𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 — the acrobat

━━━━━━━

 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐃 gathered back inside the warm embrace of the bar they had found themselves in the day prior to their little heist. Each of them was elated at their victory; Jesper and Aleksa had shared a hearty grin and a fist bump upon reuniting, and Inej had curled her arms around Aleksa's waist; thanking the summoner for her veil of shadows that had kept her safe.

 Now they all hovered over the set of blueprints that had been safely stolen by Inej. Onlookers gave the group curious stares and burnt holes into their backs as they each used their bodies as shields to obscure the plans from view.

 The blueprints, in Aleksa's delightful opinion, were a mess. It hardly looked like a set of blueprints, more so a cluster of lines and dead ends. There were at least a dozen sets of doors, one that led directly into the main hall, ones that took you through the stables, one for the tower... But none were easily accessible. Not that Aleksa had ever thought they would simply peruse through the gates, tip their hats — or Kaz would at least tip his silly thing — and be on their merry way.

 Jesper planted a long and boney finger on the map, his calloused fingertip pointing to one of the many doors, "What about..." His words faded as he followed the path with his fingertip.

 Aleksa sighed as she shook her head, using her own finger to direct him, "We can't, it leads to the weaponry, there'll be too many guards making sure someone doesn't accidentally stab the Queen or something..."

 Jesper snorted.

 "This hallway?" Inej supplied.

 Kaz pointed to the far end of the blueprints, "The only way out is through the..." He rolled his eyes at the absurdity, "Hedge maze."

 Aleksa bumped her elbow into Jespers, retraining her laugh as his drink spilt out of the glass, "It'd be a bit embarrassing for you to..." Her voice lowered, "Steal the Sun Summoner and then get lost in a maze, but I wouldn't put it past you."

 "Now, now," The sharpshoot tutted, "As if you'd do better."

 "I absolutely would, but I'm not coming inside, am I?"

 They all fell silent; each of them knew how much easier it'd be to sneak in and out of the Place with Aleksa by their sides but none of them could, nor wanted to chance the General finding her and hauling her back to her room. They needed her.

 Aleksa had, in a bout of short-lived confidence, had almost put her foot down and stated that she'd be absolutely thrilled to prance around the palace, hook her arms around their lovely Sun Summoner and parade back out... But then the thoughts of her brother came to the forefront of her mind.

 She wanted to see Aleksander, she really did but Aleksa knew that the moment his all-seeing eyes landed upon her, she'd be in metaphorical shackles... or even physical ones... Again. She had been deemed as 'important' and told she had a 'larger part to play' whatever all of that had meant. All she knew was that Aleksander had never spoken of close plans to tear down the fold together... So why did she need to remain locked up?

 She had been waited on; Aleksanders all-important Grisha that remained by his side had brought her everything she'd ever wished for, and even Aleksander himself had lavished her with gifts and findings from his trips away. He'd tell colourful stories, but he also told tales of terror.

 Ketterdam, no matter how murky and musty, no matter how much blood rolled with the rain, was her home. Aleksa had found a place that satisfied the insatiable need she had for danger and fun; for adventure. The Barrel had made her grow even stronger than Aleksander did.

 She had found who she was without the watchful eye of her brother. She wasn't silent, she didn't nod her head at every request someone made of her. Aleksa was loud, vibrant and incredibly crude. She didn't want to go back to him. Not yet.

 Inej cleared her throat and the tension ceased. The Wraith nodded to the blueprints once more, directing their sights to a circular marking, "The guard tower..." she clicked her tongue, "No way in."

 "And no way out." Kaz murmured with bitterness as he scanned the paper once more. He had looked over each and every entrance, followed the path that stretched forth, and yet there was just no feasible way for them to enter and exit without being noticed.

 Aleksa could have easily gotten them all onto the grounds at least, but that would have meant that her summoning abilities would have been revealed to Arken. Neither Aleksa nor Kaz saw that going well at all; he was untrustworthy as it was, but knowing that he had a Shadow Summoner on his hands? One that he would assume just as important to the country and crown as the Sun Summoner. There was no doubt in either of their minds that Arken would try his hand at stealing her away too.

