𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 — cults, ghosts and broken bones

- NO FURTHER UPDATES UNTIL READERS INTERACT (COMMENT) MORE -

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 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐙𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐊 𝐇𝐀𝐃 very strong hands. How did Aleksa know this? Well, the delightful young Heartrender had trudged up to the deck, caught just one glimpse of the mutilated body... and then she waited, tapping her foot like a fuming mother atop a rickety old porch.

 Jesper had rocked on his feet, hands shoved into his roughspun pockets as he whistled and pretended to be none-the-wiser. Wylan had swiftly ducked his head and trailed his fingers along the gunwale as though he was trying to play the piano.

It had been Matthias to give Aleksa up. Not with his words, no. But the big, bad Fjerdan simply couldn't stomach Nina's glare, the way her hands rested on her hips, or how her brows crawled the length of her forehead.

 Matthias' gaze had fled to Aleksa, and before anything could have been said, Aleksa slumped.

 Nina's eyes had flared as she jabbed a finger through the air, spluttering as the salty sea breeze smacked her hair against her lips and cheeks, "I told you that you needed to rest!"

 "But Nina!" Aleksa had whined, almost tempted to stomp her foot and bring tears to her eyes, but the Heartrender was having none of it.

 Nina stomped forth, and both Matthias and Jesper had to hop out of her path, "Don't 'but Nina!' me. I thought you'd shout, perhaps give him a bruise or three, maybe even a little knife wound..." Nina peered over the Shadow Summoner's shoulder, "You sliced the man in two!"

 "He was a very bad man!"

 "I know that! But I told you to rest!" She huffed and she puffed and Aleksa had truly thought Nina might have been the one blasting wind into the schooner's sails. Nina snatched up her hand with that deceivingly strong grasp and tugged her onwards, "Come on."

 Nina had dragged her into a spare cabin and had quite literally blocked the damned door as she waited for Aleksa to shed her bloodied clothes for the stash she'd given to Jesper to haul upon the ship. Once her stomach and hands were free of blood and her frilled shirt was perfectly white and tucked away snugly within the waistband of her trousers, Nina had taken the water basin into her arms.

 She had demanded for Aleksa to rest, and even added the lovely little threat of 'Kaz is next door'.

 So that had been enough for Aleksa to groan and whine as she toppled against the uncomfortable bunk topped with scratchy blankets. But for all of her childish pouting... Aleksa had dozed off within minutes.

 Unfortunately for Aleksa's pride and bristling ego... Nina had been right. She had needed the moment to rest, for the second Aleksa bolted upright as she felt a whisper caressing her ears, her bones and flesh felt as good as new.

 There was no lingering fatigue from Merzost trailing her blood, no aches and pains from the sealed wounds beneath her shirt; she was as right as rain once again... and though she'd torn Oomen in two for what he'd done, Aleksa no longer felt that sweet sensation of revenge conquered... Because she knew Inej still wasn't awake, if she had been, Kaz would have woken her. She knew it.

 No matter how much he agreed with Nina — a fleeting moment where the two didn't butt heads — Kaz would have roused Aleksa from her sleep and he would have told her Inej was alright; it was something she had always trusted him to do.

 So Aleksa rose from the uncomfortable and scratchy little cot she'd curled upon, brushed a hand through her dangling locks of hair... ignored the Black Heretic's ghost standing in the corner like a chained skeleton, and trudged out the door. The ship rocked as she walked, bouncing atop restless waters as the sun grew higher and beamed brighter amidst daybreak.

 Aleksa had never gotten seasick before, which she had found to be rather handy when it came to Nikolai's little excursions... She was sure that man had a penchant for unsavoury situations.

 The sunlight was almost blinding when Aleksa found her boots resting upon the wooden deck, inches away from a stain crafted of her own blood. There was a patch by the railings, right where she'd murdered Oomen for all to see... but his body was gone now, and by the russet dribble upon the railings, he'd been hauled into the sea.

 It was warm, despite the breeze that rippled her fluttering shirt — Aleksa was sure that if it were not for her suspenders, the damned thing would have been stolen by the salted air; fortunately for their blushing drüskelle and their copper-haired explosives 'expert' Aleksa's shirt remained snug around her form.

