CHAPTER ONE
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MANY WORDS COULD DESCRIBE KETTERDAM. Perhaps peaceful was one of them if you merely consorted with the folk at the University district. If you remained in the safer, brighter, monotone areas of the city. But the Ketterdam charm had nothing to do with peace or quiet.

Filthy, chaotic, restless, ruthless, corrupt. That was the Ketterdam charm. 

It was perfectly imperfect and Kira remembered the first time she'd stepped foot onto the city's harbor she knew she'd fit in. No matter how golden her hair was or how bright her smile could be.

Perhaps it had taken her a while to get a hold of the city, but she had been right in her hunch. Because even at the early age of nine, Kira knew she was a match for chaos and the ways of the Barrel. Which was why she knew the city was too... serene. Especially for the likes of them.

The last time Kira had walked through the filth-covered streets peacefully was when it was lined with corpses from the plague.

Kira was sure the plague hadn't been aboard their ship. No matter how nostalgic setting foot in Ketterdam for the second time in years felt—returning from Ravka nonetheless—this time, the plague wasn't her company. The Crows were, her dirty criminal family.

Thus, the peace they were met with was peculiar. Off-putting. Utterly obvious in its truth. Something had changed in Ketterdam and it felt like walking into a lion's den.

"Home sweet home," Jesper said with a sigh as they walked. Kira didn't share the excitement. She was looking around, waiting for the inevitable. Because something was wrong. "Straight off the boat from Ravka and no one was waiting to kill us as soon as we arrived."

"It's too peaceful," Kira pointed out as they walked, stretching her arm out to nick a necklace being sold by a merchant in a little tent. The metal slipped into her hand and Kira glanced at the little pendant hanging from the silver chain. It was stamped with a small rose. How sweet home.

"No. It's a good sign," Jesper insisted. "I think I might celebrate with a little dice and debauchery."

"No debauchery," said Kaz.

"Dice then," Jesper concluded and Kira scrunched up her nose.

"Will they be weighted?"

"Leave it to faith, Kira," Jesper replied, "you can't cheat, it's bad form."

"Smart people don't play fair, Jesper," replied Kira as she locked her arm with Inej's.

"Good people do," Inej said and Kira's grin grew wider.

"I love it when you call me a bad girl, Wraith."

Inej rolled her eyes just as Kira handed her the necklace, letting it fall on Inej's hand. Kira winked at the girl, "Lucky charm. For when we celebrate with a little dice."

"No dice," Kaz snapped, looking at Kira with a scowl. The latter grinned in return. Kaz averted his gaze but Kira saw the frown on his lip soften ever so slightly before he turned away from her. "We have stops to make."

"What's first?" asked Inej. "Tante Heleen?"

"Can I kill her? No, that would break the law of Ghezen. Maim her, perhaps?" asked Kira, looking up at Kaz like a child asking for a present. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Later. Now, we get to the Crow Club."

Getting to the Crow Club, however, would turn out to be quite improbable.

Because Kira had been right when she said it was as if they were walking into a lion's den. The green sign replacing their crow had Pekka Rollins and the Dime Lions written all over it—that and the tattoo on the security's neck. And knowing that Tante Heleen had the deed to the Crow Club, as Kaz had told her, that meant that Kira's dream of killing the Peacock was most likely long gone, or in the least fully achievable—but Kira doubted Tante Heleen would sell her precious golden caged palace.

"Where's our sign?" asked Jesper.

"It's been replaced," said Kaz, his voice hollow.

"The Kaelish Prince?" Inej said into the air and Kira rose an eyebrow, looking up at the sign with a tilted head.

A Kaelish Prince. To a man self-entitled the King of Ketterdam. Her lips parted. Could it be? Did Pekka Rollins find someone who let him anywhere near them without a six-foot pole?

Jesper frowned from her side. "What sort of name is that?"

"Dime Lions," Kira muttered the words just as Kaz spoke them.

"Pekka Rollins owns the Crow Club?" Inej's voice was of disbelief, she looked at Kira searching for answers, because everyone knew Kaz would not be where they could find them.

"It's likely..." Kira grimaced. Likely, was putting things lightly. It was a sure thing that Rollins owned the club. 

"Where does that leave us?" asked Jesper. "Are you saying we have no home?"

Kira ignored him as she stepped closer to Kaz, trying to meet his eyes but Kaz was looking past her. The same look he got whenever he got too close to his skin. The same look he got whenever he was in the sea. He was lost in his mind, in his past by the blank stare in his dark eyes. 

