CHAPTER ONE:
WELCOME TO HELLSHOW

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"I DON'T LIKE THIS."

"Please, Savni darling, tell me something I don't already know."

Savni had spent a grand total of thirty days as an official member of the Crows. She even had their crow and cup tattoo on her inner forearm, much to the bemusement of her boss when she sought him out for it a week in. She had spent thirty days under the thumb of Kaz Brekker, clashing with Death, one of the newest friends she'd made, more times than she cared for as she patched up the wounds He inflicted on the others. Her friends of the living kind, as she called them. The way Savni saw it, if she was going to hit rock bottom, she was going to make the most of it. Nevertheless, she was no fool, despite what Kaz believed. Breaking into Hellgate was a wound that even Savni wasn't sure she could heal if it came down to it. And if there was one thing that ran true, it was the knowledge that Savni was tired of surrendering control.

"Kaz dearest, you don't understand," she said, the vaguest hint of panic creeping into her voice as Muzzen guided the rowboat further away from the harbour and closer to the island of Terrenjel, where Hellgate and the most wicked resided. "I really don't like this."

Kaz frowned. Or maybe he glared at her. With only the dim light of Hellgate's lanterns glowing in the distance, it was hard for Savni to differentiate between the usual expressions of distrust and distaste he reserved just for her. Savni darling and Kaz dearest were polar opposites. It seemed Kaz dearest was already running out of patience.

"I told you to stay back at the Slat," he grumbled, keenly aware that they weren't alone. "Did you listen to me?"

"When do I ever listen to you?" she rolled her eyes. "And it's not wrong for me to change my mind!"

"No," Kaz agreed. "Just infuriating."

Opposite them, Nina sat with her head in her hands, neither disappointed nor surprised to hear them arguing again. In the thirty wretched days Savni had spent alongside them, Kaz had seemingly decided it was his mission to remind her just what she'd signed up for. By all means, he had no problem with the deal they'd struck. Rare were the occasions where Dirtyhands regretted his decisions, as it wasn't an entirely stupid idea to have a Healer on hand with what laid in wait for them. But something about it being Savni Brennan, with time, seemed to grate on his nerves.

"Lower your veils, would you?" he directed at both her and Nina, who was doing her best to keep her silk blue veil of the Lost Bride costume from flying away with the midnight breeze. In truth, Savni wasn't sure why Kaz had given them the costumes of the Komedie Brute to wear. She just knew the mesh ribbon that looped around the base of her neck was starting to irritate her skin, and Kaz was about to pay the price for it. "That means you too, Brennan."

She huffed, yanking the veil over her head with more force than necessary, but it got the point across. "Sir, yes, sir."

Kaz rolled his eyes and glared again. In other words, his expression stayed the same.

A moment later, the rowboat crept out of the fog and Savni understood the reason for his sudden urgency. On either side of them, several other rowboats departed from the safety of the fog, carrying the shapes of various other Madmen, Lost Brides and the likes. Savni had no doubt Kaz would've been smirking beneath the long nose and bulging eyes of his Madmen mask, looking the picture of his insane character with his bright orange cape to match. She resisted the urge to sharply elbow his ribcage like Ritu used to do to her when Savni goaded her with the same smirk. And all at once, the fight drained out of her.

Savni had tried not to think of her mother and sister in the month she spent following Kaz Brekker around like a lost puppy. For all she knew, they could already be dead. For the longest time, she'd believed it herself, but her father hadn't. Fionn never gave up hope, even when it was suffocated out of him. Savni wished she was like her father. Like her mother and Ritu.

Ritu would've never been caught dead in Ketterdam, sharing a boat with the odd trio consisting of Kaz Brekker, Nina Zenik and Muzzen, their club bouncer. Ritu would've found another way to avenge her mother, to avenge Savni if their roles were reversed. She was good. Soft-hearted. Everything, Savni noticed, Kaz Brekker resented. He would've never been caught dead making deals with the older Brennan sister.

"Couldn't you just bribe the warden?" Nina's complaint disrupted Savni's thoughts.

Kaz scoffed. "I don't need him knowing he has something I want."

Savni hated when she agreed with him.

One-by-one, the boats scraped against the sandy shore outside Hellgate. When their own rowboat beached alongside them, two men rushed forward to haul them further onto land. Savni stiffened as she caught an unmistakable glimpse of the tattoos on their forearms; a feral looking cat curled into the rancid shape of a crown. She managed the tiniest glance Kaz' way, immediately noticing how his lips thinned into a sneer. Dime Lions. Pekka's men.

