Midnight Thoughts ~ Shadow & Bone

6

Kaz didn't sleep at Wylan's that night, instead leaving a note while everyone was asleep to meet him at a cafe across the stave. To avoid suspicion, we split up into groups, and I arrived just moments after Inej. Jesper looked up from his seat in the corner of the booth as I slid in beside him, Inej sitting across the table.

"Started to wonder if I had the wrong time or place," he admitted. Inej shook her head.

"This is where Kaz left word to meet." He nodded, looking around nervously. "So you know. It's worse today." Jesper furrowed his brows and looked over at her.

"Worse how?" he begged. "We had to sleep on that novice's floor. This body deserves a proper bed." I rolled my eyes.

"He's doing his best," I told him. "If I recall, you weren't doing particularly well when you first got to Ketterdam, now were you?" He narrowed his eyes.

"You weren't even here–" Inej shook her head.

"Jesper, word is we also killed a constable." His eyes snapped to her as they widened.

"What??" he exclaimed quietly. "I have so many questions. How? Why? Who? Where? When? I guess..." He nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's all of them." She rolled her eyes.

"Last night, after you escaped from the wagon. Constable Sem was his name. Shot with his own weapon. Stadwatch are shaking down every informant they know." I frowned.

"Every informant," I muttered. "Is Levi out of the city?" She shook her head, shrugging her shoulders at the same time.

"No one knows," she admitted. "We haven't seen him since we got back, and anyone else that would know is now working for Pekka." I ran my hand over my mouth and shook my head.

"Not everyone." Jesper shook his head.

"Regardless, I would never shoot someone with their own gun. Besides, it's not even a good frame-up." It went silent for a few moments before Jesper spoke again, glancing down at me. "Have you seen him today?" I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Avoiding questions, I suspect." Jesper nodded.

"Yeah, from the both of us." Inej nodded in agreement, and Jesper sighed. "Blowing up the Crow Club... Makes you wonder what else he's willing to destroy." Before Inej or I could comment, Wylan and Nina slid into the booth beside Inej, Kaz soon following as he sat only a few inches away from me.

"You made sure you weren't followed?" he inquired. Inej nodded, sitting up straighter.

"Always." Nina glanced around the cafe and grinned.

"Is this place still serving breakfast?" she questioned happily. I held back a smile as Inej glanced between me, Jesper, and Kaz.

" Jes has a question to ask you," she stated, making the dark-skinned boy look up at her quickly. Glancing down at me, I simply nudged him in the arm, and he sighed.

"Look," he started, and I leaned back as he looked at Kaz, "a lot has happened since last night. We found out we lost our home." He clenched his jaw. "And then you blew it up just to piss off Pekka Rollins." Kaz looked up at him and nodded.

"And?" I sighed and looked up at him.

"Have you heard we also shot a Stadwatch with his own gun?" He took a long, slow breath in before speaking.

"All Stadwatch carry the same gun and it's standard issue. This is Pekka Rollins firing back at us." Nina furrowed her brows.

"Who is this Pekka Rollins?" she asked him. "You say his name and your blood pressure skyrockets." I grimaced slightly, and he stared across the table at her sharply.