𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐧

Ⅹ 𝒐𝒉𝒗𝒂𝒍

BREY LED KAZ TO THE SHU ADRESS ACE HAD GIVEN HER. It was a luxurious hotel. Lanterns, candles and incense lined the room as well as mounds of tea and sugar biscuits that sat on tables. When Inej returned her first question to Brey was about what happened to Kaz. The second was if he was okay. Breydon urged her to leave it, at Kaz's orders, but insisted he was alright. Now at least.

Wylan, Zoya and Kaz sat around the small table. Wyaln had a small tea and a plate of biscuits. The others scattered themselves around the room as Kaz spoke. "Ohval's not just a fence. She's The Disciple."

"What... what tipped you off?" Wyaln asked and Jesper shut the doors, blocking the light from the room, and the sound from travelling out the window.

"Her tea cup. When she set it down, she did so without a sound," Kaz explained.

"And her heartbeat never fluctuated once," Nina added, pushing herself up from the couch bed, as she did, she set the red fan that she had bought from the market. "It held at one beat a second like a clock."

Jesper walked around and took a piece of candy Toyla handed him. "So, she can control her heart rate and her emotions," Toyla repeated, walking over to Nina and offering her the treat as well.

"Useful skills for a thief," Ace agreed. They sat by Breydon and Inej at the table pushed against the wall. Inej sat comfortably on a chair and Brey rested against the wall behind the chair Ace sat in.

"Oh, my Saints!" Nina cursed as she chewed on the food.

Zoya stood and walked to the pot of tea Breydon sat by. "This is where you tell us where the blade is," Jesper said, taking a spot on the stool by the table.

"Ohval has it. Her signal to the waitress to spill tea on me told me as much," Kaz said, his gaze dropping for a moment.

"It's as if I know you," Jesper muttered.

"So she's not going to sell it to us, we'll just steal it then," Brey said, leaning her elbows against the back of Ace's chair.

"After Nina and I ordered the chrysanthemum tea, I had Inej follow the tea shop employee who was sent to notify Ohval," Kaz informed sending a glance at Inej.

"She lives just outside the city," Inej went on, flipping a knife around her hand. "When she stopped at the tea shop, she placed an order at the apothecary that she'll be picking up tonight. I watched her at home a while, no one came or went except her."

Kaz nodded slightly, "So, while she's out of the house, Nina will tail her to make sure she stays out of the house." Nina nodded. "The rest of us will grab the blade."

Zoya scoffed as she sat back at the table, cup in hand. "You don't seriously expect me to break into this woman's house." Zoya looked around as if the idea was insane.

"Uh, why do you think we're here?" Jesper laughed.

"I'm a soldier, not a thief," Zoya snapped, spinning to face him. As she turned Jesper mocked her, shaking his head. "Why else would I need you, criminals?"

"Oh, there's much less of a difference there than you think," Toyla mused, with a laugh.

"You just keep eating your walnuts," Zoya ordered.

"You need us to help your Sun Saint," Breydon said, stepping out from her spot and walking to Kaz's side. She pressed her hands to the table and glanced at Nina. "You go with Nina."

Nin coughed slightly, choking on the food. "Breydon- Are you sure you don't need me? I mean, Zoya can tail Ohval."

"Zoya," Breydon said, leaning closer with a smile. "For your Saints right?" If Zoya was insistent on Breydon being a Saint, she may as well use that. Inej rolled her eyes at Brey's antics but kept her mouth shut.

"I'll go with Nina," Zoya nodded.

"Nina and Zoya will wait for Ohval at the apothecary. Follow her," Kaz ordered. "If she starts heading home, buy us some time. Distract her. The rest of us will travel to her home. Wylan will rig and wait by the door, the rest of us will search the house."

𓅨

BY THE TIME THE MOON WAS HIGH AND THE SKY WAS DARK, THEY HAD FINALLY REACHED THE HOUSE. Kaz walked ahead with Breydon, leading down the path to Ohval's home. It was large, gold, red and orange lanterns lit the front and the torches placed within the walls illuminated the rest of the compound.

Once they were close enough, Toyla knelt by the door, drawing a round sketch of the house's layout. "This house is traditional," Toyla started, glancing up. "It has a specific layout. We enter through the front courtyard."

"It continues through to an antechamber, middle courtyard and main chamber last," Ace added, motioning with their sword before sheathing it once again.

"We sweep the entirety," Kaz said, stepping up to the door. He flicked his hand and two lockpicks fell into his palm. He slid them into the lock and pushed against the lock's mechanisms. Wylan stepped up to Kaz, his hands holding onto his backpack. "How long will it take you to set up?"