Savni was familiar in name only with Pekka Rollins. He'd had no interest in her until she'd already joined the Crows and by then he was much too late to snatch what he thought Kaz Brekker wanted right from under his nose. Savni stuck to the Crows like glue, even then, when Pekka wasn't around and it was just his lackeys. She looped her arm around Nina's as they clambered out of the boat, pausing only for kruge to be exchanged from Kaz' hand to the Dime Lions. Then, once it was thoroughly counted, they were waved on mindlessly. Nothing remained in their way of Hellgate, and Savni couldn't help but linger on the way that Nina's body suddenly grew tense, eyes glinting with a foolish sense of hope.

Savni prayed to Inej's saints that Nina wasn't about to get hurt again. She'd come to value both her and Inej as the only females left in her life. She dreaded the thought of seeing them suffer in a way she couldn't fix.

"This way," muttered Kaz, prompting Savni to fall into step a few feet behind him.

A side door had been propped open against the rough black stone of Hellgate's exterior walls. It was guarded by another brainless member of the Dime Lions, who waved a brawny arm to signal them through. Savni's heart began to pound as they entered the prison kitchen. There was no light apart from the dim glow of the hallway waiting at the other end, but Savni caught Nina's gaze focusing on her; then, with a brief wave of Nina's free hand, her heart began to slow just enough that Savni could notice it and breathe again.

She got like that sometimes. Too caught up in her own head that her body began to betray her. She tried to fight it, to grasp onto that control, but often her efforts were in vain. Nina was always there with her Heartrender abilities. And if not Nina, then one of the others — Kaz dearest excluded, of course — to unknowingly distract her.

Savni sighed, squeezing Nina's arm in thanks before forcing her attention back to the kitchen. It smelled... strange, like a sickly mix of vinegar, cooking oil and a hint of sage. Then, the deeper they delved and the closer they came to the hallway that led to the entry, the scent gave way to the unmistakable stench of mildew, urine and unwashed bodies. Savni gagged beneath her veil, having to resist the urge to cover her nose.

Not soon enough, they had stepped out onto a high stone walkway that connected the main prison to what looked like another tower. The wind had picked up outside, lashing the flashes of Savni's exposed skin with sea spray and a false sense of clean air. She nudged her way closer to Nina, who stared into the shadows uneasily before rounding on Kaz.

"Where are we going?" she hissed loud enough for only him, Savni and Muzzen to hear.

Kaz didn't answer. Savni wasn't surprised. She had quickly learnt not to expect anything out of Kaz Brekker beyond poorly concealed anger and a sheer sense of stubborness. He didn't even look their way, like Nina had never spoken in the first place. Nor did he react when a figure suddenly dropped out of the shadows, falling into step beside Savni like she'd been with them since the rowboat. Nina froze, her shock radiating through her, while Savni merely smiled.

"Inej," she said. "You're here."

"Sav," Inej smiled back at her.

Like the others, she'd also donned one of the costumes of the Komedie Brute; the high-necked tunic and horns of the Grey Imp. Despite that, Savni had attuned herself to the way Inej moved. Every step was silent and unnoticeable in even the quietest of rooms, but when Savni's eyes were physically on her she could pick her out of hundreds. She moved like a ballerina — no, a gymnast; graceful, careful, each step planned in advance. Even in disguise, Savni would know her.

"Wait, Inej?" Nina whispered in disbelief. "How did you even get here?"

Inej shrugged. "I came earlier on a supply barge."

Nina huffed loud enough that Savni heard her and grimaced. "Do people just come and go from Hellgate for fun?"

"Once a week they do."

"... What do you mean once a—"

"Keep quiet," Kaz ordered, at last losing his patience.

It was strange to see him without his signature cane, his injured leg causing a limp despite his best efforts to conceal the uneven movement with his cape. Savni would've offered to heal it — the best she could, of course; she was no Saint, and old wounds healed wrong were out of her hands as a Grisha, but at the very least she could alleviate some of his pain if she wanted — though the very first time she offered, he'd barked at her to mind her business and she never did bring it up again. So why bother now? He knew she was there, what she was. He'd just have to ask.

Furiously, Nina spat, "Don't shush me, Brekker. If it's this easy to get into Hellgate—"

"The problem isn't getting in, it's getting out," he retorted, tone insolent, like Nina should've known this already. "Now shut up and stay alert."

