𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

Ⅳ 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒍 𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚

BREY SUMMONED A GOLD ORB TO HER PALMS AND GAVE ACE A NOD. They unsheathed their sword, spinning in once in their hand. Brey tore the door open holding the bullets in the air. The men around her, two brutes and four with pistols stopped, watching the golden lights flicker. Barely a second later a green vial flew past Brey and smashed against the ground, making a covering of mist that lifted covering the men's eyes. Ace stepped out, their sword at their side as they both watched the men who stumbled around confused, Brey dropped her hands as the bullets clattered against the ground.

Then, they attacked at once. Ace spun the sword, slashing up and then down through one of the larger men, landing hits on his knees and torso splashing blood over the cobblestone floors and Ace's arms. Brey grabbed one's gun and stabbed her blade up through his arm, pulling it backwards. Blood splashed over her face and she spat it from her lips. "Who are these guys?" Ace called, pulling the sword along the man's neck, leaving him convulsing on the floor. Another tried running at her but she kicked him back.

Brey stuck another, bushing her brass knuckles into his knee, cracking it backwards. As he fell, Brey grabbed his shirt and pulled it back from his neck revealing the lion head tattoo. Brey reeled her arm back and cracked her fist against the man's nose. "Rollins's Dime Lions," Brey said stabbing a man through his hand, making him drop the gun. Then another quick slash along his throat. "It's a set-up."

Ace stumbled back as a round of bullets was sent their way. Brey tossed the knife in her hand and threw it through the man's neck. Ace stood quickly, running to the man and slashing twice, cutting along his thigh and then cutting off the hand that held the gun. They tossed it up in their hands and then ran it through the man's body. Brey turned as one of the larger men struck across her face. Ace tried to run for her but a second round of bullets barreled towards them. Brey raised her hands but the man kicked her hand into the floor making her scream. As Brey reached for her second blade the man struck another fist across her face and then picked up the knife throwing it away.

The man kicked her away and as Ace quickly finished off the man with the gun, the large man stalked toward them. Brey pushed herself to her knees, trying to summon with both hands but she winced and fell down. Ace flipped the sword in their hands and slashed, cutting the man's upper arms as he covered his face. He laughed and as Ace struck against he grabbed the sword, walking them both backwards. Ace cursed and the man reached for a shiv.

Brey pulled her hand up and made a swiping motion in front of her. The energy pulled itself together, forming a slim blade like shape.  The shot of bright gold light spun out, slicing through the man's torso. It faded with a spark and the man stumbled before dropping to his knees, his upper half sliding off his body.

Ace stared down in shock, their hands shaking as they stared down at the mutilated body. Blood and cuts has spilled to the some floor, splashing against Ace's shoes. "Ace," Brey called, standing up and stumbling to Ace. "Ace we have to go."

"What was that?" Ace whispered.

Brey looked over her shoulder as the horns of the Stadwatch echoed through the air. "I don't know okay, but we have to go," Brey insisted. They spun and ran down an alleyway.

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THE TWO WALKED THROUGH THE TRAILS OF BLACK VEIL, BREY'S HAND STILL TWSITED. Ace looked back over their shoulder before gently tapping Brey's arm. "Was that the Cut?" Ace asked quietly, looking up at Brey expectantly.

"I don't know," Brey answered, her breath warm against her cold lips, making a small mist in the air. "It looked like it though. The Darkling did the same thing when I fought him."

Ace's head snapped up and they stared at Brey with wide eyes. "You fought the Darkling?"

"Briefly," Brey corrected while clearing her throat. "Dodged a Cut then held back The Fold and his Heartrender." A twig snapped up ahead and Ace's head whipped around.

"Is this the right place?" Ace asked looking around at the fog covered ground and tall dark trees. "It's very ominous."

Brey nodded, keeping her gaze forward. "Black Veil's a plague cemetery, no one dares come here anymore," Brey relayed and Ace gave an uneasy nod. "That means we're the only ones here." Brey walked to the tomb shaped as a boat. Kaz and she hid in one time a job went bad, the entire was complete insulated, doors and extra room but it was still a tomb.

