chapter twenty-one, missus brekker

LAVENDER'S PLAN was comically brilliant. All of the Crows started to see that. Not only were they shocked by how weird the Brekker surname sounded added to her name, but also they noticed why Ketterdam would soon believe that Kaz's wife was actually Lavender.

It wasn't just about the forged marriage certificate. All of them knew that there was not enough evidence. That's why, to prepare for the plan, it took them four days to settle everything. Not only did Inej manage to storm into a well-secured archive of the Council and stuff the marriage certificate and the land documents into the deepest and unused parts of it, only to find out how far Van Eck is willing to search for something to destroy Kaz Brekker. But that also bought them the time to build the perfect story for the married couple.

Kaz spared one of the safe houses in Ketterdam, for it to be turned into a lovely little flat where Lavender was living when she was in Ketterdam. Zelver District was the perfect spot for it – it showed that privacy was necessary and Kaz Brekker knew how to hide in the shadows. Not only didn't the inhabitants of the district care about their neighbours, but also they wouldn't be able to testify if Kaz Brekker was an often guest. Their first question would be—who is this Brekker?

Kaz hasn't seen this side of Lavender. It surprised him how determined she was about it. First, she wanted to leave, but once she noticed that none of them agreed with her, she changed her mindset. Of course, he would've himself thought of a plan, but it would have a bit more kidnapping and blood, but hers was something new to try. The acting somehow excited him. Playing something to confuse everyone and create chaos. It worried him, of course, about her safety, but in no way he will let anyone get her.

It soothed him spending those three nights with Lavender, cluttered between piles of different documents while forging the certificate, land, and occupation documents. While others were asleep, they both managed to fall into a really decent rhythm – three hours of sleep, lanterns at both sides of the table and his seated figure with her beside him. Turns out, she was on a path to be good at forging documents. Her skill at calligraphy helped a lot in creating some realistic headers.

But, Ghezen, did that only make him fall in love with her more.

At the end of the fourth day, everything was pretty much ready. Jesper and Wylan have made a bet about how long will it take for the Barrel to fall apart with the news about Brekker's wife. Jesper stood strong on twenty-four hours, but Wylan, knowing his father, insisted that it will take at least forty-eight.

"Is it just me—?" Inej started, both her and Nina squeezed into the corner of a room, drinking tea where they had the best view of everyone in the room.

Nina, even if her throat was sore from the constant wailing in the nights for more jurda parem, interrupted her, "Nope. I think so too."

Inej deadpanned, "You don't even know what I'm about to say!"

"Oh, I do," the Grisha shrugged, sipping the tea and keeping her gaze on Kaz who was sitting in the cluster of documents, reading something—or trying to.

The Suli girl rolled her eyes, but she was looking in the same direction, "Do you think—?"

Nina nodded, "Oh, yes."

Inej's mouth twitched in annoyance, but she hummed in agreement. Looking at Kaz, she noticed that for the thirty minutes from which he has taken the book, he hasn't flipped the page once and somehow was conveniently facing the direction where Lavender and Specht were talking. The Suli girl felt dumbfounded that she didn't realise sooner that Kaz Brekker showed some sort of feeling towards Lavender.

"He hasn't turned that page in thirty minutes, now has he?" Nina said as if reading her mind.

"We shouldn't make assumptions."

"There are no assumptions to be made if there are facts," the Heartrender pointed out.

"Don't tell me—"

  "Oh yes."

Now, Inej knew that Kaz actually was infatuated with Lavender. She believed the word of a woman who could hear his heartbeat from miles away. Only then did she realise why Kaz Brekker was so alright with doing someone else's plan. As if he didn't have a plan of his own – he always had a plan. Even when he didn't – that was the secret ability of his.

"Does Lavender..?" Inej was feeling in a very rare mood of gossiping. But she was the Wraith. She knew everyone's secrets and knowing Kaz's—well, it was a rare occurrence.

The Heartrender nodded.

"Do you think he agreed to the whole fake marriage because it's her?"