For once, Nina kept quiet but she swallowed her anger like it was poison. She met Savni's eyes and glared as she giggled, waving her fingers threateningly in Savni's face. With that, they continued their descent into Hell, entering a tight passageway that pushed Savni up against Kaz' back. She was quick to correct the gesture, but it was much too late. Kaz's shoulders bunched into knots. She was sure he would've shoved her had there been more room.

"Sorry," she whispered, for she wasn't a total grouch, only when it came to him.

Kaz didn't reply but some of the tension peel away from him then and Savni breathed a sigh of relief. This tower seemed different from the first — older, somehow, swamped by that increasingly familiar pungent scent of mildew, urine and decay. The Dime Lion at the next entrance pushed open the heavy iron door, trapping them in that rancid stench as the door slammed behind them. Down the staircase spiralled, leaving Savni's head spinning when she reached the bottom. With Nina now clinging to the wall, Savni searched for a new hand to hold and turned to smile at Inej. Inej smiled back, the horns of her costume swaying as she ducked her head down shyly.

"Where are we?" Nina asked, leaning as close to Kaz as she dared.

His response was quick and sharp. "This is the old prison. When they built the new tower, they left this one standing."

From inside one of the cells, Savni heard the sound of a pained moan. She gasped. "You mean, they still keep prisoners in here? With us? Right now?"

"Don't blow a blood vessel, Darling," Savni could just hear the amusement in Kaz' voice and despised it. "They only keep the worst of them."

She glanced at the next cell warily, feeling no relief when she found it empty. "You do know how to comfort me, Dearest."

At last, they reached their destination. The enthusiastic chants of a crowd greeted them, ringing in Savni's ears as their surroundings opened up in a sudden rush of light. At the same time, Inej warily squeezed her hand, the two girls gazing down at a sea of people. Some wore the costumes of the Komedie Brute while others braved their everyday appearances. At a nearby archway, the Dime Lion from the last door stopped in his tracks and handed them over to a stony-faced guard clutching a rifle.

"Five more for you," shouted the Dime Lion before rounding on Kaz. "If you need to leave, the guard will call for an escort. No one goes wandering off without a guide, understood?"

Kaz nodded eagerly. "Of course, of course, wouldn't dream of it."

"Enjoy," the Dime Lion grinned with rotted teeth, fortunately leaving them to return to his post. He was starting to give Savni the creeps.

The guard waved them through the arch and onto a jutting stone ledge that overlooked a crudely shaped amphitheatre several floors below. The tower had been gutted to create an arena, like something out of the ancient times. The five pushed as close to the front as they dared, tucked in tight despite Savni's efforts to give Kaz a wide berth. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice, too caught up in the ruckus occurring below. 

In front of the dark mouth of a carved out cave, a man in shackles stood next to a giant wooden wheel marked with what looked, from this distance, like drawings of animals. Savni tried to squint for a better look but quickly gave up, suddenly feeling sick. The shackles made him look like a pig for slaughter; beside him was his butcher, a younger man who wore a cape made out of lion's skin and a garish gold crowd forged from the lion's bones.

"Spin the wheel," he commanded, gleaming eyes staring hungrily, hauntingly, at the prisoner beside him.

The prisoner obeyed. Time seemed to freeze as the red needle ticked along the edges, slowly but surely coming to stop on this man's opponent. Savni couldn't figure out what the animal was meant to be but the crowd went wild around them, clapping their hands and stomping their feet so harshly she was sure the ledge would collapse out from underneath them.

"I'm going to be sick," Savni muttered to Inej, who only gripped her hand in response.

The prisoner trembled with anticipation and fear as time suddenly sped back up. His chains were removed, but there was no escape for him like there was the lion man, who was raised out of the pit on a rope ladder victoriously. The only other exit was the cave, where a vicious hissing noise was emitting from. Out launched an unnatural-looking reptile. Its teeth were razor sharp and dripping with foam. The grey-green scales were stained with old blood. It was something surely made in a lab, torn from the pages of a scary story. Yet there it was, about to shred this man with its claws as Savni watched on.

"What is that thing?" Nina asked. Her face was pale.

Perhaps she is now realising what awaits her Fjerdan, Savni thought grimly.

"Rinca moten," Inej grimaced. "A desert lizard. The poison from its mouth is lethal."

