𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 — three pyres

━━━━━━━

 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 began the moment the sun started to break. The sky was flooded with the sweet colour of ripe peaches, little bursts of gold tearing through as though Alina herself was the one rousing them from their slumber.

 Kaz was the first of them to wake, hardly having slept at all.

 Aleksa followed shortly after, waking as the night was still drawn like curtains over a window. She had trouble sleeping on the best of nights, but when the cold crept in it seemed to have gotten worse. Images of the very last day she'd spent in Fjerda, just days after the conversation she'd had with Baghra.

 Aleksa, with the past still heavily resting upon her fatigued mind, had looked past Kaz. She'd glanced into the shadows with eyes narrowing as she spied movement. The thrush had moved, and bushes laced with berries not yet stolen by the cold jostled and wavered...

 Kaz tossed a spare look behind him... nothing had managed to creep up on him yet, not even the Wraith with her silent steps as she slipped through the cracks in the walls... So what had Aleksa seen? He peered in the same manner as she, staring through misty air, through bright bushels of berries, ignoring the little chitter of a squirrel... nothing. Nothing was there.

 But there was. For Aleksa, all she could spy was the looming figure of a man. He was draped in obsidian; his kefta billowing like a cloak in the wind. He stood tall and broad, his head held so very high... his skin glinted beneath the golden sunlight but he was pale, sickly pale... his face was littered with scars, though none of them shone like pearls. No these scars were black, as though someone had flicked ink over his sharp features.

 The Black Heretic. He just couldn't leave her alone.

 All he did was stand there. He didn't blink, he didn't move... he didn't even appear to be breathing. It was like a corpse had come to life, resting there as it taunted her.

 "Aleksa?" Kaz called, his voice edged with something close to concern.

 He disappeared. Aleksander vanished by the time her eyes had shifted to Kaz and back. Nothing but untouched snow rested where his boots had been, and Aleska slumped onto a log.

 Kaz frowned at the silence he received. Any other time he'd tried to reach out amidst her fears she'd toss grins his way, she'd flick her hair in the hopes it would almost smack him right around the cheeks. She took pride in banishing her fear and letting nobody but herself see it.

 "What did you see?" He called again, and this time, he rose to his feet. His steps were almost silent as his boots pushed through the blanket of snow beneath them; a thick layer had gathered in the night, smothering their footsteps. He drew closer and closer until he planted himself beside her.

 Their shoulders scarcely had space between them, and he could feel warmth billowing from the summoner beside him as though she were a furnace. He bumped her ankle with his cane and Aleksa finally rose to meet his gaze.

 What was she to say? She couldn't exactly parade around and tell everyone that she was beginning to see the dead. That, worst of all, the corpse following her every movement was none other than the Black Heretic himself.

 Aleksa ran her hands over her cheeks, relishing in the cold biting at her flesh. Her lips parted, both top and bottom a pretty pink even amidst the chill, "It's nothing."

 "You can be incredibly convincing, Aleksa, dear." He didn't miss the little curl of her lips at that name, "But that was terrible."

 For once, she didn't even argue. She didn't wave him away with some witty comment falling from her insatiable silver tongue, nor did she have the strength to even pout and call him a terribly rude boy. She stared up at the sun, feeling the breaking, golden rays caressing her skin... it was like Alina was still looking out for her, ever so understanding as her facade cracked all because of him.

 Aleksa sniffed and found that her nose was quite numb, "It won't affect the heist."

 "That's not why —" Kaz halted, words burning the tip of his tongue like a vial of poison had been forced into his mouth. Did he continue onwards, or simply pretend that yes, he was concerned about her ability to act rational? His lips moved without thought, "— that's not why I asked."

 Aleksa stared at him, eyes seemingly caressing those pale features that could most definitely blend in with the snow. He was still stoic. For this was Kaz Brekker, but something about his eyes... stone-cold pots of rippling coffee had simmered, they had warmed until they bubbled like tea and honey.