"Kaz?" she spoke his name, and his eyes closed for a moment before they opened again, his jaw clenched and he met her gaze.

"My suits. All my hats," Jesper wailed from behind them breaking whatever connection, whatever understanding they had in that single second.

"Split up. It's not safe," Kaz said hurriedly.

The three nodded and began walking just as a whistle was blown. And Kira grimaced at the sight of the stadwatch surrounding their exits. The corrupted guard of Ketterdam seldom did anything useful if they weren't paid. In money or threats of secrets into the wind. Coming after the four of them was as useless as they could be—whatever it was they were trying to accuse them of, either happened when they were away or was buried in the past.

"Halt! You four. Hands up!" one of them said, a sneer plastered on his face as he pointed at them. He looked at each one of them, "Kaz Brekker. Jesper Fahey. Inej Ghafa. And..." he trailed off, his gaze finding Kira's defiant eyes, "the nameless Whisperer."

They don't know my name. Her face broke into a pleasant smile that matched the man's as he reached closer to them, a sigh leaving his lips. "Only a matter of time before you turned up."

"Is there a problem?" asked Kaz.

"For you? Yeah. You're wanted for murder."

Kira gasped in horror, making a show of slackening her jaw and widening her eyes into their most innocent look. She nearly laughed as the gun that was being pointed at her head lowered slightly. "Murder?"

Getting away with murder was rather easy in the streets of Ketterdam. Kira knew at least a hundred ways of making someone's death look like an accident and another hundred ways how to get rid of the body. The only way you'd get arrested for it was if you were either stupid, set up, or ratted out.

They were clearly being set up.

And if Kira was right and the reason Rollins owned the Club was that Heleen died... then she could guess who they were supposed to have killed. After all, she was in business with Kaz Brekker, and having her body show up wherever it did, broke the sacred bond of commerce in Ghezen's name. That made Kaz look worse than a murderer. It made him look like a bad businessman.

"What? We just got back in town," said Jesper astonished, lowering his arms before raising them again as the gun pointed at Kira and shifted toward him. "Unless it's a crime to kill Volcra."

"Very funny, gunslinger," the man in charge said sending a sarcastic smile at Jesper. "Now, slowly, hand over those shooters." Someone took his guns away before the man turned to Kaz. "And you. Give up the cane." His cane was taken away. "And you, spy..."

Kira glanced to her side and gasped over dramatically. "Saints! Where did she go?" she asked astonished, having to dig her nails into her palms to prevent herself from grinning.

"Oi! Where'd she go?" the man echoed Kira's question. Flailing around like a fish out of the ocean as he searched for someone he would not find.

"Yeah," Jesper drawled. "She does that."

"Three's enough for now. Come on. Off to Hellgate to await trial."

Kira wanted to laugh as they placed the handcuffs at her wrists. She would play along for a while until she knew she was able to save the others, but Hellgate was not part of her plans and she would crash the carriage they were shoved into before they'd reached the wretched prison.

Kira sat beside Kaz, making sure she scooted over on the bench to give him some semblance of space.

"Let's all go back to Ketterdam. It'll be fun, they said," Jesper talked as the carriage moved. He scoffed. "Now I'm off to Hellgate. Hellgate."

Kira didn't say anything, the words being stolen from her as she felt Kaz get closer to her. His shoulder pressed against hers. Kira looked up at him but Kaz was looking ahead, his face pale and a layer of sweat slickening his skin. She looked to his other side and realized the carriage was more cramped than she'd realized.

Kaz's other bench neighbor was pressed against him, a pile of flesh and meat without a sense of personal boundaries. Kira looked back up at Kaz again. He was starting to tremble.

"Pekka's got his grotty fingers in every part of that pie," Jesper kept on talking as Kaz's breathing grew more ragged. "We end up there, we're as good as dead."

Kira turned to her side as Kaz's head started to loll down as if he were nearly fainting. She clenched her jaw and used her hands to push the man beside him away by the handcuffs. Drawing tight circles in the air to drag him away. It didn't do much. 

Kaz still looked like a ghost. No. He looked like he was seeing a ghost. 

"Kaz?" Kira whispered. Kaz's breathing was heavy but he muttered something. Kira didn't catch it. "Kaz, look at me."

Jesper had stopped talking. "Boss?"

Kira met his eyes and they shared a concerned glance.

