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munsonxmayhem · 3 months

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I just read your post asking about writing for kaz brekker and YES YES YES

How about a kaz brekker x fem!reader who is a crow and is really sunshine AND badass (like awesome thief but also super friendly, funny and kind with everyone). They can be in a relationship or just pining, and Kaz is like trying to share more with her and trying to get over his touch aversion with her but it's not easy, so she's very patient and supporting with him, because he is only thinking about how weak he is that he "can't even hold hands with his loved one" and that stuff.

Maybe fluff/ flangst? (whatever works for you! I just want some kazzle dazzle content✨)

Thank you a looot you're awesome<3

Good and Bad.

Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Warnings; Heavy angst, a bit of fluff at the end. Mention of injury.

Brief message for requester: I love the way you think, and please forgive me for any mistakes in the writing, and let me know what you think (its been ages since i have written anything)

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As I walk into the room, seeing Inej and Jesper sat around a table, I cheerily smile at them. “And how is everyone this wonderful evening?” My cheery demeanor usually putting everyone in a better mood. My smile drops as they glance, almost sadly, at each other and then back at me. I raise an inquisitive brow at them, before noticing the lack of a certain presence. “Where’s Kaz?”

Jesper lets out a deep sigh, shaking his head as he looks at the stairs that lead to Kaz’s room. He leans in, his voice low, “Locked away in his room, hasn’t been a good day for him, I’m afraid.” A tinge of sadness runs through my heart.

I’d been working with Kaz for a good while, not just with him on jobs but on his touch aversion. I’m patient with him, letting him move at his own pace to never push him farther than he’s willing. He has his good days and his bad days. Inej informed me that as they were walking down the street, somebody had fallen into him; triggering his PTSD. This was a bad day.

I nod understandingly before making my way to the stairs, Jesper turns briskly. “Don’t, (Y/N).. It’s really not a good time.” I shake my head at his words, “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” Then I start my way up the stairs, knocking softly on the wooden door. “Kaz?” My voice is barely above a whisper, gentle and soothing. I hear no movement. “Kaz? C’mon, it’s me.. Open the door.” I repeat a little louder, keeping my soft tone. I hear some rustling behind the door, then multiple locks being undone. I take a deep sigh as I wait for the door to open.

The door opens just a crack, his eye peering through the crack. “What do you want?” His voice is stern, but not rude. I give him a soft, reassuring smile; “Bad day, hm?” He nods in response, staying silent. “You going to let me in?” I ask softly, fiddling with my hands.

He says nothing, just opens the door slowly, backing away and letting me inside. He takes a few steps away from me, distancing himself considerable. It must have been really bad today. I give him a sympathetic smile, making sure to keep my distance. I take a seat in the chair across the room. “Do you wanna talk about it?” He shrugs, taking a seat on the bed across from me glancing down almost shamefully at his ungloved hands. I take mental note of this, bringing my gaze to his as he starts to speak.

“I thought it was working..” He mumbles quietly, and my heart aches for him. “Kaz.. This isn’t an easy thing to overcome, you are doing better, but there are going to be good and bad days.. What matters is that you persevere, you have people here that support you. Good and bad.”

He nods slowly, “I know.. But it is hard, so hard. It’s as though I’m putting in all this effort, for even a little bit of hope just to have it all swept away by some.. accidental run in at the wrong time.” He shakes his head, almost angrily. “One brush of an arm from a stranger on the street and I’m back.. there.” He refers to his past, the anger suddenly building in his body as he throws his cane forcefully into the shelves on the side wall. I gasp, flinching a bit. He rarely lashes out in anger like this, but it never gets easier when he does. He stands abruptly, and begins pacing, causing me to stand as well. “K-Kaz..” I stammer, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Suddenly I hear a knock at the door, causing Kaz to snap his gaze towards it. I hold my hand up to Kaz as I make my way to the door, opening it slightly, hiding the mess Kaz had made.

Jesper is standing there, a very worried look on his face; “Is everything okay?”

I nod, before mouthing the words. “Just a bad day, remember?” He gives a sympathetic look before descending down the stairs again. I shut and lock the door behind me as I return my attention to Kaz. He looks down at the mess and then back up at me, his eyes sad as if his heart just shattered into a million pieces. “I’m sorry..” He whispers, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing his head in his hands. I shake my head, “It’s okay, Kaz..” He shakes his head, “It isn’t.” I glance down at the shattered glass on the floor before kneeling beside it and beginning to pick up the pieces. “No.. Stop, you don’t have to clean that-“ Before he even gets to finish the sentence I hiss In pain, a sharp piece of glass cutting my finger. He stands suddenly, lunging worriedly to my aid, but before his hands can grab yours, he freezes. His eyes dart to mine in panic and a tear rolls down his cheek, “I-I can’t, I’m sorry..” His voice is a broken whisper, and I can feel the pain radiating from him. I nod understandingly, giving him a reassuring smile as I stand and grab a towel. I wrap my finger as I glance over at him, he’s still on the floor beside where I was, completely defeated.

“Why are you fighting so hard for this, Kaz?” I ask him, not rudely, just to get him to remember why we started working on it in the first place. He lets out a shaky breath, standing to his feet.

