Midnight Thoughts ~ Shadow & Bone

31

I stared out the window of the inn as I waited for Inej, Jesper, and Kaz to get back. Kaz had made me stay back while they went out because he 'didn't want anyone recognizing me.' I assured him I could handle myself, but he insisted so I decided to indulge him just this once. To make up for every time I didn't or won't listen to him.

In the distance, I could see the skiff on the docks, its tall masts standing out next to the small tents of the First Army. The last time I had been on a skiff, I had been running from my father to try and escape my own fate. This time was scarily similar, except now the fate I was escaping was that of somebody else.

As the sun started to come up, I looked back as the door opened and in walked the three other Crows. Inej and Jesper shot me a small smile each before walking away to work on their own tasks, but Kaz didn't follow them. Instead he walked towards me, and I looked back out the window, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Don't be like that, Lin," he muttered, coming up next to me. I shook my head.

"Like what?" I asked simply. He sighed.

"You know why I didn't want you down there," he said quietly, so the other two couldn't hear us. Though I imagined Inej could hear anything if she really wanted to. "He knows you're here. He knows you helped kidnap the Sun Summoner. If he saw you again, you know what he would do, and I don't think even Katya would be able to stop him this time." I sighed and looked up at him, nodding.

"I understand why you did it," I assured him. "But that doesn't mean I like it. I can handle myself, Kaz, you know that better than anyone." He nodded.

"I know," he said. "I know you can." He sighed and shook his head. "I just can't risk losing you, not now." I sighed and nodded. "Not ever." I smiled softly and he returned a faint one, brushing the hair from my face and planting a gentle kiss to my forehead before taking my hand and pulling me towards the other room. Inej looked up from the papers on the table and smiled.

"Jesper's just changing now," she said. "I found their papers in one of their coats." Kaz nodded and sat down, letting go of my hand and beginning to work on changing the papers to fit our own story.

After a few minutes, Jesper came out of the bathroom in a plaid suit and shot me a smile. I returned it, and he looked at himself in the mirror, spinning a few times to inspect the outfit. Inej rolled her eyes.

"You look fine," she said. He laughed and shook his head.

"Oh, I look more than fine," he countered. I grinned and shook my head, and Kaz looked up at him, setting his pen down.

"I made some edits to their papers," he said, folding them and handing them up to him. "Should be enough to get us through the checkpoint and onto the skiff." Jesper read through the information and furrowed his brows.

"Huh?" he muttered. "No one is ever going to believe I'm that old." Kaz stared up at him, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

"You tell yourself that."

🝯

Later that day, Inej, Kaz, and I had donned the Zemini uniforms, and Jesper was clad in his plaid suit as we approached the check-in for the skiff. The man at the stand was one I didn't recognize, but as we were standing there, a familiar man in a red and black kefta walked over as well. I ducked my head down just slightly so that he couldn't see my full face as the man addressed the couple in front of us.

"Consider yourself lucky," he said. "You're traveling with the Black General and the Sun Summoner, which means you are about to witness the destruction of the Fold." I rolled my eyes slightly, grateful that Ivan couldn't see.

Kaz nudged me forward gently, and I stepped forward so Jesper could hand our forged papers to the man. It was silent for a moment as he read over them until Jesper, of course, made a joke to lighten the mood some.

"I know," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I look amazing for my age." The man scoffed quietly as he folded up the papers.

"Well, I thought you looked older." I held back a small smile and looked up once again as we got past Ivan. We were about halfway to the skiff when people started whispering, and we looked up to see the General leading Alina, who was cloaked in black, towards the skiff. My heart sank, and I felt Kaz place a hand on my arm, squeezing it gently as he looked down at Inej. She sighed.

"I know," she said softly. "Not until Novokribirsk." He nodded, and the four of us quickly made our way on board the skiff, the gate raising just behind us. We quickly made our way to the back of the skiff but didn't go below deck just yet.

"Good news?" Jesper said quietly. "It's just as terrifying as I remember." Inej sighed.

"Except this time we're going in completely exposed." The skiff surged forward, and I felt her grasp my hand tightly for comfort. I squeezed her hand back gently.

"If I'm meant to die today," Jesper muttered, "and any of you survive, make sure I have an open casket." Kaz shook his head.

"No one's dying today," he said firmly. I nodded and glanced up at Jesper.

"No mourners." Inej took a deep breath.

"No funerals."