 The thought of his grubby hands even reaching out to her made Aleksa shiver.

 It was then, when all hope of the Crows — and Arken — entering the Little Palace unscathed was diminishing when a scream sounded out, a thud following shortly after.

 The Crows whipped around and all that could be found was a swinging sliver of silk hanging from the ceiling and the acrobat sprawled on the floor with tears streaming down her cheeks. A crowd had already gathered around her, each person cooing and preening over her.

 Aleksa blinked, and without much care, she and the rest of the crows brought their attention back to the blueprints; for as terrible as her scream sounded, and as horrid as her ankle looked, they had more pressing matters.

 Aleksa could feel her eyes drooping the longer she stared at the blueprints, and after another ten minutes of pondering and throwing out ideas, Jesper had ordered himself another shot and slumped in his chair.

 Inej had taken to supplying herself and Aleksa with biscuits, each of them passing sweet treats between themselves and spilling grains of sugar onto the blueprints. kaz swatted them away with a scowl.

 "This is useless." Jesper groaned, slipping further into his chair.

 Aleksa didn't want to agree, she wanted to finish their damn heist, haul their prize back to Ketterdam and bathe herself in Kruge... Or else they'd returned empty-handed, and somebody else would likely be bathing in her blood.

 "We can't return without her," Aleksa muttered, her voice muffled from the biscuit she'd stuffed into her mouth.

 Her fingers curled around the cool glass that was set before her; patrons had taken to plying her with drinks once more, hoping that maybe she'd be quick to slip into their beds.

 "Aleksa's right." Groaned Inej as she snapped a biscuit in two, waving the pieces about.

 "Always am, darling."

 There was a pause until Jesper spoke, "I mean, Kirbirsk isn't the worst."

 The others remained silent, sipping on their drinks or chewing on biscuits.

 Jesper brightened and his hands slapped at the bar in revelation, "We could open up a bar. Brew East Ravkan beer for the Westerners?"

 Aleksa pulled the glass away from her cherry-scented lips, Inej paused mid-bite of her biscuit, and Kaz rolled his eyes skywards. They all chimed in sync, "Shut up, Jesper."

 He slumped, eyes drooping as he twiddled with his thumbs, "I miss Milo."

 Aleksa reached out, the soft tips of her fingers patting at Jesper's hand before she slid him yet another untouched glass of alcohol; if the patrons of the cosy little tavern kept plying her with free drinks, she was certain that all of the Crows would be drunk within the hour.

 Jesper looked thankful, his boney fingers curling around the glass as he sipped slowly, and sadly, on whatever fruity concoction rippled within the foggy glass.

 They remained in silence for a short while, each of their eyes darting to the blueprints just in case they had missed something. Hoping they had missed something. But every longing glance was of little use; they had scanned the paper, followed each and every measly little line with their fingertips, pondered over each entrance and yet still they had nothing to show. Their plan, their heist... It'd all been for nought.

 "Friends!" Arken bellowed with a grin that almost split his face. He bounced on the balls of his feet, almost rocking as though he held a secret ready to be told; though both Aleksa and Kaz knew well that he would be the last person to spill his knowledge to the Crows.

 By the conductor's side was another man, a stranger with a thick frock of curly hair that tumbled past his cheeks. His face was round and friendly, and his smile was wide and warm. He was far more inviting than Arken who smiled as though he knew one's darkest thoughts.

 Aleksa's lips had parted, ready and more than willing to clear the air and make it well known that Arken didn't have friends. Kaz, knowing Aleksa all too well, had swiftly jabbed the tip of his cane against her ankle.

 She merely smiled at him.

 Kaz rose a perfectly sharp brow, his eyes glossing over Arken's company before falling to the man himself, "What are you so cheery about?"