“I want to be better..” He whispers, still looking at the floor. “You are the sweetest, most kind woman I know.. You’re hurt and I can’t even hold your hand. You deserve to be held, (Y/N)..” He sounds so sad as the words leave his mouth.

I step towards him, this time he doesn’t back away, only a brief moment of panic. “You want to hold me?” I whisper softly, realizing wasn’t fighting for him, he was fighting for me. He finally brings his gaze to mine, my sweet, caring features immediately calming him again. “Yes..” Is all he can manage as he steps closer to me. “One step at a time, Kaz.. Don’t push yourself, okay?” He nods in response, a soft smile on his face as he brings a hand up to my cheek, I stay completely still and let him move as he wishes, the backs of his knuckles brushing lightly across the soft skin. Baby steps.

“Just.. be patient with me, okay?” He whispers.

“Always...” I return, a look of adoration on my face as his hand gently lays against my cheek.

“You’re why I’m still fighting, (Y/N)..”

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker x fem!reader #kaz brekker fanfic #shadow and bone

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ecoamerica · 25 days

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reve-writes · 4 months

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kaz & a crying!reader? <3

—comfort crowd; kaz brekker.

╰‧₊˚✩ॱ˖ six of crows — kaz brekker — 0,9k words. ╰‧₊˚✩ॱ˖ summary — kaz attempts to comfort you. ╰‧₊˚✩ॱ˖ content — unspecified reason for your crying, awkward kaz, platonic but also slight pining

Three raps at his door and Kaz had no idea how or why it immediately clicked that it was you. He had barely said the words 'come in' before you were already nudging the creaking hinges open, bursting into the room the same way you had into his life — an unstoppable, unruly force he felt nearly hopeless against.

"What do you need?" He asked in his usual indifferent rasp, dark eyes glued to the ledgers strewn on his desk. By the end of the night, he would have them all sorted — all tidy in the organisation system he had created for all the administrative files he had to run the Dregs. For now, they were piles and piles of barely readable garbage from incompetent members that caused him to pull at the roots of his hair.

Three beats. Too long of a silence from you. He finally set down his pen and looked up.

You stood with your back pressed against the door, heaving as if you'd run down the length of the East Stave. He exhaled through his lips, jaw open as he took in the red rimming your eyes, the damp glisten of your cheeks and the harsh, repeated swipe of your palms over them. Your eyes caught his and your shoulders shuddered as you sniffled.

"You're crying," he said, somewhere between a statement and a question. You had never cried. Not when you broke a bone in your arm and Inej had to set it back with a makeshift splint. Not when you thought you were going to die, waging a war against forces so powerful they bend the air in your lungs and the blood in your veins. Not when you recounted how everyone you'd ever known seemed to be eager to be rid of you before you met the crew. You were never a crier. At least not in front of an audience. And yet, here you were.

You inhaled and opened your mouth to say something, but all that came out was a pitiful whine, followed by a series of sobs that seemed to be out of your control. Kaz felt a heaviness settle over his chest, compressing the air in his lungs.

"I'm sorry," you croaked out in-between hiccups. "I just didn't want to be alone."

For all your successes and failures, it was at this moment that Kaz realised that neither of you were invulnerable and that both of you were just people — without the might of a king or the power of a grisha. He wished he had some comfort he could offer, sweet nothings he could whisper, but all he knew were sharp threats and matter-of-fact remarks. He could only manage to say, "You have no reason to apologise."

You wiped at your nose. Kaz stood up, his chair scratching across the floor panels and approached you, handing you a neatly folded handkerchief.

"I'm going to rub snot all over it," you warned.

He winced. "It's yours now. Do not return it."

"Saints, this is embarrassing." You let out a half-giggle cut off by a sniffle. "I'm pathetic."

"What happened?"

"It's stupid."

"And I will let you know if I think so."

You looked over at him, shaking your head. He pursed his lips, but nodded. He did not ask more questions, instead he stood there leaning against his cane as you hiccup and sniffled as if someone had just died. All the while, he had a strong urge to pinpoint the name of whoever caused so much tears — and he wanted to make it hurt.

His hand that was not clutching his cane moved, almost on its own accord, and hovered awkwardly in-between you. He wanted to withdraw; he did not. He found himself having to navigate such antithetical wants often when it came to you. He lets his gloved hand come up to the crown of your head, mechanically patting it before pulling away.

You laughed — still puffy-dyed and sniffling, but you laughed. The corner of his lips quirked up to form a lopsided smile.

"You're bad at this, you know?" You joked, then added with more sincerity. "Thank you."

"I thought I was 'bad at this'?" He raised an eyebrow. He felt lighter now that you weren't a sobbing mess, that he could offer some sort of comfort.

"You are, but that doesn't mean I don't see you trying."

A beat of silence, dragged on for too long. You cleared your throat, clasping your hands together. "Alright, well. I'll get out of your hair."

As you moved to open the door, Kaz interjected, "If... my presence is a comfort, you can stay. I might need an extra pair of hands with the ledgers."

He spoke with choppy pauses, as if he was having problems organising a word after the other. You watched him bristle, coughing into his fist as he waited for your response.

