The Wraith's gaze, always watchful and alert, roamed over the dark, shuttered houses of Fifth Harbour. She walked on silent, light feet, moving past beggars curled up in newspapers and dogs fighting over filthy wads of garbage. The dim flicker of a lantern, the red hot end of a knobbly cigar, the orange glow of a street lamp - all was reflected in her deep, brown eyes.

There was nothing to see here, she decided. All of the action was currently taking place further down the docks where Kirigan was secretly attempting his departure. He really must be distracted if he thought the Dregs were back in the Barrel, none the wiser. It just went to show that he didn't really know them at all.

Months earlier, he had pitted a band of common thieves with a wicked reputation against the legendary Sun Summoner. Now, he was about to see just how wicked they really were.

"Psst. Wraith."

Inej raised her eyebrows as a tall, dark shadow fell into place beside her. She had heard him coming from metres back, not that she could really blame him. It was hard to be quiet when you were so long and gangly.

"Is it time, Jes?"

Jesper flipped open an extravagant golden watch - one he had lost in a bet to a Ravkan merchant and then stolen. "Almost."

Inej pulled out the roll of papers Kaz had given her from her belt.

"Are they clean?" Jesper queried as he snapped the watch shut.

"Yes." Inej held the papers up to the street lamp next to her and watched as the parchment caught fire. She waited until the papers were engulfed in flames before dropping them to the ground near her feet. A beggar crawled from the shadows and held out his wrinkled, grimy hands - desperate for warmth. Inej's heart twinged with pain when she saw him. The crude profiles Kaz had drawn up on their accomplices were now serving as a temporary fix of relief.

A surge of anger rolled over her. This was Kirigan's doing. These poor people and their suffering were a result of his fanatic lust for power. Greed. It had consumed him and all that was good and now Ketterdam was paying the price.

But Inej couldn't help but draw comparisons between Kirigan and themselves. Weren't they doing the same thing? Forsaking their country, their people for better prospects? Prospects that just so happened to include riches and influence? Were they not just as equally selfish and greedy?

Inej gritted her teeth and stamped the fire out.

"Oh, here he is!" Jesper whistled brightly as Kaz came limping around the corner, Nina and her bags in tow. "How are we doing?"

Kaz ignored him and looked over at Inej. "Is it done?"

Inej nodded. "It is."

The corners of Kaz's mouth transformed into a self-satisfied smirk. He turned to Jesper. "You know what to do."

"Yes sir!" Jesper saluted him and disappeared into the darkness.

Inej glanced between Kaz and Nina and took a deep breath. "Kirigan's ship is at the end of the loading dock," her words came out in a sudden rush, a torrent. "He has men stationed at every check-point, every post, every nook and cranny of the jetty...they'll see us coming."

"I was planning on that," Kaz replied, in an almost bored tone, like he had stowed away on Kirigan's ship many times. "Nina will drop the heart-rates of any guards we come across. When the schooner explodes..."

"Explodes!?"

"The noise will cover Jesper as he picks off the guards closest to the hull," he explained. "Once Kirigan and his closest security scramble to find the perpetuators, we'll slip onto the boat and into the hold. Then, it's only a matter of time and we'll be in Novyi Zem."

Inej frowned. "How are we going to get out?"

"One step at a time, Inej."

She exchanged a knowing look with Nina. "Yeah...okay."

Kaz's eyes strayed to the beggar huddled mournfully next to Inej and his face screwed up. He whipped his cane down into the ground beside the man, flicking dirt into his face, and hissed, "Away with you."

"Kaz!" Inej shoved his cane away reprovingly.

"No distractions!" he looked at her pointedly. "Let's go."

Inej cast a reluctant, sad glance at the man. Then, she sighed and walked away.

    ~~~

"What's taking them so long?" Nina whispered, rubbing her sore calves. "I don't know how much longer I can crouch in this position."

"You don't move until I say you do."

"Careful Dirtyhands or I'll drop your heart-rate," she returned sarcastically.

Kaz raised his eyebrows. "I'd like to see you try."

"Get a room," Inej scoffed. "Kaz, no distractions."