 She glanced around and it seemed that Nina was still tending to Inej. From the blood and bandages Aleksa had spotted the moment she'd awoken by the Wraiths' side... Oomen hadn't been kind to her. But Oomen was gone now, food for the fishes... She wondered if Inej would scold her for what she'd done, or would the Wraith simply pray to her Saints and nod her head?

 Matthias was dangling his shackled wrists over the edge of the boat, catching dewdrops with the pads of his fingers. He was probably brooding, he looked the type.

 Wylan, however, looked no better than when he'd seen the state of Oomen. His face was pale and sickly, his fingers jittery and struggling to keep his pencil steady. He was a merchant's son, and while he'd likely been on a boat or two before... Aleksa was certain that such instances had been kinder to him.

 He'd probably been plied with sweets to line his stomach, tea to combat the sickness that came alongside shaking sea legs. He'd find no such thing aboard their little schooner, but she was sure he knew that already.

 Wylan peered at her when she slumped by his side, watching the way his trembling fingers tapped the pencil tip against a roll of tea-coloured paper. He paused, swiped a ruddy curl from his eyes, and slid over a small copper mug.

 It rippled with coffee, freshly brewed and likely bitter as all hell... just as Kaz liked it. Aleksa was rather partial to tea, really... but coffee would suffice. She peered into the cup as it warmed her fingers, "No chance for honey?"

 Wylan looked sheepish, "I asked... they laughed at me."

 "Only bitter people can drink bitter coffee."

 "Kaz was drinking it."

 Aleksa merely rose a brow as if to say 'exactly'.

 That made Wylan chuckle. He... he was rather frightened of Kaz Brekker. He'd heard the name whispered in the Barrel, he'd heard the title Dirtyhands muttered alongside it. By all accounts, people deemed the Bastard a monster.

 After a while, even Wylan had wondered if the rumours were true... Did he really have claws beneath those gloves? But while Wylan still knew better than to get on Kaz's bad side — did he have a good side? — he was rather thankful that Aleksa was along for the journey, that she was alive and well.

 It seemed that she was the only person capable of making Kaz Brekker seem human. Wylan might not have spoken much... but he had grown used to keeping his lips shut and observing. His father hated his interruptions, and so, from a young age, Wylan Van Eck looked at people.

 He'd seen how Kaz had stiffened when he'd seen Aleksa hobbling across the deck. He'd seen the utter rage and fury... and worry in his eyes when she'd been limp in his arms while blood gushed everywhere.

 Wylan tapped his pencil again as he rested his chin within the palm of his hand, his words were muffled, "Are you alright?"

 His sincerity was shocking. The absolute softness lacing his soft-as-velvet voice only had Aleksa smiling at him, "I'm alright, thank you for checking in though... and sorry about the little show."

 "You did warn me," Wylan said, and his lips managed a crooked grin, "About the inevitable trauma."

 Aleksa felt her stomach rumble as laughter spurred from her pink lips. To think the little sheltered merchant had a secret penchant for humour beneath those copper curls and masses of freckles. She liked this one already.

 Wylan dipped his chin, smothering his own sting of laughter as he bore his eyes into the map before him. He didn't quite like the idea of relying on Matthias to help him with the labels... he didn't like the idea of letting the people around him know that he wasn't exactly... great with words and letters.

 Aleksa watched him for a moment; he was the youngest of them, and it was so inherently obvious. His cheeks were a little rounded, dotted with flecks of brown, and his eyes widened whenever any of the crows squawked... he hid himself beneath that tuft of quite magnificent copper hair.

 But he was hesitating as he looked at the map, and that's when Aleksa realised there were only drawings. There wasn't a single letter nor word splayed over the paper; and thinking back to his little drawing in the Crow Club, that had all been pictures too.

 Before she could ask a question that would probably have sent Wylan hiding beneath a table, footsteps approached them. Two sets and one clicking cane. Aleksa tipped her head to the side, peering through strands of hair as Jesper sauntered forth with his hands stuffed in his pocket.

 He was a ray of sunlight, really. His skin positively glowing, his grin wide and real. He paused by her side, and flicked that pesky strand of hair away, "Now look at you, beauty sleep did you some wonders, bug."

 "Adorable, aren't I?"

 "I was gonna say gorgeous, but that works, too."

 "Thank you, handsome."

 Wylan's eyes had batted back and forth, and Aleksa supposed it was rather odd to see the dead-girl-walking flirting with her own best friend mere hours after splitting a human body into two perfect pieces.