 She smiled. There was no crookedness, no large pull to reveal gleaming teeth... just something small, "You worried?"

 Kaz said nothing, but he knew that was confirmation enough for them both.

 "I'll be fine," Aleksa said, fiddling with her fingers. She could feel the whispers of the shadows sliding by her ears, providing a source of comfort, "I just — I don't know. Things happened while I was gone and I suppose they've decided to haunt my every move."

 Just like Jordie, Kaz couldn't help but think. Even now, after years had passed, Jordie Rietvield still muttered into his ears whenever Kaz strayed from his path of destroying Pekka Rollins. If he had so much as a minute away from planning and scheming, Jordie would be there, waiting.

 Haunted. It was a good way to describe them both; a girl who looked through the shadows as though somebody was on her tail, and a boy who couldn't stomach the touch of another without feeling ocean waves ripple within his throat.

 "I know that I'm —" Aleksa tested, seaching for the right word, "Well, not exactly safe, considering we are breaking into the most secure prison to exist... one filled with people who would happily tie me up and burn me alive, but... I'm back. I'm not fighting a war started by my own blood anymore. I'm home."

 Kaz slipped. His facade cracked as she whispered that last little part, and he found himself unable to control the little whisper sliding from his tongue, "You're home."

 "If we get this right, we're going to be in and out of the Ice Court before the Fjerdans ever know their prized scientist is gone," Kaz said as they shouldered their packs, and stuffed their hair and limbs within the warm confines of their fur-lines coats. They continued to push south, though south looked the same as any other direction, "When we enter the prison, we'll be taken to the holding area beneath the men's and women's cellblocks to await charges. If Matthias is right and the procedures are still the same, the patrols only pass through the holding cells three times a day for head counts. Once we're out of the cells, we should have at least six hours to cross to the embassy, locate Yul-Bayur on the White Island, and get him down to the harbour before they realise anyone is missing."

 "What about the other prisoners in the holding cells?" Matthias asked.

 "We have that covered."

 Aleksa watched the way Matthias's mouth twisted into something bitter, and yet the Fjerdan didn't seem at all surprised; perhaps he was finally beginning to understand that Kaz Brekker had a plan for everything. Aleksa, while having absolute faith in her dearest pretty boy, wasn't exactly thrilled at the whole 'get caught and imprisoned' part of the plan.

 Once they were hauled away and tucked within the holding cells, they'd all be at their most vulnerable... a very apt point for their dearest druskelle to spill everything. If he did, they'd be dead within minutes.

 "Once we're out of the cells," Kaz continued, fingers drumming on his cane, "Matthias and Jesper will secure rope from the stables while Wylan and I get Aleksa, Nina and Inej out of the women's holding area. The basement is our meet. That's where the incinerator is, and no one should be in the laundry room after the prison shuts down for the night. While Inej makes the climb, Aleksa will be right by the incinerator to do what she can to cool it and assist Inej," 

 Cool it and assist, Aleksa was thrilled to have such an easy little task.

 "Wylan and I will scour the laundry for anything he can use for demo. And just in case the Fjerdans decided to stash Bo Yul-Bayur in the prison and make life easy on us, Nina, Matthias, and Jesper will search the top-level cells." Kaz ploughed onwards.

 "Nina and Matthias?" Jesper asked. "Far be it from me to doubt anyone's professionalism, but is that really the ideal pairing?"

 Aleksa parted her lips, ever so eager to spill exactly why they might be the most perfect of pairs... however, Kaz decided that her comment was entirely unnecessary and poked her ankle with the bottom of his snow-coated cane.

 "Matthias knows prison procedure, and Nina can handle any guards without a noisy fight. Your job is to keep them from killing each other."

 "Because I'm the diplomat of the group?"

 Aleksa snorted, "None of us are the diplomat of the group, we're all awful."

