Six Of Crows & A Court Of Thorns And Roses

11- Back in the Slat

11- Back in the Slat

Kaz

Work was mounting up around him. Being away for what had apparently been three days and trying to come to terms with the existence of other world didn't do well to one's work ethic, Kaz found. His desk was starting to overrun with papers and notes.

In the days since the whole 'other dimension thing', Inej, Jesper and he had all been slightly out of it. Concentration evaded him, Jesper hadn't played a single game of cards and Inej, well Inej was just different. Harder to find and more self-assured in the way she held herself. Each silent footfall held power and promises of danger.

He still couldn't quite comprehend what had happened. Other worlds with magical creatures and a prejudiced hierarchy worse than in Kerch? Kaz ended up regularly wondering if it had been a dream. 

But then he would share a look with Jesper or catch Inej looking- for once- almost comfortable and just know. 

He may bow to no one but Kaz was starting to acknowledge that even he couldn't rule everything with just intelligence and sheer arrogance. 

They hadn't talked about it at all. There seemed to be a silent agreement between all three of them to continue as normal. But something had definitely happened to Inej when she was taken by the old prick.

At first, Kaz had assumed it was something Inej was reluctant to recount, it being too traumatising and all. But now, now Kaz wasn't so sure whatever had happened or what she had learnt had been bad thing. Inej seemed actually comfortable in her own skin. Comfortable and confident.

Currently, Inej was sitting on the sill of his attic window, feeding the crows that were congregating on the roof. 

"You shouldn't make friends with crows." Kaz picked up the summary of the accounts he was still yet to review.

"Why not?" She asked. It landed you here.

Kaz looked up from the papers only to stop short. Inej was sat with her arms back and face to the sun. Eyes closed and cheeks heated by the sun. The harbour breeze lifted her dark hair and fanned it out behind her.

"Why not?" she repeated, eyes still closed.

He blinked and scrambled for coherent words. "They don't have any manners." 

He stared, eyes flitting from her face to her neck, all the way down to her delicate hands. Her skin glowed as the sunlight formed a halo across her dark hair. A queen and an angel and the end of Kaz Brekker.

"Neither do you, Kaz." She laughed softly. He breathed it in, incredulous at how she could be so relaxed around him, the monster that he was.

He thought hard for some semblance of a reply but found nothing. His queen, his monster.

Not his anything, he reminded himself.

And Kaz was sure he saw the translucent image of claws just about visible at the tips of her fingers, against the background of her skin.

----

Hey

I'm sorry it's short and that it's been so long but I suddenly really wanted to write this scene. It's taken from a memory mentioned in Six Of Crows towards the end and I just kind of elaborated on that.

Check out my other Sarah J Maas stories on my profile :)

Thank you for all the reads and reviews