CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
vol ii — home turf

NIGHT HAD FINALLY fallen on the streets of Ketterdam, the streets clearing out as everyone had gone into some sort of building to have their fun for the night. Matthias and Jesper had left earlier, heading straight for the docks to make sure the gondel was in place. They had made their way to their launch point, and left Kewei with Rotty and Specht ( for his own safety ). They wouldn't risk losing the boy over getting one of their own back, especially when he could barely fight, nevermind win. The boat went through the water without a sound, the ripples hardly noticeable in the moonlight.

Kaz had changed out his crow's head cane for something simplistic, more demonic, he didn't want to be noticed for his iconic piece. But he managed to tuck a rifle away in his coat, not having the comfort of the cane to beat people up when it came down to hand to hand combat. Wylan had tons of items that most likey exploded inside his satchel, keeping his hand on it to make sure that nothing clicked together and went off.

"We better be right about this. My father is going to be ready," Wylan said, not bothering to look at the group. He was staring out over the water, too busy thinking about all the ways his father could try and get him killed tonight.

"I'm counting on it," Kaz said, starting to row the boat a bit faster. He didn't want to lose any of the moonlight that was slowly dimming with each passing minute they spent out in the water.

Dinara was sitting on the ground next to Kaz, letting her cloth work over the blades of her knives, making sure each of them was sharpened to perfection. Everything had to be perfect going into this if they wanted to get Inej out of them safely and get everyone out alive, the couldn't afford any mistakes. They got out of the boat as quickly and quietly as they could, not wanting to attract any attention that could blow their cover. Kaz motioned for them to get into positions, Dinara staying by his side, both of them ready to kill anyone or anything that got in their way. The two of them were covering the north, making sure that the guards were taken out quietly and able to wake up in a few hours.

Dinara noticed a commotion on Nina's side, noticing how she was unable to get the guards to pass out, Jesper freaking out beside her. The guards were shouting, causing a small commotion as they shouted for whoever was there to make themselves known. If Jesper had to shoot, that would bring the possibility of them identifying themselves and risking everything that they had worked for. She grabbed one of her daggers, getting ready to throw them at the guards in case they started to get too close and too loud. When suddenly, a cloud of dust went surging towards the two guards, taking them out as Dinara stared at the scene with wide eyes.

What the fuck did she just see? Was that some sort of being that they didn't know about? When the guards didn't get up, she knew they were dead, not breathing coming from their mouths, chests laying perfectly still. She figured it was Nina because she knew Jesper would be unable to do something like that, but Nina was unable to control her powers after being laced with parem so it was unknown as to what she was able to do. Dinara barely managed to stifle a chuckle at the thought of Matthias being stuck with Ayls, the girl never shut up, but she meant well, so Dinara could only hope that he didn't kill her. Kaz had come up with the perfect plan ( with help from Dinara, of course ) to kidnap the very pregnant wife of Van Eck to trade her for Inej.

They had to commit another crime, breaking and entering, again. They had to find Smeet's files on the man, trying to find the place where he kept his wife c off the record at least. Dinara heard the bells ringing from the city, meaning that Rotty and Specht were leaving Kuwei to go, causing a commotion. They had sent the test of the group in to go and get the woman, Kaz and Dinara being the lookout. Alys had been docile the entire time, making a big fuss when Nina tied her hands together and placed a blindfold around her eyes. They were all getting frustrated at the way the woman would not stop crying out, saying everything she missed.

"I want to go hoooooome! I want my dog!" she cried causing Kaz to throw up his hands in frustration and walk out of the tomb, everyone following him.

"Are all pregnant women like this?"
"If I'm like this, shoot me."
"Noted."
"Only the kidnapped ones."
"I can't hear myself think."
"Maybe we take the blindfold off?"
"We can't risk her leading Van Eck here."
"She's going to make herself ill."

"We're in the middle of a job," Kaz said. "There's a lot that has to happen before the exchange tomorrow. Someone find a way to shut her up or I will."

"Not it."
"She's a frightened girl—"
"I didn't ask for a description."
"Kaz, promise me you won't—"

"Before you finish that sentence, I want you to think about what a promise from me costs and what you're willing to pay for it," Kaz warned, not wanting Wylan to end up getting into something he couldn't handle.

"It's not her fault her parents forced her into marriage with my father!" Wylan cried, not wanting to see his stepmother endure any harm that could possibly come her way.

"Alys isn't here because she did something wrong. She's here because she's leverage," Dinara explained, trying to make the boy understand that nothing bad was going to happen to the woman. Kaz had gotten riled up, having to storm off into the graveyard, having enough with everyone there. "Don't worry, I got this one."

"No one else was going after him, Dinara!" Nina shouted to the girls back, letting out a laugh as Dinara held her middle finger.

She didn't know how she was going to make him feel better, but she knew that she had to figure out a way to calm him down. It didn't help that his dark clothing helped him blend in with the night, making Dinara's search for him a lot harder than it should have been. She knew that he had become amazing at sneaking off and finding ways to compose himself before he managed to cause more harm to the ones he was close to. But he got riled up easily and his temper wasn't as controlled as he made the others believe it was. Dinara knew that she had to find a way to at least let him know that he could always scream at her instead of forcibly pushing Wylan up against a wall and choking the poor boy.

"You done sulking? Or do you want to continue to be an annoying prat?" Dinara said, her voice catching the attention of the boy who merely huffed and went back to ignoring her. "Fine, this can be a one sided conversation." She leant up against one of the older tombs, looking down at her nails, starting to pick at the mud that had gotten stuck under them. "Well, if I ever end up the way Alys is when I'm pregnant, just shoot me. I don't think I want anyone to have to deal with that."

"I'll pass the message on to your husband," Kaz snarked, not wanting to picture the fact that he would probably not be the woman's husband and he wouldn't be the one to give her the life she wanted. "Poor bloke. He doesn't know what he's getting into."

"Oh but he does," Dinara said, not enjoying the fact that he was willing to give her up to another man. "I've got my eye on someone incredibly fucking stubborn. Real pain in my arse, but I guess I can wait around, have been for three years already, what's a little longer?"

Kaz looked up at her, his eyes glimmering with hope that he could be the man for her. The one she loved entirely, the one that made her feel safe, the one that was able to make all of her dreams come true. "I bet. Does this idiot know about the way you feel?"

"Yep. Told him a while ago, yet he's so stuck in his mind that he can't even open his eyes and picture what he is missing. Don't know how to make him do it, seeing as I can't slap the shit out of him," Dinara said, standing up from her leaning position. "Have a good time brooding, Kaz. No one wants to deal with a grouchy leader."

kaz needs to marry this women or else