Drowning (Kaz Brekker)

iv - Black Veil

KAZ WASN'T SPEAKING TO HER. Asra was grateful for that. She thought. She wasn't fully sure. She never was with him, not anymore. He'd come back towards sunset, and the three of them headed carefully back into the Barrel and down the Grafcanal, docking on Black Veil island.

The island was damp, coated in a thick mist. Mausoleums made to look like ships were dotted all around them like ghosts. Gravestones sprung up from the ground in neat rows between them. Inside one of the stone hulls, through the windows carved into the side, light and voices poured out. Asra felt herself grin and speed up.

She didn't think as she threw open the door. Everyone inside rose, guns drawn and fists rasied. Then Nina shrieked.

"Asra!" She rushed towards her. Nina swept her up in a hug which Asra returned. It was hard to tell who was more surprised. Then Jesper was hugging her instead, arms wrapped around her waist, swinging her round and round. Matthias stood still the whole time, but he was smiling at her. As was one of the identical Shu boys. The other didn't look too interested in any of them, besides Jesper.

"Wylan?" Asra asked the smiling Shu. Nina's Tailoring was yet to fade, assuming it ever would.

He nodded, smile faltering a moment. "Sorry about my father."

Asra shrugged. She had the strangest urge to hug him. "Parents are shit. I get it."

Wylan's smile returned slightly. He was a little taller than Kuwei Yul-Bo, face slightly rounder. And he held himself differently. Wylan had been taught to stand tall and proud. And be had a more nervous energy to him as well.

Kaz thudded his cane against the floor, stood in the doorway to the tomb. "If everyone is done cuddling, we have a job to do."

"Hold up," Jesper said, arm still around Asra's shoulders. "We're not talking about the job until we figure out what those things were on the Stave."

"The explosions?" Asra said obviously.

"No, the two Shu with wings that tried to kill us."

Asra thought. "Must've missed them. Wings? Like a bird or..."

Nina steered her towards a table in the middle of the tomb, cluttered with bullets and maps and chemicals and snacks. "No, more like a moth. A deadly, mechanical moth. Are you hungry? We have chocolate biscuits."

"Oh sure," Jesper said. "She gets the cookie hoard."

"Of course I do," Asra said, taking a biscuit from the tin Nina held out. She sat down, Nina beside her, nibbling on her own biscuit. Asra frowned slightly. Nina Zenik didn't nibble.

"There were two Shu with wings, and a man and a woman who were... not normal." Nina said.

"Nina's power had no effect on them." Wylan said.

Nina hummed, taking another small bite of her biscuit. Asra was already on her second. Matthias sat down beside Nina.

"The Shu woman we faced was stronger than me, Jesper and Wylan put together."

"You heard right," Jesper said. "Stronger than Wylan."

"I did my part." Wylan said indignantly.

"You most definitely did, merchling." Jesper said. "What was that violet stuff?"

"Something new I've been working on. It's based on a Ravkan invention called lumiya." Wylan said. "The flames are almost impossible to extinguish, but I changed the formulation so that it burns a lot hotter."

"We were lucky to have you there." Matthias said. He gave a small bow. Wylan went red. "The creatures were nearly impervious to bullets."

"Nearly." Nina said, face grim. "They had nets. They were looking to hunt and capture Grisha."