Let my fires protect you || Kaz Brekker X Reader

3. Growth

A/n - If you were questioning, Why are people questioning if Kaz and (Y/n) are married? That is because shadow and bone is set in 1800s Russia and marriage between young people aged 13+ was perfectly normal (I know, ew) and in Shadow and Bone they'll be about 15 years old.

T/W - nightmare with sexual assault, PTSD

I wake up in a nice, cozy bed. It's like the one at the menagerie, but there aren't men using me for there own pleasure. I can still feel their breathe on my skin, their touch, their smell, it all disgusts me, that ride was probably the most similar thing to it; everyone was breathing heavily but due to fear, not movement, it was a cramped space, and, everyone was sweating from the anxiety of it all. It was similar but at least I wasn't the only target this time. 

I can't feel my arm or my lower body, I check to see of they're still there, yes, they are, wonderful. My arm has a massive burn scar running across it and my abdomen just has ice on it to stop the swelling. I try to get up but everything aches so much that it takes me a few goes, but, I get there. I look to the foot of my bed and see the goat curled up at my feet, that's so adorable, I lean forward, aware of my abdomen and use my good arm to stroke him, it bleats telling me that it likes what I'm doing so I continue.

Wait, I only just realised, where the fuck am I? I look around me and see a note:

(Y/n), 

We're at an inn in Kribirsk, It's in East Ravka. We left you here to rest, everyone is downstairs when you're ready.

Be quick about it though we don't have all the time in the world.

- Kaz 

Okay, well that clears things up. I get up and stand with immense difficulty, make myself half presentable to not show that I feel like shit and leave to the others.

I come down stairs to find Jesper, Arken, and Inej drinking their sorrows and immediately Kaz shows up. "We're in luck." he exclaims to us all, "There's a good chance we can crack on." I sit down next to Inej and pay attention, "Do tell." I say, "Now that we're three days travel from the capital, the next play is finding a way inside the Little Palace. It turns out the Kribirsk archives house the Little Palace blueprints, but... they're kept under lock and key. Far from the prying eyes of the masses." He says the final sentence with a tone saying that we're going to have fun.

"YES" Jesper exclaims, "What does that mean?" Arken asks, "Time for a heist" Jesper replies his face full of glee and excitement, I look to Inej and we smirk at each other.

~

Kaz gave us a break to allow him to make the perfect plan for the heist. I'm still amazed with his mind, he has an intellect that you'd only get once in a millennia, he also has this determination that for some reason makes me trust that he'll get us to Alina and allow Inej and I to go free.

"How are you feeling?" I hear Inej ask, "I'm okay, I mean I feel like shit and my arm is burnt to shit but, I'm okay." She lets out a small laugh, "I'm glad, and thank you, without you we might not have made it."

"I'm sure you would've Jesper was fantastic, Kaz and Arken are both geniuses, and then you're so good with knives I wouldn't be surprised if you were a Durast" I explain, "Thank you, I'm not by the way." she replies, I just nod my head.

"Jesper, inej, (Y/n), meeting now." Kaz calls to us, I turn my head then turn back to Inej, "I'm guessing this is going to be fun?" I ask her, "There is a thrill to it, I suppose" We go to Kaz and spot a distraught Jesper, "What's wrong with you?" he looks up at me, "I had to say goodbye to Milo." 

"Milo?"

"The goat" Inej interjects, "Oh, damn, It's for the best, he'll probably get injured if he stayed with us." I say, Jespers' face softened, I can't believe that worked. "Can we discuss the heist now please?" Kaz asks, clearly annoyed, "Sorry" I drop my face hiding the blush spread across my cheeks, this guy really knows how to humble people. "All right. Royal archives heist. Here's the game plan. Watchmen are on guard around the clock, we want to get in and get out as quietly as possible. That means the hardware stays in the holster, Jesper." I let out a small laugh, Jesper gives me a look, "Ugh, fine." he groans. "Inej, the dome on the roof is directly above the repository where the blueprints to the Little Palace are kept" he adresses her, "Got it, that's my way in." she replies, "(Y/n), you're with me, we'll set a trail of phosporous that will lead Inej staight to the target, the repository is secured at all times behind a two-part lock mechanism. So, Inej, you have to leave the way you came in."