𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒅 || 𝐊𝐚𝐳 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

Awakening

Emris POV

My eyes flutter open with the sound of hushed whispers. I push myself up and wince as my side aches. I see Nina and Inej in the doorway. I feel light pressure on my waist and see a pale hand. I look up to see Kaz. I smile as I realize I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder.

"Morning sunshine," I say.

"Emris?"

"Yea." 

"Where are we?" He sighs.

"In a bathroom. In a hotel. She got shot and stabbed." Nina grins like a child.

"Let's go see the others." Inej offers, offering me a hand.

Kaz stands and Inej and Him help me up. As I stand my back and calf burn. Searing white pain connects my wounds as though working together to keep me from moving. I lean heavily on the pair, and I focus on Kaz's hand around my waist. No tremors. I smile as he leads me from the bathroom. We enter the living room where Jasper sleeps and Wylan sits and bounces his leg. Matthias sits tall and rigid on the sofa, as always. And Kuwei sits on the floor next to an empty armchair. Colm Fahey stands at the door, accepting a tray of food.

"Emris, you're awake," Wylan says. "You have stitches, you shouldn't be standing."

"The doctor here cleared me all up." I grin.

"I did not, Inej suggested it would be better than that bathroom and I simply didn't protest."

Wylan glances between me and Kaz as I snicker. Kaz sits me on the armchair and opts to stand at the edge of the room. I cross my legs and slouch against the comfort of the chair. I touch my side and feel a soft towel beneath my blouse.

"How are you feeling?" Wylan asks from beside me.

"Good." I look at Kaz who watches me protectively. A long moment of silence passes between the group.

"Sphete says they've closed the harbor. They're stealing the city." Kaz says somberly.

"The city won't stand for that. People will riot." Inej says.

"They won't blame, Van Eck." Kaz looks out the window. I want more than anything to wrap my arms around him and draw him from the glass.

"They'll blame us," Wylan concludes.

Jesper shakes his head. "Even if they put every stadwatch grunt on the street, they don't have the manpower to lock up the city and search for us."

"Don't they?" Kas says. "Look again."

Jesper stands and stares out the window.

"All the Saints and your aunt Eva." Jesper mumbles.

"What is it?" Wylan asks, joining the pair.

"Is it a mob?" Inej asks, joining them.

"Try parade." Kaz seethes.

"Why aren't the stadwatch stopping them? Why are they letting them through?" I watch in annoyance as the whole team stands and crosses to the window. Leaving me and Jesper's father.

"Probably Because your father told them too," Kas says. I slowly stumble towards the window. Standing on my tiptoes over Kaz's shoulder. He parts and stands behind me.

"Razorgulls," Inej says pointing behind the Dime Lions. "And there are the Liddies."

"Harley's Pointers," Jesper says. "The Black Tips."

"It's all of them," Kaz says.

"What does it mean?" Kuwej asks. "The purple bands?"

Each member of the mob below wears a strip of purple around his or her upper left arm.