CHAPTER SEVEN
vol i — bloody fjerdans!

Dinara watched as Nina stared up at him. "No matter what I do to him, it won't last a month. I can't give him a permanent fever."

"My contact in the infirmary will make sure he stays sick enough. We just need to get him through the diagnoses. Now get to work."

Nina looked Muzzen up and down. "This is going to hurt just as much as if you'd been in the fight yourself," she warned.

"I can take it."
"10 kruge he can't take it."
"I'm not making a deal you're going to win."

Nina lifted her hands, in concentration, blocking out the noises that were coming from the murmuring of Kaz and Dinara. She took a deep breathe, focusing on the feeling of Muzzen's body flowing through her hands, the ability to stop his heart with just a single motion, it was all very dangerous, and they trusted her. She opened her eyes, slicing her right hand over her left, snapping Muzzen's ribs, wincing when he let out a grunt and doubled over.

"There's a good boy," said Kaz. "Taking it like a champion. Knuckles next, then face."

Nina spread bruises and cuts over Muzzen's body, giving him the same appearance of Matthias, trying her best without looking at him too much, not wanting to bring anymore guilt to the amount she already brought to herself just seeing him. "I've never seen firepox up close," Nina murmured.

"Count yourself lucky."
"Hurry it up."

Nina let out an annoyed sigh at Kaz's harsh tone, internally rolling her eyes. She swelled and cracked the skin on his face and chest, raising blisters on the body parts until the swelling and pustulates were so bad that he became unrecognizable, and disgusting. The puss made Dinara want to throw up, memories of seeing people with it laying stiff on the streets, wanting to throw up at how bad they looked, how painful their death looked. "Why would you agree to do this?" Nina murmured.

"Money was good."
"Good enough to get locked up in Hellgate?"

Kaz tapped his cane on the cell floor, irritably. "Stop making trouble, Nina. If Helvar cooperates, he and Muzzen will both have their freedom just as soon as the job is done."

"And if he doesn't?"
"Then Helvar gets locked back in his cell, and Muzzen still gets paid. And I'll take him to breakfast at the Kooperom."
"Can I have waffles?"

"Why don't you take me to breakfast. I want waffles and I feel like I deserve that," Dinara said, looking up at Kaz, a small pout on her lips and the puppy dog eyes looking up at him, working her magic.

"Fine, Di, we'll go have breakfast. We'll all have waffles. And whiskey. If this job doesn't come off, no one's going to want to be around me sober. Finished, Nina?" Nina nodded, and Inej took her place to bandage Muzzen to look like Matthias. "All right," said Kaz. "Get Helvar on his feet. Nina crouched beside Matthias as Kaz stood over her with a bonelight. Even in his sleep, Matthias' features were troubled, his pale brows furrowed, Dinara noticed. Nina let her hands travel over the bruised line of his jaw. "Not the face, Nina. I need him mobile, not pretty. Heal his fast and only enough to get him walking for now. I don't want him spry enough to vex us."

Nina lowered the blanket and went to work. Nina was used to healing bodies, being called over by Kaz to fix up the wounded members of the Dregs when he didn't want to call in a medik. She reached out and touched his shoulder. "Helvar," she said. He didn't stir. "Matthias." She pressed a kiss to his temple, Dinara tilting her head slightly at the affection, wondering what it was like to have someone to do that with. "Matthias," Nina repeated.

"Nina?"
"Oh, Saints, Matthias. Matthias, wake up."

His eyes opened, groggily, palest blue. "Nina," he said softly. His knuckles brushed against her cheek; his hand choking her face tentatively, disbelievingly. "Nina?"

"Shhhh, Matthias. We're here to get you out."

Before anyone could blink, Matthias had grabbed her shoulders, pinning Nina to the ground. "Nina," he growled. Then his hands closed over her throat. "Witch," he hissed, leaning over here. "Beg me. Beg me for your life."

"Hands off her, Helvar."
"Go ahead and shoot me."

"If you've actually lost your mind, this is going to be a lot tougher than I thought," Kaz said, pulling the trigger on the gun. The bullet landed in Matthias' left shoulder. Dinara saw that he was going to fall on top of Nina, making her reach forward and grab the collar of his shirt, pushing him off to the side. Dinara found he was relentless, keeping one hand clamped around Nina's throat. "Get hold of yourself, Helvar. We're here to break you out. I can do to your leg what I did to your arm, and we can drag you out of here, or you can leave like a man, on two feet."

"No one gets out of Hellgate."
"Tonight they do."