"Where are they?" Nina's loud voice called, she and the others were confined within the stone walls.

"Present and accounted for," Brey answered, opening the stone door and letting Ace pass through. Wylan cursed and hid behind Jesper as he noticed the blood.

"You've been busy," Inej mumbled, her weight on Nina's arms as she looked at the small cuts on Inej's arms.

"We're alright thanks," Brey snarked.

"If it's any comfort, absolutely none of it is our blood," Ace said with a shrug.

"Of course," Jesper muttered and Brey scoffed.

"Tell me you go it," Kaz spoke up and Brey reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a slim document.

"What's on it?" Inej asked, moving away from Nina slightly.

"Rollins has money peddling in from the shows at Hellgate to..." Brey flipped it around and displayed the scrawled Kerch stained with splatters of blood. "See bank documents for details."

"Brey," Inej called as Kaz turned away. "Can you take a look at these please?"

Brey nodded and she and Inej slipped further back into the empty tomb. Once they were out of sight Brey quickly cracked her hand back into place. She winced and shook out her hand before moving to Inej's side, taking her arm and inspecting the cut. "Uh, it would make this easier and less complicated process if you could remove your blouse, please," Brey requested before turning her head away.

Inej chuckled but she winced softly as she removed the fabric stuck to her skin. "You could've asked normally," Inej said with a shrug.

"I didn't want to seem rude," Brey said turning back to Inej. Brey took a closer look at the cut and cursed. "You didn't happen to sneak a medical kit in, did you?"

"Not this time," Inej laughed.

"Ace!" Brey called and a moment later Ace walked through the doorway, their red coat left somewhere in the front part of the tomb revealing the tight turtle neck and layers of glass vials attached to necklaces. "Can I borrow your Alkemi skills?"

"Shit," Ace cursed as they saw the cut.

"That bad?" Inej asked, trying to look at the cut just above the back of her elbow.

"Think I can see the bone," Brey said making an exaggerated face and making Inej laugh. "Can you make a disinfectant?"

"Brey," Kaz yelled, his head appearing in the archway. "Swap with Nina, I need you to translate this, it's Kaelish." Nina gave Brey a comforting nod and the Brey walked to Kaz, taking the book from him.

"You're aware Nina reads Kae- Oh," Brey mumbled as she flipped the pages open.

"What is it?" Wylan asked, taking a small step forward.

"Old Kaelish, stuff that you kind of only learn on the Isle," Brey realized, her eyes scanning the pages quickly. "He bought out Fifth harbor." Brey picked up the spare paper and flipped through the rest of the pages.

"Inej took some serious damage," Jesper piped up, but Kaz didn't move from looking over Brey's shoulder. "The new Alkemi looks like they've seen a ghost. The novice nearly lost his head and the Heartrender took a bullet, but no worries. At least you're on top of Pekka's corporate holdings."

"You don't take down a lion by cutting off his tail," Kaz said quickly.

"You've been on safari when?" Jesper snapped. "We're putting our lives on the line."

"I thought you preferred it that way," Kaz said just as aggressively.

"Is Inej gonna be okay?" Wylan asked as Nina stepped from the back of the tomb.

"I wouldn't call myself the most proficient Healer but she said Brey has some secret for healing, so she'll not be a permanent resident here," Nina relayed sending Brey a sweet smile.

"Not yet anyway," Jesper said in a low tone, glaring at Kaz.

"Technically, no one gets buried here anymore," Wylan said with an uneasy tone. "When the firepox plague hit years ago, so many people died that the crematoriums all got backed up, so they had to float all the dead bodies in the harbor."

"That's enough!" Kaz screeched, his voice breaking as his hands shook.

Brey spared him a glance and tapped her fingers loudly on the book, bringing the attention to her. "All of Pekka's money that comes in from the Hellshow's shows to a glass factory he owns in Appelbroek," Brey spoke loudly.

