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THE SOUND OF A COMMOTION HAD brought her out of her daydream, allowing her to focus back on the task at hand. She watched from the shadows as Nina and Matthias, along with a boy, came wondering into the light. She wondered who the boy was and why the two lovebirds had decided to drag him along on their little mission. Her mind wasn't able to wonder about the boy any longer, for loud voices shouting after them concerned her. There wasn't anything she was able to do, as she was waiting on the signal from her boy. She listened from the shadows as the two groups yelled back at each other, taunts flowing through the air, piercing each other's skin like an arrows. She winced at Nina's cries, knowing that nothing good was happening, allowing her gaze to peer at the scene before her. Nina had a whip tied around her body, limiting her from using her hands to put the drüskelle to sleep. It was a sad sight, watching Matthias struggle to get Nina out of the whip, and keep his composure. Dinara allowed her eyes to peer at Kaz — who was hidden in one of the drüskelle uniforms — waiting for the signal to do what she was told.
Her ears strained for the signal over all of the commotion, waiting for that beautiful yelp one of the men would make. She waited, and not a minute later, a loud, animalistic yelp tore through the air, almost bursting Dinara's eardrums. Her hands scrambled to light the match, watching the fire flicker under the slight wind, she brought it down to the string near the tree. She hurried to get away from the tree, searching for someplace to hunker down for a moment. A sharp pop, pop, pop filled her ears, leading her to snap her head up, watching as the ancient roots began to curl. The tree began to tilt, starting to fall to the ground, creating a barrier between the two groups. A dull roar emerged from the gaping hole beneath it, leaving Dinara in slight shock. She slowly rises from her crouched position, her hand cover her mouth, as she looks at the scene before her. Her ears block out everything around her as she starts to laugh — a bone chilling laugh, crawling up the spines of those around her, scaring the shit out of them. She sounded like a maniac, her head tilted back, hair falling from its perfect position, satanic laughs spilling from her lips.
While everyone thought she looked psychotic, Kaz looked at the girl a moment longer than he should have, taking in all of her beauty, thinking that she looked heavenly. "This is going to sting a bit." Kaz's voice had broken her laughing fit. His eyes were wide, still trained on her body, a small flush creeping its way onto his cheeks as he talked to the others. "But if we live, you'll thank me later. Don't pop the baleen before you hit bottom," Kaz said.
Dinara watched as Kaz and the boy jumped into the hole left by the tree, not even hesitating before following after him, her blind trust taking motion for her. Her body free fell, wind brushing against her cheeks, darkness surrounding and enveloping her. The fall seemed impossibly long, unable to see the bottom, she was left to the unknown. Screams split through the air, making Dinara turn wildly, trying to find who was the source of the noise. Her body hit the water hard, bones cracking at the pressure, air being knocked from her lungs. She waited to bite down on the baleen, knowing it was only going to give her 10 minutes of air, twelve if she could keep calm. The water was freezing, a cold dull ache spreading throughout Dinara's body, making her believe frostbite was possible. She was starting to regret trusting Kaz — only for the fact that she had lost feeling in her toes — she was going to murder him when she got out of the water. Her eyes snapped open, the water stinging them, begging for her eyelids to submerge into darkness again, yet she wouldn't allow them.
Her hands clawed along the sides, hopeful at the thought of grabbing onto something and lifting her to the surface. She could feel her breath start to constrict, letting her know that the baleen was starting to lose its power. She had no idea how far the river had taken them or how long they had left to go. It was a guessing game — one she wasn't very good at. Letting the water bring her further downstream, she kicked with all of her might, letting her head break through the surface of the water. She gasped in the fresh air, letting it invade her lungs. She pushed through the exhaustion, trying to reach the shore. Hands muddy and cold, she pushed herself onto the bank, laying on her back alongside the others. Once she had regained her composure, she looked over to make sure everyone was accounted for, only to see Matthias dragging a limp body. Her heart beat out of her chest noticing it was Kaz, her breath being caught in her throat. He couldn't die, she wouldn't let him.
"Saints, is he breathing?" Nina asked. Her hair was sticking to her face, her hands desperately trying to push it back to where it belonged. A small flush covering her cheeks from the icy water, small shivers leaving her body.
Dinara watched as Matthias flipped Kaz onto his back forcefully, not even caring in the slightest. She knew the boy was going to be pissed when he realized that people were touching him, but she didn't care. She needed him alive. "I. Should. Let. You. Die," Matthias muttered in time with his compressions.
She should have chuckled, but everything was zeroed in on the boy — her boy. Nina's words were buzzed out in her ears, her eyes wide, and fingers crossed, hoping for the best. She watched as Nina tore open his shirt, revealing his chest — one that she took her time glancing over. Defined muscles and scars littering his skin, a beautiful sight indeed, one she could look at all day. Unknowingly, Dinara had moved closer, wanting to find a way to help but couldn't. Her breath returned to her as Kaz leaned up and sputtered water from his lungs.
"Get away from me," He gasped. His glove hand wiped the reminder of Nina's lips on his, wishing that it had been someone else. His eyes found her's automatically, trying to convey that he was okay, everything was okay. "Don't touch me."
"You're in shock, demjin," Matthias said. "You almost downed. You should have drowned." He ran a hand through his tousled hair, blonde streaks falling over his face.
Kaz let out another cough, his eyes still trained on Dinara. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, her hand doing so, only for her brain to react and pull it back. His eyes were trained on her hand, wondering if she was going to make a move or not, a slight sigh of disappointment leaving his lips at the sight of her hand going back to her side. "Drowned," he said, his voice monotone.
Dinara licked her lips, trying to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. "Kaz," she spoke. His head snapped up at her voice, the others watching with intrigue at the sight before them. "We're at the Ice Court. Impossible heist? Near death experiences? Me looking amazing in that dress? Three million kruge waiting for you in Ketterdam?"
She watched as he blinked, his eyes becoming clear again. The ice blue back to their cold and calculating look returning, the old Kaz back once again, reading to real some havoc. "Four million," he croaked. His throat was still sore from the water he had swallowed, making him regret his decision of putting his life on the line and not being able to see the girl in front of him. The one person who was able to drag him from the depths of hell, offering him salvation.
She cracked a smile, her thoughts still running wild at the sight of the ocean blue eyes in front of her. "Thought that would break you out of your trance. Money does seem to be the only thing that runs through your mind."
"Not the only thing," he mumbled, it falling short of everyone's ears. He threw his gaze onto the ground before him, hands running through his hair, droplets falling into his face, running down his chiseled jaw.
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