Chapter 46: Scars like Jagged Truths.

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Zaria and Kaz were reunited after a long time apart, 13  days, and as they caught each other's eyes, they began communicating with their own secret language of hand signs they discovered today.

Zaria signed that she was okay, but Kaz could see the worry in her eyes. He signed back, "Are you sure?" Zaria nodded, but Kaz wasn't convinced.

He signed again, "Tell me what's wrong." Zaria hesitated for a moment before finally signing back, "I'm worried for Inej, that's all." Kaz nodded ever so slightly, he was worried as well.

He knew he could count on Zaria to have his back, but the thought of Inej in danger kept him on edge.

"Guess what we saw on our way out of the Lid?" asked Nina, Jesper started digging through their food stores, "Two Shu warships sitting in the harbor," he replied.

She threw a hairpin at him in annoyance, "I was going to make them guess." she exclaimed earning a chuckle from Zaria who leaned against the wall rolling a coin between her fingers.

"yeah Jesper, she was going to make us guess." the raven-haired girl scolded the sharpshooter making Nina wiggle her eyebrows at Jesper.

 "shu?" asked Kuwei, returning to where he'd spread his notebooks over the table, Nina nodded, "yeah, cannons out, red flags flying," replied Zaria earning a frown from Matthias.

"you went to Ketterdam?" he asked making her nod, "yup, don't worry, no one saw me." she said shrugging innocently, Kaz watched her with that scowl of his, "why? you just woke up and you went to the place where you could get killed-"

she cut him off, "Kaz, I'm here for a year already, I was careful and I already know what Ketterdam is like by heart, I'm fine." she reassured shooting him a soft look.

He didn't reply instead ust massaged his temples, "I talked to Specht earlier," said Kaz, "The embassies are full up with diplomats and soldiers. Zemeni, Kaelish, Ravkan."

Great. The Zemeni are here and if they see her they will notice her immediately, everyone knows her in Novyi Zem, and if the Ravkans see her then...a soldier who probably knows her sister will tell her everything.

Zaria could feel the tension rising in the room as Kaz spoke. She knew that the presence of the Zemeni and Ravkan diplomats and soldiers could complicate things for them.

"You think they know about Kuwei?" Jesper asked, "I think they know about parem," replied Kaz, and Zaria swore that as soon as he uttered the name of the drug, a shiver ran down her spine and she felt hot, her blood burning.

the urge to consume the parem kicked in and Zaria tried not to show it but the way her hand twitched seemed to catch Jesper's eyes.

"Rumors, at least. And there were plenty of interested parties at the Ice Court to pick up gossip about Kuwei's…liberation." Kaz turned his gaze to Matthias, "The Fjerdans are here too. They've got a whole contingent of drüskelle with them."

Zaria quickly clenched her hand into a fist, trying to hide the twitch from Jesper's gaze. She knew that she couldn't let the addiction control her again. She had worked hard to overcome it and she wasn't going to let it ruin her progress now.

"Zaria, are you okay?" Jesper asked, concern evident in his voice, Zaria took a deep breath, trying to regain control of her emotions.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, her voice a little shaky, "Just a little on edge."

Kaz looked at her with a sharp gaze, his eyes narrowing, Zaria knew that he could sense something was off, but she didn't want to worry him by revealing her struggles with parem.

"We need to stay focused," Kaz said, breaking the silence, "We have a plan and we need to stick to it. No distractions."

Zaria nodded, grateful for the distraction. She knew that she needed to stay strong and keep her addiction in check. She couldn't risk putting her friends in danger because of her own struggles.

Zaria felt a wave of concern wash over her as Kaz mentioned the Fjerdans and their drüskelle, she knew firsthand how ruthless they could be and she worried for Matthias's safety.

If they see Matthias, her or Nina then they will not hesitate to kill them, shoot them dead right there.

Zaria's hand twitched even more as they made their way through the city, her thoughts consumed by the addictive pull of parem. She couldn't resist the urge any longer and grabbed Kuwei's hand.

"Do you have any parem?" she asked, her voice low and urgent, Kuwei shook his head remembering Kaz's cold and warning voice, ordering him to refuse if one of the grishas ask for the drug, "No, I don't have any parem."

