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Inej stared down the street from a rooftop, the road lit with the orange glow of the lamps lining the sidewalk. It wasn’t busy that night in Ketterdam and Inej was grateful. She could spot Kaz below her in an alley and Jesper was a little ways away charming a shopkeeper. She recognized him as a frequent customer of the White Rose. Nina must recognize him too. Inej pulled her mask up the bridge of her nose and slunk down the roof panes silently, Kaz hit the end of his cane against the wall of the building next to him. The signal. Inej somersaulted to the next roof, claiming a blade in each hand. She perched herself on the edge of a stone chimney and spotted Kaz’s target.
“John Pflum,” Kaz had said back at the Crow Club, “A recent rising merchant that’s been stirring up unwanted conflict here. He needs to be taken care of.”
Inej sat at the edge of Kaz’s desk, avoiding his cane. Jesper spoke up from where he was sprawled out on the floor, tracing his finger down the barrels of his gun, “He can’t be too much trouble considering you practically run Ketterdam now.”
“Either way,” Kaz’s gruff voice replied, “It should be easy. Tonight I’ll give you the location.”
Nina put a hand on her hip, “Still keeping plans to yourself, hm?”
Kaz touched his gloved fingertips together, staring Nina down with his dark gaze, “You know how it is.”
“What do you need us to do?” Wylan asked, gesturing to Matthias and himself.
Kaz’s jaw tensed in annoyance, Inej could recognize it from a mile away, “Stay here. Keep things stable until we’re back.”
“Demjin,” Matthias shifted his weight and tensed his arms that folded in front of his chest, “You’re not one to trust the Crow Club in the hands of anyone else’s but your own, what are you planning?”
Kaz’s lips played into a smile, Inej flushed at the sight. Kaz didn’t answer Matthias to his visible frustration. Instead he turned to Nina, “I need you to find out what you can about Pflum. I need location, times. The usual.”
Nina nodded and slipped out of the office. Inej followed her with her eyes but snapped back to Kaz as he said her name, “Inej.”
She tried to keep herself still and not to react, but the sound of her name on his lips was oddly sweet. It twisted her insides to think about. Her heart quickened. It’s been this way ever since she returned to Kerch. She’d found her parents, had caught a handful of slavers, but there was something missing. It was like a dark stain in her consciousness that held her down. It pulled her back here. She’d come to realize that the stain was Kaz.
“What do you need from me?” She asked, tapping the top of one of her blades, thinking the name of its corresponding saint as she did so.
Kaz paused, studying her. Inej felt her insides churn. His coffee ground eyes lingered longer than usual before he said, “surveillance and striker. Nothing complicated.”
Nodding, Inej slipped off the desk and leaned against the wall. Jesper was engrossed in shining his gun when Kaz spoke, “Jesper, distraction. I want no witnesses. Understood?”
“Yeah, yeah. The usual deal. Got it.” Jesper waved Kaz off.
“Guess that’s our cue to leave,” Wylan said, pulling Jesper to his feet.
Inej watched them all leave. When the door closed behind Matthias, Inej turned her attention to Kaz once more, “You think I didn’t notice?”
Kaz seemed to grimace, a curt grunt was his only reply. Inej leaned on the desk, tilting her head, “You’re doing things the old way. Setting up a mission, giving everyone their old jobs. What’s the reason?”
A sigh. Kaz lowered his gaze, “You’re wrong, Inej. Whatever you think my motives are, you’re wrong.”
Inej didn’t pause to listen to her heart fluttering to the sound of her name, “Then tell me. If you don’t want to bring us back to the days of the heist, what is it? Is this some plan of yours to keep them here? To keep me here?”
“You don’t understand,” Kaz started. He fumbled with his words. He seemed…nervous.
Inej slowly grazed her fingers against Kaz’s gloved hand. He flinched. She stiffened and pulled away, “Help me understand.”
“Everything’s been different. You left and I have everything I thought I wanted,” Kaz glanced down at his hands, utter defeat scrawled across his features.
Inej pursed her lips, “Everything you thought you wanted?”
Kaz stood up from the desk, pulling the cane toward him. The movement was harsh and quick. Inej noticed the air shift around him as he straightened his collar and turned his back to her. He squared his shoulders and said, “Go do your job, Inej. I’d hate to see my greatest investment fail me this time.”
Inej felt a flare of heat in her stomach. She couldn’t tell what it was. Anger? Frustration? Fear? Longing for when Kaz Brekker would say that she was the thing that kept him tied to the barrel even when he could conquer any part of Kerch he wanted? Inej walked to the open window and set herself on the window sill, “I’ll see you tonight Kaz.”
Now she waited on the rooftop, glaring as John Pflum drunkenly stumbled down the road with a few rowdy partygoers he was with. She couldn’t keep her mind clear. Every word Kaz had said that afternoon clung to her like old cobwebs.
Jesper flashed a smile Inej’s direction as he pointed down the road for the patron of the White Rose. She shook her head, shooting him a warning glare.
“Don’t move,” She whispered, although she knew Jesper couldn’t hear her.
The shopkeeper waved and Jesper led him away before he joined Nina as they approached Pflum and his friends.
Inej strained to hear as she flattened her body to the roof, sliding closer to the next building. Jesper was laughing wildly and Nina undid her coat, exposing a revealing dress. Inej rolled her eyes as the men stopped to stare. At least they were distracted.