Kaz hid behind masks of indifference and focus and scowls. It was rare to see a crack in his well-put-up mask. So rare, Kira was beginning to believe those little glimpses she saw of something other than indifference were meant just for her. But Kaz's fears ran deeper than she'd thought because the mask was about to snap in two.

She turned to Kaz again and placed her hand on his. Kaz jerked at the touch. She was about to pull away because she knew she had crossed a line when his gloved fingers gripped hers as if she was his lifeline.

"Hey, stop this wagon!" Jesper shouted banging on the walls of the wagon.

"Kira," Kaz muttered so lowly she would've missed it if she wasn't so close.

Jesper continued in his efforts to stop the carriage. "Shut up!" a prisoner snapped at him. Jesper ignored him.

"Kaz," Kira called her voice above a whisper but still only for his ears, "Just focus on my voice, alright? We just got back from Ravka, remember? Just stay here, in the present. Don't go soft on me now, Dirtyhands. The fun just started."

"Stop this wagon! Now!"  Jesper kept on shouting and the carriage stopping drowned a complaint from yet another prisoner.

Kaz's head rose as the door opened and he let go of Kira's hand. He spared her a glance, one single glance and Kira saw a million emotions flash through his usual void eyes. He turned to the door, his head still bowed in the slightest, his body still faintly trembling.

"You three," the guard said pointing at them. "Out."

"Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure," Jesper said with a smile. "Come on."

•••

"Thank you," Kira said with a smile as a stadwatch guard gently put out a chair for her to seat on as Kaz and Jesper were shoved onto their own. The guard's face flushed and he nodded.

"Watch the coat," Jesper complained, sending Kira a dirty look for being treated like a—for lack of a better word—princess. "What's all this, then?"

Still the same idiot stadwatch guard that had caught them, the man smiled weirdly as he turned to them. "Somebody paid good kruge to spend some time alone with you three."

The double doors behind them opened at once and Dreesen appeared in the doorway, "Criminals."

Kira groaned. 

"Dreesen," Kaz greeted the man who hummed in response as he walked into the room with three bodyguards behind him.

That was the moment Kira stopped listening. 

Her eyes met the gaze of one of the bodyguards and her lips parted, her eyes widening.

She might've let Ravka years ago but those hazel eyes, and infuriating smile, she saw every day in the mirror. Because they were the same as her brother's. And as Nikolai's face mirrored her own in shock, Kira was sure he recognized her too.

Though both of them seemed to be thinking along the same lines as their faces returned to a passive look at once. As if Kira had not just found Nikolai standing as a bodyguard for Dreesen.

Well, now that she thought about it... Nikolai was probably the one behind their job. One million kruge was enough to alert the Merchant council of Dreseen's affair, especially if the money was in the bank. However, if it wasn't his... And instead, it belonged to the prince of Ravka... well, that made more sense. 

What didn't make sense, however, was why Nikolai wanted to collect someone who had been already in Ravka's possession.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Dreesen asked and Kira snapped back to reality, realizing the stadwatch was gone.

"We've been framed for murder?" tried Jesper.

"And evicted?" added Kira.

Dreesen scoffed. "I'm not asking about that. Where is Alina Starkov?"

"We don't have her," replied Kaz.

"Obviously—"

"Then why ask?" asked Kira. Nikolai's mouth tugged into an amused smile.

Dreesen sneered at her. "You left with an advance on my million kruge with passage on my ship. And you dare to return empty-handed. The deal was meant to include one Sun Summoner in exchange for the advance. And you step off the ship with no such person in your possession. Clearly, you must have something of value to me or else you would not have dared—"

"It wasn't your money, Dreesen," Kaz interrupted and Kira smiled proudly. How he had gotten there she didn't know, because he surely didn't recognize Nikolai, but he had nonetheless. "You were brought in as an intermediary. Someone to hire the likes of us. But this operation wasn't yours." His eyes fell on Nikolai.  "It was his. Wasn't it?"

Kira saw Nikolai's lip twitch up.

"Outrageous—"

Her brother cut Dreesen off, "Oh, Yes. convincing," he said condescendingly.  "Thank you, Dreesen, but I'll take it from here."

Nikolai looked at the three of them with a smirk, his eyes finding Kira's and narrowing slightly. When Dreesen didn't move he leaned over to the man.

"That was me politely telling you to get out," he said, with authority. "So go on."

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author's note:

remember when i said it'd
take a while for act two?

well, apparently i'm a liar,
because it's literally been
at most a couple of days.
but i'm enjoying writing
this too much, so i had
to share the first chapter

i hope it wasn't too bad.