"There are no sandpits in Appelbroek," Kaz said in a lower tone, his voice slightly horse. "So cartage fees would kill all of his profits." Kaz took a piece of paper from the book and handed it to Jesper. "Find out what he's really up to." He then turned to Wylan who took a step back. "If you want to help, instead of spurting useless historical facts, go with Jesper." The two turned and quickly left the tomb.

Nina looked at the two before taking a small step forward. "Not that you asked, but consider grounding your Wraith for now," Nina said, her voice just above a whisper. "I always wanted to be a Healer, doesn't mean I'm any good."

"If I need you again, I'll let you know," Kaz said before taking the bank documents book and moving to a different corner where he had Brey had stashed a bottle of whiskey.

"I can take care of Inej," Brey told Nina and the Ravkan woman looked back at Brey. "The guards are all loyal to Rollin's, except one." Brey passed Nina a note that had a simple 'R' embroidered in black and red ink. "Take this to a guard named Hiemstra. He has a port-wine stain across his brow. Say it's from Rozamond and who you want a message to."

"Can we trust him? Who's Rozamond?" Nina asked flipping the note in her hands.

"Never trust anyone on Pekka's payrolls," Brey advised. "But trust that he wont to be Rozamond's bad side right now."

Nina turned to the door but Kaz called for her, "What you did tonight made you a Crow. Keep a low profile. You'll be in Pekka's sights now." Nina gave a slight nod before slipping out of the tomb.

"I'll heal Inej," Brey said, pushing herself off the stone wall. Kaz sent her an uneasy glance. "Ace knows, and... I have things to discuss."

Brey slipped into the back of the tomb where Ace and Inej sat together. "We're leaving in a minute," Inej stated softly and Brey took her arm and ran her fingers across the cut. "I need a new set of knives and Ace needs to grab a few things." A green light ran off Brey's fingers and stitched the nerves of Inej's skin back together before moving to do the same on the other side.

"Come back before you take out whoever did this," Brey ordered. "I need to heal the surface-level skin after this has set." Inej nodded and quickly slipped on her blouse then out the window in a simple movement. "Ace about what happened-"

"Don't share," Ace said as they tossed their sword to Inej on the other side of the window. Ace gave Brey a nod and then followed Inej, not as fast but just as smoothly.

Brey stepped back into the empty room with Kaz, whose eyes nervously flicked over the bank book, searching for whatever Kerch might be in the book. "Kaz," Brey called but his eyes didn't move. "Ace left with Inej, they're trying to find a new set of knives." Kaz hummed an acknowledgement but his eyes never drifted. "Kaz, I need you to listen."

"Unless it helps with the current situation, I have better things to do," Kaz snapped, closing the book at the same time. He pushed himself up, his cane clacking against the concrete.

"I used the Cut," Brey called and Kaz stopped.

Kaz turned back, setting the book down. "How?"

"It's called temporal energy," Brey explained, Kaz moved to speak but Brey cut him. "Whatever plan you have for Rollins, whatever revenge you're planning he deserves. But you aren't getting my help if I don't know why."

"Why do you always have to know?"

"Because I always end up the closest to death, because you use my power and utilize my names for all your exploits," Brey snapped. Brey took a breath and sat on one of the empty stone coffins. "What did Rollins do?"

Kaz's tense shoulder dropped, his skin paled and his hands started to shake. "He killed my brother," Kaz said in a low voice, so unnaturally broken. "He plucked us out of a dozen unlucky pigeons. Took all of our money and left us on the streets during the plague. His name was Jordie."

Brey's eyes scanned over Kaz's shaking body and gave a single nod. " 'It's not enough to kill him'," Brey recalled, and pushed herself off the concrete slab. "That's what you said, that's what you'll get." Kaz looked up as Brey picked up the bank book. "Six years ago Rollin's had a shipment of tormán imported, Kaelish flowers. You buy them when celebrating a birth."

Kaz's gaze flickered up and he stood. "The Kaelish Prince," Kaz recognized. "He has a son."

"He'll be at the glass factory," Brey nodded.

Kaz turned so they both were looking down at the book. "This will be one of the most disgusting things we will do," Kaz said sternly.

Brey nodded, "That's why it will work."

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❝ i am never bound by 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 ❞