corvus//kaz brekker

thirteen

I find Kaz sitting at the desk in his room at our new safe house. He doesn't even seem to realize that I'm here.

"Kaz?" I ask. "Kaz!" He finally snaps out of whatever haze he's in. "Wylan's brought the compound. Jesper's helping load it in."

"In a few hours, when the chips fall... it'll give me some comfort to know that you're with me in the shadows," Kaz tells me.

"I wouldn't miss it," I assure.

Kaz stands up from his chair. "If the plan goes awry, promise me one thing. Get out of the city as fast as you can, find your uncle and never look back."

"I can promise you only that Pekka will beg for his death," I tell him.

Down in the pub Wylan and Jesper are going through the costumes for tonight.

"Hey," Jesper greets.

I pull on the costume I'm wearing. "Smells like these haven't been washed since last year."

"It'll mimic it in every way?" Kaz asks Wylan as he looks into one of the boxes on the table.

Wylan nods. "Mm-hmm."

"Good," Kaz says.

Jesper looks at him. "You're gonna say you can't do this without me, yeah? And that you hate it when we're angry at each other, but sometimes brothers fight. And that when all this is over, you'll open a tab for me at the club of my choosing, 'cause when Pekka's gone, you'll take it all. That's what you were gonna say. Yes?"

"There's a cap on the tab," Kaz tells him. "But otherwise, yes. To all of that."

"Then let's go take down the king," Jesper says.

"The plan is this. Jesper and Wylan, you're gonna hand out Komedie Brute costumes and vials of the compound to all of the Dregs," Kaz explains. "Per Haskell's gang, our gang now. By sunset, the streets will be crawling with Sankt Emerens revelers. They'll provide us with the cover we need. Hit all of Pekka's businesses, the clubs, the brоthеls. All to destroy Pekka's reputation. Inej and Tereza will cover Fifth Harbor, and when the chaos begins, they'll hand the note to Pekka's driver. Nina and I will handle the Emerald Palace. See you there."

"No mourners," Jesper says.

"No funerals," Inej, Kaz, and I say.

"Why do you guys say that?" Wylan asks. "Why isn't it just "good luck" or "be safe"?"

"We like to keep our expectations low," Inej tells him.

Inej and I do our job. Spraying the Fifth Harbor and handing over the note to Pekka's man. We're about to turn back to meet up with everyone else but I hear a baby cry. It's coming from the interior of one of the ships.

Inej puts her ear up against a metal door. "Hello?"

"Help us, please."

"Hey!"

I turn and see a guard. Inej and I both hit him in the chest with a knife.

Inej opens the door, and I can see women inside, one of which has a baby. They're dirty and frightened and most definitely being sold as slaves.

"It's okay," I tell the women.

"We're going to get you off this ship," Inej assures. "Follow us. Come."

Inej and I get the women off of the ship. Were on the way to someplace safe for them when I have a feeling someone is watching us. I stop and Inej keeps going.

I have an immense sense of Deja vu as shadows from in front of me. The Darkling is standing there.

I stand my ground. "I haven't changed my mind."

The Darkling steps towards me. "I was hoping you would be smart about this."

"Smart about this?" I question.

"I'm afraid, Miss Damcevski, if you are not with me then you are against me," the Darkling says.

"I will never be with you," I assure him. "I lost my uncle to the Fold because of you. How many people must die because of you?"

The Darkling steps forward and grabs my wrist.

"This isn't real." I shake my head. "This can't be real."

"I would urge you to reconsider," the Darkling tells me. "I would hate to see you on the losing side."

I close my eyes tightly. "This isn't real."

When I open my eyes he's gone. Like a shadow. I take a deep breath. My worst nightmare was the Darkling finding out who I was. Now he knows. And now he wants me to help him ruin people's lives. I can't. I won't. But I don't know how long I'll survive while defying him.

I find Kaz sitting at his desk. He doesn't look up when he hears me walk in.

"Where were you?" Kaz asks.

"The Drakonasha was trafficking indentures," I tell him.

I don't confess to seeing the Darkling. How could I? That helps no one.

"We had a plan," Kaz reminds me.

"It was unexpected," I argue. "I had to make a decision in the moment."

"You chose strangers over your crew," Kaz insists.

"Inej and I got the note to the driver," I tell him. "Nina said everything worked out."

"I didn't know where you were," Kaz states. "I didn't know if Pekka hired another assassin to kill you. I didn't know if you would..."

"I'm fine," I assure him. Kaz turns and I can see his swollen eye and bruises on his face. "Your face... I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"I can't have a weak link in my crew," Kaz tells me.

"I do one thing without consulting you and I'm a weak link?" I question. "You can't be serious."

"I need to know I can count on my Crows," Kaz insists. "If we can't rely on each other, we have nothing."

"So just like that..." I scoff. "I'm out?"

"You're free," Kaz tells me. "Now all the indentures in Kerch have a Shadow."