She shot up and slid down a pole, her boots hitting the ground with a quiet thump. Kaz was next to her. He nodded his head toward the group. Inej didn’t reply and ran toward them. Jesper ceased his laughter and pulled out his gun. Nina held up her hands. Kaz’s voice rang out from the dark crevices of each building, “John Pflum”
Inej held her knife up to the back of his neck. Out of the corner of her eye, Kaz limped out of where he stood, his cane hitting cobblestone in a rhythmic, almost mesmerizing, beat. The color drained from Pflum’s face.
“I believe we were supposed to meet a week ago,” Kaz said icily, looking up from the brim of his hat.
Pflum turned around slowly, eyeing the knife Inej held up to his skin. His adam's apple bobbed. She didn’t remove her gaze from him.
“Brekker, I can explain everything.” Pflum chuckled, sweat was pooling around his hairline.
Kaz stepped closer, “I’m not here for excuses, Pflum. No one keeps me waiting.”
“He doesn’t have any patience,” Jesper smiled, Nina shot him a glare.
Kaz glanced across each of Pflum’s companions. He gave a dismissive grunt and said, “Let them go. For now.”
Nina and Jesper stepped away from them and they scattered. Nina put her coat back over her dress, shivering. Inej wished she could offer her warmth but dared not move.
“About that kruge,” Kaz tipped his cane up and pointed the crow’s beak toward Pflum.
Inej stepped away as Kaz swung and the cane cracked across Pflum’s cheek. Nina scoffed, “We don’t need him unconscious, Kaz.”
Kaz held up a finger to her and glared at Pflum who held a hand to his cheek.
“Take a swim in the harbor, Brekker,” Pflum spat, an unsettling, toothy grin unfolding over his face, “That kruge is mine.”
Inej backed away further, joining Nina and Jesper as Kaz sent another strike to Pflum’s face. Pflum caught the cane in his large hand. Kaz didn’t appear surprised. Inej had only just found out that Pflum owed Kaz a few hundred kruge before they went out, and she knew how Kaz liked his greed, but this was different. Kaz ripped his cane out of Pflum’s grip and whipped the metal end into Pflum’s shins. He let out a pained groan, “Bastard!”
Pflum lunged and threw a punch. Kaz took it to the jaw. Inej stepped forward to stop the fight but Jesper caught her arm, “Just give him a second. He’s clearly upset.”
Nina raised an eyebrow, “He’s worse than upset. What got him so pissed? It can’t just be a few hundred kruge.”
Inej thought back to what he said back in the office. He had everything he thought he wanted. What else was there? What was he so angry at?
Pflum held his bleeding nose and Kaz grinned, “I can do this all night, unless you’re ready to kiss my boots”
“Ha! The saints won’t even be able to recognize you when I’m done with you.” Pflum cracked his neck and charged forward, barreling into Kaz.
Nina held back a laugh and Jesper winced. Inej felt frozen. She didn’t know what was wrong with him. She never really did. But she could always figure it out soon enough. Why couldn’t she now?
“This is the best fight I’ve seen in a while,” Nina leaned on Jesper, “Someone needed to humble him one of these days.”
Jesper laughed. Inej felt her stomach twist. Kaz threw a punch. Pflum landed on the road. Kaz held up his cane again to bring it down on Pflum’s chest. A flare of fear shot off in Inej’s nerves. He was going to kill him. Inej lunged forward and grabbed Kaz’s cane, careful not to touch his skin where it was exposed, “Kaz! Stop! It’s not worth it.”
Kaz glared at her. Pflum chuckled weakly, blood trickling from his lip, “Listen to the pretty woman, boy.”
Inej watched as Kaz’s muscles worked beneath his skin. His jaw tightened, annoyed. She gently led his cane to the ground. Kaz glared down at Pflum but turned away.
“Come on, Kaz. Let’s just go back to the Crow Club. We don’t need the dregs to show up and get any ideas.” Inej released the cane and motioned to Nina and Jesper to follow.
The walk to the Crow Club was excruciatingly quiet. Inej could hear Kaz draw in breaths impatiently. Nina and Jesper kept looking at each other then at Inej as if she could offer them some sort of answer. Inej pressed her lips into a fine line.
The Crow Club came into view and Jesper sighed gratefully behind them. Inej watched him stride ahead, disappearing quickly inside. Nina followed him but lingered with the door open, watching Inej with concern as the rowdy voices of the dregs spilled out into the night. Inej gave Nina a subtle nod and she returned it, entering the building.
When the door had shut, Inej stopped Kaz before he could enter, “Talk to me, Kaz.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Kaz muttered.
Inej watched his hair fall into his eyes, unruly after the fight. She hesitantly raised her finger to move it but Kaz sharply turned away, “Don’t.”
Inej bit the inside of her cheek, “You aren’t alone anymore, Kaz. You have people who will support you. Even if you don’t tell me, talk to someone.”
Kaz laughed, a bitterness leaking into it, “As if I could talk to anyone about this. If not you, then no one.”
“I can’t force you to talk, but” Inej trailed off as Kaz looked into her eyes.
“I missed you…when you were gone.”
Inej felt a weight lift from shoulders, the fire in her chest blazed and her cheeks burned. She smiled, “I missed you too.”
Kaz walked into The Crow Club without another word, but his gloved hand brushed her fingers. Inej watched him leave and she clasped her hands together, inspecting her fingers as if they’d been imbued with some sort of magic at his touch. She smiled delicately, relishing in the feeling. She waited a moment longer for her heart to slow before entering the Crow Club, grinning once more.