THE TRUE SEA was vicious. It was known for its unpredictable storms and its ocean-deep monsters clamping on ships and dragging them into an abyss. But aboard the Ferolind, it appears that only Svetlana knew of the stories of the True Sea, as she was seated on a bench in the middle of the deck, away from the railings overlooking the deep waters while Jesper and Wylan chatted and laughed looking into the horizon.

She wondered just how bad things have been for her to not be able to enjoy the little things, like taking a trip across the True Sea. The last time she was on a cruiser on this open sea was under the hold of the Darkling with Alina, Mal, and Sturmhond hunting for the Sea Whip.

It wasn't the most pleasant of memories.

It's been almost a day since they set sail. Levlik was still in the medik's cabin below deck tending to Inej, trying to find a way to fill her with the blood she lost. Nina was with him, trying to learn his craft as best as she can.

After the war, Svetlana insisted with Zoya and Nikolai to change the course of the young Grisha's studies. When you are discovered as Grisha, you're escorted to the Little Palace to begin your studies and then processed to training. All the Grisha would get divided into their orders, then each order with divided into sections. Corporalki was divided into Heartrenders and Healers, Materialki was divided into Durasts and Alkemis, and the Etherealki were divided into Squallers, Infernis, and Tidemakers.

Thanks to Svetlana and Alina's never-ending persistence, they had the teaching style of each order changed. Usually, only the Etherealki and Heartrenders became soldiers, trained to inflict as much harm as possible with very little time, but they decided that every willing Grisha from every order was to become a soldier.

Heartrenders and Healers studied side-by-side, every Corporalki was able to cause harm as much as to heal it. Durasts and Alkemis worked together to fuse their abilities into strategic attacks and explosions. Working together, every team of Grisha had at least two members of each order, and that raised the percentage of their survival by a lot. It was one of the few things Svetlana and Alina carried pride for.

She watched as Kaz emerged onto the deck, the papers of the Ice Court in his hands. He made a slight head gesture to Jesper who nudged Wylan and waved for her to join them on a forecastle deck. Kaz spread out the sheets and then looked up, Matthias was vomiting over the railing, he gestured for him to join them as well.

Svetlana saw Matthias' face turn yellow at the sight of the plans, she thought he might vomit again but instead, he stood perfectly still (as still as he can be on a swaying ship). Kaz, almost angrily, gestured at the plans, "Why aren't there names on anything?"

"I don't know Fjerdan, and we need the details right," Wylan said, "Helvar should do it."

Svetlana shrugged, "Helvar won't find time to write anything down from between all that glaring and ogling at Nina. Give me the pen, I'll do it."

Matthias' glare turned from Wylan to her in a jerked motion, like he was surprised that she knew how to speak his language, though she already mentioned she was fluent in Fjerdan.

They watched in amazement as Svetlana quickly wrote down each sector's name in Kerch.

"Here," Kaz said, tossing a clear disk to Matthias and then handing one to the rest of them. Without looking up from the plans, Svetlana held her hand up and felt as her own disk was placed on her palm. She spared it one glance then turned back to the plans, awaiting Kaz's instructions.

"What is it?" asked Matthias.

"One of Raske's new inventions."

Svetlana could practically feel the way Wylan's head jerked up, "I thought he only did demo work."

Jesper laughed, "He does everything."

"Wedge it between your back teeth, but don't bite dow—"

Wylan had done exactly that, then he was sputtering and coughing, his eyes twitching as he grimaced and cringed. Svetlana looked up as a transparent film had spread over his lips, bulging like a frog's gullet and Wylan's panicked eyes darted left and right, trying to breathe.

Jesper laughed again, and Kaz shook his head. "I told you not to bite down, Wylan. Breathe through your nose."

Wylan took deep breaths, his nostrils flaring. Jesper chuckled, "Easy, you're going to make yourself pass out."

A thought passed into Svetlana's mind— a memory. "I know these. In Ravka, Squallers knew how to breathe underwater. They'd create some sort of bubble around their heads so they don't choke."

