafa and Natalia Geminuse.' Kaz drops the papers onto the ground and then, as if from nowhere, materialized a pen in his hands. 'Sign both... if you want to find your son alive.'
He drops the pen and Pekka stares at it. It doesn't take Pekka long to pick up the pen and paper and start signing his name on each sheet. The entire room was quiet as Pekka handed Kaz the papers back. Kaz looks over them as Pekka slowly rises to his feet.
'Where's my son?'
'Black Veil Cemetery. You'll need all your men digging to find him in time.'
Pekka doesn't waste a second. With a bit of hesitance, the rest of the Dime Lions file out after him. Kaz slowly turns to look at me and I stare back at him, my body throbbing.
'Will they...' I swallowed, hard. 'Did you actually...?'
'Of course not,' Kaz whispered. 'No doubt his people will report that his son is safe and sound and doing whatever pampered children do when their fathers are away. But hopefully Pekka will spend a few agonized hours digging in the dirt and wandering in circles before that. The important thing is that everyone will see him fleeing, most likely with a medic in tow.'
I slowly felt myself smile. 'You're a bastard.'
---
Inej had been late. I sat in a bathroom trying to rub the dried blood off my face when she slipped in. I turned to her and quickly pulled her into a hug.
'I'm okay,' she whispers.
I push her slightly. 'Where were you? Kaz was furious.'
'The Drakonasha was trafficking indentures,' Inej said. 'I had to make a split-second decision.'
I nodded and slowly handed her the signed form. 'We're free, Inej. You can go anywhere you want. Now, all the indentures in Kerch have a Wraith on their side.'
Inej slowly took the paper. 'It's all done then?'
I nod. 'Pekka will be going away for a long time and we're free. Kaz and I got our faces beaten in and he hasn't said much sense but... we're out.'
'Out of the Crows?' Inej asked.
I shrug. 'He won't talk. I think Pekka hit him a bit too hard, and I'm talking figuratively. We can go anywhere we want, though. We can go help Alina.'
Inej nods slowly. 'Get some rest. We'll talk in the morning.'
I nodded and she disappeared quickly. I look back in the mirror. My face was busted to hell and my hand made a weird noise every time I moved it. I wouldn't be able to sleep, no matter how much my eyelids droop. Instead, I walked out of the bathroom, and slowly walked to the room Kaz was staying in. He turns to look at me the second I walk in. His eye is basically swollen shut and he has a wicked cut right across his temple.
'Inej is back,' I whisper. 'I've given her the papers and she's aware of everything.'
'Good,' Kaz said. 'You two should leave as soon as possible. Go find Alina and Sturmhond.'
I feel my anger spike. 'Kaz, I'm not leaving. What's a bastard without his queen, remember?'
'You aren't a queen,' Kaz seethes, turning to me. 'And you certainly aren't mine. I meant what I said to Pekka, Venom. The trick is to not care. To not let anyone in. Just because I've given you some kind words does not mean I need you here with me.'
I feel my throat constrict. I don't allow tears to fill my eyes. Instead, I let the rage fill me. I let the physical pain of the last couple hours come to the surface.
'You are an asshole,' I say, my voice low. 'We bleed for you. We fought for you. And... just because you got a bit too vulnerable, I'm out? Inej is out? Just like that?'
'You're free,' he snaps. 'Don't spend that freedom with me.'
'I've spent it with you for the last four years!' I yell. He flinches. 'This is it? After everything?'
Kaz turned in his chair, so he didn't have to face me. He shut me out and there was nothing I could do about it. My face was throbbing. My bones felt weak.
'I changed my mind,' I whisper. 'Vengeance doesn't look good on you. But I guess it's good news that tonight, I finally saw the monster you always tell me you are.'
They were mean words. Words I didn't even really mean. But I said them, and I was happy I said them. I turn around swiftly and leave the room. Leave Kaz. I go to find Inej.