 "This is Marko." Arken introduced, his hand making a sweeping gesture to his curly-haired acquaintance who smiled at each of them and wiggled his fingers in a polite wave, "Marko here is the leader of a travelling troupe known as the Pomdrakon Players. They've been invited to perform at this year's winter fete."

 The crows straightened, and Aleksa curled a piece of hair around her finger, offering her most dazzling smile to their newcomer, "That's wonderful Marko," Her voice was as smooth and as sweet as honey; Jesper struggled to contain his laughter, "Congratulations, it's lovely to meet you."

 Marko flushed, "You as well..."

 "Aleksa." Her eyelashes fluttered.

 "Aleksa..." he repeated as though in a daze before his head nodded excitedly, "It's been a lifelong dream, to perform at the fete."

 Arken looked thoroughly pleased with his accomplishment, and Aleksa rather hated it. He clapped Marko on the back, "Yes, yes..." He trailed off, voice losing all hint of happiness as he falsified a pang of sympathy, "But they lost their star performer due to an unfortunate freak accident."

 Unfortunate freak accident. Aleksa almost scoffed as her mind replayed that awful thud followed by the shattering of an ankle from earlier. Neither she, nor the other crows had thought anything of the performer sliding from her silks; accidents happened. But with Arken's obvious struggle to contain a smile... Well, it was impeccably obvious to them all that it had been no accident whatsoever.

 Aleksa threw a glance to Inej and the Wraith arched a brow, just as Kaz did when Aleksa moved her sights to him. So, they were all on the same wavelength.

 Arken, however, was oblivious to them and carried on, "They are in desperate need of someone with the skills to replace their star performer, and as Ketterdam's premier talent manager, I had an idea."

 Once more, the crows shared a look amongst themselves. The first to turn their sights to Inej was Aleksa, a soft smile painted on her lips; one that was always reserved for her darling crows, "Dear Inej," she chimed, "Have I told you recently how much I adore you?"

 Inej leaned back, arms folding across her chest as she grinned. The Wraith had no qualms with acting as their performer, not if it secured a way into the Little Palace, but just as she and Aleksa had always done, there was to be a small bout of back and forth before she would finally nod her head, "I could stand to hear you say it again."

 Aleksa reached out, her warm hand engulfing Inej's, "Sweet Inej. Darling Inej. My most talented Inej, I absolutely adore you and the ground you walk upon —"

 Marko snickered from behind them whilst Kaz refrained from rolling his eyes at their usual prolonged theatrics.

 "— Won't you please show us all your phenomenal skills?" Aleksa finished, plucking a biscuit from the nearly empty tray. A sprinkle of crumbs and sugar lined the bar as she bit into it, lashes fluttering like a butterfly's wings.

 Inej shook her head, her lips still tilted high and her cheeks dark. The Wraith hopped from her stool and padded towards Aleksa, her fingers smoothed over the knives at her hip, one of which was the very knife Aleksa had once gifted her, the one with the black and intricately carved handle. Inej slipped them from the holsters, flipped them with ease, and held the hilts towards Aleksa.

 The Summoner winked and batted her hair away with her hands before carefully grasping the knives, cradling them in a very similar manner that Jesper did with his pistols. Aleksa knew just how much each and every blade meant to the Wraith; they were a means of protection that had once been so scarce for her. She had learnt how to defend herself in a city that broke the weak and favoured the rich.

 Aleksa tucked them away, and once more she clasped the Wraith's hand, squeezing gently, "Thank you, dear."

 Inej had been as graceful as ever; the silks that had hung from the ceiling had curled around her body and she moved with them as though they were a second skin. The Wraith had twirled and dropped, sending everyone's hearts thudding away in concern, only to be replaced with the thundering sounds of cheers when she had finally planted her feet on the ground and bowed to them all, delighting only in her friend's applause.

 Still, Aleksa could easily tell from the small and delicate smile on the Wraith's face that she had missed twirling in silks and walking highwires. Inej had been born to be an acrobat, somebody who sidestepped danger with ease and utter elegance. She had done as a child and had never had the heart to let her skills nor memories of such times fade.