Kaz gave her a sour look. "Shut-up."

A flash of movement caused Inej to snap her attention back towards the docks. Guards, in pairs of twos, patrolled the walk-way, their boots clicking in sync across the wooden boards. Behind them loomed the silhouette of Kirigan's massive ship adorned with torches and dotted with guards. The bow creaked and groaned as waves sloshed against its sides. A cloud-banked moon peeped from behind the black and white flag flittering from the mast.

As the trio crouched behind one of the many demolished fishermen's shacks lining the wharf, they made note of every single movement, every single pattern, every single detail.

But there was one thing they did all notice. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Kaz must've sensed the doubts coursing through their minds for he suddenly lurched forward and beckoned for the girls to follow.

"Kaz, what are you doing?" Nina hissed and tugged at his sleeve, trying to pull him back down beside her.

Kaz quickly snatched his arm away and narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't do that again, Heart-render."

Nina looked taken aback. "I - I ... fine!" she huffed. "But if we all get killed, I'm blaming you."

"How? You'll be dead," Kaz pointed out smugly.

"Doesn't matter," Nina lifted her head proudly and looked down her nose at him. "My ghost will haunt your ghost for the rest of eternity."

"Well, my ghost will hire Jesper's ghost to shoot you."

"Ghosts can't die! And besides, I think Jesper's ghost will be more inclined to shoot your ghost than mine. You're annoying."

"My ghost's annoying? How dare you. My ghost is absolutely lovely."

Inej stared at them. "Are you seriously having this conversation right now?"

She didn't bother waiting for either to reply. She just brushed past them and started towards the docks, blades sharp and ready in her hands. She heard Nina and Kaz scrambling after her but she didn't turn back.

Staying covered in the shadows, Inej made her way closer to the pacing guards and pressed herself against one of the wooden poles supporting the walkway. She tilted her head back and listened to their footsteps sound above her. There was no way to be sure but if Kirigan's guards were Grisha, she would be stopped before she could throw her first knife.

Nina better know what she was doing.

Kaz and Nina placed themselves against the pole opposite to Inej. Nina raised her hands up towards the walkway, her fingers crossed and her thumbs arched. Her eyes narrowed, her arms stiffened, and the muscles in her neck strained as she concentrated.

Inej jumped when the loud thud of someone's body hitting the walkway sounded from right over her head. It was followed by three more dull thumps and then, all was still.

Nina lowered her hands and looked over at Inej. You okay? she mouthed.

Inej nodded stiffly.

They all waited a few moments but they could hear no more footsteps. Kaz motioned for them to stay hidden as he stepped out from beneath the cover of the walkway. He raised his head and glanced this way and that. When he was satisfied that no other guards were within close range, he sent a signal with a deft flick of his cane. "You might want to see this."

Inej and Nina ducked out from their hiding place and looked out across the water towards the loading dock on the opposite side of the harbour. The path of the moon cast a long jagged path from Kirigan's ship to the small, abandoned schooner bumping aimlessly against the side of the jetty.

Inej struggled to see against the inky black night but she could've sworn she saw silent black figures moving, no running, down the far side of the wharf.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a huge boom and a flash and the Dregs were pushed back from the walkway by an onslaught of hot air and showering flames.

"Holy shit!" Nina gasped as she covered her face with her arm.

The explosion definitely did what it was supposed to do - distract. Only a moment ago, the harbour had been a swamped in calm darkness, now it was alight with mayhem as guards shouted at each other and swarmed the docks. A squad of smartly uniformed guards ran down the walkway, guns at the ready.

"Quick, get back!" Kaz urged as he used his cane to propel the girls away.

Unfortunately, the chaos wasn't enough to stop the Dregs from being seen. One of the officers coming down the walkway spotted them before they could hide.

He pointed at the trio and yelled something in Ravkan.

"Fuck," Kaz muttered. "Run."

They took off - towards the ship and the rest of the guards. Menacing shouts and stomping boots followed them.

Inej didn't dare turn around. She didn't want to seize up with fear or trip or bring the others down with her. Regardless of what other people said, the Wraith was only a sixteen year old girl - one who was not actually invincible.