 There was a round of affirming hums and nods. Kaz continued, "The rest of the prison isn't like the holding area. Patrols in the cellblock rotate every two hours, and we don't want to risk anyone sounding an alarm, so be smart. We coordinate everything to the chiming of the Elderclock. We're out of the cells right after six bells, we're up the incinerator and on the roof by eight bells. No exceptions."

 "And then what?" asked Wylan.

 "We cross to the embassy sector roof and get access to the glass bridge through there."

 "We'll be on the other side of the checkpoints," said Matthias, unable to keep a hint of admiration from his voice. Curse the demjin for actually thinking things through. He tried so very hard to wipe the look off his face when the Shadow grinned his way, and yet he couldn't find the will; that paper containing his freedom was drawing closer and closer, "The guards on the bridge will assume we passed through the embassy gate and had our papers scrutinised there."

 Wylan frowned, shaking a handful of snow from the ruddy copper curls that had crawled out of his fur-lined hood, "In prison uniforms?"

 "Phase two," said Jesper, brandishing two long fingers, sure to wiggle them for extra dramatic effect, "The fake."

 "That's right," said Kaz. "Aleksa, Inej, Nina, Matthias, and I will borrow a change of clothes from one of the delegations – and a little something extra for our friend Bo Yul-Bayur when we find him – and stroll across the glass bridge. We locate Yul-Bayur and get him back to the embassy. Nina, if there's time, you'll tailor him as much as possible, but as long as we don't trigger any alarms, no one is going to notice one more Shu among the guests."

 Aleksa pouted and she couldn't help but look to Matthias, "Are the uniforms ugly?"

 Matthias rose a brow, "That's what you're concerned about?"

 "I'm a pretty girl, I deserve a pretty stolen uniform."

 Kaz shook his head, "I'm sure you'll live."

 "And I," Aleksa drawled out, kicking his cane from the ground. He stumbled, and while any decent person might have felt a hint of guilt for watching the boy with the bad leg have to right himself, Aleksa only blew him a kiss, "Can't wait to see you in it."

 "Behave."

 "No, dear."

 Jesper slung an arm over Aleksa's shoulders, rather glad that he wouldn't have to blend in with the unfortunate Fjerdan fashion. He'd seen Matthias, he'd seen some druskelle once or twice... not impressive. But then, he looked to his side and caught sight of the little merchling hunching his shoulders as he walked.

 He toppled his head atop Aleksa's, ignoring the chill of snow touching his cheeks, "So what I'm getting from this... is that I'm stuck with Wylan."

 "Unless you've suddenly acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of the White Island, the ability to pick locks, scale unscalable walls," Kaz cast a look to Aleksa,"Or flirt confidential information out of high-level officials, yes. Besides, I want two sets of hands making bombs."

 While the guns strapped to his body might not have gleamed like the ones he'd left on the Ferolind... Jesper still gave them a mournful little pat, "Such potential wasted."

 Such talk of the plan was growing rather boring, Aleksa concluded as she trudged through the snow, weighed down by Jesper's lanky body seemingly crawling closer and closer to steal her warmth. He was like an old tree, his limbs like long and gangly branches trailing desperately closer to the sun.

 Aleksa felt quite the overwhelming desire to tackle him into the plush blanket of snow. Perhaps she could convince Nina to slow his body enough to bury him from head to toe; it'd take quite some time thanks to his stretched-out body... but it'd be worth it.

 Eventually, after Aleksa stumbled, Jesper finally groaned and slunk away. He took to pestering Wylan while Matthias and Nina squabbled like an old married couple. Inej was furthest ahead, eyes glazing around with such childlike awe... she was getting a taste of freedom, true freedom. Fjerda had no care for her, no desire to see her in chains in the same way those in Ketterdam did. Here she was just a girl in the snow, watching as snowflakes tricked and fell like glitter and confetti.