 He'd get used to it... Kaz however, clearly had yet to as he jabbed the end of his cane against Jesper's ankle. His face was set in stone, such a hearty sneer on his features that had Wylan dropping his gaze back to the unfinished map.

 "If you're done flirting —" Kaz tried to finish, but as always, Aleksa just had to weasel her way forth with that daring grin that threatened to have his good knee buckle.

 "— Don't be jealous, dear." she chimed, peering up and through her lashes at him, delighted to see a little bob in his throat, "I might have been bleeding out, but I do recall telling you just how pretty you are before everything went dark. It's Jesper's turn, you'll have to share, I'm afraid."

 I don't want to share.

 Those words flashed through Kaz's thoughts in an instant. Before her lips had even finished spilling those words. Kaz tucked a hand into his coat pocket, curling his fingers inwards until he could feel pain searing through his palm.

 It was getting harder and harder to ignore that petulant voice, the one telling him to give in to her jests and jibes, the whispers telling him that they were real.

 Aleksa pouted when Kaz directed the cane her way, her fingers curled around the very base before it could collide with her ankle, "I'll tell Nina you're beating the sick girl."

 "Not so sick now, are you?"

 Aleksa brought a hand to her lips and coughed. It was so unconvincing that Wylan had to turn away to conceal his grin.

 There were times in which Kaz truly believed Aleksa was just a ghost haunting his every movement, taunting him... wishing he'd toss himself off a very tall building. She was so infuriating, that she rendered him speechless. On so many occasions he'd have to clear his throat and force his eyes to roll towards the skies.

 He'd change the subject, prattle on about something not even he cared about. How did she do it?

 Aleksa watched his eyes close briefly, as though he'd taken to praying to Inej's Saints. She loved it — teasing him, that is. The frustration on his features, the little tick of his lips that he just couldn't find the will to control; it was far more addicting than Merzost would ever be.

 Kaz forced his sights on Wylan, and the boy still had his lips curled into his mouth, "Why aren't there names on anything? He gestured to the plans, noticing the distinct lack of any and all information. Unless Wylan had chosen now to become an illustrator for a boring children's book, what use was the mess before him?

 Wylan blinked, "I don't know Fjerdan, and we need all the details right. Helvar should do it." But Wylan very swiftly regretted speaking at all when he found Matthias's twisted scowl directed at him, "I'm just doing my job, stop glaring at me."

 "No." Matthias grumbled.

 Kaz rolled his eyes. There was a brooding Fjerdan staring out and over the sea as though waiting for his poor befuddled lover to return from war, and a pesky little Grisha who knew Fjerdan as well as the other languages in her arsenal... though Kaz didn't particularly blame Wylan for forgoing the fact that Aleksa could help. The boy probably wouldn't get a word in edgeways.

 Aleksa blinked as Kaz pulled something from his pocket and tossed it through the air. It was a tiny, clear disk that glinted beneath the beams of sunlight trickling down from above. Kaz propped himself on one of the barrels, leaning against the mast as he elevated his bad leg on a bundle of fraying rope; clearly he hadn't yet recovered from the torture he'd put himself through by hauling Aleksa to safety.

 Nor had he let Nina see to his pains.

 Wylan fumbled with the disk, barely catching it before it toppled to the deck and slipped through a crack. He cradled it between his palms, watching sheepishly as his pencil rolled and rolled before Aleksa had to pluck it from the air before it clattered upon the deck, "What is it?"

 "One of Raske's new inventions."

 Wylan glanced up as he fiddled with the clear disk, "I thought he did demo work."

 "He does everything," said Jesper.

 "Wedge it between your back teeth," Kaz said as he handed the disks to them all, "But don't bite down —"

 Wylan started to sputter and cough, clawing at his mouth as his freckled cheeks turned a very vibrant red. A transparent film had spread over his lips, bulging out like a frog's gullet as the poor boy tried his hardest to breathe.

 His eyes were darting left and right, slowly watering in his state of panic. Jesper cackled once more, hooting as he folded like a chair. Aleksa tried her best to puncture a little hole in the film... eventually, however, she gave up. His nose was still free, and if he wasn't smart enough to breathe out of it, then they were all doomed.