"I can have the door rigged in about five minutes," Wylan said with a nod. "And if Ohval trips it, we have two minutes before the firecrackers go off to get out."

"Even if she returns prematurely, we cannot leave without the blade," Inej insisted, glancing between Kaz and Brey.

"Yes, the future of Ravka and my payment depend on it," Kaz commented, glancing at Inej for a moment. "I'm aware."

"It's more than the future of Ravka at stake," Toyla said, stepping forward slightly. "If we fail, Shu Han, Fjerda, Ketterdam, and beyond, they'll feel the weight of the Darkling bare down on them."

"So don't fuck up," Breydon sighed.

"Preferably," Ace nodded.

"We should've asked for more money." Ace laughed at that and Brey smiled slightly.

The lock clicked open and Kaz pulled open the doors. They creaked slightly as Kaz stepped inside first. He paused for a moment, letting his eyes wander the garden before stepping down the short stairs, his cane making an echo through the space. Wylan and Ace followed next, Wylan moving to the side of the door. The others filed in and Wylan closed the door behind them. Jesper moved to Wylan's side as Kaz and Brey walked to the next door.

Kaz ran his gloved hand along the lock, tapping once. "It's a brass box lock," Kaz whispered to Brey. "I don't have the stuff to break it."

Breydon looked back at Toyla and Inej who were watching the walls of the house. "Cover me," Breydon ordered, looking at Kaz for a moment. Kaz moved to shield Brey from the other's eyes and Brey pressed her hands to the lock. Slowly, with golden light, Breydon made the lock slide back, moving it back to a time it wasn't sealed. Breydon pulled on the door, getting a successful click as they opened. "Wonderful."

"Jesper," Kaz called over his shoulder. "We're going in. Close the doors behind you." Jesper stood and walked to them, leaving Wylan by the front entrance. Kaz slid the doors open, looking around the small room. He and Brey stepped in first, but they all moved with slow cautious steps. "Spread out," Brey said in low voice.

"I sense a heartbeat," Toyla spoke up making everyone pause.

"I thought the compound was empty," Jesper said, stepping closer.

"It's faint. Further in the house."

He stepped forward onto a wooden hatch on the floor and the two doors slammed closed. Jesper ran to hold the doors open but he has too slow. Toyla and Inej kicked at the doors and Brey ran towards Jesper. She pushed the metal pieces and cursed. "The locks on the other side," Brey huffed.

Ace pulled out their katana and sliced at the doors but it just bounced off. Inej did the same, stabbing at the print. "It's impenetrable," Inej spoke up before trying once again.

Ace stepped closer to Brey and knocked the sword against the framing making a clanging sound. "It's all metal," Ace observed, looking at Breydon.

Jesper glanced at them before up to Kaz. "They're Durast-made," Jesper realized.

"Could you cut through them?" Ace asked, looking up at Brey.

"We just tried," Jesper huffed, stepping away.

"I don't know if it works on Durast-made objects," Breydon said with a sigh.

Inej furrowed her eyebrows and glanced up at Jesper. "What are you talking about?" Inej questioned.

"What happens if doesn't cut the metal?" Kaz asked, turning to face her.

Brey pressed her hands against the framing, shaking it slightly. "It shatters and we could get hit or die. Possibly hit and die."

A clinking metal sound drew their attention upwards and Jesper stepped forward. "That does not sound good," Jesper muttered.

Clunking metal and sliding metallic sounds echoed under their feet and around the walls. Toyla's eyes moved upwards and then widened in shock. "There's something in the air," Toyla said, motioning up. From either side of the room, out of spouts, red smoke filled the air and floated down to the floor.

"Poison," Ace realized. They coughed suddenly and moved to cover their mouth.

"Can you get it out of the air?" Inej asked with a cough.

"Not while it's airborne," Ace sputtered. They all started to cough, trying to cover their mouths with their hands. The red smoke filled their lungs. Brey's chest felt tight and her throat went scratchy, her head felt heavy and she swayed on her feet.

"This is how we die," Jesper said in between coughs. Toyla sat against the ground, trying to slow his heart. Jesper tried to catch himself on the wall as he fell, but he landed on the floor with a thud. Inej fell next, sliding down the door and then to the floor with a grunt. Ace crumpled to their knees before colliding with the floor. "Kaz-" Brey called but was cut off by a flurry of violent coughs. Her hand slammed into the wall, trying to steady herself. Kaz stood straight, looking upwards before falling back onto the floor with a violent slam.

Breydon slid off the wall, falling onto her knees. She rolled onto her side, coughing as she rolled onto her back, her eyes falling shut.

"Breydon look at me."

𓅨

❝ i am never bound by 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 ❞