ii. - bitter coffee

chapter two,     bitter coffee













     KAZ NEEDED A CUP of the most bitter coffee there is to exist.

It felt as if he was losing his mind. Maybe, he was just too boastful to say that greed was his lever and his servant. Maybe it was just the time for him to turn crazy.

He was too greedy as he was just getting his plan for the most unbelievable heist in history. Breaking into the Ice Court was a suicide mission, getting out of it was another story. Apart from that, thirty million kruge was that kind of money that could change their lives. And if they die— there is no pity in that.

He was losing his sanity, he believed. The greed was messing with his head— first Jordie, now her... Only she was taller, there was no childish look on her. Her eyes were bright, her Kaelish red hair curly as a piece of velvet was braided into them.

It was Lavender Elrod— the girl that brought him hope.

As soon as their eyes locked, his head filled the usual nightmare of his— Jordie or her, or both of them. He didn't let himself react even if he wanted to throw up. He clutched his cane tighter as his jaw clenched, memories of her getting into his mind. As if the memories weren't there for years already.

"Jesper," Kaz repeated.

"Oh, yeah. Uhm—," Jesper muttered and placed his hand on Lavender's shoulder, making her blink faster and suppress a cough. "This is Lavender Fahey, my sister," Jesper finished.

Sister?

"You didn't say you have a sister," Kaz replied, bitterness in his voice as he sent a glare to Jesper, avoiding looking at Lavender. He hoped she would vanish into a thin air and leave him alone. He didn't want her here.

"The conversation didn't come up," Jesper replied freely and looked at the smaller woman beside him that was silent. Kaz knew she recognized him.

Why are you not saying anything? Do you believe me if I act like this? Do you think I don't remember you? Say something... Kaz thought.

Kaz couldn't be here anymore, the wondering, the memories, the tension was killing him. "You can chatter with your sister later. You have some work," he repeated, turning around, preparing to walk away, but then he halted. "Or is she the one I asked?"

Lavender's eyebrows shot up as she was confused about what was going on. Jesper's body stood still for a few seconds which was unusual since he was only in motion. Jesper totally forgot that Kaz told him to find a medik for a job and instead, he kept on gambling.

"No, uh— No! I am going to get a medik right now," Jesper exclaimed as there was no way in hell that he will tell Kaz that his sister was a medik too. A very good one, either. Jesper didn't want his sister to get involved in this business.

"I can help," Lavender spoke up, making the man with the cane halt as hearing her voice was opening the wound in his heart that he tried to heal for all of these years.

"I don't think it's a right place for a woman like you," he replied, not even thinking what he was saying. He didn't know how she was— all he could remember was the delighted Lavender, he has no idea what has happened to her.

"I am a trained medik. You need a medik and here I am," her voice was confident, even if her breathing was off— it was sloppy and dull, making her clench her neck from time to time.

"Absolutely not, Vi," Jesper intervened in the conversation, his voice stern. There was no way that he will let her make a deal with the devil that was standing right in front of them.

"I am doing this, you can't change my mind," Lavender replied, looking at Kaz again and that only made her breathing hitch again. She felt furious while looking at him— did he really forget her? Did he just forget his past as if she was nothing to him? Maybe she was nothing.

"Leave your family bickering outside. We have some work that needs to be done," Kaz replied, coldly. His eyes didn't stay on Lavender and he turned around, making them follow him.

Truth to be told, Kaz didn't want Lavender to be here. It was risky for his reputation. If anyone would find out that he and Lavender knew each other, others would use her against him. She would definitely end up dead.

He was also furious that Jesper didn't do assigned work properly. He was supposed to find him a medik, anyone but her, and he failed to do so. Kaz wanted to dismiss Lavender, but that would only cause suspicions to everyone. She was a medik, let's keep it that way. No strings attached. No one will find out.

Jesper turned to Lavender to start arguing, but she cut him with a single hand that she raised a little up: "I am helping you, you hear me?" Her voice was stern and exhausted from the encounter with her past ghost. She honestly wanted to leave, but now she just couldn't... She couldn't leave knowing Kaz Rietveld was alive.

"Vi, that's Kaz Brekker we are talking about. He is dangerous and he has a lot of tricks up in his sleeves," Jesper's voice was hushed as he honestly trusted Kaz— he was stern, cold, but he always seemed to get his way. That's why Jesper joined him, that's why he didn't have against him, but involving Lavender was just not it.

Lavender's eyebrows quirked up, hearing the last name. Brekker. So there was no Kaz Rietveld— it was visible as soon as she saw him. There was no childish joy in Kaz's eyes and she is stupid to believe that there would have been one.

The fact that there were no Kaz Rietveld only meant that he moved on from his past and Lavender was furious. How did he manage to do that? Why was she the one dreaming about him? Regretting that she couldn't save him? Why couldn't she forget him?

"I will be fine, besides— I have you," she shot the Zemeni guy a smile and followed the tapping sound of cane, upstairs, into what seemed like a private game room. With a groan behind, Jesper followed his sister, believing that at least he will be beside her. He had to protect her from this kind of life.

As soon as she stepped into the room, she was met with a small office-like room that was common for the gambling halls. Kaz Brekker sat on the chair, stretching one of his legs out, his gloved hands on the top of the cane.

Lavender noticed that one of his legs was the reason he was limping, only by the look of it she could guess that it was probably broken and it didn't heal completely. It made her wonder how did it happen and when? As a medik, she wanted to examine him, but by the way he was sitting, by the look on his face, she doubted anyone could come close to him at all.