 Kaz sighed and shook his head, he felt a stray strand of formerly slicked hair toppled over his forehead, brushing by his eye, "I told you not to bite down, Wylan. Breathe through your nose."

 Wylan took deep inhales, his nostrils flaring and Aleksa truly thought he might send himself into a panic... so she pinched his nose, and jabbed the pencil into his mouth, led-tip first. He choked, wheezed, and batted her hands away... but hey, he was breathing.

 "So..." Aleksa drawled out, tumbling the little disk between nimble fingers. The nail polish Genya had so carefully crafted had faded, leaving a mere shimmer on the tips while blood still caked her nail beds.

 Kaz waited just like he always did. If his second wasn't smart enough to figure it out, he'd have to turn the damned ship around himself.

 Aleksa glanced at Wylan as he peeled off the last of the transparent film from his lips, "Oh!" She chimed, "If the druskelle here decides to capsize us all, it's how we'll breathe?"

 Close enough, Kaz thought as Matthias grunted like an ape, "Essentially, yes. I didn't exactly have Helvar in mind but the premise is the same. It's baleen. I'd planned to save these, but after that ambush, I don't know what kind of trouble we may run into on the open sea. If you go over and can't come up for air, wiggle it free and bite down. It will buy you ten minutes of breathing time. Less if you panic," He sent quite the pointed look to Wylan who still struggled to flick the film from his fingers. Kaz handed him another, "Be careful with that one."

 Aleksa hummed, storing away the little disk for safekeeping. She didn't particularly like the thought of another ambush happening, less so as they rocked atop ocean waves that were sure to grow far more vicious the closer they drew to Fjerda.

 Would Merzost stop her from drowning? She really didn't want to chance it.

 Kaz reached out his cane, tapping it against the incomplete plans smothered over the top of an old crate, "Names, Helvar. All of them."

 Matthias remained there for a moment but eventually, he gave in. His face was twisted as though he'd sucked on a far less-than-ripe lemon, but he scribbled the names of the buildings and surrounding roads all the same.

 Aleksa watched him pause; he was no doubt concocting his own plan. He'd think of what ways he could split from the rest of them when they arrived. If and how he could reveal their location and inevitably weasel his way into the good graces of his country's government. He wouldn't need the pardon then, would he?

 But Aleksa knew just how... forgiving the Fjerdans could be. They hunted Grisha for mere sport, for fun almost. She'd heard of the grins and haughty laughter they'd supply when their binds were woven around a Grisha's wrists. She knew how they'd shackle even children in the depths of their ships, ready to take them to a trial they could never hope to win.

 So why would his country welcome him home after betraying them? Would he lie about it all, would he grovel at their feet and profess that Nina Zenik, a Heartrender had puppeteered him like he was just a poor, defenceless little boy?

 Aleksa knew she was not the only one to be concocting such assumptions about their resident brute; she'd caught Kaz surveying him from time to time while his scheming face was in full swing.

 "You're holding back," Kaz said, his dark eyes glinting as they rested upon Matthias. The Fjerdan was taking his time, scrawling as slowly as a snail. Kaz would crush his poor little shell if he didn't get a move on, "Get on with it."

 Matthias managed to refrain from shivering as Kaz's stare seemed to glance through him, as though he was peering straight into his mind and flicking through his thoughts, "I'm telling you what I know."

 "Matthias," Aleksa groaned, slumping against the crate before her, "No plans, no deal. No druskelle cult to welcome you home —"

 "— it isn't a cult."

 "You burn people on pyres. Very culty."

 "I've never —" Matthias bit his tongue hard enough for blood to spill. The metallic twang carried down his throat, mixing with the nausea of the trip thus far. He'd never burnt anyone. He'd never carried out a sentence a Grisha had received. He supposed... he supposed his brothers might have. His anger billowed like someone had stoked a fire, "You want my expertise? Your plan won't work."

 Kaz tipped his head, "You don't even know my plan."

 "In through the prison, out through the embassy?"

 "As a start."

 "It can't be done. The prison sector is completely isolated from the rest of the Ice Court. It isn't connected to the embassy. There's no way to reach it from there."

 "It has a roof, doesn't it?"

 Matthias' smug grin was just begging Aleksa to slap it off.

