𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃//𝐊𝐚𝐳 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫

𝐈𝐈𝐈.

CHAPTER 3

Price of a Future

     Kaz hated groveling at the feet of other men who weren't nearly as powerful as he, but if he wanted Brynn back, he would do anything it took. And that just so happened acting like a scared, clumsy puppy in front of Cornelis Smeet.

Smeet tipped, losing his footing, hit hat sliding off of his nearly bald head. Kaz stepped forward meekly, offering his assistance. He kept his eyes averted, his manner flustered, his chin tucked into his collar as if hopelessly embarrassed. Wylan and Sasha hovered behind him, Wylan shrunken deeply into his coat and Sasha still red-faced from the threats he had given to Smeet's five-year-old daughter back at the house.

"Watch where you're going!" Smeet barked indignantly, resettling the hat on his head.

"Terribly sorry, sir," Kaz said, brushing the shoulders of Smeet's jacket. "Curse my clumsiness!" He bent to the cobblestones. "Oh, dear, I think you dropped your wallet."

"So I did!" exclaimed Smeet in surprise. "Thank you. Thank you very much." Then, not much to Kaz's own surprise, Smeet opened his billfold and drew out a crip five-kruge bill. "There you are, young man. Pays to be honest."

Honest. Kaz nearly snorted. But instead, he kept his head down and conveyed humble appreciation as he murmured, "Too kind, sir. Too kind. May Ghezen be as generous."

The lawyer went happily on his way, whistling a little tune under his breath, completely obvious to the fact that he had just run directly into the card dealer who had sat across from him for two hours in Club Cumulus. Smeet arrived at his door and pulled a chain from his shirt, then frantically patted his waistcoat, searching for his whistle. Kaz, Wylan, and Sasha joined Matthias in the dark doorway that he'd been at before.

"You didn't put it on the chain?" asked the Fjerdan.

"Didn't bother."

Smeet rooted around in his shirt, then fished out the whistle and unlocked the door, whistling once more. Matthias looked bewildered, Sasha with her head slightly tilted to the side. Kaz knew she was trying to figure out how he made the switch. An inquisitive little thing.

Kaz fixed up his hair with his fingers and handed the five kruge to Sasha. "Don't spend it all in one place. Let's move."

Matthias ushered them along to the narrow side canal where he'd moored the rowboat. He tossed Kaz his cane and Kaz took a moment to appreciate the familiarity of the Fabrikator-made object, before clambering down into the boat.

As the boat slid along the dark waters of the canal, Matthias asked, "Well?"

"Hold your tongue, Helvar. Words like to ride the water. Put yourself to use and help work the oars." Kaz saw Matthias clench his jaw, but said nothing as he did as he was told.