Nina hummed, she wasn't able to hear heartbeats recently, always feeling worn out and bare without her blossoming powers. She couldn't hear his heartbeat now, but the unturned page said the whole story to her. "I believe so... Her plan is drastic, but it will work. It has the element of surprise we all need. Kaz would've been an idiot to not proceed with it."

Both of them noticed the way Lavender ended the conversation with Specht and she moved to the table where Kaz was reading. They all noticed that Lavender was under the weather—she barely slept and for most of the part, she refused to eat, always getting outside and coming back with a napkin with bloodied corners. She was dying and Nina knew why – she was a Grisha who hasn't awakened her Little Science. It was making her body shut down. She wanted to nudge her towards getting better, but she didn't know how to approach that topic without invoking the memories of the torture.

Lavender pushed a pile of documents to the end where was standing, sorting them into little piles of which ones should be destroyed and kept (and where to be kept). Both of the gossiping women noticed the way Kaz gave Lavender a look that lingered on her for too long, before averting his eyes from the book and finally flipping the damn page.

"Is it just me or Brekker is acting weird?" Matthias asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Not just you," Nina shook her head, feeling the calming touch of her beloved.

"Is it because—"

This time, Inej was the one to interrupt Matthias: "Yes."

That's how all the Crows, on the evening of the fourth day after the plan was introduced, found out that Kaz Brekker was head over heels for his announced wife. All of them were almost ninety-nine per cent sure that he will probably lash out at her than confess anything about his feelings. Nina was on the edge of making a bet.

As was expected, the Barrel turned into something dramatic in less than twenty-four hours (Jesper was happy about the five kruge he won once they will get their money). It only showed that a) Van Eck was researching everything he had about Kaz Brekker and b) everyone was as shaken about Kaz having a wife that it made the Barrel's life a tad messier.

Everyone was hesitating – at first, they thought it was Inej. It was clever of them – Inej was one of the closest people to Kaz. Surprisingly, Van Eck did not share the name of the wife, but someone sniffed out that it was Lavender and everyone started to talk about a mysterious woman that showed up a few days before the gang sailed away.

It was terrifying when the filthiest and most terrifying part of Ketterdam was talking about you. They weren't praising her. They wanted to find her so there would be some pain inflicted on him. Everyone wanted to get their hands on a shiny little toy that Kaz, supposedly, loved.

Of course, there were sceptics since no one could imagine the Bastard of the Barrel married. Well, more like, no one could imagine someone falling in love with him. But there was the marriage certificate, dated around eight months ago that caused disarray in the streets of mud. And now was the time to act.

According to the plan that Lavender and Kaz thought up, it was time for Lavender to play a wife in distress. Now, that Kaz was slowly being announced as a criminal, well, even more, it was time for her to get out in the streets and shake Barrel to the ground with hysterical cries.

"You still don't have to do this," Jesper mumbled, watching the way Lavender was pushing her revolvers into the hoops on her belt behind her. She seemed oddly familiar, wearing her red heels – polished that they almost looked like a mirror, her velvet blouse was clean and her fluffy coat was elegant enough for her to look like a sophisticated wife.

The only problem was her bandaged eye, but with the help of Nina, she managed to secure some strands over the bandage so that there would be no unnecessary questions. Because of that or for another reason, she seemed horribly nervous. And it was getting harder and harder for others to comply with this suicidal plan.

"I do and it's going to work," she wasn't convincing Jesper at this point, but herself.

"You don't know those people as well as I do, Vi. They will do anything to hurt you just so they could hurt Kaz," Jesper pointed out, extending his lanky hand to wrap it around his sister.

"I know, but I am pretty sure my hysterical side is going to scare them," she tried to joke, but no one in the room chuckled at least once. "Alright—tough crowd."

Within these words, she fixed her coat and put her small bag over her shoulder and she gave them all a look and nodded before leaving. She didn't want to say anything for it not to feel as if she was going into a slaughterhouse. There was no need to say anything since it wasn't the last time she will see them.