 "You can't get to the roof," said the drüskelle with more satisfaction humming on his tongue than vengeance swimming with Kaz's body — a very gross exaggeration on Aleksa's part, "The drüskelle spend three months working with Grisha prisoners and guards as part of our training. I've been in the prison, and there's no access to the roof for exactly that reason – if someone manages to get out of his cell, we don't want him running around the Ice Court. The prison is completely sealed off from the other two sectors in the outer circle. Once you're in, you're in."

 But when somebody decided to tell Kaz Brekker he couldn't do something, if he was made aware of a lock that was deemed unbreachable... he'd find a way, that was Kaz. He somehow managed the impossible.

 Kaz pried the prison plans from the stack, ignoring Aleksa's huff as she swiftly pulled her fingers away to avoid a paper cut, "There's always a way out, Helvar. Five floors, right? Processing area, and four levels of cells. So what's here? In the basement?"

 Matthias shrugged, "A laundry shoot and the incinerator."

 "The incinerator."

 "Yes, where they burn the convicts' clothes when they arrive. It's a plague precaution but —" As soon as the words left Matthias' mouth he understood Exactly what Kaz had in mind. "Sweet Djel, you want us to climb six storeys up an incinerator shaft?"

 While Aleksa knew Matthias' guess was absolutely spot on... there was just something about the way he worded it. The use of 'we'. Whenever it came to such an impossible task, it was never about all of them, the fingers were always pointed to either herself to cast shadows and lead them blindly down an open path, or Inej to scramble her way up a steep wall with little to no equipment on her person.

 Aleksa felt her stomach twist. She often trusted Kaz in moments when most would think him utterly insane because really, he was. But this? He wanted Inej — who was still below deck with Nina as her wounds ever so slowly healed — to climb an incinerator shaft?

 She knew some of the plan, most of it... if Kaz hadn't changed it already. But the basis was that they'd become prisoners. They'd be shucked of their belongings — including Inej's rubber-soled shoes — and left utterly defenceless... bar the Grisha in their midst.

 Sure, the laundry chute was beside the Incinerator... but who was to say their things wouldn't have already been turned to ashes by the time they got there? Did he expect Inej to climb in slippers? With her bare toes? Even if the incinerator hadn't been used for hours, it'd still be boiling.

 "You're kidding," Aleksa said, but it wasn't a question. It was judgment. It was scornful.

 Kaz knew that his biggest obstacle would be Aleksa. The Shadow and the Wraith, that's how it had been from the moment she'd appeared in the dead of night and slaughtered their attackers.

 Matthias flung out a hand, "For once, I agree with the Drusj —" Her withering glare made him clear his throat, "The Shadow. You can't mean for us —"

 But Matthias hadn't quite clocked on in the same way as Aleksa. He was entirely unaware that Kaz was planning to send a presently unconscious Inej to scale the blistering walls.

 Kaz made no argument as he interrupted, "When does the incinerator run?"

 "If I remember right, early morning, but even without the heat, we —"

 "He doesn't mean for us to climb it," said Nina, her face just as miffed as her voice. She emerged from belowdecks with her hands twisted to the sky, stretching out her poor, tired muscles and bones. Before Aleksa could utter a word, Nina wagged a finger, "Inej is fine. She's stabilised and Rotty is watching her.

 Aleksa released a breath that had managed to get caught in her throat. Nina looked tired, even after the use of her powers, they'd still managed to take a toll... though that was likely because the only rest their Heartrender had managed, was in between sealing Inej's internal wounds.

 Nina heaved a great breath of fresh and salty air, "I'll go back in a minute, I just needed some air... But you can't really be planning to send Inej climbing up six storeys of chimney with only a rope and a prayer."

 Kaz waved a hand, "The Wraith can manage it."

 "Inej." Aleksa hissed. "Right now, she isn't the Wraith. She's injured and unconscious, and if she isn't completely healed by the time we reach that incinerator, I'm tossing you into it, Kaz Brekker."

 His full name. She only ever said on a few occasions; either with that honied edge creeping in, the very one that made him think he was truly having a heart attack, or that his teeth were corroding from sugar... or in the same tone she'd just uttered. Hatred. It had to be pure hatred.

 But there was no other option, it was the Wraith — Inej — or it was home time, and Kaz wasn't giving up. Not when Pekka was involved.