"C'mon, Inej!" Kaz shouted over his shoulder.

It was enough to shake Inej from her stunned stupor. If Kaz, who limped everywhere he went, was running faster than her than that was saying something. She urged her legs to move.

Suddenly, a pepper of bullets hit the ground beside them. Nina shrieked, "They're shooting at us! Good Lord, they're shooting at us!"

"Don't stop!" Kaz yelled. "Don't bloody stop!"

C'mon, Jesper, c'mon. Inej's heart was hammering as Kirigan's boat grew closer and closer. We don't have much time.

BOOM.

Another explosion rocked the air - this time closer than before.

Inej drew a sharp breath as splinters of wood and nails flew past them. It must've blown up the end of the very walkway they were on.

She chanced a quick glance behind her. The flames from the blast were hungrily licking the air and bodies littered the wharf. But this wasn't what caused Inej's heart to stop in her chest - it was seeing General Kirigan, cloaked in black and gold, standing at the end of the jetty, his ominous presence framed by the angry orange fire, his black eyes ablaze with anger.

"Inej!"

Inej gasped as two strong arms wrapped themselves around her and spun her through the air mid-stride. She let her body loosen and two blades slip from her sleeves into her palms. She lifted her arm and elbowed her attacker right in the face, breaking his nose. A scream wrenched the air and Inej was dropped onto the ground. Leaving no room for error, she spun her legs around and planted a firm kick on the person's ankles. As the figure fell to their knees, Inej lifted herself up and punched them square in the chest. Unbalanced, they toppled off the side of the walkway.

Inej looked up. Kaz and Nina were already way ahead of her. She jumped to her feet and raced after them...but she wasn't the only one. Guards had closed in between them, intent on firing at close range. Kaz and Nina would be obliterated! Inej let out a yell and her two blades left her hands. They whipped through the air - right into the back of the guards' heads.

They collapsed on the walkway ahead of her just as another round of gunfire sounded. Two more guards dropped to the ground.

Jesper.

Inej ran past the guards and seized her two knives as she did so. She ignored the sickening squelching noise that came with it and carried on.

By this time Kaz and Nina were running up the ramp that led to the entrance of the ship. Several other guards attempted to gun them down but Nina held up her hands and dropped them to the floor.

As Inej reached the edge of the ramp, Jesper came galloping into view, his eyes glistening with exhilarated thrill.

"Well that's the most fun I've had in a while!" he called out laughingly. "We always know how to make an entrance, don't we?"

Inej rolled her eyes and together, they went up the ramp and onto the ship where Kaz and Nina stood waiting.

"Took you long enough," Nina stated, a hint of jest in her voice.

"Don't even start," Inej replied with an exaggerated huff. "We were the ones doing all the hard work."

"Oi! You lot! You're not supposed to be here!" A uniformed officer strode towards them.

"What's one more?" Kaz shrugged. Spinning around, he lodged his crow cane into the back of the man's head, knocking him clean out.

Inej couldn't help but wonder if Kaz had imagined the man to be Kirigan.

"Wait! Stop! Please! Don't go on without me!"

Everyone spun around, knives, guns, cane and hands at the ready. Then, they paused. A haggard, dazed man, thinly clothed, climbed up the ramp towards them.

Kaz let out an annoyed sigh and lowered his cane. "That's just our sailor, let him on."

"This dude?" Jesper snickered. "You're kidding."

Kaz peered over the side of the ship and down at the chaos below. Beyond his head lay the city of Ketterdam - quiet in sleep. Within it's crooked streets and hollow walls, the Dregs had made themselves a home. They had lived, thieved, and adventured, and had been luckier than most. But what was life now without freedom? Without purpose?

Kaz looked back towards them and nodded. "Well done, Crows."

He had never addressed them like this before but Inej knew instantly what he meant and sent him a small smile. For they were no longer the Dregs - the fearsome street gang of the Barrel. They were the Crows - a group of ordinary thieves about to commit the cleverest, most dangerous heist Great Britain had ever seen.