Walking through the darkening evening, she walked to the little boat where Specht was already in it and Kaz was explaining something heavily before shutting up when he heard the heels clinking onto the rocks. Turning to her, he was met with a calm expression on her face and the slightly covered face of hers – she looked beautiful.

"You know what to do." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Lavender nodded and she slowly got into the boat with the help of Specht and he passed her some clothes to put on as they will pass through the river in order for them to be untraceable. Giving Kaz a brief look, he noticed the worried face that almost seemed like his scheming expression from the distance.

It will be fine.

𓄿

THE FILTHY streets of Ketterdam were ruining her polished heels and she wanted to scream. The stench was not helping her bruised lungs to deal with the heavenliness in the air and the smoke. It seemed so familiar to her before, only that she felt a few more eyes on her than the last time she took a stroll on these streets. She looked too flashy and it felt like someone was following her.

She safely made her way over to the Crow Club. It was still bursting with people than the last time, but it was way quieter than the other gambling halls around it. Stepping into the dark building, met with the elegant décor of the hall, she ran her eyes through the crowd of alcohol and was addicted to gambling.

From the moment the door closed behind her, she made sure to raise her chin slightly up to show that she was a proud woman, but she clenched her jaw enough to look concerned and slightly angry. The clinking of her heels seemed to leave slight dents in the floor as she marched to the bar, to see a bartender which was different than the last time.

"What's a woman like you doing in here?"

Ugh, do they really think women find this phrase attractive?

"Where's Per Haskell?" she asked, ignoring his flirty remark.

"Who's asking?"

"You see anyone else asking? Me, you idiot," she pointed out, deadpanning.

"So you are the missus?"

Lavender rolled her eyes, "Answer the question, darling, don't keep an angry woman waiting."

Was it the nickname or the tone of hers that made his cheeks fluster he simply turned his head towards the old office of Kaz and she offered him a soft smile before climbing those damned stairs to meet the metal door?

After a few knocks, the door little window of the door opened and a pair of old eyes looked at her angrily: "The fuck are you?"

"Open the door, Per Haskell. We have some business to do," she stated, completely gulping down the nervousness that was being exchanged by the adrenaline in her veins.

"I don't recall making any business with ya," he grumbled like an old, lonely man.

"Open the door before I will make sure that everyone in the hall will run out of this gambling den and never come back."

The man gazed at her through the gap in the metal door, a sly grin appearing on his face as he was unlocking the door: "Foolish pretty thing you are to show up here at such time," he grinned as soon as the door opened and she stepped inside.

Inside, apart from Per Haskell, there was a guy who was at least a few heads taller than her and bulkier. She hasn't seen him before and seeing him now wasn't adding any more courage to her. Barely, she managed to gaze at him and avert her eyes away in pure boredom – once they will sniff out that she is nervous, it will be the end for her.

"Missus Brekker, what do I owe the pleasure for?" Per Haskell asked.

"Words spread quickly in here like rats," she gazed over the little office that seemed like a mess now that Kaz was gone. "Where's Kaz?"

"How should I know, lovebird? He is your husband, not mine," he mocked her concern.

Lavender slowly took a stroll in the office, clasping her hands in a calm manner as she was looking at the stolen art pieces that were hanging on the wall. "Well, the husband of mine disappeared for quite a few weeks doing a job for you and now, I hear that he is in a quarrel with the Council. Mind to explain?"

"He said he needed more time," Per Haskell admitted.

Oh, so Kaz has met and seen him after they have come back to Ketterdam?

"For?"

"How should I know? That damn kid has the arrogance of his to not say anything and talk in riddles."

Lavender clasped her hands behind her back, "What's going to happen now? First, he does a job for Council and then it turns against him?"

"The boy has a tendency to get into bad business," the old man grinned.

"Like this one?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Gambling is the finest thing you can do in Ketterdam, lovebird."

Lavender wanted to cut out his tongue for calling her lovebird. It sounded so nasty coming from his mouth, especially when he said it with such a mocking tone.