Kaz nodded, but his eyes turned into slits staring at her, and so did Matthias'. "It's called a Baleen. I'd planned to save these, but after that ambush, I don't know what kind of trouble we may run into on the open sea. If you go over and can't come up for air, wiggle it free and bite down. It will buy you ten minutes of breathing time. Less if you panic." he said the last bit with a meaningful stare at Wylan, then he gave him another one. "Be careful with that one."

Svetlana pushed her disk into her mouth and resumed her work. With her tongue, she pushed it to the back of her teeth then aligned it sideways to fit it behind her tooth.

Matthias watched her work, then looked up at Kaz with folded arms. "Your plan won't work."

"You don't even know my plan."

"In through the prison, out through the embassy?"

"As a start."

"It can't be done. The prison is completely isolated from the rest of the Ice Court. It isn't connected to the embassy. There's no way to reach it from there."

"It has a roof, doesn't it?"

Svetlana looked up at the man with a funny haircut with the most puzzled expression, "I'm not climbing no roof, are you a madman? We could fall to our deaths, that building is at least five stories tall!"

Kaz ignored her, and Matthias replied to him with a satisfied smirk. "You can't go to the roof. The drüskelle spend three months working with Grisha prisoners and guards as part of our training. I've been in the prison, and there's no access to the roof for exactly that reason — if someone manages to get out of his cell, we don't want him running around the Ice Court. The prison is totally sealed off from the other two sectors in the outer circle. Once you're in, you're in."

Her stomach started to churn, and a frustrated sigh escaped her mouth. But Kaz met Matthias' glare with one of his one, then he pulled the prison plan from the stack of papers before them. "There's always a way out. You said five floors, right?"

Svetlana nodded, her pen moving smoothly over her fingers and then back again.

"There's the processing area, then four levels of cells. So what's in here? In the basement?"

"Nothing," Matthias shrugged his big shoulders. He reminded Svetlana so much of Tolya with his big build. I miss Tolya and his poetry. "A laundry and the incinerator."

Svetlana's head immediately jerked upwards to Kaz, only to find him already staring at her with a certain glint in his eyes. He smirked at her, "The incinerator."

Svetlana felt like she was being ridiculed. She fixed her posture. "You do know what an incinerator is, right? It's an air-tight closed furnace. Fire. It burns things. It's too hot for any of us to climb."

"He doesn't mean for us to climb it." Nina's voice came from the stairs leading to the deck. Kaz's head popped up to her and glared, "Who's watching Inej?"

"Levlik. Don't foreign concern for Inej when you plan on sending her up a six-story chimney with only a rope and a prayer."

Svetlana snorted, "Not even a prayer, just a rope."

Kaz recomposed himself, his back straight. "The Wraith can handle it."

"The Wraith is a seventeen-year-old girl currently lying unconscious on a table. She may not survive the night."

"She will." Kaz's eyes flashed something barbaric and savage, the fire from earlier when he was carrying her onto the ship returning. Svetlana suspected he cared for the girl more than he'd like to admit. She was more than just a crew member, she was his humanity.

"Why are we talking about scaling chimneys when we've got a bigger problem?" Jesper asked as he started cleaning out his rifle.

"And what's that?" Kaz asked, his hands lying on top of one another. He knew what Jesper was talking about.

"We have no business going after Bo Yul-Bayur if Pekka Rollins is involved."

Svetlana rolled her eyes, "Pekka Rollins is a coward and a weakling. He's going nothing on us in the Ice Court. If he is there and gets in our way, I'll take care of him."

The first time Svetlana made it to Ketterdam, after her successful escape from the Darkling and Ravka, Pekka Rollins' gang was the first to trap her and tried to convince her to join them. They weren't kind to her, nor was he willing to let her go. Svetlana had to reach to some... unnerving methods to escape his hold. His men still whisper the events of that night like it was some sort of folktale.

She always hated powerful men.

Kaz nodded, "If you see him, don't kill him." His eyes were unfocused, he looked into the distance as a disturbing memory climbed its way to the forefront of his mind. Svetlana frowned, "Why not?"

"I have something much worse planned for him."

She shrugged, "Fair enough."

Wylan shook his head, "Pekka Rollins is the biggest, baddest operator in all of Ketterdam. He has money we don't have, connections we don't have, and probably a head start."

