Salem Starkov is Alina Starkov's cousin who like her is a cartographer for the first army but when they both unexpectedly enter the Fold on a mission they are both exposed as people of myth, but the real question is, is everything in the myths true?
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On our way back to the crypt I let out a loose breath, careful of where I am placing my feet. There is a tense sort of silence that can only happen when people are concentrating on not saying anything. When the tomb comes into view Kaz stops in front me and I loose my footing, almost falling over before he catches me, "thank you" I say brushing myself off and moving away slightly. Kaz looks slightly hurt but the expression is gone before I can fully process it and he clears his voice awkwardly reaching into his coat pocket and brings out a paper bag.
"I got these for you a while ago" he says stepping closer, "I forgot to give them to you", he pulls a pink cookies and a smile grows on my face "strawberry cookies" he nods going red on his ears. I go to take one from his hand but he pulls away frowning, shaking his head, he breaks a piece off and I open my mouth. He places the bit of cookie in my mouth, nether of us breaking eye contact. I eat the cookie and throw my head back "that's amazing" I admire and Kaz nods again his eyes still trained on me.
I blush at the attention and wrap my arms around myself "what?" I ask and he shrugs smiling slightly "you are just-" but before he can finish what he was saying Nina appears in the door way of the tomb, a red blanket wrapped around her "are we doing this or what?" She calls and without saying a word I head over to our friends. She disappears back inside and Kaz opens his mouth, I raise my eye brows expecting him to say something but he closes it again and storms off. Sighing I shake my head, every time I think Kaz and I are making progress it seems we have moved three steps back. At least with Aleksander I always knew where I stood, knew how he felt about me.
I stay outside for a while longer, soaking up the cold weather, a contrast to the weather in Ravka and a reminder that without these people, I don't have anyone else. Who knows where Alina is, if she is even still alive. We haven't spoken in months and I'm starting to get worried. Shaking this feeling from my body I move into the crypt quick enough to hear Matthias say "I don't like speculation" Kaz rolls his eyes "of course you don't. You like things you can see. Like piles of snow and benevolent tree gods" I snort covering my mouth but both men choose to ignore me. ""Oh, there it is!" Inej says resting her head on Nina's shoulder and beaming at Matthias "I missed his glower" Kaz huffs in reply "besides" he says "it's hardly speculation if you know the outcome"
I move further into the tomb, next to Jesper who is polishing his guns. I swear if I didn't know he fancied Wylan I would have thought he was in love with them pistols. "You know something about the sugar crops?" He asks and I lean my arm on his shoulder "we know something about the supply" of course Kaz filled me in on his planned as he was making it, for some reason he hates leaving me in the dark but I'm not complaining. Wylan sits up straighter "the silos" he says suddenly putting two and two together "the silos at Sweet Reef" Kaz nods his head slowly "well done merchling" Matthias however shakes his head "what's Sweet Reef?" He asks.
"The area around sixth harbour" Inej tells him "it's where they keep molasses, raw cane and the processing plants to refine sugar. We were near it today" she looks over to Kaz "that wasn't a coincidence was it?". The dark haired boy shakes his head "no" he says "I wanted you to get a look at the terrain. Most sugar cane comes from the Southern Colonies and Novyi Zem. But there won't be another crop until three months from now, this seasons crop has already been harvested, processed, refined and stored in the Sweet Reef silos" I take a huge sigh and Jesper frowns "are you cold?" He asks and I nod he gives me his jacket.
I smile and kiss him on the cheek curling up into his side, Kaz glares briefly but I choose to ignore his behaviour. "There are thirty silos" Wylan tells us "my father owns ten of them" Jesper whistles at that "Van Eck controls one third of the worlds sugar supply?" He asks and Wylan goes slight pink. "He owns the silos" Kaz corrects harshly "but only a fraction of the sugar inside them. He maintains the silos at his own expense, supplies guards for them, and pays squallers who monitor the humidity to make sure the sugar stays dry and separated. The merchants who own the sugar only pay him a small percentage of everyone of their sales. It adds up quickly" I will never get over how much information Kaz can get in a single night.
"Such an enormous wealth under one mans protection" Matthias considers "if anything were to happen to the silos, the price of sugar-" he cuts off as he too soon realises the plan. "Would go off like a cheap pair of six shooters" Jesper says bouncing to his feet and starting to pace, "the price would climb and keep climbing" I add "and as of a few days ago we own shares in the companies that don't store sugar with Van Eck. Right now they are worth what we payed for. But once we destroy Van Eck's silos-"
Jesper bounces on his feet "our shares will be worth five- maybe ten- times what they are now" I bite my lip "try twenty" Jesper hoots "don't mind if I do" and I chuckle at him. "We could sell at a huge profit" Wylan says "we'd be rich over night"
My heart pounds with the idea of what I can do with that money, I can go home. Fight the Darkling and maybe win. Or I could move to the summer isles, set up a life for myself there. My attention wanders to Kaz who is looking at his feet, or I could stay here, put my money into creating a new club. A place where we don't have to work under other people, we can be a king and queen. Shit. That's what the prophecy meant! That's how I become Queen, I become Queen of the Barrel with Kaz by my side. My heart rate quickens at the idea of sharing a life with Kaz, would that be what he would want?
"Thirty million Kruge?" Inej asks her eyes wide, a ghost of a smile forms on Kaz's lips "give or take a million" the others all gawk at the claim. Wylan is picking at his thumb nail as he says "my father can weather a loss. The other merchants, the ones who own sugar in his silo, will be hit worse" I didn't think of this and it makes me feel guilty for the people who will become collateral damage on our war path towards Jan Van Eck. "True" I say "and if we destroy the silos, it will be clear Van Eck was targeted"
Nina, who is currently eating more cookies suggests "we could try to make it look like an accident" Kaz clenches his fist on his cane "it will" he says "I initially. Thanks to the weevil. Tell them Wylan" we all turn our attention to the son of the man we are all trying to destroy. Wylan sits forward like a school boy eager to prove his answers. He draws a vial from his pocket "this version works" Inej takes it from his hand "it's a weevil?" She asks studying it.
"A chemical weevil" Jesper explains, sounding almost proud "but Wylan still hasn't named it. My vote is for wyvil" I laugh and shake my head at my friend, never taking a situation seriously. Wylan scrunches up his nose "that's terrible" he argues "it's brilliant" Jesper winks "like you" and Wylan goes bright red. "I helped as well" Kuwei says sulkily, "he did help" Wylan admits. Kaz rolls his eyes "well make him a plaque" he says sarcastically "tell them how it works".
Wylan explains how the chemical weevil works and I have to admit it is pretty amazing. The rest of the plan is smoothed out and I want the rest of my strawberry cookies, staring at Kaz wanting nothing more then to kiss him.
A/N: sorry it's been a while, I've been super busy with work and school but I will try to update when I can! How are you guys feeling about this chapter?