You blinked. "I — Well, I would appreciate the company."

He stared at you in silence, anticipating a but that never came. You pulled out the chair across from his at his desk and sat down, turning to look at him over your shoulder with a quizzical look.

"Kaz?"

He stepped towards the desk, stumbling slightly, which made you rise from your seat in concern. He waved you off, managing to get to his desk and sink into his chair. You frowned as you looked through the papers. What a mess.

"This is going to be a long night, isn't it?" You sighed.

"You're telling me." He found that he was looking forward to sorting through the mess of paper.

sorry if there's any weird formatting i typed this on mobile and tumblr is sometimes whack. thank you for the request and i hope you liked this. im trying to get back into writing. also i hope everyone's having a good start of the year.

#—ki writes #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x you #six of crows x reader

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everythinggrishaversebxm1012 · 2 months

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His Weakness

Summary - 'You cannot allow yourself weaknesses,' is what Kaz Brekker reminded himself constantly, from a young age. He learned that if you were to survive in The Barrel, you mustn't have any weaknesses. Anything that may hinder your decisions, your ability to move forward. He couldn’t have weaknesses, people or things he cared for.

A/N - I know it is short, but I just wanted to put something out there. I own none of the characters, including you. Do not repost this work without my express permission. 775 words.

No weaknesses–that’s what he told himself soon after his brother’s death. A slogan he constantly repeated to himself. He could not have weaknesses, it was that simple. He learned that people could easily and quickly become a weakness. Deep down he knew he had weaknesses, in the form of three people. The Wraith, Inej Ghafa; The Gambler, as you called him–– Jesper Fahey; and you, Y/N Y/L/N. He of course had let other people in before ending up in Ketterdam, but you were different for two reasons. One he was the first he had met in the city, two, he was in love with you–another fact he didn’t care to admit to himself. He had met you when soon after the official opening of the Crow’s Club located in the East Stave of Ketterdam. You were hired there and often were often serving the gambling hall’s patrons. There was something inexplicably attractive about you. Something that got his heart beating. It was probably some mix of your looks, caring personality, and no bullshit attitude. You were smart, crazy smart. Kaz would never admit how many people he might’ve beaten up for touching you in ways that made you feel uncomfortable. Yet each time you had managed to stop them. He would quietly smile to himself, imagining that you threatened them at some capacity.

A little ways down the road he the made choice to invite you to join his little band. A band already including Inej Ghafa and Jesper Fahey. On the surface level he simply saw you as a weakness, his weakness, and that would only interfere with jobs but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He trusted that your sharpness would make up for whatever slack he caused. You were simply a good investment. It was one evening at finishing your shift that Inej informed you that Kaz wished to speak with you in his room. You nodded, watching Jesper continued mumbling about something under his breath. You stood and walked to Kaz’s room where he stood in front of his mirror. He told you to come in and pointed towards the chair at his desk.

“Inej has informed me of a job,” Kaz said staring at you in the mirror as you sat back in the chair.

“Who and how much,” you deadpanned in response. You glanced over at him. Kaz hated how much you knew him. He hated that you knew he wanted your opinion, and what was most important was the pay and the person.

“Dreesen.” There was a beat as he turned to face you. “A million kruge,” he dared to glance up to your face. You look to be in deep thought, tapping against the edge of the desk.

“What for?”

“He is hiring a crew who can cross the Fold into East Ravka. He has not clarified what he wants, only that he wants something,” Kaz responded turning back to face his mirror. He went back and forth between staring at himself you.

“The Fold is near certain death, but it certainly does pay a large amount,” you tapped the edge of his desk in the silence.

“Inej informed me that some of his men took someone down the back way to his place, and there was private security hired. Tendo being one of them,” Kaz explained, no longer interested in his reflection, only yours. He was happy that you didn’t notice. He made sure his face was hard to read.

“Gambles at one of Pekka’s clubs,” you responded, almost frowning. “So Rollins will certainly have leverage in this situation.”

“So?” What he really wanted to ask, is if you thought it was worth trying to cross the Fold. He had nearly made up his mind, yet you had this magical sway over him. If you said ‘no’ he would reconsider. If you said ‘yes’ he knew exactly what his next step would be. He didn’t wanted to ask the question, but he also felt himself going half insane for the fact that you knew what he meant by that one word.

“So I say we figure out how to cross the damned thing, and get ourselves a million kruge. It’ll take a miracle, but people’ve done it before.” You shrugged, looking up at his mirror.

“Yes, we certainly do. That is all. Inform Inej and Jesper.” He then nodded and you waited for a moment before exiting his room. The moment you were gone, he cursed himself for letting you have such a strong pull on his decisions. Yes you certainly were his weakness. He just didn't know he was yours.

#kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x you #kazzle dazzle #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #pekka rollins #tv show inspired #touch-averse kaz brekker #short and sweet

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1wishand1thought · 1 year

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SNEAKY LITTLE FOX

| Kaz Brekker and fem y/n|

Y/n, a secret Crow for all the team but Kaz, finds her boss jerking off in his dorm after she goes to visit him for job matters only.

