Midnight Thoughts ~ Shadow & Bone

12

As Jesper, Inej, and the Conductor–whose name we learned was Arken Visser–prepared to travel to West Ravka, Kaz dragged me to his office. When I walked in, I immediately plopped down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other and resting my arms on the back of the couch. He rolled his eyes as he went to his desk.

"Do you know of a way into the Little Palace?" he asked me. I sighed and traced my fingers across the thick fabric of the sofa.

"I did," I admitted. "But a few years ago, Tryne told me some Shu mercenaries tried to break in. Security was upped after that, so everything could be completely different from the last time I was there." He nodded, and there was a quiet knock on the door.

"Come in," Kaz called. The door opened a bit, and Marten stepped inside quietly. "Morning, Marten." The 14-year-old smiled a bit.

"Castiel said Lin was hurt," he said softly. Kaz furrowed his brows.

"How did he know?" I rolled my eyes.

"Kaz, it's Castiel. He knows everything that happens around here." He shrugged, and I looked at Marten. "We had a bit of a squabble with some Dime Lions earlier." I pointed to the fresh mark on my neck. "Nothing bad, just stings a bit now." He nodded and padded over silently, looking closely at the cut.

"Who cleaned it?" he asked gently. I nodded to Kaz, who looked up at us. He nodded.

"I didn't have much," he told the boy. "I just got the blood off and told her to keep pressure on it." Marten nodded.

"That's probably the best thing you could've done." He looked back at me and brushed his fingers over the thin mark, and the slight pain I had felt in it until that point faded until it was gone. "You were right. It wasn't deep, it's an easy fix." He quickly brushed his fingers over the scratch on my cheek as well and smiled up at me. "They might be sore for a little bit, but they're all healed now." I smiled softly and ruffled his hair. He groaned and swatted my hand away.

"Thanks, Marten." He nodded and left the room. I looked up at Kaz to find him already watching me. "What?" He shook his head. "Don't give me that, I know you're holding something back in that pretty head of yours so spit it out." He chuckled quietly and shook his head again.

"Nothing," he murmured. "You're just... natural. With Marten. And Tryne and Cas. It doesn't take you any effort to take care of them." I chuckled.

"You should've seen me when I met them," I said. "Fourteen years old and a deserter of the Second Army... Not exactly mother material. Marten was only six when I met him. He had accidentally ended up in a caravan and rode here from Olendaal. Tryne ran from Shu Han when she found out she was Grisha, and Castiel grew up here. We all came from different places and backgrounds and suddenly I was trying to take care of them and train Tryne and teach Marten and Castiel how to defend themselves while I was still trying to figure myself out, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing." He smiled a bit and shrugged.

"But you learned," he said softly. "And that's all you can do." I sighed.

"I can't learn how to get into the Little Palace without people finding out who I am." He nodded.

"If everything else goes right, would your father recognize you?" I sighed and thought about it.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I was fourteen last time he saw me. We... had a connection before I left, but it was severed not long after. And I look a bit different now." He nodded.

"And what are the odds that he doesn't realize it's you?" I sighed and shook my head.

"Not good."

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