𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 — pretty bird

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 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 the distance and shook the weak foundations of the building as Aleksa settled herself behind Kaz's desk. Behind her, the DeKapple they'd stolen together was hung up high, a magnificent piece of artwork on display as their very own trophy.

 Inej had questioned Aleksa about the painting on the very night she and Kaz had managed to return with it, the Suli girl — no matter how impressed she might have been — only showed Aleksa her disapproval. She had clucked like a mother hen as she told Aleksa, "You should have taken me or Jesper too! Going with just the two of you was dangerous."

 Aleksa — against her better judgement — had, of course, made a comment along the lines of, "I'm terribly sorry mother dear, how long am I to be grounded for this time?"

 This had earned her a swift slap to the arm from the Wraith's surprisingly strong hands.

 Pieces of parchment lay in disarray upon Kaz's desk; he'd clearly left them in favour of seeking out his patrons and Crows. There were lists of things the club, as well as the Slat, needed for the week. Stock lists, outgoing coin as well as the coin that had been made. All things that the old man, Per Haskell, should have been keeping an eye on... and yet...

 Per Haskell was the owner of the Crow Club, the man who held the keys in the palm of his hand. If you were to ask Aleksa what she thought of the man, she'd laugh, toss her hair over her shoulder and follow up with a scowl as she named the man a fool. The Dregs had been weak, unruly until Kaz Brekker gained his shares of the club. 

 Per Haskell might have owned the place, but certainly didn't run it. 

 Aleksa had never found out when, or why, Kaz had come to Haskell instead of seeking out some other gang. At the time — according to Kaz that is — the Dregs were nothing in Ketterdam. mere barrel rats with nothing going for them. He had risen through the ranks, quickly surpassing those who'd been there for years until he'd managed to secure his share. Fifteen percent of the club was Kaz's... But that wasn't enough.

 You'd have been lucky — or unlucky, as Aleksa would have called you — if you'd caught sight of Per Haskell, for the old fool tucked himself away in his office with his model boats and murky pints of lager. Aleksa could have counted on a single hand how many times she'd actually conversed with her so-called boss. 

 The Crows answered to Kaz, Per Haskell was merely a facade. He acted loud and proud of the Crow Club. He ranted and raved about his success, but everybody — patrons, Crows and Dregs — knew that he had little to do with the flocks of pigeons that bombarded the club. The success was all thanks to Kaz, and everybody knew it.

 Haskell had barely batted an eye when Kaz had strolled into his office, acting like a boy rather than the man Aleksa knew him to be. She'd been standing behind him with a smile on her pretty face, fluttering her lashes to gain the man's favour. Perhaps it had worked, or perhaps not. She didn't think Haskell cared, for the coin that kept her alive, fed and housed came from Kaz's shares. She was the only one that Kaz Brekker had ever done that for.

 Aleksa leaned a single elbow on the chipped desk, her chin falling into her cupped palm as curious ocean-blue eyes trailed over the words and numbers settled before her.

 Kaz entered then, and as always, he bolted the rickety door. Aleksa had often wondered why she was an exception to the infamous Kaz Brekker. Why he'd let her occupy his chair and finish his work. Why he would allow her to finger through his bookshelf and curl up within the dark corners of his office as she read. But most of all, Aleksa wondered why she was able to stay when his hands were freed of leather.

 He would pick at each finger, prying the leather gloves from them as Aleksa stared onwards. There was never any shock on her face, she was good at concealing it, but she did stare. His long and pale fingers would flex in the free and cold air. Long, pearly scars sliced over his skin, his knuckles glinting.

 Aleksa, the Grisha who was stared at, couldn't help but stare at him. Nobody would blame her if they knew... Though Kaz Brekker could intimidate most he came across, none could really deny that he was handsome; hence the wonderful name she'd picked for him had stuck like glue — pretty boy.

 Kaz likely hated it, but did Aleksa care? No. No, she did not.

 A blot of ink fell onto the tea-stained parchment as she listened to the sound of water dropping back into a basin, the shuffle of Kaz moving about in the room behind her, only obscured by the wall that held the DeKapple high.

 The window was open, and Aleksa only registered it as a harsh breeze brushed against her bare forearms and jostled her puffy, white sleeves. Her head cocked to the side, and the cluster of mousy hair that she left handing down fell before her eyes... Kaz never left the windows open when he wasn't in his office.

 Then she opened her mouth into an o-shape, Inej.