You can find part 2 here

⚠️ Warnings: obscene words, masturbation.

I apologize in advance for any misspelling/grammatical error🥲 I did proofread it a thousand times before posting it but just in case you find one I'm truly sorry, my main language isn't English. Now let's spice things up a bit bahaha

Kaz Brekker was known for many things as nicknames he has been given. The complete opposite happened with y/n, "the fox", as he once called her.

She was one of the Crows, but no other member of the group knew of her existence, only Kaz knew, part of it was due to the deal they made where she prohibited Kaz to tell anyone else about her.

Kaz was good with it, but he was doubting that feeling now. It's been over a year, and this weird sensation has only gotten bigger, more condescending, and more... impossible to hold back.

He was 23 years old now, it's been years since Inej left Ketterdam and he was good with it, he knew he wouldn't be able to give her what she deserved anyways. Currently, his mind was foggy with y/n face more than usual, his ears repeated her sarcastic, yet captivating voice. And when it came of her body... ohh.

He has found himself craving for touch as much as he despised skin-to-skin touch. He has made some progress with it through the years though. He would sit on his desk chair or his bed and would find himself stroking his cock after a long day to get rid of the huge stress.

But what he didn't know, is that y/n was nearby in every one of those moments. She didn't stand there much of course, but it was as if the saints would lead her to see him touching himself just to make her panic. She has caught him doing it several times in the last 5 months. Every time it happened, y/n would leave the second she saw his bare hand grabbing something between his legs, she would never break his privacy like that.

And, as she never stood over 3 seconds, she never got the chance of hearing her name leave his mouth. Sometimes as low growls, other times as whimpers, and right now, it was a mix of both.

His mind had a good side beside the terrible one. The bad one was his memories frequently tormenting him, and the good one, was the ability he had to imagine her body like a picture, one he has never seen yet found printed in his mind.

He could imagine how her light brown eyes would look up at his body while his thrusts got faster, going in and out of her, the throbbing sound mixed with the moans echoing in the room. He also imagined how her eyes rolled to the back of her head while she muttered his name, or even better, screamed it.

"Hmmm Kazz!" he imagined her yelling, begging for more, and squirting when she felt his tongue doing magic on her cunt.

He bit his lower lip, his hand wet with his arousal. Shaky, uneven whimpers followed.

A minute later he found himself whimpering, leaving soft moans of pleasure as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

At that moment y/n was heading to check on him, her second weekly visit to see what schemes Kaz had planned for the Crows to work in, or to see if he had settled a specific mission for her, and her only. She was some paces away from the window of his dorm when she heard him calling her name. At first, she didn't get the words right, it wasn't until she got a bit closer that she heard her name being spoken by a voice, his. She wasn't certain of what was going on in there, it sounded... soft... unusual in Kaz's icy voice.

She swallowed hard when she realized it after reaching the window. The dim light of the moon enlightened the dark room. The brighter spot was hitting Kaz's body.

He was holding his erect length, his hand going up and down, touching the pink tip of his dick as he kept breathing heavily. He was calling her, pleasing her in his mind. He was picturing himself touching her skin, her breasts. Licking her nipples as she grabbed his hair asking for more.

"Y/n... Oh ... fuck" he mumbled, a shaky rough whisper loud enough for her to hear at the window.

She froze, she didn't know what to do. She wanted to leave, run and pretend this never happened as she managed to do several times before.

But this time was different, her light feet were glued to the floor, she couldn't move, and the sight was too... pleasant. Like a tower full of Kruger she couldn't stop staring at. That was until he locked eyes with the figure standing at the entry of the window. He recognized her immediately. His eyes took in an intense feeling of embarrassment mixed with lust.

He wasn't Kaz Brekker anymore, he was Dirtyhands now. He didn't stop his hand movement. The environment grew hotter, his cheeks were flushed from the intensity of the moment. A part of him wanted her to look, the other part wanted to run and never have to look into her eyes again due to the embarrassment he felt.

Y/n looked at him in awe, with flushed cheeks as she never had before, and wide eyes as he jerked himself off in front of her. He never stopped doing it, nor did he avoid eye contact with her bewildered big eyes. Instead, his eyes got darker, deeper, and full of desire.

She felt something growing inside her. The heat was evident. Until he came. It wasn't just a growl, he leaned his head backward, his mouth opened and his eyes shut closed. The vein of his neck was marked showing how intense the pleasure was.

"Oh fuuuck" he whimpered, the white cum splashing over his stomach and covering his bare hand. She, on the other hand, was crossing her legs and biting her lower lip as hard as she could to not let out the loud moan she was holding back. All thanks to the(as much as she would like to deny) oddly appealing sight.

He opened his eyes again, now a small amusing grin plastered on his face. He was enjoying her look. Her still shocked face as she swallowed hard, her mind thinking on what to say.

He was still panting, sweaty loose strings of hair fell over his eyes, he took a deep breath as he grabbed a napkin and cleaned his hand covered in cum, and spoke, eyes locked in hers:

"My sneaky little fox, d'you liked the view?" Again, a crooked smile.

She didn't say anything, but deep inside, she knew she'd liked it. Indeed:

It was quite appealing, Brekker.

