𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒅 || 𝐊𝐚𝐳 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

Ideas and deeds

 "Who the hell is Jordie?" Jesper asks quizzically.

For the briefest moment, Kaz's face goes slack, a confused, almost frightened look in his dark eyes—there and gone, so fast like lightning.

"What do you want from me?" Kaz snarls, his expression just as closed, just as cruel as ever. "My trust? You had it and you shot it to pieces because you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"One time. How many times have I had your back in a fight? How many times have I gotten it right? Doesn't that count for anything?" Jesper threw up his hands. "I can't win with you. No one can."

"That's right. You can't win. You think you're a gambler, but you're just a born loser. Fights. Cards. Boys. Girls. You'll keep playing until you lose, so for once in your life, just walk away."

Jesper swings first. Kaz dodges right and then they were grappling. They slam into the wall, knock heads, and draw apart in a flurry of punches and grabs.

Wylan turns to us, expecting someone to object, for Matthias to separate them, for someone to do something, but everyone just backs up, making room. Only Kuwei shows any kind of distress.

Jesper and Kaz swing around, crashing into the table, and they right themselves. This isn't a fight, this is a brawl—a graceless tangle of elbows and fists.

"Ghezen and his works, someone stop them!" Wylan yells desperately.

"Jesper hasn't shot him," Nina says.

"Kaz isn't using his cane," says Inej.

"You think they can't kill each other with their bare hands?"

"They can, but they won't," I mumble as Nina supports me as I begin o sway on my feet.

They are both bleeding—Jesper from a cut on his lip and Kaz from somewhere near his brow. Jesper's shirt is halfway over his head and Kaz's sleeve tears at the seam.

Colm Fahey abruptly stands from his seat and grabs Jesper by the collar. Dragging him off Kaz. I grab Kaz's shoulder as he lunges for him again.

"Jesper Llewellyn Fahey, that is enough!" Col Fajey roars.

Jesper and Kaz both stare, and then, they step away from each other, looking guilty.

"Just what is going on here?" Colm says. "I thought you were friends."

Jesper runs a hand over the back of his neck, looking like he wants to vanish through the floorboards. "We ... uh ... we were having a disagreement."

"I can see that. I have been very patient with all of this, Jesper, but I am at my limit. I want you down here before I count ten or I will tan your hide so you don't sit for two weeks."

Colm vanishes into the bathroom and the silence stretches. I discretely thread my fingers through Kaz's gloves ones.

Then Nina giggles. "You are in so much trouble."

Jesper scowls. "Matthias, Nina let Cornelis Smeet grope her bottom."

Nina stops laughing. "I am going to turn your teeth inside out."

"That is physically impossible."

"I just raised the dead. Do you really want to argue with me?"

I cock my head to one side. "Jesper Llewellyn Fahey?"

"Shut up," says Jesper. "It's a family name."

Inej makes a solemn bow. "Whatever you say, Llewellyn."

"Kaz?" Jesper says tentatively.

But Kaz was staring into the middle distance. I smile up at him as I remember that look he's thinking. I watch his brow furrow and his cheekbones become more prominent as he chews his cheeks. His jaw twitches and I narrow my eyes.

"Is that—?" Gasps Wylan.

"Scheming face?" saysJesper.

Matthias nods. "Definitely."

"I know how to do it," Kaz says slowly. "How to get Kuwei out, get the Grisha out, get our money, beat Van Eck, and give that son of a bitch Pekka Rollins everything he has coming to him."

Nina raised a brow. "Is that all?"

"How?" asked Inej.

"This whole time, we've been playing Van Eck's game. We've been hiding. We're done with that. We're going to stage a little auction. Right out in the open." He turns to face the group, and his eyes gleam flat and black as a shark's. "And since Kuwei is so eager to sacrifice himself, he's going to be the prize."