Jesper nodded in agreement, "For once, Wylan is making sense. If by some miracle we manage to spring Bo Yul-Bayur before Rollins does, once he finds out we're the ones who beat him to it, we're all dead men."

Kaz and Svetlana met each other's gaze and rolled their eyes simultaneously, the sight made Jesper and Nina meet each other's eyes with the same thought in mind; we have another Kaz.

"Pekka Rollins is a Barrel Boss," Kaz said. "No more, no less."

"Stop making him out to be some kind of immortal," Svetlana added.

Jesper sighed and leaned back on the barrel he was seating on, "You think Per Haskell is going to back you when he finds out you crossed Pekka Rollins? You think the old man wants that war?"

"Per Haskell is a puss if I ever saw one. He's barely a Barrel Boss. All he cares about is the money Kaz makes for him and the title of 'boss of the Dregs'. We know how true that is." She raised her brows at Jesper, and he only pressed his lips together. "You've been here... what? Three days? You know the Dregs better than Nina, and she's been with us nearly a year."

Svetlana shrugged, "What can I say, Ketterdam gang Bosses are predictable."

Kaz nodded in agreement with her, "If we pull off this job and divvy up that haul, we'll be the legends of the Barrel. We'll be the crew that beat Pekka Rollins."

"Maybe we should forget approaching from the north," said Wylan. "If Pekka's crew has a head start, we should head straight to Djerholm."

"That's an immediate fail," replied Svetlana.

"The harbor will be crawling with security," added Kaz. "Not to mention all the usual customs agents and lawmen."

"It's a hazard."

Wylan pressed his lips together, "The south? Through Ravka?"

Shit. "That's too much walking. We won't get there in time even with a carriage," Svetlana said, almost rushing with her answer.

Nina nodded, "And the border is locked down tight."

"It's a big border," said Matthias, looking at her.

"But there's no way to know where it's most vulnerable," she replied. "Unless you have some magical knowledge about which watchtowers and outposts are active." Svetlana has that knowledge, but she kept her eyes trained on Nina without a word. She could feel sweat gathering at the nape of her neck. "Besides, if we enter from Ravka, we have to contend with Ravkans and Fjerdan."

Svetlana shrugged, and Kaz's eyes that have been fixated on her slither into thin lines. "Anything you'd like to add, Kozlov?"

She sighed. "There are five watchtowers all across the border, and outposts set between each watchtower. Throughout the year, only three of the five watchtowers are functional, then they switch out every three months. The outposts are always working."

Nina stared at the half-Suli girl with parted lips, then her mouth stretched into a grin. "You're Ravkan?"

Svetlana matched her smile, "What gave it away? I thought I'd be better at hiding it."

Nina shrugged, "You are good at hiding it, but no Kerch girl would know that much about Ravkan borders. What was your rank?"

Oh. Nina thought Svetlana was an otkazat'sya soldier, she smiled sheepishly and before she got to reply, Kaz interrupted her. "We enter from the north as planned."

She almost turned to thank him. Jesper groaned, "Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I'm going to get Wylan's ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost."

Kaz's lips quirked. "I'll just hire Matthias' ghost to kick your ghost's ass."

"My ghost won't associate with your ghost," Matthias mumbled grimly.

"I'll just have my ghost drag you all back to your bodies because none of us are dying. I don't know about the lot of you but I have important business to tend to back in Ketterdam." Svetlana folded her arms, a small smile tugging at her lips.

          SVETLANA WAS BACK in her seat after that brief meeting with the crew when Levlik came up on deck. He spotted her and walked over, trying to wipe his hands clean of Inej's blood and whatever other grimes he managed to catch from down there. He sat beside her.

Genya always told her she was good at reading people, she could tell if someone was lying to her or trying to set her mind at ease, and she could tell when someone was troubled and when they needed comforting. She knew something bothered Levlik the moment he took a seat beside her.

She stared at him for a minute, and he avoided her eyes by looking into the horizon. The sun was setting and it set an orange flame across the otherwise deep-blue waters. It was a lovely scene, and Levlik almost felt bad for ruining it.