_____

Part 2 here

Any who, did you like it? Let me know in the comments, this is my first one-shot so if you have any suggestions on how can I improve my writing I'll take them happily 💓

#kaz brekker smut #kaz brekker #six of crows #grishaverse #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker oneshot

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fantastic-nonsense · 1 month

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What are five of your favourite Grishaverse quotes? Send this ask to 5 of your favourite grishaverse blogs!

Thank you so much for sending this, and sorry it took me such a long time to get to it 😭

Choosing was super hard because there are so many insanely good quotes in the books and I love several of them for very different reasons, but I'll try and give it a go anyways. So: five of my favorite Six of Crows quotes (because I still haven't read the SaB trilogy), in no particular order:

Kaz and Inej, on getting back up after a fall:

Get it together, Brekker, he scolded himself harshly. It didn’t help. He was going to faint again, and this would all be over. Inej had once offered to teach him how to fall. “The trick is not getting knocked down,” he’d told her with a laugh. “No, Kaz,” she’d said, “the trick is in getting back up.” More Suli platitudes, but somehow even the memory of her voice helped. He was better than this. He had to be. Not just for Jordie, but for his crew. He’d brought these people here. He’d brought Inej here. It was his job to bring them out again. The trick is in getting back up. He kept her voice in his head, repeating those words, again and again, as he stripped off his boots, his clothes, and finally his gloves. -Ch. 22, Six of Crows

Matthias asking for mercy for monsters/the "we are all someone's monster" observation:

“Nina,” he said, hand still pressed over the smooth skin on his chest where a bullet wound should be. “Nina, please.” “You know they would not offer you mercy, Matthias.” “I know. I know. But let them live in shame instead.” She hesitated. “Nina, you taught me to be something better. They could be taught, too.” Nina shifted her gaze to his. Her eyes were ferocious, the deep green of forests; the pupils, dark wells. The air around her seemed to shimmer with power, as if she was alight with some secret flame. “They fear you as I once feared you,” he said. “As you once feared me. We are all someone’s monster, Nina.” -Ch. 41, Six of Crows

Wylan and Kaz's entire conversation about disability and vulnerability while cracking Van Eck's safe:

He thumbed quickly through the ledger and said, “When people see a cripple walking down the street, leaning on his cane, what do they feel?” Wylan looked away. People always did when Kaz talked about his limp, as if he didn’t know what he was or how the world saw him. “They feel pity. Now, what do they think when they see me coming?” Wylan’s mouth quirked up at the corner. “They think they’d better cross the street.” Kaz tossed the ledger back in the safe. “You’re not weak because you can’t read. You’re weak because you’re afraid of people seeing your weakness. You’re letting shame decide who you are. Help me with the painting.” They lifted the portrait back into place over the gaping hole in the safe. Martin Van Eck glared down at them. “Think on it, Wylan,” Kaz said as he straightened the frame. “It’s shame that lines my pockets, shame that keeps the Barrel teeming with fools ready to put on a mask just so they can have what they want with no one the wiser for it. We can endure all kinds of pain. It’s shame that eats men whole.” -Ch. 18, Crooked Kingdom

Inej vs. Dunyasha on the Church of Barter rooftop, refusing to be cowed on her own turf:

“The blood you spill is the blood of kings,” seethed Dunyasha. “You are not fit for such a gift.” Inej almost felt sorry for her. Dunyasha really believed she was the Lantsov heir, and maybe she was. But wasn’t that what every girl dreamed? That she’d wake and find herself a princess? Or blessed with magical powers and a grand destiny? Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway. Inej raised a brow and slowly wiped the blood of kings on her trousers. -Ch. 35, Crooked Kingdom

And Inej at the harbor...hopeful, in love, and ready to take on the world with her boy and her ship:

Had she really thought the world didn’t change? She was a fool. The world was made of miracles, unexpected earthquakes, storms that came from nowhere and might reshape a continent. The boy beside her. The future before her. Anything was possible. -Ch. 44, Crooked Kingdom

#asks #six of crows #crooked kingdom #soc duology #inej ghafa #kaz brekker #wylan van eck #nina zenik #matthias helvar #there are soooooo many good quotes and I honestly wanted to use some of the funny and romantic ones #but these ones jumped out at me upon thinking about them #(the way I wanted to quote the entire kaz-van eck conversation from SOC Ch. 3 about exposing Van Eck's hypocrisy...rip to me)#(also there's a couple of jesper quotes I hold very close to my heart but these ranked just a tiny bit higher)

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ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes · 1 year

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The Phoenix and the Crow

part eleven

pairing: (hinted) kaz brekker x fem!reader

genre: netural

el's thoughts: this was the hardest part to write... and the shortest haha but it's here and done so there ya go. please remember to comment and reblog :)

masterlist

The wind made Y/N’s hair dance wildly around her as she leaned her hip against the side of the ship. She had heard all about the uprising privateer’s flying ship but had never got the chance to be abroad. Her eyes closed as she relaxed at the feeling of the cold wind around her. She felt free and untethered while in the air, the same feeling she had felt the first time she rode her horse across the palace grounds.

