tear you apart, kaz brekker (discon.)

x. kissed by a fire from within

10. chapter ten!
kissed by a fire from within

trigger warnings:
another flashback, death, mentions
of drowning and attempted 'suicide'

    Andrei had explained to Katarina that the scenic route would be far more entertaining and so far he wasn't wrong. He wasn't much of a talker though, but maybe Katarina had given him the wrong impression.

"Are you part suli, Kat? You look it." He asked suddenly, almost making her jump at the randomness of it.

"Yes," She replied with a small nod. "My mother was Suli. Father wasn't."

Andrei nodded. "Oh! Let's go see the lake."

"But we'll stray from the path-"

"It's alright, new girl, we'll be back before it's dark."

He hadn't called her new girl before, but before Katarina could question the nickname, his hand wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her over to the lake.

It was beautiful, big enough to house both sea monsters and swans, and big enough to send a shiver down her spine.

"So, why are you here, new girl?"

She was taken aback by his comment.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What put you on his radar? General Kirigan's I mean, you must've done something powerful to do that."

She hesitated for a moment. Why was she there?

"I thought nothing ever happened without Kirigan's knowledge, Grisha-wise."

Andrei snickered.

"You're smart. Just not smart enough."

"And just who do you think you're speaking to?"

He didn't reply, he didn't even look at her so Katarina's gaze fell back on to the lake.

"Have you ever been swimming, new girl?"

"No! And for saint's sake, I have a name, you know."

"There's a first time for everything."

Before Katarina could make a comment about how utterly ridiculous the boy sounded, two hands on her back had propelled her forwards. In to the lake.

She tried to gasp for air, her arms flailing around as she did so and the water that surrounded her trickled in to her lungs. She tried to cough it back it up, but there was too much of it and Katarina was barely staying above the surface.

"Help!" She managed to scream, she outstretched her am and grabbed a hold of Andrei's ankle, something in her pushed her nearer to the edge.

"Help yourself, merzost." He spat, kicking her hand off of his ankle and stepping further back from the edge.

She closed her eyes, giving up. Her arms stopped their flapping and for a moment it was quiet. It felt peaceful, she thought, peace at last seemed more tempting than she'd care to admit. Katarina didn't have a home, and the bottom of the lake seemed awfully enticing. Did people like her deserve peace? She had never felt so comforted by such a silence.

It was of course, pointless. The Darkling would never allow it, and had her Mother seen her she would've called her weak, Katarina Levitsky did not get to take the easy way out.