Lavender felt a lump stuck in her throat as she wanted to get somewhere where she would be alone and cough for a good five minutes since her lungs were overworking right now— stress did not help her breathe better. She had no idea what to expect. Even if Lavender was from Kerch, she was never involved in the business of the Barrel. She only knew that it was best not to walk here alone if you couldn't protect yourself.

"Who are you working for?" Kaz went straight to business and Lavender simply made her way to the armchair that was in the corner of the room and she sat down, crossing her legs, her crimson heels shining in the dimmed room.

Jesper stood at the door, silent as he knew not to interfere with Kaz's business, but he had to be there. For his stupidity, his sister was sitting in the office with the lieutenant of the Dregs and he didn't know how this would go.

"I am a traveling medik, I work for no one," Lavender replied as traveling mediks weren't rare. They didn't feel the need to work in one hospital for the rest of their lives. They helped whenever they were.

"What is your business in Ketterdam?" Kaz asked, his eyes dropping on the woman, who made his breath hitch every time he looked at her. He wasn't in his right state of mind, he needed to grip himself together and shake himself out of whatever this was. This was just a mere medik, no one else.

"Visiting Jesper," replied the woman as she had no other purpose being in here. "Look, I want my brother out of here, what do you need me to do for that?" Lavender concluded, her eyes fixated on the emotionless man who made her heart hurt.

"Lavender," Jesper started and he received a sharp glare from Kaz.

"Out, now," Kaz sternly implied and Jesper lingered for a second and looked at his sister, shaking his head softly as in a way of saying to not do this. However, eventually, the Zemeni guy left the room, staying near the door, in case he would hear some sort of fighting going on in there. He was such an idiot.

"What do you need the medik for?" Lavender went straight to business, her back relaxed as her fingers played with the hem of her crimson shirt.

"Why should I trust you?" Kaz slightly squinted his eyes, looking at the woman while the deepest part of his heart trusted her more than anyone.

"As far as I know, you need a medik and fast. I do not care if you trust me or not, I am here to help my brother, not to play a guessing game with you," Lavender's voice was stern as she was clearly mad at him. She felt betrayed, she felt horrible, she felt like the biggest idiot on the planet. Lavender still couldn't believe he forgot her, but that only nudged her into forgetting him, too.

Kaz had to force himself not to chuckle— there was no more childishness in her as he only saw a snarly woman, while her eyes were hollow, full of pain. "What would you say to four million kruge?" Kaz implied, leaning back on his seat.

"You don't get four million kruge for being a medik. Where is the catch?" Lavender asked.

"It is quite simple. You get four million kruge if you get into Ice Court and get out of there with your limbs attached," replied Kaz.

Lavender sat silent for a good minute and then her lopsided smile appeared on her face that brought so much pain into Kaz's heart. Only by this smile, he could tell that it was his Lavender, the one he knew. "Are all men in Ketterdam that greedy for money?"

"Women, too," Kaz replied, his eyes fixated on her smile.

"You do know that Ice Court has never been breached?" Lavender asked, earning a simple glare from Kaz for which he didn't need to answer. "And Jesper complied with this plan?"

"He needs the money," Kaz remarked, feeling exhausted by this conversation, but he didn't want for it to end. If Lavender leaves this room— what if she wouldn't come back? What if it was just his dream? Would he feel better if she disappeared and never showed up again?

"Alright, I am in," Lavender complied and Kaz slightly tilted his head. It was too easy. There must be a catch.

"Just like that?" asked the man.

"I doubt I will be able to put Jesper off this suicide mission. What do I need to do?" Lavender stood up, stretching her shoulders back, her bag clinging on one of her shoulders.

Kaz looked at her doubtfully as if he was lost. Kaz Brekker believed that she will screw their plans, by blabbering it to the wrong people, but Kaz Rietveld trusted the woman more than anything. She has seen loss, it is obvious she didn't want to experience more.

"You are too compliable, too relaxed after hearing this. You are working for someone and I want to find out for who," Kaz suspiciously said as he stood up, walking to the front of the table and sitting down, noticing that she didn't even shift in her seat.

"I am compliable because I have nothing to lose, Brekker," Lavender exclaimed, making the man flinch mentally as soon as she said his last name. It was the name he chose for himself and he enjoyed it, but as soon as that word left her lips it sounded like the biggest curse word ever. He hated it when she said it.

"Is that so?"

"Out of all of the people, you should know that when a crow loses their friend, they tend to avoid that place where the fellow died. We, humans, are different, we will do everything to protect the ones we love," Lavender simply exclaimed.

Kaz simply followed every of her move with his eyes, feeling how dense the air got around them and he clenched the cane tighter. "Welcome to Ketterdam, Miss Fahey," he extended his gloved hand to her and she softly placed her hands in his and they shook it once. "Though I must warn you, even if you are a family of Jesper's, I won't hesitate to leave you suffering if you do anything against me or the plan."

"Lovely," she cheerfully exclaimed, placing the bag on her shoulder as it wasn't the first time she has heard threats in her life.

Only now when Lavender stood closer, he noticed a set of scars splattered around her neck and on her collarbones, making him wonder what the hell has happened to her. But before his stare lingered on for too long, he said: "Follow me."

He didn't know if he was making a mistake. He was sure he will be able to put his past behind himself.

He was wrong. Completely wrong.

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Author's Note:

-Thoughts on the chapter? Please vote and comment, your interactions make me motivated! <3

m.n

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