 Speaking of the delightful flakes of frozen water... Aleksa had indulged herself. With Kaz remaining silent by her side, and his head free of his hood, she had quite a wonderful scene before her. When the wind picked up, his hair would jostle and no matter how much his gloved fingers tried to slick it back, three pesky little strands toppled over his forehead and brushed at his obscenely long eyelashes. She scorned him for those, the way they brushed his pale cheeks and caught snowflakes like a child's palm.

 Even his eyes were lighter in the bright expanse of Fjerda.

 Aleksa stepped a little closer... not quite enough for their arms to brush, but just the amount needed to feel the warmth the other radiated; for while Kaz could be cold and callous, he always let off heat like a damned furnace.

 "You're looking quite delightful, you know?" Aleksa sighed, her breath nothing more than a puff of stark white that trailed higher and higher until swallowed by a beam of glimmering sunlight. Her comment had broken their comfortable silence, and Kaz cocked his head, eyes burning into her cold-bitten cheeks.

 His eyes narrowed. Aleksa could be counted on to flirt for information, fun, or favours... "What do you want?"

 Aleksa scoffed, her palm planted against her thudding heart, "Who said I wanted anything?"

 "Ah, you're bored then." Kaz nodded, eyes flicking to the sky where a few stray birds flew overhead, "Why don't you shoot?"

 "I'm — I'm not bored." Aleksa was utterly exasperated. Kaz would often brush her comments away and plough through whatever conversation was to be had. Sometimes he'd walked away, or rolled his eyes until Aleksa felt the urge to throttle him. He'd never tried to... figure out the cause or dissect them, "I was complimenting you."

 "You compliment for toffees," He looked back at Nina who'd already supplied her with three in the past hour alone, "Or for fun, or to make some fool follow your wishes."

 "And you were willing to be that fool?"

 Yes. Kaz blinked, that response had come to mind a little too fast. He carried onwards, ignoring her question, "So which is it?"

 "Neither. I was complimenting you. That's it." He was infuriating as he narrowed his eyes, picking through her micro-expressions like a lockpick would a safe, "Why else do you think I call you pretty boy?"

 "To irritate me endlessly?"

 "Well... yes, of course. I live to annoy you." Her grin faded into something warmer, something capable of melting the mounds of snow lying ahead. She hiked just one shoulder, "You are pretty, hence the name, idiot."

 They both ignored the way Matthias ploughed ahead, leaving a deep trail in his wake. He kicked up snow, spraying Aleksa's side and with a huff, she brushed the flakes away. She'd have to craft a little ball and toss it at his stupid Fjerdan face.

 Still, what an odd time for the Bastard of the Barrel and his dearest shadow to be so very truthful, so open. Kaz had dissected her words, almost eager to understand the truth hidden beneath the surface... was she saying such things in the same way she would to Jesper, to Nina? Or was it just him? All for him?

 And Aleksa... her stomach knotted as she insulted him that last time, all as a means to cover up the little flush that had trailed its way through the chill. Kaz would never spy it, for it merely deepened the colour already present... but she could feel it. Had she ever said such things without an edge of teasing before?

 Kaz's blank stare wasn't due to nonchalance, it was simply crafted from the fact that he didn't know what to say. He'd been called pretty. Him. Kaz Brekker.... Pretty. By her. Kaz blinked, lips opened and then they closed as the cold chewed through his flesh. He... he didn't know what to say.

 Somewhat thankfully — though they'd soon realise it was nothing good — Matthias's bellowing voice cut through the air. He spun on his heel, holding out his arms to form a shoddy little barricade, "Stop! You don't want to —"

 But it was too late. Aleksa had, of course, surged forward the moment Matthias had warned them to stop in their paths; that stubbornness, the need to do the very opposite of whatever the Fjerdan said had taken over.

 She'd bumped his arm, and Matthias had actually grabbed her wrist, trying with his might to get her to stay back... Aleksa made no move to fight as her eyes trailed over snow, over ice that had gathered after the blanket of white had been forced to melt.