 "Hello, you." Aleksa whispered into the air, low enough for their hidden visitor to hear, but not Kaz. She wiggled her fingers, feeling around in the shadows that Inej hid herself within; she found her, lurking in the corner and with a light wave of her pointer and middle finger, she pushed Inej with a cluster of shadows.

 "Aleksa." Inej greeted, in a silky smooth voice. A small smile tugged at her dark lips as she regarded the grisha behind the desk. Beneath the warm glow of the candle light Aleksa looked wonderful. Warm skin glowing, helped further by the use of her Grisha powers.

 It was always easy to tell when Aleksa had shifted the shadows; her skin would shine as though she'd spent weeks beneath the sun; as though blessed by the sun summoner themself. To others they wouldn't notice, for Aleksa was always a sight to see, only boosted by her pretty words and enrapturing confidence.

 But Inej knew Aleksa well.

 Inej perched herself atop the desk, head tilted to watch as Aleksa scrawled away in her cursive and curly writing, "Are you perfect at everything?"

 "Yes." Aleksa grinned, though she pointed a pearly painted finger towards the Wraith, "Yet I'm only half as perfect as you."

 "You're aware that flirting with me gains you nothing?"

 "Nonsense, it's a pleasure." Aleksa fell back into the chair, her voice staying hushed as they both awaited Kaz, "Plus, my darling Inej, I hate to say it..." She released a mockingly sad breath, "But what you and I have is strictly platonic. It'd be odd to flirt with a sister."

 Inej restrained her laughter as she stared at Aleksa who looked genuinely contemplative. Though the words that had been uttered brought a rare warmth to her heart. The Suli girl was a sister, and she had to admit... The way she felt for her brother, the boy she hadn't seen in so many years, she felt a similar way for the girl before her.

 Inej watched as she twirled a strand of light curls between her fingers. She pulled back her hood and grasped at the material around her neck. The one reminder of her family, "Yes... It would."

 Aleksa didn't grin, she didn't beam with her glowing teeth like she would with anyone else. But a small and delicate smile lifted her cheeks higher, eyes crinkling at the edges.

 "Inej." A rasp called out. Clearly Kaz had noticed the window too, and he'd, no doubt, known that the Wraith had been there the entire time. How very Kaz of him.

 His re-gloved hands twitched by his side. He had left his cane by the basin. His steps sang an uneven rhythm as his limp pressed lightly against the wooden ground, his good leg almost stomping in protest as he approached the two. His right hand was placed atop the chair Aleksa was settled within as he regarded Inej, "What information do you have for us tonight?"

 The Wraith hopped from the desk, not a sound erupting as she landed upon the wooden floor that would likely creak and groan had she been anybody else, "A lead on a job. A big one." She glanced between the bastard and the Grisha, "Enough money to change lives."

 Aleksa wanted to scoff at that. For somebody dwelling within the murky depths of the Barrel, it didn't take much money to change a life. A couple of coins was like a blessing from the saints for some people.

 Kaz was of the same mindset, "It doesn't take much to change someone's life in the Barrel."

"A million kruge?"

 Aleksa bristled, elbows leaning on the papers she'd been scrawling upon, "I know I'm incredibly pretty, but perhaps my hearing is leaving me before my looks. Did you say a million?"

 Inej's lips rose in affirmation and Aleksa blew out a breath, though she had to swat her hair away after.

 Kaz had stilled, and though he towered over the two girls already, he now seemed to loom over them like a building as his heart thudded at the prospect of one million kruge weighing down his pockets, "What's the name."

 She had his undivided attention now.

 "Dreesen." Inej supplied, "A wealthy merchant."

 "Dreesen... I've heard of him." Kaz paused, his blank stare directed at the wall behind Inej's head of gloriously raven coloured locks. He blinked as he rifled through his mind, passing names and faces by until he spoke once more, "He could afford it. The question is, what's worth a million kruge to him?"

 Aleksa cocked her head as she clasped her hands together in her lap. Her leg bounced as she rifled through ideas. What would people pay that much money for? It couldn't be anything easy, anything less than dangerous, or it'd be a job Dreesen and his crew could do for themselves... But reaching out for others? That was interesting.

 The only thing that came to Aleksa's mind was herself. Aleksander would certainly offer the ends of the earth to bring her home... Thankfully, only he and his most trusted handful of Grisha knew what she looked like...

 Inej lifted a shoulder, eyes still trained on Kaz as she relayed the only information the Wraith could procure, "He's looking for a crew to cross the Fold into East Ravka and bring back something."

