Heartbeats In Shadow - Kaz Brekker

talents

Back at the bar downstairs, we were all huddling around the blueprints. Kaz was memorizing them, I was reacquainting myself with the layout of Little Palace, and the others were just looking for ways in and out far from the main entrances. Jesper pointed at an entrance and started to ask about it, but Inej cut him off, pointing out a flaw in the spot he was suggesting.

"How about this hallway?" Inej asked myself and Kaz, pointing to another spot on the map.

"Guard tower," I pointed out, showing her where it was.

"There's no way in!" Inej said, exasperated.

"And no way out," Kaz said, resigning himself to the fact this would not be easy.

"Well, I thought this plan might not work." Arken butted into the conversation. Seconds after he said those words, there was a yelp and the sound of someone falling to the ground. We glanced behind us and saw that the practising acrobat had fallen. As soon as I saw what had happened, I looked back to Arken, unlike the rest of my team. He was smirking slightly, making me question if he had a hand in the fall. He took a sip of his drink.

"Do you have any ideas, Kaz?" I asked. He gave me a pointed look and shook his head.

"I mean, Kribirsk isn't the worst, we could open up a bar. Brew East Ravkan beer for the Westerners?" Jesper said, trying to make us feel better. Instead of letting him continue, Kaz, Inej and I spoke in sync.

"Shut up Jesper." I was thinking of other possible ways to infiltrate my former home, and I knew there was one more option we hadn't spoken of yet.

"Kaz, If we don't come up with anything else, I could make myself known to my father. He would take me into the Little Palace, and I could get you guys inside-"

"That's not happening," Kaz cut me off with a tone of finality in his voice. I was touched that he wouldn't even consider handing me over to my father.

"I miss Milo," Jesper said, I nodded in agreement and slung my arm over his shoulders in a comforting manner. Arken approached us from behind, everyone turned to look at him except for me. I was beyond exhausted and really wanted to sleep.

"Friends," He greeted.

"What are you so cheery about?" Kaz asked. He pulled the man standing behind him into our view.

"This is Marko. Marko is the leader of the travelling troupe known as the Pomdrakon Players." Kaz arched a brow in confusion, and I stared at the wall blankly.

"They have been invited to perform in this year's winter fete. A lifelong dream!" I was beginning to get annoyed with Arken.

"Do you have a point?" I said, irritation present in my tone.

"A chance to get inside the Little Palace, but they lost their star performer due to an unfortunate freak accident," I smirked, still not looking at Arken. I knew he had something to do with her fall!

"They are in desperate need of someone with the skills to replace the performer, and as Ketterdam's premier talent manager, I had an idea." Kaz looked back at Inej, who was already looking in his direction. We all looked at Inej, who looked furious, but willing to do it for the job.

"As a friend once said, "If I can't crack this, none of us are going anywhere." I smiled at the sly dig at Kaz, as Inej began to take off her daggers and hand them to Kaz.

She walked over to the ribbons and began to perform a delicate show she had obviously learned before she came to Ketterdam. She got the crowd involved, and when she was done, we all clapped. Marko walked up to Inej.

"The saints must have sent you. Yes. The show will go on!" He snapped his fingers at the person standing behind him, and they handed him a performing costume.

"Can you.." He trailed off for a moment. "Fit into this?" Inej couldn't mask her disgust at the atrocious outfit but Jesper came to her rescue, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Of course she can!" He answered for her. "Those are her colors, but the thing is, Inej, comes as part of a package deal." I sighed, making Kaz look in my direction.

"What the hell is he doing?" I asked him quietly.

"Finding himself a way into the Little Palace."

"What are we going to do? I can't do anything worthy of being in an act that doesn't involve my powers."

"I'm thinking, give me a minute." I was reassured by his response, realizing that he would come up with a safe way for both of us to enter.

Inej got back up on the ribbons with a playing card between her teeth. Jesper sat on a stool several feet in front of her, with a mirror in one hand and one of his guns in the other. He was making faces at himself, which made me roll my eyes at his absurdity. He kissed his gun, and pointed it over his shoulder, in the direction of Inej. I realized what he was about to do, and was a little surprised Inej was as calm as she was. I knew Jesper was a good shot, but if he was a millimeter off, she would be dead. He looked in the mirror and waited until Inej was at the perfect angle.

BANG! He shot the card between Inejs teeth, making the surrounding crowd erupt into cheers. Inej came down, held up the card, and handed it to Marko as proof. Marko then hugged Jesper, and Jesper made a face like he was about to vomit directed at me, which made me chuckle. Marko then turned to look at Kaz and me, saying "The stage is yours!" I didn't know how to respond to the invitation, so I waited for Kaz.

"We'll make our own way," Was the response. I couldn't wait to see what Kaz had in store for our entrance.