Kaz Brekker imagines

The Phoenix and the Crow

part two

Y/N tried to quiet the clicking of her boots as she crept around the back of the sandskiff, making her way below deck. She found the trap door and quickly slipped down the wooden ladder. She placed her hands on the wall and tried to find a crack between the floorboards above in an attempt to see Alina. However, she froze in her place once she felt arms wrap around her shoulders, a knife pressed to her neck. Instead of lighting a fire between her fingers as a warning, she let the unknown being guide her to where two familiar men stood. The zemini and kerch from earlier. "You-"

"Who are you?"

Y/N rolled her eyes, "Y/N L/N, inferni. Lieutenant General of the second army. Well, ex-lieutenant, I now assume." A gasp slipped from the person behind her and she was instantly released from their hold. The suli girl for before stepped around her and moved to stand beside the other two. The trio looked like a rough-patch group of criminals. Ketterdam. She could only assume that's where they were from. "Now it's only well-mannered to tell me who you are given that I just told you who I am. Very willingly, mind you, I could've easily set a controlled fire loose. So..." She held out the 'o' as she waited.

"Jesper Fahey," said the tallest of the group.

"Inej Ghafa."

"Brekker." His rich coffee-brown eyes bore into hers as if trying to read her soul. The dark lighting cast shadows over his sharp facial features. "Kaz Brekker." His voice held much reluctance as he spoke his name.

"And I'm safe to assume you're all criminals. Now that leaves me with one last question..." She spun on her heel and walked around, glancing over her shoulder every so often, inspecting the room. "What business do you have on this skiff?"

The trio shared a look and said nothing. Y/N hummed, "Okay... Avoid in silence, fine." She sighed, "I won't bother you if you don't bother me, but I will get up there and I will be leaving this skiff with the sun summoner." She eyed them all carefully, but her calm expression didn't last long when another voice spoke up.

"I'll be with you then."

The four of them turned around so quickly that her head hurt. "Mal. Of course."

"He's with you?" The lanky man with his top hat pointed his gun between the two.

Y/N shrugged, "I guess so." The hairs on the back of her neck pricked as she felt someone's eyes on her, unmoving. Kaz Brekker. The name seemed slightly familiar as she sorted the names in her mind like files in a cabinet. Criminal from Ketterdam. Bastard of the barrel, Dirtyhands. He made quite a reputation for himself.

His eyes, were cold and unfeeling as he stared shamelessly at her. She could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to piece together her story, she assumed, just as she did his. Fair.

The sound of sand shifting was heard around them, and screaming was heard almost instantly after. Horror settled in her bones as the realization of what the Darkling was doing washed over her. "He's moving the Fold."

Mal ran to the stairs and lifted the trap door, gunshots were heard following his pounding steps on the deck above them. Y/N followed quickly, flames licked up her hands as soon as her head was above the wooden panels. In comparison to Mal, her footsteps were much quieter as she snuck up another set of stairs to where Zoya Nazalensky stood. A man in the familiar red grisha uniform stood there and was quick to notice her. Y/N threw up her hands, aiming a jet of flames straight toward his chest. All she needed was one loose thread to catch fire but luck or the saints weren't on her side. He was quick to bring his hands together and within seconds she felt him grab ahold of her heart. Just as fast a knife flew right beside her head into his shoulder and a strong gust of wind knocked him back to the sand below the skiff. Inhaling deeply she saw Zoya and Inej to which she nodded her head in thanks. "Zoya, stop this skiff."

~

The silence of the crows processing was heavy as they followed the others out of the fold. Y/N and Zoya took the lead, their voices were heard in hushed whispers while they set up a circle of logs and a fire for everyone to sit around. Mal and Alina walked far enough to change into the clothes they took from the skiff. Kaz, Jesper, and Inej sat next to each other, the latter two threw glances toward Kaz when they saw his scheming face. Trying to figure out what happens from this point forward.

Once Mal and Alina came back she threw her black and gold kefta into the fire.

"I didn't think it'd actually burn."

"Just like Kirigan, it can be destroyed after all."

Y/N watched the pair from the corner of her eye. Her stomach couldn't settle, she felt like something was still off. Her eyes drifted back to the shadow fold, her own thoughts consuming her before a voice snapped her out.

"Where do you plan to go from here?" Zoya's voice was quiet but still in its usual stern tone. Y/N sighed, "I'm not sure. I have nowhere that I need to go so maybe I'll travel for a while. Where do you plan on going?" She felt Kaz's burning stare on the side of her face which she tried to ignore.

"My aunt was in that city when he expanded the fold. I have to go and at least search."

"Just know that what you may find there could haunt you for the rest of your life." Kaz's voice was low and coarse. Everyone's eyes trained on him while Zoya spoke. "It will haunt me more if I don't at least try."

Y/N felt all of her senses narrow in on the fire, twirling her fingers around causing the flames to jump up and dance their way to her outstretched hand. The heat spread across her skin but it never burned her, never left her scathed only a bit red for a few moments.

The Darkling is dead. They all finally have the freedom they've been chasing and they could destroy the fold once and for all, but the gnawing feeling in her gut never left. He's still alive. And if he was still alive, they can count on him coming back stronger and with more reason to target them. Y/N knew firsthand just how quickly his anger could get out of control. Having worked so closely with him for a long time she saw sides of him that he never meant for others to see.

The sun summoner and her tracker walked back to the fire and stood beside the inferni. "We should make headway to the docks and catch a ship. Get out of here, right?" Alina looked to her mentor for direction but didn't receive much help other than a dazed hum.

The group of exhausted misfits, criminals, and soldiers started their way to the docs. Zoya left the group to continue her journey to make her own peace with the inevitable loss of her aunt.

Once the ships came into view Y/N walked around asking which had the best price. She found one stopping in Ketterdam and then making its way to Novi Zem and got six tickets. She found a small section empty and sat down with the crows while Alina and Mal went to the edge by themselves. Silence settled over Y/N as she tuned out her surroundings, including the three people next to her talking about their adventures.

Where was she supposed to go now? She couldn't stay in Ravka, Alina doesn't need her, and she has no family to go to or look for. She'd never felt so useless in her life and she hated it. There was a point in her life where she wouldn't die for this freedom to travel but after being on a short leash held by the Darkling she has the itch to constantly be doing something productive. To prepare for something, as if she was to be at war her whole life. While she saw the flaws in that she couldn't just find somewhere to settle either.

"Next stop Ketterdam!"

Maybe a quick stop at Ketterdam wouldn't hurt.