She circled around to look across the deck of the ship, mentally doing a head count of everyone on board. Nina stood beside Inej listening to whatever the suli spoke of with much interest. Jesper and Wylan were glued to each other's sides while they looked out at the water, pointing every once in a while to a fish they saw. Toyla stood at the wheel while Zoya paced the quarter-deck before waving her hands every so often to push the ship a bit faster. Kaz sat on the steps up to the quarter-deck with his leg stretched out in front of him, they made eye contact for a moment before Y/N smiled gently and looked away.

“Catch me!” The small voice was heard over the strong autumn winds that blew around them as the young child threw themselves into Y/N’s arms. She laughed and spun her brother around the best a ten-year-old could do to a six-year-old.

“Oooh a stowaway on my ship?” She bounced him onto her hip to keep him up. He shook his head fervently as peels of laughter fell from his small pink lips. “You know what I do to stowaways?” She spoke in a loud voice making it deeper to fit the character she acted out. The little boy laughed louder, “No! No! Please!”

“I’m sorry, young man, but it must be done!” She giggled as she tossed him into the giant pile of leaves their father gathered that morning. They both laughed louder as she threw herself down next to him.

The familiar clicking of a cane sounded from behind her and dragged her out of her memory. She didn’t need to turn around to feel him stand behind her.

“You look better.” His voice was clipped but still seemed kind. Kind enough when coming from the bastard of the barrel that is.

She scoffed, “What did I look bad before?”

Kaz shrugged, and the corner of his lips quirked upward. “You look healthy.”

She turned bashful now knowing the fact that he noticed her lack of strength the last few days. “I feel better… Must’ve been the hallucination, honestly.”

“What did your toxin trip reveal to you?” He leaned closer on his cane, hardly noticeable but her sharp eyes caught it—the curiosity in his eyes. The same tiny spark of hope that she felt in her chest reflected in his eyes. But before she could give in and tell him what she saw in the hallucinations the Darkling’s voice echoed in her mind again. And instead of sharing and being open, taking the same step he did, the words that tumbled out of her mouth were the words that had been repeated to her all throughout her years at the Little Palace.

“Hope is dangerous. Clouds your judgment.”

She didn’t tell him what she saw, how could she? She hardly knows this man despite the fact that her brain thought otherwise. She knows more about him than he knows of her. She’s pieced together some of his past and her heart ached for him. Life wasn’t fair and it was obvious in both of their lives.

Y/N turned to look up at him as he leaned on the railing beside her. The need to tell him had come back and only grew stronger when she noticed the same curiosity across his face. “The Darkling. That’s who I saw.” It wouldn’t hurt to share some of it. “Reminding me of everything I could never have despite my childish wishes and dreams.”

“From where we stood it looked like he reminded you just how powerful you are as well.”

She shook her head, “He reminded me of the monster he made me.”

“The Phoenix is hardly viewed as a monster. From what I’ve heard you’re just as much a Saint as the sun summoner. The most powerful inferni to walk the earth.” Kaz didn’t look at her as he spoke, only kept his eyes trained on the sea below them, his voice was almost teasing.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to be known as powerful because of my gift or- or because of the Darkling, or because of fear. I… I want to be powerful because I moved forward despite the odds. If people were to fear me, I want them to fear the name I built for myself.” She squeezed the rail under her hand. “I envy you for that reason… if I were to speak honestly.”

This caused him to look down at her, confusion swam in his eyes.

“You created a name for yourself, a name that brings people to their knees.” The pair smirked at the memory of the Dime Lions’ gambling den. “Literally.”

A warm feeling grew in Y/N’s chest at the easiness of the conversation. There was nothing strange or awkward about talking to him, she felt like she could tell him anything even though she knew it was best not to. She wondered if he felt the same ease of the conversation or if it was all just in her head, but from the look in his eyes and his relaxed shoulders, it was safe to assume he felt it.

“It’s fake.” A dark look flashed over Kaz’s face as the words fell from his lips. “My name, it’s fake.”

Y/N only nodded, moving so her back was against the handrail. “Kaz is a fake name?”

“Brekker.” His eyes met her’s for a moment before looking away. “Brekker is a fake name.”

She hummed, “We all do things for reasons only we know.” Twisting her fingers around each other, she sighed. “There are plenty of things I’ve done that if I had taken the time to actually think it through… I wouldn’t have made those choices, but in the end I’m standing here today and I wouldn’t be if I hadn’t made thoes choices. So, I wouldn’t change anything.”

“I wouldn’t-” Kaz was interrupted by Toyla shouting that they made it. Inej, Nina and Zoya all walked to one side, waiting for Y/N.

The inferni gave Kaz a tight smile, “Well, I’m off.” She pulled her shoulders back as she walked to where the other girls stood waiting.

Kaz watched in astonishment as the girl with whom he had just carried an intimate conversation with slipped back into the formal behavior that came with being a soldier. It was as if she had put back on a stoic and formal front, slipping back into her all too familiar mask. It was as if Y/N had only allowed herself a short break from such a pretense for those few private moments with him.

