𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒅 || 𝐊𝐚𝐳 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

𝑨𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔

The harbor is bustling with activity. I find the ship that says ferolind on the front and decide to climb. The crow's nest is thirty feet above the deck. I sit in the little nest and watch the harbor below.

I must have dozed off because when I open my eyes, the sun is setting and the orange glow sends my heart fluttering. I see Kaz and his men loading the ship. I find a rope and wrap my hands around it. My hands shake at the feel but it's the quickest way down. I let the rope slide through my hands as I slide down to the deck.

My feet hit the wood and I push the memories away with the sight of Brekker's tea brown eyes turning a Shu gold in the orange and pink light. I bound down the deck and stand next to him.

"How did you get all of this here in a matter of hours?" I ask him.

"I always have a backup plan." Kaz stares off in thought as the workers load out the ship. Fear gnaws at my gut and my hands begin to shake. I fold my trembling fingers in front of me in an attempt to stop the tremors. It's pointless as my legs feel weak and my arms shake.

"Are you . . ." Kaz begins before the ship is blown to bits. My legs are lifted from the ground and I am at the air's mercy.

The world seems to move in slow motion. My body flies off the ground and I tilt my head back. The wind blows through my bound hair and tugs it free of its coil. The pink sky seems to turn red as I soar.

Unfortunately, the air doesn't seem merciful today. The air is whisked from my lungs as I fly into a stack of crates. My head hits the wood. I reach back to rub the bruise but my hand comes back tinged in blood.

"Emris?" Kaz asks me, shielding me from the gunfire surrounding us.

"Are you okay?" I ask Kaz.

"I'm not the one bleeding."

"I'm fine."

"I have to find Jesper."

"I'll do that, find Inej."

"Go to the far south dock when you find them." He nods and sprints away, reluctantly.

I stand and get a little dizzy. I shake my head and sprint. I look around and quickly spot Jesper and Wylan taking cover behind crates.

"What are you doing down there?" I ask with a sly grin.

"Umm, taking cover," Jesper says.

"You should be too," Wylan says.

"Awe come on don't be such babies. It's great up here." I joke. "No, but seriously get up. Kaz told me to get you two to the south harbor."

I tug them both along behind me. Jesper covers us as we run south. Soon a large ship by the name of ferolind stands. It was a decoy. I nod, impressed when a bullet whizzes past my ear. I duck for cover against the railing of the ship.

"Where's Kaz?" Wylan asks.

"He went looking for Inej." Jesper climbs up to the crow's nest. Wylan and I cover him with bullets and bombs. As he goes up. Come on Kaz. "Where's Nina?"

"I don't know."

In a few minutes, Nina runs up to us with a dazed Matthias trailing her.

"Get below deck, Nina. I have a feeling there are going to have wounded to tend to."

"You're bleeding," Nina says, concerned.

"I'm fine, go set up." I hold the ship for a little while longer until I can't stand it anymore. "I'm going to look for them."