"Listen," she grumbled, walking to the fine table of expensive wood, seeing how the bulky guy slightly moved in his place, but she gave him a look, "I'm not here to discuss your business or what you do. Either you tell me where Kaz is and in what kind of business he is involved in or I will make sure all of the customers downstairs will never come back."

Per Haskell looked at her as if she was nothing but a thing, a cheeky smile sitting on his lips that were barely visible through his grey beard. "He didn't marry just a pretty face, I see... But I got nothing to tell you. Apart from that the Council can deal with Kaz on its own... You, on the other hand..."

Confusion made her eyebrows furrow and she almost hissed out of pain since she shouldn't really put any pressure on her wounded eye.

"And what did they offer for me?" Lavender asked, a smirk sitting on her lips even if she was getting aware of her surroundings.

     "You'll find out soon enough," the old man dropped on the chair and the bulky guy lunged towards Lavender, pushing her down onto the wooden floor.

     She groaned at the impact with the floor, feeling the way her back cracked uncomfortably and her lungs started to choke her up. The man pushed his hands to her throat, clearly wanting to just knock her out, but she pushed her knee up, right at his groin. The man wheezed out of pain and it gave her a brief moment to push herself away from him, but he didn't take long to grab her leg and push her back, hitting her face with a punch.

     The wounded eye of hers started to burn as he hit that side and she wailed in pain, feeling the way her eyes filled with burning tears. Panic got stuck in her throat, but as he was aiming for her throat again, she grasped his wrist and quickly snapped it back, hearing a satisfying pop that made the giant drop to his side.

     As quick as possible, she raised on her heels and looked at the guy who was looking at his broken wrist with wide eyes, mouth open but no sound left it.

     "Awh, you poor thing," she hissed mockingly she grabbed his wrist and she snapped it in the other direction as she struck her knee up, hitting his chin.

     The man dropped to the floor and she allowed herself to look at Per Haskell who seemed terrified by what he just saw. Lavender smirked, feeling that her lip was busted open, blood dropping on her chin: "It's not good for your business to make enemies, lovebird."

     Within those words she quickly walked out of the room, making her way down the stairs and passing the hall full of people she was at the entrance, she took out the guns from behind her, raising them both to the ceiling and shooting twice - four bullets hitting the ceiling.

     A wave of screams echoed through, and people from different corners started to walk slowly towards her, but she outstretched the guns to the sides, looking right in front of her at the bartender.

     "If anyone ever tries to play a game with me again—I can assure you," her voice sounded loud and clear, complimented by the whimpers of some drunk heads, "it's not Kaz Brekker you will be afraid of. It will be my face that you will see just mere moments before I'll blow your brains out."

     Looking at the sides, the rest of the gang was just waiting for the opportunity to get her and she pushed the guns down and she jumped like a squirrel, working purely on adrenaline and she sprinted out of the gambling den.

     Sprinting on the wet cobblestone with her red heels wasn't the wisest choice when many people wanted her dead, but the smile on her face was a sign of the adrenaline rush and a bit of insanity. Her lungs weren't keeping up with her and her whole body burned, but she kept on running, through the crowded allies, making her way into the deepest parts of the Barrel.

     Suddenly her arm was grabbed and she was about to smack that person dead, but as she was pulled to a tiny alley behind a stack of barrels, she noticed the glint of the familiar cane and she pressed herself against the brick wall of the building, hiding.

     Kaz was so close. Too close. She could feel the way there was a bare space between them created by the crow's head on his cane, but his head was tilted down, almost as if he was looking at the nape of her neck, his breathing on her skin.

     Their eyes met, the worried glint in the blues of his was either an illusion or the play of the dark night, but none of them spoke and she took the opportunity to let her body come into a state of shock.

     His eyes wandered to her lips, noticing that they were split - little drops of blood dripping down her chin. One side of her face was reddened and the strands covering her bandage were pushed away from her face, showing some blood coming through the bandage.

     "What are you doing here?" Lavender finally asked, breaking the silence.

     Kaz wasn't supposed to be here, yes, but he couldn't just stay there and wait. "Let's go," he mumbled and looked at the alley she just came from, but he turned in the other direction and started making his way through.