Zaria felt a pang of disappointment, but she knew that she couldn't let her addiction control her. She quickly withdrew her hand from Kuwei's and tried to focus on the task at hand.

Kuwei shot Jesper a warning look mouthing a few words 'Zaria. parem.' his eyes went to his best friend who stared at the ground with a frown, he sighed.

making his way towards Zaria he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along to stand beside him, his hands sliding to hold his best friend's, fingers locking with hers.

Zaria felt a mix of frustration and gratitude as Jesper held onto her hand, refusing to let go. She knew that she needed his support, but she didn't want to show any signs of weakness in front of the others.

Zaria felt her hand twitching uncontrollably, the urge for parem consuming her thoughts. She tried to pull her hand away from Jesper's grasp, but he held on tight, his fingers interlocking with hers.

"Jesper, let go," she warned, death glaring at him.

Jesper did not let go, instead, he looked down at Zaria warningly. "Zaria, stop," he said firmly.

Zaria reluctantly relented, letting Jesper hold her hand, she knew that he was right, that she needed to stop fighting and accept his support.

"I'm sorry," she said her voice barely above a whisper. "It's hard to control." Jesper gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know it's hard, Z. That's why I'm here. It's very fucking annoying when you fight this all alone."

Zaria felt a sense of warmth spread through her as Jesper's words sunk in, he was right, she didn't have to fight this battle alone.

"yeah..." and sure enough, her hand stopped shaking and Jesper places her hand on his revolvers, to feel the coldness and for her burning hands to turn back into their usual temperature.

Wylan reached for one of the crackers Jesper had dumped on the table, It was still disconcerting to see him and Kuwei in the same room.

Nina's tailoring had been so successful that Matthias often had trouble telling them apart until they spoke, he wished one of them would do him the courtesy of wearing a hat.

but Zaria knew them, she knew the crows by heart, knew Wylan especially to tell them apart and the boy was grateful that at least one didn't have trouble.

"This is good for us," said Kaz, "The Shu and the Fjerdans don't know where to start looking for Kuwei, and all those diplos making trouble at the Stadhall are going to create some nice noise to distract Van Eck'

"What happened at Smeet's office?" Zaria finally asked leaning against Jesper who placed his hand on her waist, Kaz tried not to look at the sharpshooter's hands on his lover's waist, it should be him.

"Did you find out where Van Eck is keeping Inej?" she asked in hope, "I have a pretty good idea. We strike tomorrow at midnight." Zaria sighed in relief.

"Is that enough time to prepare?" asked Wylan, "It's all the time we have. We're not going to wait for an engraved invitation. What's your progress on the weevil?"

Jesper's brows shot up in interest, "The weevil?" Wylan removed a small vial from his coat and set it down on the table.

Matthias bent to peer at it, It looked like a bunch of pebbles, That's a... weevil?" the word seemed strange coming out of his lips, "A weevil..." Zaria trailed off, trying to pronounce the word as well with her accent.

He thought of weevils as pests that got into grain stores, "Not a real weevil," said Wylan, It's a chemical weevil. It doesn't really have a name yet."

"You've got to give it a name," said Jesper smirking, it made Wylan redden immediately, and Zaria chuckle at the two lovebirds, "How else will you call it to dinner?"

"Forget what it's called," Kaz said making Zaria roll her eyes for breaking the moment, "What matters is that this little vial is going to eat Van Eck's bank accounts and his reputation."

Wylan cleared his throat. “Possibly. The chemistry is complicated. I was hoping Kuwei would help." Zaria noticed how there was slight annoyance at the mention of Kuwei.

she raised an eyebrow, more confused than ever.

Nina said something to Kuwei in Shu, which made him shrug and look away, lip jutting out slightly.

Whether it was the recent death of his father or the fact that he’d found himself stuck in a cemetery with a band of thieves, the boy had become increasingly sullen.

Damn. he must be traumatized

"Well?" prodded Jesper shaking his head, "I have other interests," Kuwei replied not once daring to meet anyone's eyes.

Kaz's black gaze pinned Kuwei like the tip of a dagger, "I suggest rethinking your priorities." Zaria sighed softly before shaking her head, Jesper gave Kuwei another nudge.

