χαρμολύπη | K. Brekker

four

"What was that? Hm? You want to tell me?" Inej demanded, Cecenia allowing her eyes to close as she took a deep breath. Her shoulder were against the arch way that serrated Kaz's sleeping quarters from the office. With arms crossed over her chest she allowed herself to rest for a moment, not appreciating the way Inej decide to pick a fight now or all times.

"Be more specific." Kaz replied as he shuffled through his desk urgently.

"It was one thing when we had at least a week to find a way across the Fold. But sunrise? We have to say no." She demanded, looking Kaz straight on as he didn't even glance up at her. Cecenia straighten at this, willing the slight drowsiness that plagued her to leave her alone.

"No." Her and Kaz replied at the same time, their eyes flickering to each other for the briefest moment.

"That's a no to the job?" Inej asked, slight hopefully as she looked between Kaz and Cecenia.

"That's a no to saying no." Kaz stated, glancing up at the Sul girl for the first time since they had returned to the club. Cecenia walked forward silently so that she was beside Inej, keeping a little distance between them incase she decided to do something rash.

"We can't go!" Inej exclaimed, Cecenia frowning at her tone as she glanced down at Inej's wrist.

Oh.

"Can't we?" Kaz said back, his tone equally as annoyed as his eyes held a fire which only few could ignite inside of him. One of utmost annoyance which it seemed only his Crows could pull out of him.

"I can't go." Inej stated, her arm flying into the air as her tattoo from the Menagerie revealed itself. Cecenia's eyes flickered to Kaz as he barely glanced at it.

"You will. I have a plan." He replied swiftly.

"No, you don't." Cecenia corrected, her voice almost in a sing-song tone as Kaz's annoyance turned to her. Inej looked over at her with a look of what Cecenia could assume was gratefulness.

"Cecenia." He practically growled out, the Shadow's arms crossing over her chest as she held his gaze steadily.

"I know you well enough to know when you're still trying to figure things out, Kaz." She replied, not taking note of the way he became slightly less tense with his name coming from her lips. Inej felt her eyes narrow as she watched him however, noticing the way his urgency slowed as his attention was on Cecenia now.

"You don't know how to pull off this job." Inej accused, Kaz's tenseness returning the moment he looked away from Cecenia and toward the Wraith.

"I still have six hours, and right now, you aren't helping." Kaz said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper as he glared at Inej. Cecenia huffed a breathe, hating the way his voice dropped to such malice in front of one of his own.

"Maybe you crack a way across, that doesn't solve this problem!" Inej cried out, her arm flying out toward Kaz. Cecenia snatched Inej's forearm before it got to close, watching as Kaz shifted away from the Suli girl's arm slightly. Inej's head whipped toward Cecenia, only to be met with a slow nod and eyes which held warning within them. As soon as Inej had stopped moving Cecenia dropped her hand, allowing for the arguing to continue once again.

"If I can't crack this then no ones going." Kaz replied, his tone no where near as calm as Cecenia would've liked it, his eyes now back down at the papers that were held between the gloved fingers.

"And if you do?"

"Then maybe you stay here." Kaz snapped, slamming his hands down on the desk. Inej stood her ground, making Kaz's eyes burn with fury even further until he caught sight of Cecenia jumping back from the noise slightly. She wasn't jumpy most of the time, but it wasn't that often that she saw her Kaz snap like that at her family.