 So, despite the fact that only hours ago Aleksa had a real blade digging through her flesh, Kaz twisted his own knife deeper, "She'll be fine —"

 There was a strange feeling in the air then, they all found... All but Aleksa who could only feel the sloshing of furious waves in her stomach. She should have gotten used to Kaz being so flippant with their lives when it came to serving his own agenda. She'd looked past it whenever he'd drag her along at her own behest... but not Inej.

 He had to know that she was serious. That she really would toss him into hot coals and billowing flames if Inej got harmed because of him. Kaz Brekker might have managed to claw his way into the Shadow's heart, he might have turned her into a fool wishing for things she knew he couldn't, and likely didn't want to give... but Inej was important to her.

 So when the boat became flooded, not by ocean waves, but by the ink-coloured smoke flooding from her palms, Aleksa met Kaz's eyes, "I'm not making any jokes this time, Brekker. If Inej gets hurt because of you,"

 Matthias had puckered his lips, holding back both fear at the little display she so easily concocted, but also the absolute joy he found when seeing the demjin at her mercy. Nina stepped backwards, toes avoiding the shadows floating above the deck like a smattering of ice-cold mist.

 Wylan was utterly silent, and so was Jesper... because the sharpshooter was of the same frame of mind, though not quite insane enough to oppose a man who'd plucked an eye from a human as though picking berries in a field.

 Aleksa pushed the shadows until a cloud simmered around Kaz's shoes. None dared climb up his legs or coil around his flesh, because while Aleksa was very much aiming to convey her threat... she wasn't about to cross those boundaries.

 "I swear that I'll break every bone in your body. Nina can heal you, but I'll do it again and again until Inej is back on her feet." It was a fair trade, no? Aleksa thought so.

 Kaz knew when Aleksa was telling the truth... she'd lied only a handful of times to him, and out of those times, he'd managed to catch little tells of hers. The way she'd wiggle her fingers for the comfort of her shadows. The way she'd shift on her feet or bite the skin of her lip until it bled.

 None of that was present. This wasn't Aleksa anymore. It wasn't his Shadow or his Crow... this was a Morozova. This was the Black Heretic's blood.

 Thus, Kaz held out his hand, gloved fingers hanging before her eyes, "The deal is the deal."

 Because he needed her. He required the Wraith, but he needed Aleksa. Not just for the mission... he found, but for something more, something buried away that was ever so swiftly surfacing no matter how hard he tried to quash it.

 Aleksa clipped her fingers along his own, watching the way his jaw tightened... then slowly softened, "The deal is the deal."

 In a beat, the shadows retreated and light befell them all. It was blinding, and Aleksa could see each of her crows — she supposed she could include Matthias within that for now — squinting their eyes.

 It was silent for a moment, Aleksa realised as she surveyed her crows perched upon the deck. Kaz had the decency to turn his head, eyes drawn out to the horizon, but not once did he glance at the ocean waves. Matthias folded his arms, and for once, he looked about ready to proclaim himself and Aleksa as best buds.

 Jesper took to whistling a tune, hands grappling for an old cloth to drag along the barrel of his rifle, and Nina... Nina grinned, "I think we're going to be very good friends." She said, swerving around the group to place a hand on Aleksa's shoulder.

 "Not lovers? I could treat you so much better than —"

 "— Alright!" Nina flushed, and so did Matthias. They'd been caught, and they both knew it.

 "Alright to being lovers?"

 Nina parted her lips, and yet all that slid by was a sigh, "Could you flirt with me tomorrow? I'm far too tired to keep up."

 Aleksa saluted, "It's a promise."

 Wylan thought he'd gotten whiplash. For the third time since being corralled by the Crows. How did it come so easy to Aleksa to move from threatening the worst of the worst, to promising Nina Zenik to a timely flirt? He was completely bewildered.

 "If there's room for one more..." Jesper winked, clicking his tongue. But then the inevitable dawned on him, "Still, why are we even talking about scaling chimneys when we've got a bigger problem?"

 Pekka. Jesper didn't even have to say it for them all, even Matthias, to know what he was alluding to.

 Kaz feigned ignorance, "And what's that?"

 "We have no business going after Bo Yul-Bayur if Pekka Rollins is involved."

 "Who is Pekka Rollins?" Matthias asked, and the name sounded so silly coming from his Fjerdan tongue. Each syllable was butchered and twisted. All Matthias did know, was that Pekka Rollins was just one of many merchants slivering in the grimy depths of the Barrel, one that lined his pockets from the proceeds of the Hellshow.