 There was a pyre on a bluff. All those stray jokes Aleksa had made, the jabs at the Fjerdan and the ways of their druskelle suddenly twisted in Aleksa's mouth, right atop her tongue. It was like someone had mixed poison and lemon, forcing her to drink the vile concoction drop by drop.

 The pyre consisted of three stakes driven into the icy ground... three charred bodies were bound to them. Each one was unintelligible, no features left behind from the fire that had swallowed them. Their blackened, charred skin was still smouldering, light embers still clinging to decayed flesh.

 Aleksa's ears rang as though a whistle had been blown, as though Jesper had fired his guns right beside her. They were Grisha. They were people. They were... they could have been Aleksa, Nina and Jesper. They could have been Zoya, Genya and Alina.

 Aleksa stepped forth, eyes darkening into the colour of a storm brewing atop ocean waves when Matthias tried to keep her back once more. The look was enough, especially when paired with a snarl so vicious, that the wolves in the forest might have run from her.

 Aleksa could hear the others speaking behind her, but it was when Matthias spoke that she spun on her heel with shadows seeping from her palms.

 "It's what criminals do," he said as though it were any consolation, as if it were the truth, "The pyres have been illegal since—"

 "Don't you dare." Aleksa seethed, spittle flying from her tongue as the area around them grew three shades darker. The sunlight bouncing from the frost retreated, scurrying like rodents. Tendrils crawled over the ground, long vines of obsidian drawing closer and closer to Matthias. How dare he try to make excuses? How could he be so naive as to think that this wasn't the norm of his people? "This is what you do."

 She was almost glad that he tried to make his brothers seem innocent; it was a welcomed distraction from the gut-wrenching sight. The months she'd spent by Alina's side had been filled with nothing but blood and death. So many Grisha lost their lives fighting the Black Heretic, and Matthias Helvar had the gall to pretend as though this was a one-off? As though his people were innocent little bystanders?

 Nina had poked his chest until he stumbled, "Do you have a different name for killing when you wear a uniform to do it?"

 Aleksa heard it first. A moan. Something so small and barely even there that it could have been mistaken as the wind whispering, as the trees creaking.

 Aleksa's eyes slipped shut. One of them was still alive.

 Like a switch had been flipped, the darkness turned tail. No longer did vines try to slither around Matthias' ankle and drag him to the dirt where he belonged... They crept back to her palms as she took the steps necessary to face the body.

 The sound came again, thin and broken... a wail of someone wishing for the release of death. Aleksa couldn't tell if the Grisha had been a man or a woman, their hair had been singed off, their features burnt beyond recognition... their clothes were fused to their still limbs and flakes of black peeled from their cheeks, displaying the raw flesh beneath.

 The smell made her want to retch, to turn away and spill her stomach onto the snow. But Aleksa had made a vow when she'd agreed to help lead the second army... she had promised to do what she could to keep them safe, and she had agreed to be the person that would free them from pain... no matter how that freedom may have presented itself.

 She heard Jesper cock his gun, and when the shot was fired, aiming right above her shoulder with utmost accuracy... she shadows swallowed it whole. Bless him for being the brother she'd always thought The Black Heretic had been. Bless Jesper Fahey for trying to take the weight upon his own shoulders and rid her of pain...

 "No," Aleksa whispered as the darkness writhing spat the bullet into the snow. Kaz made some rebuttal against the sound Jesper had caused, but Aleksa truly didn't care if it would lead druskelle her way; perhaps she'd bind them. Perhaps she'd make her own pyres and force Helvar to watch them burn.

 The body became still within seconds. The shadows abided by a silent wish as they trailed through the air, trickling from the very tips of Aleksa's fingers. They made their path towards the Grisha, stepping through their lips, pushing down their throat... and then, all at once, their heart stopped. Like Nina had squeezed, like an arrow had penetrated their slow-beating heart... their moans ceased.

 Her fingers were shaking, she realised. Actually... Everything was shaking. But it wasn't only because of the terrible sight before her eyes, of her kin burning until nothing was left of them.