Nina didn't answer at first. "It seems pretty slow on its feet," she attempted to reason.

"Yes. It seems that way."

The prisoner stood no chance. He barely lasted ten seconds. With her heart in her throat, Savni at last averted her eyes from the gory scene, her hands tingling with the urge to heal the gaping wound on the man's shoulder where the lizard was slowly gnawing on bits of his flesh. The crowd booed in disappointment.

Savni leaned in so Kaz could hear her. "Is there a point to us being here or are you just getting off on the bloodshed?"

"Can't it be both?"

"You sicken me."

"More than the lizard eating that man's arm?" he retorted, glancing down at her and Inej's hands. So he'd heard her earlier. Good.

"I want to know too," Nina piped up in defence of Savni. "What is this?"

"Welcome to Hellshow," said Kaz. "Pekka Rollins got the idea a few years back and pitched it to the right Council member."

Well, that explained the Dime Lions presence. Savni never expected them to volunteer for something like this unless they got something out of it.

"The Merchant Council knows?" Nina exclaimed, a little loud for their surroundings.

Kaz speared her with a warning glare. "Of course they know, Nina. There's money to be made here."

The crowd's booing increased in intensity as the Dime Lions prodded the desert lizard back to the cave with long spears. It disappeared without a fight, leaving what was left of the prisoner to be swept out of the arena.

Nina's disbelief quickly morphed into indignation. "Why are they complaining? Isn't this what they came here for?"

"They wanted a fight," Kaz explained what Savni was already thinking. "They were expecting him to last longer."

"Against that thing?" Savni wondered curiously. "With the teeth sharp enough to rip through bone? That was generous of them."

"This is disgusting," Nina spat, gazing around in search of the nearest exit.

Kaz shrugged. "Only disgusting thing about it is that I didn't think of it first."

Savni scoffed. "You would say that."

"These men aren't slaves, Kaz," Nina interrupted what Savni was certain would've been a snide remark.

"No," he shockingly agreed. "Just murderers and rapists."

"And thieves and con artists," added Nina. "Your people."

"Nina, sweet, they aren't forced to fight. They line up for the chance. They earn better food, private cells, liquor, jurda, conjugals with girls from West Stave."

Muzzen cracked his knuckles. "Sounds better than we got it at the Slat."

"Don't give Kaz any ideas," Savni muttered the second she spotted his head tilt consideringly.

"Helvar doesn't..." Nina hesitated. "Helvar doesn't fight in the arena... does he?"

Savni had been waiting for her to ask. So had Kaz, who seemed to find joy in her worry. "We aren't here for the ambience."

"... Are you aware that I could waggle my fingers and make you wet your trousers?"

"I'd pay good kruge to see that," Savni smirked, to which Inej huffed out a laugh.

Kaz rolled his eyes. "Easy, Heartrender. I like these trousers. And if you start messing with my vital organs, Matthias Helvar will never see sunshine again."

Nina managed a smile until Kaz' words dawned on her. She settled for glaring at the ground, pointlessly stubborn despite Inej's attempts at getting her attention.

"Nina—"

"Don't you start on me."

"It will all work out," she assured her. "Let Kaz do what he does best."

Nina's lower lip wobbled. "He's horrible."

"But effective."

"Unfortunately," Savni sighed.

"Being angry at Kaz for being ruthless is like being angry at a stove for being hot," Inej continued. "You know what he is."

Abruptly, Nina crossed her arms. "I'm mad at you too."

Savni frowned. "Me? Or Inej?"

"Both," Nina said, as if the two girls were a package deal.

"But why?" Inej asked, remaining straight-faced as Savni gasped at her in offence.

"I don't yet. I just am."

Around them, the crowd suddenly grew tense. Everyone began to whisper to each other eagerly as they eyed the cave mouth for the next horror show. Nina's anger was forgotten as Savni looped their arms together again, holding her steady for who they knew they were about to see.

Matthias Helvar. Druskellë. By nature, Savni wanted to hate him. Everything she did was for the good of others, and her kind was repaid with callous torture as a thank you. But Nina loved him. She wanted to break him out of Hellgate, a high-security prison kept under the thumb of Pekka Rollins. And Savni loved Nina, her friend, regardless of whatever Kaz had as his own motives. If Nina said Matthias was worth saving, then Savni would listen.

The crowd's whispers up-ticked into echoing cheers. It was show time.