 Still, he thought, Pekka's name alone had been enough to snap something within Kaz.

 Wylan shuddered, still plucking the remnants of the gummy film off his lips. He flushed when Aleksa reached over, sleeve over her hand as she scrubbed it off, "Thanks," He squeaked, very much feeling the weight of Kaz's eyes. He swiftly addressed Matthias, "Uh... He's only the biggest, baddest operator in all of Ketterdam. He has money we don't have, connections we don't have, and probably a head start."

 Jesper nodded. "For once, Wylan is making sense. If by some miracle we do manage to spring Bo Yul-Bayur before Rollins does, once he finds out we're the ones who beat him to it, we're all dead men."

 "Pekka Rollins is a Barrel boss," Kaz said, but he was distant now.

 The usual edge of his voice might have been enough of a facade to keep Jesper from leaning closer, to keep Matthias from pulling him apart, but Aleksa knew the effect of that name. She'd said it once when she'd been alone with him, and Kaz had fallen silent... apparently trusting enough to let down just a level of his walls. But that was all, he divulged nothing.

 Kaz tapped his fingers along the shaft of his obsidian cane, "No more, no less. Stop making him out to be some kind of immortal."

 Jesper leaned back, long and boney fingers hastening to thrum against the deck. He cocked his head and the bulk of his curly hair jostled, "You think Per Haskell is going to back you when he finds out you crossed Pekka Rollins? You think the old man wants that war?"

 Kaz shook his head, and now the malice was back in his eyes, swallowing bitter coffee back like a shot until only an expanse of black was left behind, "Pekka Rollins didn't come into this world dressed in velvet and rolling in kruge. You're still thinking small. The way Per Haskell does, the way men like Rollins want you to. We pull off this job and divvy up that haul, we'll be the legends of the Barrel. We'll be the crew that beat Pekka Rollins."

 Kaz stared at the plans before him. His crew, his team... his Crows could do it. They would, and they had to. They all needed this to work for some reason or another... except Aleksa and Wylan. They could leave the rest of them in the dust and be well on their way.

 Aleksa could trail back to the palace, charm the damned king if she hadn't already... But Kaz knew she probably had. Would it be enough? Would the kruge really be enough if that happened?

 He looked up, "We enter from the north as planned,"

 Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes to the sky, blinking against the glare of sunlight. He felt like Alina Starkov had risen from the dead just to blind his pretty face, "Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I'm going to get Wylan's ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost."

 Kaz's lips ticked. It was small, but it was the closest thing to amusement he'd show them all since stepping foot onto the Ferolind. He looked a vision, and Aleksa quite wanted to punch him for it... Kaz hitched a shoulder, "I'll just hire Matthias' ghost to kick your ghost's ass."

 "My ghost won't associate with your ghost," Matthias said primly... then his face dropped as though he'd suddenly realised what he'd said. The salty air was clearly getting to his head, but he soon looked up when a piece of balled paper thunked against the side of his head.

 Aleksa grinned at him, looking nothing like the girl who'd threatened Kaz, nothing like the one who'd sliced a man in two with utter ease nor the girl who'd stabbed him back in Hellgate, "I'm still pretty miffed with this plan... so you get a one-time deal, Matty —" Matthias blinked at that, "Our ghosts, versus Kaz's. What do you say?"

 Matthias couldn't deny the swell of amusement... and he found himself nodding before scowling at a rather scornful Kaz, "Count your days, demjin."

 Aleksa snorted.

━━━━━━━

DATE: 22/11/2023

:･ﾟ★ HELP WHY ARE THE CHAPTERS GETTING LONGER?! still, i love this chap. Simp!Kaz, Aleksa threatening him which is so real... and the makings of a beautiful friendship between bbg matty, and baby aleksa <3

ALSO, this fic is already like... my longest one so far. it's looking to be about 72-75 chapters long by the time SOC is finished. do i just continue with Crooked Kingdom in THIS book? i never really like doing multiple books because i like the flow of it being all in one, but lmk what you'd personally prefer!

and THANK YOU for showing up for the last chapter; the comments you all left have motivated me soooo much! please keep up with the interactions; comments are what keep me writing, and therefore, that's what keeps you guys getting updates! <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 and receive sneak peeks! do not leave 'update' comments, you will be muted.