Six of Crows: Cloaked in Shadow

Chapter 3 - Inej

Inej strolled down the street, humming a dirty shanty under her breath. Behind her Melia was still trying to figure out where she'd vanished to. I guess the Wraith hasn't lost her touch, Inej thought proudly.

She noticed that people were staring at her as she walked. Was that disgust on their faces? What? She'd only been gone three years and it seemed that people had already began to forget who she was. The Wraith was a name to fear, not to hate. Inej knew that she hadn't changed much over that time. She'd put on a bit of weight, grown her hair, but not enough to make any real difference to anyone. So if she hadn't changed, what had?

Inej shivered. She needed to see Kaz.

But what to say after three years of absence?

"Oh, hey Kaz, it's me, Inej, your kind-of girlfriend who left you to hunt slavers for three years. Let's pick up where we left off." Inej pictured what Kaz's reaction would be, and had to stop herself from laughing out loud. Definitely not.

"Hi Kaz, I'm back, have you gotten over your no-touching thing? Because I'm really glad to see you and would like to hug you." That sounded like something Jesper would say.

"Hello, Kaz Brekker. I hope you are keeping well." No, too Matthias. Oh, Matthias. Even after three years, the wound was still raw.

"Hey, Kaz darling, what's up?" She mentally facepalmed. Never mind. She was better at being spontaneous anyway.

Inej turned a corner, walking in the opposite direction from the Slat. Kaz had told her to meet him by the masquerade on East Stave. She remembered vividly the last masquerade she'd been to there – held captive by Van Eck, waiting for Kaz to make the trade. The smoke as the Shu set off a bomb in the House of the White Rose, the sweet perfume of the wild geraniums that Kaz dumped into the canal, the screams as people ran from the winged men... the memories were as vivid as if she was there again. An odd place to choose for a meeting, but Inej wasn't going to question Kaz if it meant that they got to spend some time together.

And there ahead of her lay Goedmaiden Bridge - but no masquerade.

Something like that wasn't exactly easy to miss. On masquerade days, this place would be filled with cheering crowds and masked strangers, brought together for the occasion simply by being all anonymous, but now the square was pretty much empty save a few traders unpacking their wares. Yes, it was early – around seven bells by Inej's reckoning – but there should have been at least a canopy or two, maybe an overeager organizer.

Kaz had stood her up.

Anger surged through her and she spun round, grabbing a window ledge and pulling herself up the side of the house, nimbly climbing onto the roof. Kaz was going to regret this. She sprinted across the rooftops, leaping over the gaps where the lines of houses ended. Inej knew Ketterdam's gabled upper world like the back of her hand, and she took the most direct route, heading straight for the Slat. Sankta Petyr was in one hand, Sankta Lizabeta in the other. She would never actually hurt Kaz, she would at least give him a fright.

She landed soundlessly on the crooked roof of the Slat, slippered feet silent on the tiles. Sliding down the wall onto the window ledge, she was in Kaz's office, standing on his desk-

-then found the cold metal of a knife pressed against her throat. Immediately she twisted, trying to get out, but a vice-like grip around her neck stopped any movement.

"Who the hell-" a familiar rasp began, then cut off short. Inej looked down at Kaz, who was gripping her neck tightly, holding a knife to her throat. Despite her position, Inej couldn't help but note how close their faces were, Kaz standing and Inej half crouching on his desk – in this position they were practically the same height. "Ah — Inej," said Kaz, letting go of her and stepping back. His face was perfectly impassive, as if he hadn't nearly slit her throat, as if she hadn't burst into his room after three years of absence, as if they hadn't been two inches from kissing.