~*~*~*~

taglist:@rachelcarroll1819 @xcharlottemikaelsonx @khaleesihavilliard @simrah1012 @foulkryptonitepeanut @astridyoo15 @queenofshinigamis @peakyispunk @jahayla-parker @maliciousbrekker @brekkershadowsinger @winstonthecow22 @lee-says-things @bunneex @writingmysanity @sleepynightchild @madnessinwrighting @romanticvampire

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x y/n #six of crows #six of crows x reader #six of crows imagines #shadow and bone #shadow and bone x reader #shadow and bone imagines #ellora.writes #fic: the phoenix and the crow

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cantstoptheimagines · 1 year

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Escape the Night (Kaz Brekker | Shadow and Bone)

Summary — When you anger a few people in Ketterdam, Kaz isn’t very happy about it.

Warnings & Other Tags ➳ Mentions of thievery; Kaz is upset with the (embarrassed) Reader; brief mention of weaponry (in reference to Inej and her knives).

Notes ➳ ‘Can’t Stop the Love’ Event (1/14) ➳ Word Count is 639. ➳ Reader is gender neutral (they/them). ➳ “After that... you’re lucky I still love you.”

Hiding behind the bar in the Crow Club, you listened to Kaz’s quiet, irritated voice as he tried to convince four very angry merchants to leave. You looked up, immediately spotting Inej and Jesper, both of them leaning over the upstairs railing and waiting for any sign that they needed to step in.

Inej shook her head when she met your gaze, twirling a knife between her fingertips. Jesper, meanwhile, was trying to hide an amused grin as he winked. You glared, unhappy that he was taking so much joy in your misfortune.

The merchants’ shouts and complaints were suddenly silenced with several clinks! Kaz must have paid them off with a sizable amount of money for them to fall so quiet in only a few seconds.

Your eyebrows furrowed as you observed Jesper on the upper floor. His smile was slowly widening and it didn’t take you long to figure out why. Your eyes widened at the feeling of Kaz’s cane attaching itself to your shirt. With a sharp jerk, the crow’s head handle pulled you upwards.

You swallowed nervously when your eyes met those of the Dregs’ leader. Kaz pursed his lips, glaring at you as his cane returned to his side, “Upstairs. Now.”

You released a deep sigh. As you trailed behind Kaz, you glared at Jesper, who was now cackling at your embarrassed expression. Inej rolled her eyes at him before quickly disappearing into the gambling house’s main foyer, probably ready to return to the Slat. Slapping his knee, Jesper followed, still laughing at your personal misery.

“Inside,” muttered Kaz, opening the door to his private study.

When you didn’t listen, biting your lip and turning away with crossed arms, Kaz glared at you. He gently tapped the back of your knees with his cane. With a quiet groan, you finally followed his demands.

As you took a seat in front of his desk, Kaz locked the door behind him. He then busied himself with quietly pouring two drinks. Your eyes observed his movements, which were far too calm for your liking. Usually, the two of you would be in a full-blown argument by now.

At least with that you knew what to expect. Kaz’s deadly silence had always been much more terrifying than his thundering anger.

“—steal?”

“What?”

Kaz let out a deep sigh. He turned, passing you one of the drinks in his hand, before taking his seat behind his desk. He looked at you tiredly, and then repeated himself.

“What did you steal?”

“Does it matter?”

“With the amount of money I gave those merchants? Yes.” he drawled, eyes narrowing. “After that... you’re lucky I still love you.”

There it is. The guilt trip. Being your partner, Kaz knew exactly which words to use in order to make you fold.

With a quiet sigh of defeat, you set your glass on his desk. Kaz’s sharp gaze followed your hand as it shoved itself into your pocket. You stood and held out a small piece of metal. One of Kaz’s gloved hands slowly reached out, taking the object and rolling between his fingertips.

It was a brooch. Small, but delicately forged, and obviously very expensive. It was no wonder those merchants had been chasing you. Handcrafted into the shape of a crow, tainted black, and finely decorated with gold to accentuate the bird’s smaller details.

“Do you like it?” you asked. “It’s yours.”

Kaz furrowed his brow. Tilting his head, his eyes continued to examine the small piece of jewelry, as he asked, “Mine?”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Kaz.”

But as he looked up to reply, Kaz was met by nothing but an empty room as your footsteps faded away in the corridor. And for once, he allowed you to escape the night as he smirked at the tiny crow resting in his palm.

#2023 #escape the night #shadow and bone #shadow and bone imagine #shadow and bone imagines #shadow and bone x reader #kaz brekker imagines #kaz brekker imagine #kaz brekker x reader

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theseventhcrow007 · 1 year

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Poison Apple (Kaz Brekker x Reader)

This title will make sense later I promise lol.

HI GUYS >:D First oneshot on this website, inspired by my last post. Hope you enjoy <3

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Reader

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 858

Warnings: Mild Language, Alcohol

Part 1/?

The club is crowded tonight. More crowded than usual, you’d noticed. Maybe it was because of the ambassadors that had been visiting. Maybe it was because of the news of the ambassador that had been assassinated earlier in the week. People had assumed a Grisha was potentially behind it, naturally; or so the rumors said. But then again, rumors in Ketterdam weren’t the most reliable sources.

