𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 | 𝐒𝐨𝐂

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓.

xxviii: our final night alive

Tonight was the night.

Ketterdam rumbled; its belly full of worry. The buildings swayed from side to side like shards of grass in a breezy meadow. The sky glossed over with tears, dribbling rain down boarded windows and pretty lace lattices. The stadwatch marched down the alleys in twos, rifles over their shoulder and bushy, unclipped moustaches on their upper lips.

Mothers pushed their children away from the door, shooing their chickens back into coops and praying hard to the saints to protect their families. Kaz Brekker bowed to no such godly nonsense. Greed was his only god. It had imminently served him well.

The crows sat around the round table, staring at the water rippling around the water jug. The plaster walls would tremble against the lashing rain, mould curling on the rubber window skirtings.

Wylen sat on Jesper's lap, Inej's head in Alessia's lap. Nina and Matthias gripped wrists beneath the table, all of them too scared, too frightened, too young, to let go.

"This is it," Kaz Brekker said, his voice tight. He looked at the people around him, dressed awfully and face's pale. This was all he had, his only family. "Tonight's the night," Steam whistled out of the kettle. and Natasha turned out of her seat to prepare a tray of tea.

She detested the grimaces and stares the others would shoot at her. In their eyes, Natasha was nothing but a burden. Her survival outweighs their own. In simplicity, a mule. Too stupid to fight; too dumb to be left alone.

Her fingers trembled as she placed down teacups in front of everyone, spilling sugar across the kitchen counter.

The crows wore black today - in mourning. Kaz Brekker shut his eyes heavily, pressing his lips tight. He would not bother with tears, smiles and promises he would not be able to keep. Kaz Brekker refused to lie, much preferring to step feet first into the abyss.

There was nothing that got past him, nothing that he hadn't thought of creating an abundance of plans for. However, despite the plans, he shuffled anxiously like playing cards between his fingers. There was no excusing the nervousness asphyxiating his throat.

He was not just gambling for kruge. Kaz Brekker was gambling all his life savings - every precious memory and each smile he held dear. The nights he detested and the mornings he cared dearly for in his mind. 

He was walking blindly into an arena of lions with nothing but his heart to guide him; Dirtyhands was completely and utterly terrified.

"I will not bother with niceties," A cork stoppered in his throat, pressure building in his voice. "I won't tell you that I'll mourn your death and place flowers on your grave. Neither shall I think much of you if one of you were to die," Natasha pulled at her collar, horrified at Kaz's words.

His voice dropped into a hush, Ketterdam straining to hear. "But what I will tell you is that I believe in you. Do what you will with that information," Kaz straightened himself in his seat, leaning back with his hands behind his head. There was so much more to say; silence poured in.

Kaz reached into the pockets of his duster coat, pulling a series of maps from his pocket.

"Natasha's highlighted your routes and labelled each location with a time. Each stop is flexible with three minutes, no more, no less. If you do not reach your location within that time, it's nobody but yourself to blame,"

His usual demeanour leaked back into his face - cold and unyielding.

"Wraith," Inej stood to attention, her hand on Alessia's shoulder. "You leave in two minutes and twenty-five seconds," She stood still, unblinking, before nodding slowly. Inej grabbed Alessia's hand and turned into the privacy of the kitchen, shutting the door softly behind her.

The crows looked between one another, gulping back fear. A pen danced across Wylen's palm, as Jesper doodled absentmindedly. His left hand twisted through Wylen's red curls, playing with his soft hair, possibly for the last time.

Inej emerged a minute early. Alessia didn't follow behind her.

"No mourners," She said, keeping her voice level. Inej didn't meet anyone's eyes, unsheathing her daggers and breathing prayers into the hilt. She tucked each one back benevolently, swinging her braid over her shoulder.

The crows looked between each other, their gaze heavy. "No funerals," Each of their voices rasped. Inej nodded in all their direction, each look - tender and loving. "I'll miss you," her eyes spoke, her voice too weakened to deliver the words into existence.

Before she left through the window, Inej looked back. She met nobody but Kaz Brekker's eyes. The boy who had saved her all those years ago from the menagerie.

Her soulmate.

Inej tilted up her chin, swallowing back a tear. "Goodbye," She whispered hoarsely, only loud enough for him to hear. She did not know what else there was to say. Inej hoped he could fill in the blanks himself.

Kaz Brekker rose from his seat, ignoring the eyes that followed. He stood beside Inej, watching the rain collect into murky puddles on the cobblestones. "Goodbye, Wraith," There was a note of finality in his tone. "No mourners,"

Inej Ghafa did not finish the phrase, twisting out of sight.

Several heartbeats later, Alessia Ivanov emerged. The healer had tailored the blotchiness out of her cheeks, her eyes sparkling unnaturally. She had obviously manipulated her appearance, playing a final smile for her final performance.

Alessia Ivanov did not want to die. However, there was no stopping the rush of fate. She hoped if death did come, it would sweep her away quickly, like silk caught in the air. If she were to die, Alessia would make sure she did it well.

She had pinned her hair with pearl clips at the back of her head, loose curls, girlishly framing her face. Alessia dressed in a stadwatch uniform, entertaining Wylen by marching up and down the living room. She pretended a wooden spoon was a rifle, aiming it at Natasha's forehead and making a dramatic shooting sound.

Wylen stopped laughing - face sombre.

"I'm next," He said, checking the watch around his wrist. It had been a Christmas from Kaz, the only gift Kaz had given. It had belonged to his father, and it only felt right to pass it to the Merchling.

Natasha rose to her feet, kneeling in front of him. She smarted up his clothes, brushing dust off the lapels of his coat. She whispered a few unintelligible words into his ears that made his cheeks crimson. Wylen stood taller after that, his smile a little braver than before.

Jesper walked him up to the front door, throwing his arms around Wylen and kissing him passionately. "Find me," Jesper yelled into the wind, watching Wylen stomp down the gravel path and disappear out of sight.

A/N

- the end has arrived. the story will be wrapping up in the next few chapters so let me know what future projects you'd like to see. if you enjoyed please vote and comment. i love you all and remember how precious you all are.

- rosa <3