She watched as Matthias sat up, turning his head around the room, clutching his left shoulder. "You can't just let me walk out of here. The guards will recognize me," he snarled. "I'm not losing fighting privileges to be carted off, Djel knows with you."

"You'll be masked."
"If the guards check—"

"They're going to be too busy to check," Dinara said, a smirk playing on her face as the chaos was starting — oh, it was time for hell.

"You opened the cages."
"Jesper was supposed to wait until three bells."
"When is Jesper ever on time?"
"It is three bells, Kaz."

"Since when is Jesper punctual?" Kaz whined. Dinara tilted her head at the annoyance in his tone, it was a new one for him. "On your feet, Helvar."

( ...⛓... )

KAZ OFFERED HIM A GLOVED HAND,
making Dinara start to worry. She hadn't touched Kaz ever, but here he was, offering his hand to a stranger, a stranger that could kill him. Matthias took Kaz's hand, letting Kaz help him up, as Inej wrapped a cloak around Matthias' shoulders and propped an ugly, beak-nosed mask on his head. Dinara leaned up against the door of the cell, glancing around the outside. The passageway outside the cell was in complete chaos, costumed men and women surged past, screaming and pushing each other, trying to get away from the arena, guards firing bullets in every direction. Kaz signaled toward the far right archway, indicating that they should move against the flow of the crowd and into the arena. Matthias went to step into the throng and was instantly hauled back.

"Boys like you weren't meant to get ideas, Helvar," said Kaz. "That staircase leads to a bottleneck. You think the guards won't check under the mask before they let you through?"

Dinara watched as a scowl worked its way onto Matthias' face, her own lighting up in a smirk, glad that the big boy was uncomfortable. The arena was triple the chaos of the passageway, animals running free — hyena's leaping and bounding over ledges, an elephant charging the wall of the stadium. Dinara found the whole situation amusing, as chaos was her favorite thing in the world, giving her a source of free entertainment. As they headed towards the tunnel, the desert lizard came charging towards them, Dinara and Inej sharing a look, silently arguing over who was going to deal with this. Dinara raised an eyebrow, making Inej sigh, she watched as Inej vaulted over the lizard's back, plunging two bright daggers into the armor of scales.

The lizard groaned and collapsed on its side — dead. After that was handled, the group continued walking, acting like that was a normal scene. Dinara could smell the salt from the sea, making her cheer on the inside. She wanted out of this place, seeing as she could only handle so much of Hellgate. Through the green light orbs that Kaz and Inej carried, Dinara spotted their getaway transport, a small boat. Dinara could have drowned Kaz. If he thought that they could get back to Ketterdam without capsizing, he was insane. Dinara spotted Jesper waving them over, making her raise her hand, waving back.

"You were early, Jesper."
"I was on time."
"For you, that's early. Next time you plan to impress me, give me some warning."
"The animals are out, and I found you a boat. This is when a thank you would be in order."
"You're a good butler, Jesper."
"Thank you, Jesper."

"You're very welcome, gorgeous. See, Kaz? That's how the civilized fold do." Dinara's attention shifted as Matthias fell to the ground. A loud groan spilling from his lips.

"Matthias—" Nina said, stepping forward. Dinara watched with a sad face as Matthias scrambled backwards, nearly ending up in the water. Dinara could tell that Nina cared about him, but Matthias was just being a complete asshole in her opinion.

"Clumsy, this one."
"Put him under, Nina."
"Don't."

"You're dumb enough to capsize the boat," Dinara snapped. "I don't plan on dying today. This outfit is hideous."

"Stay away from me, witch," Matthias growled at Nina.

Nina gave him a tight nod. "With pleasure." She lifted her hands, and Dinara watched as his eyelids attempted to stay open, mumbling under her breath as he was dragged into unconsciousness. "Sleep well."

"Get him on the boat," commanded Kaz. Dinara gave him a look, wanting to know if this applied to her too. "Yes, Di, you too."

"I want a new dress after this. I don't care if I'm not wearing one right now, this wasn't in my job description."
"Write me a note."

"With pleasure." Dinara, Inej, Nina, and Jesper all worked together trying to get Matthias onto the small boat. "Ketterdam Bay! He weighs a lot more than the men that fall at my feet." Kaz rolled his eyes at her antics, trying to not let his smile break through, not wanting to know that he found her amusing.

"Di, when we get back, I want you to go and pick up Wylan."

"Got it, bastard," Dinara says, finger saluting him. Kaz shook his head, signaling Jesper to start rowing the boat.

it's wylan time!