𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 | 𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻

ೃ࿔*:･✸⋆➶ ✧

Eventually, the woman let them go, demanding she wanted Jesper and Jesper only to retrieve the sword. So, the others all gathered outside the house, patiently waiting for the Sharpshooter to return to them. When he did, he dumped the sword with them and hurried to speak to Wylan while Anya raised a brow at the two, nodding to Nina, both silently sharing the same thought.

         Walking by his side, Anya looked to Kaz, noticing that as they passed Jesper and Wylan he shook his head with an eye roll, as if their clear infatuation with one another was an inconvenience for him. A snicker passed her lips as she shook her head at his behaviour, spinning on her heel to send a large thumbs up to the two. Turning back around, she did a little jog to catch up with Kaz, who was even more annoyed, seemingly walking faster to outpace her.

"Everyone's lost their mind." Kaz huffed, his jaw clenched as Inej passed them with the sword resting over her right shoulder.

"I'm sure we all did in there." Anya shrugged, her hands messing with the bracelet resting around her wrist.

Kaz turned to look at her and she mimicked his actions, feeling as if she could stay here for eternity, staring into his eyes as if they were the sun, a fate she'd willingly go blind for. There was something so alluring about them that made her unable to look away, hidden with secrets of his past that burned just glancing at. As well as this, there was this odd softness within them, reserved for her and only her.

"Maybe I did see something," Kaz began, moving his eyes away from her as they continued walking, "through the haze of the poison." She paused, turning to face him as he continued to look at the ground below him. "There are those who drown us, and those who pull us out."

"Perhaps I saw something as well." Anya continued where he had finished, finally capturing his attention.

"What did you toxin trip reveal to you?" Kaz whispered, tilting his head as he stepped closer to the girl who was barely able to control her heartbeat.

There was many things Anya wanted to say to Kaz at this moment, spill all her dark and dirty secrets from a single glance. Instead, she did not and reminded herself who she was talking to. The bastard of the barrel, dirtyhands himself. All of her pettiness came back as she widened her lips into a grin, opting to keep her secrets for another day, they had many long days ahead of them, maybe he'd hear about it then.

"Like a close friend of mine once said, hope is dangerous." Anya recited his own words to him and he frowned. "It clouds your judgement. The toxin helped me realise that and I won't be oblivious to it."

Kaz said nothing more, neither did Anya, both continuing their journey to meet with the others, ignoring the burning questions each wanted to ask. Neither would do so, too scared that delving into one another's past any more would arise more questions and perhaps the other would see the reality they so blindly tried to ignore.

"Hey, Nina, what's your favourite waffle topping?" Anya questioned, raising a brow at the woman beside her as her eyes lit up. Zoya, who stood beside them rolled her eyes at the two girls, opting to walk beside Inej, where she felt it would be best for her, away from the stupid questions.

"Darling, I am so glad you asked..." Nina began excitedly, looping her arm through her friend's as they drifted from the other group, seemingly in their own little world, oblivious to the longing stare that a certain bastard cast on the Inferni as she left.

ೃ࿔*:･✸⋆➶ ✧

When Anya was around the age of fourteen, she was in the Menagerie, stood by the windowsill with a look of agitation painting her features. Hovering her hand over a lit candle beside her, she watched with fascination as the flame bowed to her demands, rather than inflicting pain, it mirrored her wants and needs. Despite this sight, her agitation was not diminished. She had to leave her room in around ten minutes but she wanted these moments to herself, basking in the privacy she never received.

      Everywhere she went she felt eyes on her, could feel the hands of those unwanted people covering her soul entirely. But here, in her bedroom, it offered her solace from her reality and she could just escape for a few moments. This was all hers, the room and everything in it, things she'd bought for herself. Immediately, she'd ripped away anything Tante Heleen bought her and she found her way into the market to purchase her own belongings. It didn't matter how she'd purchased them, they were hers and only hers.

The stars that decorated her door, as well as blue ribbon, were created with the help of the other girl's that she knew at the Menagerie, Inej especially. In a place like this, the girls stuck together because they could all relate to one another, they could understand the horrors they suffered at the hands of the same woman. All children that had been stolen and ripped away from their childhood, forced to grow up too early.

Silent as the night, a figure stood behind her but she immediately recognised her, she had a talent for knowing everything. Lips upturning, she spun on her heel to face the girl before her. As gorgeous and confident as ever, Inej smiled at her friend and took a step closer. In her hands she had more stars, cut perfectly into blue decorations. Just the sight of the girl could bring a smile to the Inferni's face and she wished she could remain with this girl, in her room, forever, never needing to leave.

"I brought you these for the inside of your door." Inej announced in her soft voice as she dropped the stars onto the desk beside the girl's bed.

"Thank you, Inej, they're gorgeous." Anya gaped, moving away from the windowsill to go look at the stars properly.

"You know, if you keep doing that fire trick you're going to hurt yourself." Inej commented, in reference to what the girl had been doing prior her arrival.

"I'm fine, see." Anya raised her hands for the girl to see, showing not a single scratch or burn on the skin.

"I don't understand it." Inej huffed, sitting down onto the girl's bed with a shake of her head. "How do you never receive any infliction of a flame?"

"I'm too amazing that even fire is immune to me?" Anya offered with an innocent smile while Inej rolled her eyes.

"Humble too." Inej responded as the girls chuckled, a sound that was a rarity around the Menagerie.

ೃ࿔*:･✸⋆➶ ✧
Words~1211.
{edited:no}

Note: no I didn't forget to write...for an entire month...sorry? I've got exams all week and I won't be able to update until Sunday but have this while I'm not at school! I promise I will get this season finished, even if it takes like four months for me to do, there will be an ending.