 The vagueness of 'something' wasn't what made Aleksa want to rise from her seat and pace, it was the mere mention of Ravka. Her home... Or at least the home she'd been caged in. Ketterdam, all of Kerch actually, was a safe haven for Aleksa, Aleksander had sent only a few Grisha to pursue her, to check the dark allies and blood-slick streets for her.

 If such members of his army and little crew never returned... Well there were many factors that could have contributed, weren't there? The fold. The sea. Even the streets of Ketterdam themselves. Only twice had Aleksa run into Grisha from the second army, and both times she had left cold bodies in her wake.

 She would return on her own terms and times.

 But being in Ravka meant being closer to Aleksander. As much as Aleksa missed him, she was simply not ready to leave behind her new life. It might have been less glorious and pompous, filled with more blood and danger than ever before... But Aleksa would have been lying to herself if she ever said that she didn't love it.

 She loved the prospect of a fight, she loved the gambling dens and the drinks that fuelled everyone on... And the Crows. There was a particular saying, a motto if you will, that they passed between one another before a heist 'no mourners, no funerals' and though Aleksa had uttered the words on her own silver tongue, she could never truly mean them. She would mourn. The Crows were her family too, no matter if Jesper had an addiction for failing at card games, no matter if Inej loved to scare her with her sneaky little escapades, and no matter if Kaz Brekker was as cold as a film of ice.

 "Dreesen wants us to cross the fold?" Aleksa repeated slowly, her fingers twirling in the air to emphasise her words.

 "Yes."

 "Oh sure, easy peasy."

 Kaz rose an eyebrow, his narrowed ice-blue eyes falling upon Aleksa, "You crossed the fold."

 "Yes, well done."

 "I don't have the patience for your particular style of sass today, Aleksa."

 Aleksa blew out an exasperated breath. Sometimes she wanted to punch Kaz in his pretty face... But since he had such an aversion to touch... a rather hefty smack with a chair might have to suffice, "I crossed the fold because I stole plans from my brother, timetables for the skiffs. I snuck on one by shrouding myself in the shadows and charming a lovely young woman into kissing me when a guard passed us by." She slumped again, "Tell me, Kaz, are we to pluck timetables out of thin air, am I to cloak us all in shadows and then makeout with Inej?"

 "No thank you." Spoke Inej.

 "You would love it, I have a magical mouth."

 "Please spare me."

 Kaz rolled his eyes skyward, of course Inej had finally found someone she bounced off of so damn well. Every discussion ended this way, Aleksa subconsciously flirting with every living, and sometimes non-living, thing... Then Inej and Jesper would join and cause Kaz to wish for an early retirement.

 Kaz cleared his throat and inej quietened, Aleksa poked her tongue out at him. He shook his head, a slicked back strand of dark hair slipping from its place tickled his forehead, "Certain death does pay a million, but perhaps your plan won't work for us."

 "Perhaps?" Aleksa scoffed beneath her breath before turning to Inej as Kaz settled a dark eye on her form, "He didn't say what this something was then, I'm guessing?"

 "No." Inej sighed, her hand toying with the knife Aleksa had gifted her, "He didn't. But he is taking meetings tonight, starting at midnight."

 "Darling Inej." Aleksa cooed as she finally stood from the chair, and from the corner of her eye she could see Kaz's hand retreat back to his side as she stood, "You followed him, yes?"

 "Who do you take me for? Of course I did."

 "Have I told you that I love you recently?"

 "Not that I recall."

 "Inej?" Aleksa spoke with utmost seriousness, "I adore you."

 Inej couldn't help but grin as she shifted on her feet, finally parting her gaze from Aleksa, "He brought someone from a ship. Took the way back to his home through the Garden District to avoid attention. I'd have followed them inside, but I would have had to use my knives."

 Kaz nodded as he digested the information, brain whirring and gears turning, "He had private security... Anyone we know?"

 "Someone called Tendo... A Zemeni man."

 Aleksa let out a small 'oh!' as she clasped her hands together. The memories of the man flashed through her brain, and they were incredibly unsavoury. He'd been very sweaty and their encounter lasted as long as it took for Aleksa to call the shadows, "He gambles at one of Pekka's clubs."

 There was an unrecognisable look that clouded over Kaz's face like shade in the sunlight as he looked at Aleksa. He slipped, "How do you know?"

 He almost winced. The question was out of place, if anything the expected response from him would have been a tense jaw and a mumble of Pekka's name.

 Aleksa's coy grin made his mood darken further, "Do you wish for me to describe our night in detail, pretty boy?"

