𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

ⅴ 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓

JESPER TOOK BREY'S HAND, HELPING HER DOWN FROM THE BOAT. Jesper stayed as close as he could to her as their mismatched group wandered to a meadow at least a mile from the fold. Brey tossed the flint to Mal as he finished setting up the fire. "I don't know about you lot, but, I need to change clothes," Brey mumbled, looking down at her clothes covered in blood.

Kaz nodded at her. Jesper fixed the bag on his shoulder and they walked until they were hidden by the thick trees. Brey tossed her corset to the side and tore her white shirt off. "I thought you would have more jokes by now," Brey spoke up picking up a new shirt.

"What?" Jesper questioned with a slight laugh, dropping the Zemeni clothes.

"Just, normally when you win a fight you have some witty thing you would say," Brey pointed out, buttoning up the white shirt.

"Well, it wasn't really what I was focussing on," Jesper mumbled, buttoning up his dark red shirt.

Brey nodded softly and grabbed her corset again. "When we get back to Ketterdam please remind me to get rid of my corsets," Brey spoke up, pulling at the strings and tightening the garment around her torso. Jesper scoffed slightly with a laugh and winced as he pulled on his hat. "How's your head?"

"Sore, but it's fine," Jesper mumbled.

Brey shook her head and stepped up to Jesper, cradling his face and removing his hat. The rings formed around her arm, reversing the bruise on Jesper's head. "Better?" Brey questioned.

Jesper held her face and pulled Brey up to kiss her. At that moment, everything was perfect. In that moment time stopped and Brey was powerless to stop it. Brey smiled and they separated from the kiss. Jesper hummed, "Perfect."

𓅨

BREY GLANCED AT THE SULI GIRL SITTING NEXT TO HER AND NUDGED HER SHOUDLER. "Are you hurt at all?" Brey questioned Zoya, sitting herself between her and Jesper.

"No," Zoya said simply, shaking her head. Brey nodded and Jesper tapped her shoulder. Kaz walked over, his hat set on his head. Jesper and Brey stood, Jesper, pulling Brey up.

Alina had a soft hold on Inej's wrist as she played with her hands. "I've never met a Saint before," Inej admitted.

"I've never been a saint before," Alina smiled.

"If you need anything," Inej started, taking Alina's hand. "...my hand is yours."

"I like that hand with a dagger in it," Alina spoke. "I couldn't hold onto yours, so take mine as a replacement." Alina held out a gold knife, slim like a letter opener. "It's not much, but it'll fend off a bully or two."

Inej chuckled softly and took it gently from Alina, spinning it between her fingers. "I know just what to name it," Inej spoke up.

Alina laughed softly and noticed the small dagger on Inej's hip. "What's that ones name?" Alina questioned.

Inej glanced up at Brey who reluctantly nodded. "Sankta Brey," Inej smiled.

Jesper took the bag from Kaz and walked to Mal. "Step one for any good plan, a change of clothes," Jesper advised as Mal stood and took the bag. "It's worked for me."

Inej helped Alina to stand and Mal gave a swift nod and a small thank you. "So... will you still be trying to kidnap me?" Alina questioned, looking up at Kaz.

"'Course not," Jesper spoke softly, shaking his head.

"Have you found religion, too?" Kaz questioned, tilting his head to look at Jesper.

"No, it's just..." Jesper sighed deeply looking between Kaz and Alina. "I'm exhausted. Besides it'd be bad form to kidnap someone after they saved your life."

"Bad form? I think that would just be a decent thing to do," Brey sassed, with a teasing smile.

"You are quite valuable, you know?" Kaz questioned his eyes on Alina.

Alina walked to him, and the crows straightened. "So is this," Alina said softly, holding out her jeweled headpiece.

"I saw this on a portrait of one of the queens in the Little Palace," Kaz recalled.

"It's not a gift," Alina said quickly. "It's to keep quiet about who I am. Where I go from here." Kaz thought it over, his eyes moving to Inej for a moment.

Kaz tossed the piece in his hand and slid it into his pocket. "The deal is the deal," Kaz spoke softly before extending his hand. Alina shook it twice before stepping away with Mal to change clothes.

.

Alina walked back with Mal. Mal dropped the duffle bag and Alina walked to the fire with her silk dress in her hands. Alina tossed it in the fire and Jesper, Kaz and Brey externally winced at the expensive burning silk. "I didn't expect it to burn at all," Mal mumbled through the silence. "But it can be destroyed in the end. Just like him."

