Six of Crows: Cloaked in Shadow

Chapter 5 - Wylan

Wylan was walking to the Slat to see if Jesper was there when he saw the girl. She was standing on the corner of East Stave, leaning on a small vendor's cart filled with flowers, one small pink bloom tucked in her blonde curls. He smiled at the sight. It wasn't very often that one saw something pleasant in Ketterdam, but today seemed to be an exception; the normal steady drizzle had morphed overnight into the rare orange glow of November sunshine, the canals were filled with the laughing calls of sellers trying to unburden themselves of their wares, the people hurrying along the cobbled streets seemed to stand straighter and walk slower, appreciating the weather, and even the most shady back-alleys that only the thieves and ne'er-do-wells frequented were lit with golden light.

The girl was standing a few metres from the Slat, scanning the passers-byes with attentive grey eyes. She was wearing a cape; probably part of a masquerade costume, the crimson hood pulled up over her head. When she caught Wylan looking at her, she gave a little wave and smiled. He waved back, walking towards the Slat and the girl.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully, grey eyes sparkling. The way she stood reminded Wylan of Inej; hovering on the tips of her toes as if she was about to take flight.

"Hello," he replied, nodding his head. He realised she was standing directly in his path, blocking the entrance to the Slat. "Oh- err, excuse me. I need to get past."

"Oh, sorry!" she twinkled, but made no move to get out of his way. "Are you sure you have the right address?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"It's just..." She bit her lip, eyebrows furrowing. "Isn't that the headquarters of a gang? The... Drugs? Drags?"

He couldn't suppress a snort. "The Dregs. And yeah, it is."

The girl giggled. "I wouldn't have put you down as the criminal type. But then, the worst monsters never look like monsters, do they?"

Wylan looked at her blonde curls, at her wide grey eyes, her rosy cheeks and dimples, the small pink flower tucked behind one ear and the vivid crimson red of her hood.

The very picture of innocence.

The fear creeping up his spine must have shown on his face, because the girl laughed again. "Don't be alarmed. I was only jesting."

He blushed apologetically. "I'm sorry, I take everything so seriously. Now, I really must get through."

She pouted. "Won't you at least buy a flower?"

Wylan obligingly handed over a few kruge, and the girl tucked a small pink blossom into his buttonhole. "Goodbye..?" he started, tailing off when he realised he didn't know her name.

"Chidiya," she said, and dimpled. "I'll see you soon, Wylan Van Eck."

Wylan walked past her into the Slat, and then turned when he realised that he'd never given her his name, but she was gone, leaving nothing behind but the cart of flowers and the crimson cape, crumpled on the floor like a puddle of blood.

He frowned, and moved on. People were strange in Ketterdam. It was as much a feature as was the rain and smog.

Behind him, lying unnoticed on the pale pink petals of the flowers, was a small black feather.