 "I'm sure it was of little interest to you."

 Aleksa bobbed her head in confirmation, her brows narrowing in untamed disgust, "You'd be correct. Whilst my escapades often give us access to information — as nobody could ever deny me, of course — I might have insulted his sweat glands... and his, well, technique." She sucked a breath through her teeth whilst Inej stared at her with undisguised horror, "So we are fresh out of luck; he'd likely cry if he saw me, not spill information."

 "So we have no leverage on him," Kaz grumbled, and whilst the two before him believed his sour mood to stem from their situation, they were quite wrong. Even Kaz Brekker couldn't locate the source of his bitterness, "But Pekka will."

 That name again. It burned on his tongue like venom spat from a snake.

 Aleksa could see that anger cloud Kaz's usually stoic features. The way his jaw ticked, the way his gloved hands curled by his side and Aleksa thought his fingers would split through the leather. She knew something had happened between the two, something that Pekka Rollins had done had scarred Kaz deeply, and his thirst for revenge ran far deeper than his thirst for Kruge; something that seemed impossible.

 Pekka Rollins was by no means a good man, in fact, he was actually very awful. He was a man on a pedestal and he liked everyone to know it. Pekka bragged and crowed about his accomplishments, no matter how slimy the means of securing them were. But he wasn't unlike other men in Ketterdam, so why did Kaz hate him?

 "So..." Aleksa broke the silence that had settled between the trio.

 Inej had taken to settling herself upon the window ledge, watching as the cool rain tumbled down the glass and obscured the crooked city outside. Kaz gazed at the painting behind Aleksa, his eyes momentarily shifting to her as she perched upon the edge of his desk, sure to swipe the papers away as she did.

 "What do we do?" She concluded, fingers away at work as she straightened the pile of papers into a neat heap.

 Kaz regarded Inej then, and Aleksa knew a tone of mocking was to erupt. Whenever their lives were put into the hands of danger — which was far too often to be considered healthy — Kaz would mock the Saints that Inej prayed to daily. Now, Aleksa was of Kaz's mindset; she too did not believe in the Saints, she didn't believe in miracles and she didn't believe in magic saviours.

 But to mock somebody who had been torn from her home — her family — and tossed into a lion's den was beyond wicked, and such mockings brought out a side of Aleksa that was so rarely displayed to the Crows. She cared for them all, very deeply, but there was something she'd found within Inej that made her want to stay by the Suli girls' side and protect her from further pain.

 Inej, through everything, had remained kind. That was far more impressive than anything else Aleksa had witnessed. Inej, of course, didn't need protection, yet nonetheless Aleksa kept a hand free to fight for her friend, and a shoulder clear if she needed to rest her head.

 That was just how they were.

 "You're the one who believes in higher power Inej," Kaz droned and Inej turned her back on him, rolling her eyes. Kaz lifted his head, eyes boring into the painting that he and Aleksa had nabbed. The painting of the Fold glared back at him, mocking him, "If we're going to survive a round trip through the fold, you're going to have to pray for a miracle or two."

 Inej didn't stick around after that, she vanished through the window in a blur of navy blue and the small glint of silver knives, going on to do whatever it was the Wraith did. She had bid Aleksa goodbye, promising to visit her room later in the Slat... And after a wide-eyed look from the Shadow Summoner, Inej had agreed to procure her a handful of toffees in the midst of the night.

 Kaz had taken his seat back, settling into the warmth that Aleksa had left behind, yet still he sat as straight as a pin.

 Aleksa had rounded on him with narrowed eyes, hand clutching at a stray piece of paper as she rolled it up and flung it at him. She huffed when he seized it swiftly, "Why do you have to mock her?"

 He only cocked a brow, "I don't mock her."

 Aleksa pinched at the bridge of her nose. Saints give her strength to deal with the very handsome idiot in front of her, "You mock what she believes, that's as good as mocking her."

 "No, it isn't. I'm certain Inej doesn't need you to fight her battles."

 "You're right, she doesn't need me to, but I will anyway, you insufferable tool."

 Kaz folded his hands together, he had moved the stack of completed papers to the side, and he hadn't even thanked her, not that Aleksa expected him to, "You don't believe in them."

 Aleksa couldn't deny that. Saints, Gods, whatever else people chalked freak accidents and glorious miracles up to, she believed in none of it. If there had been people creating such miracles or people causing terrible disasters... Aleksa had always believed them to be Grisha.

