𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 | 𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻

ೃ࿔*:･✸⋆➶ ✧

Huffing to herself, Anya crossed her arms over her chest and thought over everything that had happened with Kaz. It was safe to say she was pissed, pissed at Kaz, pissed at herself and pissed at everyone around her. Why was he insistent on acting like an absolute prick when all she did was try her hardest? Nothing was good enough for Kaz Brekker, bastard of the barrel, nobody was worthy of his secrets, despite him knowing all of theirs.

She slouched against the wall, another dramatic huff passing her lips as she scanned her eyes around the seemingly deserted streets of Ketterdam. A knife had been given to her from Inej, for her protection, just in case. It felt heavy in her pocket and she looked down at it for a split second, flickering her gaze back through the streets. A white blouse clung to her body, differing from the usual dresses she wore. According to both Nina and Inej, wearing a dress during her job right now would be a danger to herself and it wouldn't allow her to defend herself as easily as trousers and a blouse would do, so reluctantly, she agreed.

The night made the streets of Ketterdam deserted, nobody wanting to be caught lurking the place after dark, that was like asking for a death sentence. When the sun went down and the moon came out, so did the gangs, showing a small slip of the reality of Ketterdam. Gangs roamed around and bodies would show up when the sun eventually rose again, leaving a glimmer of fear within the citizens.

A slight scuffle made her head whip around in the direction, only to be met with darkness. Anya wasn't foolish, there was someone there and she needed to be smart about this. The obvious move would be to panic and let the paranoia set in, scanning for the cause of the noise. She had to think this through, pushing her body off the wall and stepping into the alleyway. Slowly, her hand slipped into her pocket and grabbed the knife, along with a small pocket mirror. Holding the mirror up slightly, she pretended to rearrange her hair, focusing on the surroundings.

Movement.

It was barely noticeable but she could see it, flipping the pocket mirror shut and holding the knife tighter. Her back was towards them, they couldn't see the weapon hidden in her hands but they knew she would be armed, they knew who she was. Trying not to let the fear overcome her she swallowed quickly and shifted the blade in her hand as if it was scalding, burning her skin with the slightest touch. There was no way out of this, she couldn't run, she couldn't fight them here, in the dark.

Her mindless chatter with herself was cut short when the voice spoke through the shadows, their voice sending her back to a place she wished she would never return to.

"Hello, little Lynx." The guard from the night prior, the same guy from the menagerie, taunted her as he stepped out of the shadows. That nickname, that cursed name that brought a shiver of fear through her skin, wishing for the comfort of her dress, clinging to her body.