 He was there again, the Darkling. He was right by her side this time, a hand resting right upon her shoulder, weighing her down insurmountably. He was cold, freezing... like a dead body left to rot. His fingers were long and pale as they tangled in her sodden strands of hair, trailing a fingertip down her cheek.

 She looked at him, and while those behind her were either focused on the bodies and smoke, or Nina and Matthias' relentless back and forth... Kaz watched her. He watched the way she snapped her gaze to the sky, as though someone was peering down at her.

 "You should have known." The black Heretic whispered, his voice wilting like a rotting flower, "I told you we could save them... You chose otherwise. This..." His pale, crooked fingers gestured to the unforgiving scene; the ashes, the smoke, the charred flesh... "This is you."

 Aleksa's lip wobbled. She felt as though she was six years old again. The first time her brother had shown his true colours for the first time. He'd screamed at her, his bellowing voice shaking her room as though a bomb had landed. She'd cried, even after trying so hard to remain strong before him. He tutted at that, shaking his head as he walked away and left her alone in the dark.

 Aleksa felt her chest stutter, her breath hitching so very painfully. She wanted to cough, to rid that itch... but it wasn't her throat that ached, it was her chest. She almost wanted to ask if Nina had taken a hold of her heart, but she knew no words would come.

 "Tears?" He sneered, and then his pale fingers dug into her chin. It felt so real, "You're just as I thought. Weak. Pitiful. Not ready. Never ready."

 "Aleksa."

 The voice wasn't the Black Heretic's, but it sounded submerged, as though its owner was drowning... perhaps... Perhaps it was her that was drowning, swallowed by waves, finally dragged to the very depths of despair.

 Kaz was by her side when she fell to the ground, knees cold and soaked as the snow crept in. The others were far too occupied to even notice... not that they'd have been able to see through his billowing coat as he kept her crumpled self hidden.

 He'd never seen this before. Even when facing the Fold, Aleksa had done her best to keep her head held high. Her hands had shaken, her knees had rattled... but never this. She was seeing her ghost again, that much he was certain of, and his voice simply wasn't cutting through the haze she was enveloped within.

 Kaz Brekker swallowed the taste of salt water. He held his breath to banish the smell of the barge... and then his gloved fingers reached for her shoulder, "Aleksa."

 Aleksa choked at that feeling, the feeling of warmth creeping into her poor hollow bones. It was such a stark contrast to the Darkling. From fingers as cold as ice to one's radiating enough heat to rival the sun. From a voice ebbed with scorn, to one oddly soft and out of sorts.

 Her eyes worked to rid the blur before them, and when she peered up once more, it was not her torturer's face she met. Kaz looked different, that was what she noticed first. Those stupidly sharp cheekbones were still present, that pale glint to his skin... the little scar beneath his chin, resting right where his throat would bob ever so delightfully.

 But his edges had softened, and his fingers still lingered. A second passed, enough for her heart to slam three pitiful times... then that touch was gone, and Kaz's face contorted, "Kaz?" She breathed.

 No nicknames, no grin... He hated that.

 He wouldn't ask stupid questions. What point was there to ask if she was alright? She was on the ground, heaving as though fighting a Heartrender as she peered at absolutely nothing. He did what he could, and held his fingers before her, "Up you get."

 She was on her feet in seconds, bringing back her hand to coddle it at her chest. He waited for an explanation, for anything, really... and yet Aleksa remained silent. Her tongue had tangled, a mess of intricate knots that even the most patient of hands wouldn't unravel. She remained there — still, silent... haunted.

━━━━━━━

DATE: 03-08-2024

:･ﾟ★ a full one-eighty. from flirting to being haunted. yikes.

i know we ALL want bff's aleksa and matthias... but these losers need time to work things out; that and their relentless beef is very entertaining to me <3

please remember to leave feedback & comments. i require a certain number of comments before i publish the next update. please give me a follow to keep updated. do not leave 'update' comments, you will be muted.