Alina took a few steps from the fire, looking up at the now expanded fold. The crows watched her but tried to make sure it wasn't that obvious. Mal caught up to Alina, resting his hand on her arm. "I know that look. You're staring down your new bully."

"We're worse off than we were before, Mal," Alina admitted. "Kirigan turned on his own people-"

"Okay," Mal called, taking her hand. "You're not ready yet."

"Neither were they," Alina called.

"That's not your fault."

"Who do you think the world will blame?"

"We'll come back, I promise. You will tear it down. Just not today," Mal promised and stepped back.

Zoya stood, holding her hat, "I have to go."

"Wait!" Inej called, standing. "You can't go back into the Fold."

"To Novokribirsk," Zoya clarified. "I had family in that city. I need to know how much of it is lost."

Kaz pushed himself to stand, using his cane as a boost. "It's dangerous to go looking for the dead. What you see may haunt you for the rest of your days," Kaz warned.

"Not going will haunt me more," Zoya admitted. Zoya looked up at Alina and slowly walked towards her. "You can't stay in Ravka. The Apparat will try to keep his power. Blame this on all of us. The people will turn on Grisha again. You need to find new allies."

Alina looked around quickly before suddenly pulling Zoya into a hug. "Then I'll come back... and reclaim our country."

"I still don't like you... but I'm grateful for you," Zoya smiled softly. "So remember this. Saints become martyrs before they get to be heroes. So... stay alive."

"They'll have to get through me first," Mal called.

"You need more than bullets and bravado to survive the people hunting you now," Zoya advised. Alina gave a small nod and Zoya turned to face Brey.

"You may not like it, but you are a Saint," Zoya said, giving Brey a nod.

"She is."

"I'm not."

Brey cast a look to Inej who shrugged slightly. Zoya looked around once more before setting off.

"It's a two-day walk to Os Kervo from here, given our condition," Kaz spoke up, turning to his crows.

"Two days as the crow walks," Jesper sighed, pushing himself to stand again.

"We can smuggle ourselves onto a ship to Ketterdam from there," Kaz instructed. The crows stepped up and kicked out the fire.

𓅨

"WE SET OUT WITH A CLEAR MISSION," JESPER STARTED, HIS WITTY NATURE BACK. "A prize of a million kruge." Jesper led the others onto the boat. "And a new member on our crew. So..." Jesper grunted as they sat down, Brey and Inej across from him, Kaz beside him. "What did we learn? People with trains are evil. You can't kidnap a human sunbeam. And maybe, just maybe, greed is a poor motivator. True wealth is the friends you make along the way."

"I just might be impressed," Inej hummed, eyeing Jesper with a smile.

"He didn't make any new friends, he's talking about Milo," Brey sassed, knocking his shin slightly. Jesper smile and winked at them quickly.

"But I won't have my smelly friend when walking into Ketterdam," Jesper mumbled.

"Where Dreesen is waiting for our return," Inej reminded.

"And Pekka Rollins," Kaz added.

"They'll want our heads when we show up without the Sun Summoner," Brey mumbled, leaning in slightly.

"Well, I'm sure the boss has a plan," Jesper spoke up, motioning to Kaz. Jesper laughed softly and leant forward, resting his arms on his knees. "He wouldn't send us into a death trap. Tell me you have a plan. I don't care if it's a lie."

"I have a plan," Kaz said with a nod. "And, just how this all started... we're going to need a Heartrender."

Unknown to them , Nina Zenik looked up, her gaze moving to the crows crowded together.

"Milana?" Jesper questioned, remembering the name of the Heartrender at the lotus.

"No," Kaz denied. "For this to work, it has to be someone neither of them know. Someone desperate for work, with loyalties only to us."

"It'll be a long passage without that wine shipment," A man complained.

"Have a heart. Novokribirsk is in ruins. Their Sun Saint is dead," The other replied.

"Excuse me," Nina called, leaning closer to the crows. "Um, is what he said true?"

"I don't know if she's dead," Kaz answered simply. "But she is a Saint." Nina nodded and turned away. Inej looked at Kaz in shock and he gave her a small smile.

"Brey, would you like to repeat what we did on the ship in Novyi Zem?" Jesper questioned with a smirk and mischief in his eyes.

"What did you do in Novyi Zem?" Inej questioned, bumping her shoulder against Brey.

"Higher officials and the rich have their luggage stored below," Brey explained. "Jesper acts like an idiot for a moment, I get downstairs and grab their booze."

Inej rolled her eyes softly and turned to Kaz. "I could use a drink," Kaz mumbled. Jesper smiled and knocked his knee against Brey's.

𓅨

❝ 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 is a funny thing ❞