Love can find you |~ Kaz Brekker ~|

|14| panic

The Crows, Tolya and Zoya were now in Shu Han at Bhez Ju. Kaz, Danielle, Jesper, and Wylan watched as the three girls and Tolya kneeled at a tall stone holding incense. After Tolya payed his respects to his deceased ancestors, he came over to the four. His sword almost hit Jesper, the Zemeni moving his head to the side to avoid whacked.

"Just so you know, it's considered bad luck not to the the dead during Sunsta Sar." Tolya told them as he ate a Shu Han snack.

"If I truly believed in luck I'd be in a lot less debt." Jesper scoffed.

"And I'm more concerned with the living." Kaz stated, looking around at the new people's

"I don't have much memory of them so I don't really know who to pray to." Danielle muttered.

"Tend not to your ghosts and they will come back hungry." Tolya quoted a line from a poem he's read before.

Kaz ignored him. "The tea shop should be open now." He walked away, Danny willingly following behind him. "We need to get Inej and Nina."

"Come on." He said once they reached the girls. Inej and Danny, you two on the roof. Inej, you follow Ohval once she leaves. Elle, if anything goes wrong, find me or Nina. As for you," he looked at Nina, "you know what to do."

~*•*~

Kaz and Nina sat at a table with Inej overlooking them for protection. Danielle was sitting at another table watching them from a few tables away.

Inej was crouched over the ledge, listening and looking out. Nina started to speak as she stared at the tea pot. "How do you think it tastes?"

Kaz looked at her annoyed. "Like tea."

Nina sighed. "Yes, but, is it floral? Bitter? Mildly sweet with notes of buttery-"

"Warm. And wet." Kaz stopped her rambling. Nina leaned back and sighed defeatedly.

"Saints." She mumbled.

Kaz looked up to see Inej. She looked around and spotted the women they were meeting. She used two fingers to signal where she was. Danielle sipped on her own tea and watched the two interact.

Said woman got there and sat down to meet with the two crows, unknowingly being watched from above. She put her ring finger in the tea, flicked it off, then placed it to the center of her forehead. Nina followed suit, not wanting to disrespect her. The woman looked at Kaz.

He glared in return. Nina spotted the two's staring contest so she started to speak to the woman.

"We were hoping you could put us in contact with one of your clients, the Disciple." Nina spoke in Shu.

"Your pronunciation of our language is impressive for a Ravkan." She responded in English.

"That is quite the way you have. My husband and I are from Ketterdam, but my mother is Ravkan." Nina lied. "I inherited my affinity for Saint related artifacts from her."

"Husband?" Was all the woman said. "Surprising. I thought the Kerch were more affectionate."

Nina leaned in smirking. "Well in private he's all hands. Isn't that right... waffles?" She struggled for a moment to think of a nickname for him. From above, Eva was trying so hard to conceal her laughter.

"Does 'waffles' take issue with my culture's customs?" The Shu woman asked, referring to his Kaz didn't do the simple ritual. Kaz glared at her again.

"Dear, we've come all this way... for this." Nina tried. Kaz glared at her now too. Begrudgingly, he slid of his black leather gloves and did the ritual. Dip, flick, touch. While he did that he looked the woman in the eye.

They could now drink from the small tea cup. As they all set them down, Nina went straight to the point. "Anyway, our contact mentioned that since the disciple's retirement, he had periodically parted with some of his personal collection."

"You're looking for something specific." The woman clarified.

"The Neshyenyer." Kaz answered very straightforward.

"The Neshyenyer is at Ahmrat Jen."

"From what we understand, that one's a fake." Kaz's voice raised and sharpened.

"I wouldn't know anything about that." She touched the top of the kettle, seeming to be a signal.

"What if we told you the Desciple could name his price?" Nina tried.

"I'd say you have a surprising amount of disposable income... for thieves."

"We're not thieves." Nina started to chuckle nervously. "We're- we're just collectors."

"I've worked with enough thieves to know when I see them. If you're after the blade, you'll have to get it from Ahmrat Jen." She stood up swiftly and walked away. Danielle noticed that she eyed a waitress who calmly made her way to the two crows.

Kaz for up to follow after her, but the waitress spilled some tea on him. He started to breathe heavily. He spun around to lean on the table, his hands on them and fingers spread. Nina touched his hand, "Brekker, just breathe."

He didn't have his gloves in, so the feeling of skin on skin came back. He soon after dashed away clutching his cane. Nina looked up to Inej and to the side to Danny.

She found his stumbling body going around a alley. She popped out from the shadows and dragged him to a corner. He started to gasp for air, Elle waited patiently for him to catch his breath and calm down.

"You were supposed to follow her!" Kaz snapped shakily.

"Inej is on it. And besides, I couldn't leave you. Not like this." She passed him his gloves. He took them in his hands and clutched them close to his body just like how he was doing with his cane. "It's alright."

He shuddered.

"I'm here." She told his softly. "It's going to be okay."

He kept shaking. "I-"

"I know, love." She hushed him. "It's alright. I'm here."

His hand reached out to hold hers. She hesitated because he didn't have his gloves on but nonetheless she let him. His breath slowed. He's ok.