"That's Kaz's way of saying, 'Help Wylan or I'll seal you up in one of these tombs and see how that suits your interests.'" Matthias was no longer sure what the Shu boy understood or didn't, but apparently, he'd received the message.

Kuwei swallowed and nodded grudgingly, "The power of negotiation," Jesper said, and shoved a cracker in his mouth, handing another to Zaria.

"Wylan- and the obliging Kuwei- will get the weevil working," Kaz continued, "Once we have Inej, we can move on to Van Eck's silos," he ordered making Zaria and Nina roll their eyes.

“Good thing this is all about getting our money and not about saving Inej. Definitely not about that," said Nina making Zaria look down and hide her laugh.

"If you don't care about money, Nina dear, call it by its other names." he said and Zaria spoke, "Kruge? Scrub? Kaz Brekker's one and only true love?" she said earning a chuckle from Nina.

oh, if only she knew that money wasn't only his true love...

He barely glanced at Zaria, not letting her laugh make him dizzy, and instead just looked at the crows in front of him, "Freedom, security, retribution." he replied voice firm but his blood was warm.

"you can't put a price on those things." said Nina standing beside Zaria and placing her head on top of the girl, "No? I bet Jesper can. It's the price of the lien on his father's farm."

Zaria froze, and she turned towards Jesper, she had completely forgotten about this matter, Jesper noticed her eyes on him and looked at the toes of his boots.

"What about you, Wylan? Can you put a price on the chance to walk away from Ketterdam and live your own life? And Nina, I suspect you and your Fjerdan may want something more to subsist on than patriotism and longing glances. Inej might have a number in mind too. It's the price of a future, and it's Van Eck's turn to pay."

Matthias was not fooled, Kaz Brekker had a way of always speaking logic, but that didn't mean he always told the truth.

His eyes landed on Zaria, he didn't ask her what she wanted with the money all these months, "what about you, Zaria?" he finally asked and Zaria couldn't tell him about the scars on her back.

"I want to be rich, like...filthy rich, as rich as a princess, to the point where I become the queen of Novyi Zem one day," she said smiling at the dream

Zaria's response caught him off guard, she was already a princess, she was known in Novyi Zem and they feared her, but she was a queen to him, she was his queen, owning his cold heart, holding it between her pretty hands.

Her determination to become wealthy was impressive, and he knew that with her intelligence and resourcefulness, she had a good chance of achieving her goal.

"though, Inej's life is worth more than that," she resumed her words, "to all of us." Inej deserved better and far more than Zaria.

Zaria couldn't help but feel grateful for Inej, She had been a constant source of strength and inspiration for the team, she had been with them since the beginning.

both the girls had been through so much together that they had formed an almost familial bond. They had each other's backs, no matter what, and their trust in each other was unbreakable.

The trio of Zaria, Nina, and Inej had become a powerful force to be reckoned with, Zaria was known as the "Lightning Witch" or "Glacial Hail" by the Fjerdans, highlighting her ability to control wind and lightning and strike fear into her enemies.

Nina was known as the "Corpsewitch", And Inej was known as the "Wraith", together, they were an unstoppable team, with skills and abilities that complemented each other perfectly.

No one would dare to cross their paths unless they were willing to face the consequences, they were more than just friends, they were family, and their bond was unbreakable.

"We get Inej. We get our money. It's as simple as that."

"simple as that," said Nina, "Did you know I'm next in line for the Fjerdan throne? They call me Princess Ilse of Engelsberg." Zaria turned towards Nina with a raised eyebrow.

"damn, good for you, girl." she said and Nina smiled down, "You'll be my right hand don't worry," placing a kiss on Zaria's cheek both the girl smiled wickedly at one another.

"There is no princess of Engelsberg," said Matthias cutting them off, "It's a fishing town." both the girls shrugged, "If we're going to lie to ourselves, we might as well be grand about it."

 Kaz ignored her, spreading a map of the city over the table, and Matthias heard Wylan murmur to Jesper, "Why won't he just say he wants her back?"

"You've met Kaz, right?" he asked looking at Wylan with his head tilted to the side, "But she's one of us..." he whispered again and Jesper's brows rose again.