 Unfortunately for the rest of the Crows, Marko had not been open to the idea of letting the rest of them join him for free; his wild curls had bounced as he shook his head and told them 'the stage is yours'.

 Jesper, ever the lover of attention and praise, had leaned down to Inej and whispered in her ear, only to tug her towards the stage, leaving both Aleksa and Kaz behind. The duo had won over the crowd, and more importantly, Marko by showcasing Jesper's innate ability to hit any target he set his eyes upon.

 Inej had hung from the silks with an arm poised in the air, as graceful as a swan whilst a playing card was settled between her teeth. She had not a hair out of place, no signs of distrust and her heart was beating at a perfect pace; they all knew that Jesper Fahey would not miss.

 And he didn't. Despite the fact that his view of Inej and the card was through nothing but an old and dirty mirror, the moment his finger had touched the trigger and released the bullet his pistol had housed, the card between Inej's teeth was torn in two perfect halves. One side of the card fluttered to the ground and spurred the crowd to cheer and applause once more.

 Aleksa had brought two fingers to her lips, a sharp whistle tearing through the air before she too, clapped for her crows. Kaz, as expected, loomed silently in the shadows of the crowd; he truly was a joy.

 Marko had cheered and hooted rushing forth as Jesper approached them. His cheeks held a vibrant flush and his delight was evident from the way his lips threatened to split his cheeks.

 He rounded on Kaz and Aleksa, "And the two of you?"

 Aleksa almost recoiled, she had no particular talent that she could simply show an entire crowd without soon finding herself being carted away. The only solace she found was the mere fact that she would not be joining them.

 Kaz, however, spoke up for them both, "We'll find our own way in."

 Marko nodded, spinning back on his heel as he clapped Inej and Jesper on the shoulder, beaming at the pair. The crowd continued to rumble, each trying to approach the new talent whilst Aleksa turned to Kaz.

 She had heard him perfectly clear, even over the bustle of the crowd, and yet she had explicitly told him she would not be going. He had agreed, so why had he suddenly decided she'd be walking into a lion's den?

 "We will?" She muttered.

 Kaz looked at her then. He watched the caution roll in her eyes like heavy waves, the fear that had alighted. Part of him enjoyed it; she wanted to stay in Ketterdam... Stay with him, so badly that she was scared of returning to her brother. He tipped his head, "You'll be waiting for us in the courtyard. When night falls, find a way in and wait; we might need you when it comes to escaping."

 "Are you sure?"

 "You don't trust me?"

 "Of course I do." Aleksa responded, pulling the wool coat tighter around her as she relished in the warmth and light smell of juniper that still lingered behind, "You know I do... It's just —"

 "— I know." Kaz had thought it over a million times; the gears inside of his head had twisted and turned as he had tried to think of some way to leave the little palace unnoticed. It was a backup plan, for if all went accordingly, the shadows wouldn't have to wake... At least, that was what he told himself.

 Every time he had thought of the plan, his head had chanted the words backup. It was a just-in-case scenario... But was it? Truly, the idea of leaving her behind without either Inej or Jesper... Or even himself was enough for his stomach to swirl. The thought that they'd return from the heist to see her sat at the bar with glittering eyes and glowing skin whilst laughing away at something a stranger had said...

 He cleared his throat, all thoughts being squashed like a bug beneath his shoe. But still, he regarded her with a voice none but she had heard, a softer one, "You'll be fine. You're coming back to Ketterdam with me — us."

 His mistake had made her heart thud.

 Kaz carried on, trying to seem as though nothing was out of the ordinary, "Or Inej just might think twice about not murdering people. I'd like to keep my head."

━━━━━━━

DATE: 18-10-2022

:･ﾟ★ Kaz's little mistake at the end!!! bye. he's down bad fr.

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 to allow me to see what you all enjoyed most!), please give me a follow, and please do NOT leave comments telling me to update; they'll be ignored and you'll be muted, much love <3