"What is it?" she asked, still looking at him with concern. Levlik's eyes were cast downward and he sighed. "It's the girl."

Immediately, Svetlana repositioned herself, her back stood straight, her eyes focused and hanging onto his every word. "What happened?" she readied herself for the wost.

Levlik allowed a hand to rest on her knee, "She's stable for now, but she's lost a lot of blood. I need to do a blood transfusion but I don't know anyone's type here."

She nodded because she knew what he was asking, of course she knew what he was asking. "And I'm a good candidate for it?"

Levlik nodded.

Years ago, before Svetlana left for Ravka, every time someone was hurt under her watch, she would volunteer to give her blood to keep them alive. Levlik was the best Healer they've got, and he always worked with her to do them. He knows better than anyone, her blood will keep that Suli girl alive.

She nodded back and then stood up. "Alright then, what are you waiting for?"

The surgeon cabin Inej was lying in crept Svetlana to the extent where she could feel every hair on her body rise in alarm. She released a deep breath and greeted a yellow-faced Nina before taking a seat at the foot of Inej's makeshift bed.

Levlik got to work by rolling up her sleeve, and Svetlana's eyes focused on the door of the cabin. When Nina peered at Levlik's work, she realized why she was not staring at his handsy work.

Svetlana's arm was full of scars. They stood out on her skin, causing pumps and indents across her arm, and some reached up and under the fabric of her tunic. Nina glanced up at her, but Svetlana was determined to keep her eyes on the door.

Levlik rolled up Inej's sleeve and then retrieved a tube and a scalpel from his bag of necessities for this trip. Nina watched with intensity as he cut into Svetlana's scarred arm, inserted the tube, then made a matching cut on Inej's and inserted the other end. She watched him use his Corporalki abilities to control the flow of their blood, making sure Svetlana's remained clean as it poured into Inej's system.

Nina watched as the color returned to Inej, while Svetlana remained unmoving and unfeeling. Minutes passed, then Levlik stopped the procedure. He repaired the cut he created on both of the girls' arms, then Svetlana was out of the room silently.

She pushed through the crew below deck to her room where she locked the door and double over into the empty filth basket beside her bed.

          SVETLANA CHOSE TO remain locked in her room for the entirety of the next day. She only emerged sometime around midnight to go check on Inej, Nina, and Levlik in the surgeon's cabin only to find the boy excusing himself to leave. "Lev? What is it?"

He whirled around to see her, then grinned. "She's awake." then continued on his walk towards the stairs.

With a smile, Svetlana reached the door and peeked within. Inej was still lying, but her eyes were open and her lips were moving, so that's a good sign. Nina sat beside her, as close as she can get, and she too was talking.

"I'm a very valuable investment," said Inej, and for a moment Svetlana thought the girl just called herself an investment, but Nina's reaction and gasp told her that maybe it was Brekker who did.

"Tell me he didn't say that."

"Of course he did. Well, not the valuable part."

Nina rolled her eyes, "Idiot."

"How's Matthias?"

"Also an idiot."

Svetlana knocked twice on the door, a small smile making it to her face and Nina grinned back at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. Just wanted to check on Inej."

"Oh please, it's no trouble at all. Have a seat, we were just talking."

Svetlana could almost say she missed girl gossip, but she's been around Zoya long enough to have gossip for the next three lifetimes, she was just grateful for these two's continuous chatter. Boys, jobs, risks, she could talk about that.

Inej smiled at her, "Nina said you saved my life. You and the Healer, Livelik, was it?"

"Levlik. He's good at his craft. And I didn't do anything."

Nina rolled her eyes, "Quite being humble, you saved her life." Svetlana only shrugged in response, her smile never leaving.

The Heartrender turned to the Wraith, "Do you think you can eat?"

Inej immediately shook her head, and Nina frowned, "Try, there wasn't much of you to begin with."

"I just want to rest for now."

Nina nodded, "Of course, I'll turn down the lantern." she began to stand up but Inej reached out for her again. "Don't. I don't want to go back to sleep yet."