 A Grisha's power could be wonderful; the ability to move fire, water and air with one's mind and hands... The ability of Fabrikators to weld and build without tools... But such power could be terrifying. One look back at the actions of the Black Heretic was enough to prove that.

 Aleksa was certain that if the very words that told the Black Heretics story had never been spoken, people would have chalked the Fold up to the actions of a damned Saint. A rueful one.

 "No." Aleksa finally conceded, "I don't. But if the thought of them can bring somebody some comfort, I wouldn't take it away."

 "Better terrible truths —"

 "— Than kind lies? Yes, I know, you're a poet."

 "I'm realistic."

 "You're a dick."

 "Now, now. No need for name-calling." Kaz lightly chastised as though speaking to a toddler. He watched as Aleksa rose a brow, she never did descend into anger whenever he taunted her.

 Aleksa, on the other hand, knew not to react. It had been ingrained within her mind and body from the moment Aleksander had scooped her up and carried her to the Little Palace. Every fight required stoicism as to not give away one's weaknesses or position. Every confrontation required a level head if one was to acquire the information they needed. She might not have missed the Little Palace, but she took her learnings to heart and carried them with her wherever she went.

 She shook her head, strands of mousy brown tangling in long and dark eyelashes as they brushed against the apples of her cheeks. She shifted the corset that clung around her abdomen and unbuttoned yet another button on her shirt.

 Kaz rolled his eyes as she rolled her shoulders and flicked her hair.

 "I'm going to have a drink, and gamble until I pass out. Try not sulk." Her words were light and airy, the sound of a small bell chiming out and Kaz had to force himself to frown at her words.

 He didn't stop her as she unbolted the door, nor as she grasped the golden, chipped handle. But he did cast his gaze to the papers on his desk as he ran a gloved finger over them, "Aleksa." He called, "Do try to reign that silly pet of yours in, it keeps pecking at my window."

 Her grin broadened as she whirled on her heel and raced for the open window. Her platformed boots splashed in the small, murky puddle the rain had brought to fruition within the room; with a light whistle Aleksa stuck her head out, "Cas!"

 Kaz Brekker tried to hate the girl in front of him, he truly had. He wanted to sneer at every coo of 'pretty boy' he wanted to strike her in the ribs with his cane whenever she tossed a flirtatious comment his way and he desperately wanted to swat away her feathery friend whenever she called its name.

 "I swear he isn't named after you!" Aleksa had once insisted when she had found the gruesome little thing. But she wasn't fooling anybody.

 A blur of black shot into the room, a chorus of shrill chirps grating against Kaz's ears and he resisted the urge to call Jesper and ask to borrow his pistols.

 A two-headed crow had bounded into the room, talons sinking into the edge of Kaz's bookshelf. The shelf had once been a pristine oak wood tower with a collection of leather-bound books stacked high. Now many of those books had been pinched by Aleksa and resided within her tiny room at the Slat. A few dozen scrapes and claw marks disrupted the timber.

 Kaz stared at the animal, he knew enough of Grisha's to know that the animal was likely an amplifier, yet Aleksa had persisted that the horrible thing wouldn't fall to her hand. He had every urge to kill it himself, pluck the feathers until a bare slab of meat lay in its wake, yet he knew Aleksa would have... Well, probably submerge him in shadows. The thought made his skin crawl.

 "Oh what a pretty bird." Aleksa cooed as she trailed her delicate fingers over the raven-coloured feathers of the animal. It chirped and ruffled its feathers in utter contentment; its multiple beaks nibbled at her skin and Aleksa couldn't help but laugh, "Have you been bothering the big, bad bastard of the Barrel?"

 Cas chirped, two heads moving in sync, beaded eyes that should send a chill down one's spine merely made Aleksa smile.

 "You have!" Aleksa cried in a whisper, though that grin was still bright on her pink lips. She leaned closer to the animal, well aware that Kaz was watching her closely. Her voice lowered, a dark, teasing whisper that Kaz Brekker most certainly heard, "Good boy."

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17-01-2022

hope you all enjoyed this chapter! i adore aleksa and inej's relationship so much, they really see each other as sisters, and inej can be very motherly. i just adore them. as for aleksa and kaz, well you can clearly see that aleksa ANNOYS him, but he's too under her spell to do anything about it. what a simp smh.

don't forget to let me know what you think; and remember that i now require a particular number of comments and feedback before i consider releasing the next part (this is just to ensure people remain engaged and supportive, as well as allowing me to see what you all enjoyed most!)