 "One of us? Does that mean she knows the secret handshake? Does that mean you're ready to get a tattoo?" He ran a finger up Wylan's forearm, and Wylan flushed a vibrant pink.

Matthias sometimes suspected they could forgo all of Kaz's planning and simply let Jesper, Zaria, and Nina flirt the entirety of Ketterdam into submission.

the flirty trio.

Wylan pulled his sleeve down self-consciously, cheeks still pink, "Inej is part of the crew." she is Kaz Brekker's right hand and his best friend, everyone loved Inej.

and the crows weren't completed without Inej, they missed her so much.

"just don't push it,"

"why not?"

"Because the practical thing would be for Kaz to auction Kuwei to the highest bidder and forget about Inej entirely."

"he wouldn't-" Wylan broke off abruptly, doubt creeping over his features, none of them really knew what Kaz would or wouldn't do, sometimes Zaria read him but now he was fully closed.

Zaria's heart ached as she watched Kaz retreat into his own thoughts, shutting her out.

She wanted nothing more than to reach out to him, to hold him close and tell him that everything would be okay. But she knew that Kaz was not one to open up easily, especially when it came to his own emotions.

It was a scary thought, to see Kaz so distant and closed off, but Zaria was determined to be there for him, to support him in any way that she could. She knew that he had been through so much and that he carried the weight of his past on his shoulders and plus was worried for his best friend.

Zaria let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the table, her eyes never leaving Kaz's form as she did everything to keep them glued to the map.

"Okay, Kaz," said Nina, slipping off her shoes and wiggling her toes, "Since this is about the almighty plan, how about you stop meditating over that map and tell us just what we're in for."

Zaria looked at Kaz, taking in every feature, it's been a while since she admired him, and she needed to see if something changed, his black hair, pretty coffee eyes- wait... is that a new scar?

she squinted her eyes to get a better look, yes, it was, a scar right on his cheekbone, she frowned, looking at the rest of his face for another to appear.

Zaria couldn't help but stare at the new scar on Kaz's cheekbone, her eyes tracing the jagged line, It looked fresh as if it had been recently acquired.

She wondered how he had gotten it, and why he hadn't mentioned it to her before.

As she continued to study his face, she noticed that there were no other new scars or injuries. She let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that he hadn't been hurt too badly.

"I want you focused on what we have to do tomorrow night. After that, you'll get all the information you want." he said and Nina's eyes lit up slightly, "Really?" she asked.

"Van Eck promised us thirty million kruge," said Kaz and he could hear his girl scoff from beside him, she leaned even more and threw her head back in frustration.

"That's exactly what we're going to take. With another one million for interest, expenses, and just because we can." Wylan broke a cracker in two anxiously, "My father doesn't have thirty million kruge lying around. Even if you took all his assets together."

"you should leave, then, we only associate with disgraced heirs of the very finest fortunes," said Jesper, and Zaria turned towards the sharpshooter, "Jesper." she called warningly and the boy raised his hand in surrender.

She turned towards Kaz watching him stretch his bad leg out, flexing his foot slightly, she felt her heart drop, he was in pain and was trying so hard not to show it.

"If Van Eck had that kind of money on hand, we would have just robbed him instead of breaking into the Ice Court in the first place. He could only offer a reward that big because he claimed the Merchant Council was putting city funds toward it."

"What about that chest full of bills he brought to Vellgeluk?" asked Jesper, "Bunk," replied Kaz, disgust in his voice, "Probably quality counterfeits."

"So then how do we get the money? Rob the city? Rob the Council?" asked Zaria once noticing Jesper sitting up straighter, hands drumming eagerly on the table.

"Hit twelve vaults in one night?"

"No," replied Kaz finally looking up at the girl, she looked exhausted but her eyes softened and lit up as soon as she caught his pretty eyes.

"We're going to make like merchers and let the market do the work for us." He leaned back, gloved hands resting on his crow's head cane and keeping eye contact.

"We're going to take Van Eck's money, and then we're going to take his reputation. We're going to make sure he can never do business in Ketterdam or anywhere in Kerch ever again." he resumed his words while raising an eyebrow at the girl.

she grinned wickedly, eyes twinkling at the thought of destroying Van Eck, "now that's a plan," she said shooting him one of her most beautiful smiles.