"I could read to you if I had anything to read," Nina said, then tilted her head. "There's this Heartrender at the Little Palace who can recite epic poetry for hours. Then you'd wish you had died."

Svetlana smiled, Tolya. "Poetry is perfectly fine, maybe he's just passionate."

Nina made a noise and shrugged, Inej laughed then winced. "Just stay. Both of you."

"All right," said Nina, settling in her chair. "Since you want to talk. Tell me why you don't have the cup and crow on your arm."

Cup and crow, that's the Dregs' symbol. Every member of the gang has one, and Svetlana saw Nina's. She realized that she didn't see one on Inej, only the scarred tissue on her wrist.

"Starting with the easy questions?"

Nina crossed her legs and planted her chin in her hands. "Waiting."

Inej sighed. "You saw my scars." Nina and Svetlana nodded. "When Kaz got Per Haskell to pay off my indenture with the Menagerie, the first thing I did was have the peacock feather tattoo removed."

Inej was indentured to the Menagerie? 

Svetlana had paid off a few girls' indentures to the Menagerie herself, she knew how powerful Tante Heleen can be. Suddenly, Inej wasn't just another spider crawling the Barrel, she was a warrior and a survivor, Svetlana can understand that.

Nina seemed to already know this information as she tilted her head again, looking at where the peacock feather tattoo used to lie. "Whoever took care of it did a pretty shit job."

"He wasn't a Corporalki or even a medik, just some butcher." She took a moment to stare at the scar. "Kaz told me I didn't have to do anything but make myself useful."

"Kaz seems unable to say the right things," Svetlana mumbled, "I could have Levlik take a look at those scars if you'd like? Smooth them over?"

Inej grinned at her, "That would be lovely, but maybe once we're back in Ketterdam. I need the motivation of this." She held up her hand then dropped it again. Then she shifted slightly, "Kaz said if I proved myself I could join the Dregs when I was ready. And I did. But I didn't take the tattoo."

Nina's brows rose. "I didn't think it was optional."

"Technically it isn't. I know some people don't understand, but Kaz told me... he said it was my choice, that he wouldn't be the one to mark me again."

Svetlana smiled, "So he's in love with you basically."

In seconds, Nina burst into loud laughter and Inej's brown skin turned deep red. Her eyes shut tightly and Nina slapped her own knee. Svetlana chuckled.

When they both calmed down, Nina gave Inej a knowing glance paired with a secretive smile, to which Inej rolled her eyes at. "He's not in love with me, he's just... protective of his people, that's all."

"I don't think he gives every member of the Dregs the choice to mark themselves Inej. He cares about you. Deeply."

"Whatever. Talk."

Nina shook her head. "Your eyelids are drooping. You should sleep."

"Don't like boats. Bad memories."

"Me too." Both Nina and Svetlana said, then shared a glance, an appreciative smile going around.

"Sing something, then."

Nina laughed, but it was quieter this time. "Remember what I said about wishing you were dead? You do not want me to sing."

"Please?"

"Yes, sweet Nina, sing us something." Svetlana giggled.

Nina rolled her eyes at the pair. "I only know Ravkan folk tunes and Kerch drinking songs."

"Drinking song. Something rowdy, please."

Nina snorted, and Svetlana settled in her seat for the show. "Only for you, Wraith." She cleared her throat and began. She couldn't finish two lines before Svetlana and Inej giggled, holding each other's hands. "You're right. You couldn't carry a tune in a bucket."

"I told you that."

"Maybe I could sing to you?"

Nina hummed, "Let's see what you can do then, Kozlov."

While she was away at sea, sailing with Sturmhond and his crew to Ravka across the True Sea, Svetlana may have learned a song or two from the Privateer's crew.

She cleared her throat and began, she sang them a sea shanty that Tolya and Tamar taught her. It was loud and lewd, but it made them laugh. Then she sang another one, one taught to her by Sturmhond himself. She was seated on the edge of the ship when he joined her, charming his way to get a laugh out of her. 

Inej and Nina requested to learn the chorus of that one, and she happily obliged. The three of them sang together, just girls on a ship having a good time, mumbling and muttering, hopelessly out of key, until the sun came up and the lanterns burnt low.