But that wasn’t the reason you were here. Someone had been following you, and you were fairly sure you knew who it was, even if you couldn’t see her. Inej Ghafa, the Wraith. Why she was trailing you, you didn’t know but in your mind the best way to potentially find out why was to head to the Crow Club.

“What can I get’chya?” You looked up from your seat, to see the bartender. “Whiskey.” You replied curtly. The man nodded, fetching a small glass and filling it with whiskey before setting it in front of you. You muttered your thanks to the man and sipped from the glass. You scanned the room, looking for the Wraith, but there was no sign of her.

You were torn from your thoughts when the bartender set another drink in front of you. “I didn’t ask for this.” you said, clearly confused. The man gestured to the back of the room. You gave him a quizzical look before turning around.

A man wearing a hat and a long coat waved you over. “Who are you?” you asked. “Nobody you need to worry about love. The boss wants to see you.” He laughed at your clearly confused face. “And what the hell does the King of the Dregs want with me?” He shrugged. “Dunno. Didn’t ask.” Still smiling, he pointed to the stairs. “Up the stairs, third room to your left.” You nodded, but he stopped you before you headed up the stairs. “Oh, the name’s Jesper, by the way.”

“Jesper,” you repeated. “I’m y/n.” He tipped his hat towards you. “Pleasure to meet you.” As you headed up the stairs, a million things ran through your mind. That’s why the wraith was on your trail. But what did Brekker want with you? You’d been known as a skilled pickpocket, as well as being the brains behind many projects, but known well enough to get his attention? The Bastard of the Barrel. Dirtyhands himself had noticed you. You passed by each of the doors, until you found Brekker’s office.

Before you even got the chance to knock, a voice spoke from inside. “Come in.” His voice was even, commanding. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t disobey. Hesitantly, you opened the door. There he was, his back turned to you, staring out into the rainy evening. He turned around and spoke. “You must be y/n. Have a seat.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. The first thing you noticed were his gloves. You’d always wondered what lay beneath them. Rumors were all you’d heard. Not human, pure evil.

You sat down, waiting for him to say something. “I’m assuming you’re wondering why you’re here.” He said. You nodded. “I’ve heard of you. Your skill set. You see, I’ve been hired for a job, and I’m in need of someone with your abilities. I’m willing to pay generously.” You furrowed your brows. “Why me?” He clasped his hands together. “Why not? Word gets around quickly in the barrel. You’re quick, efficient, willing to do what it takes.” He replied. “How do you know this?” You ask. The barest trace of a smile graced his lips. “I have my ways.”

The wraith, you realized. “How long have you been tracking me?” You asked. “Long enough.” Brekker looked over your shoulder. “Took you long enough.” You turned around, startled by the young Suli’s presence. “Saints.” you muttered. Inej frowned at that. She walked brusquely past you and handed something to him. They exchanged a few quiet words before the wraith left.

“So you want me to work for you. What’s the catch?” You asked. “There’ve been too many who have been disloyal. If you’re to accept this job, you’ll need to prove yourself.” He pulled an apple out of his pocket, and cut a slice, with a knife. Inej’s knife you realized. He handed you the dagger, with the apple stuck to the tip of it. “This knife may or may not contain poison on it. If you’ll choose to eat this, you’ll have the job, and an antidote, should there be poison. If not, forget we had this meeting and return to the 5th harbor.”

Reluctantly, you took the dagger from his gloved hand. You stared at the apple slice, and contemplated leaving then and there. You looked back to Kaz, who waited for you to make your decision. Finally, you bit the apple slice, chewed, and swallowed it. You set the knife back on the desk, waiting for convulsions, or something to happen, but nothing did. Kaz nodded, and pulled a vial out from a drawer in his desk, and pushed it towards you.

“There’s the antidote. Welcome to the Dregs.”

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webslinger-holland · 11 months

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The Emperor of Magic | Part 4

Summary: The emperor manages to get inside one of the crow’s minds, but he isn't able to hold off against her for very long. It begins to compromise the rest of them.

Warning: +18 Warning, swearing, crows forced to succumb to past traumatic memories/nightmares, eyes of crows turning black as well as fingertips

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 2.3k (sorry it’s short)

Series Masterlist

Author’s Note: The reader’s dialogue is italicized because she actually doesn’t verbally speak to the crows, only through their thoughts. Also, past memories are written in italicized for better distinction between what is past and what is present.

Upon hearing that name, Kaz Brekker felt a familiar cord being struck in the deep and dark crevice of his heart. As that name was a painful reminder of who he once was and what he was forced to leave behind. He often reminds himself that that person is dead and he is all that remains.

With his head hanging low, Kay’s gaze shifted upwards to glare at the prisoner with hooded eyes. His jaw was locked and his hands clenched together into tight fists at his sides. He was seething with anger.

“How...” Kaz stopped himself in order to regain his composure. “How do you know that name?”

He said this out loud, which only caused slight confusion amongst the crows. They didn’t seem to understand what he was asking, but they recognized that he was staring directly at the fugitive. They didn’t quite understand what was happening.

His question went completely unanswered. The emperor of magic simply stood there facing his general direction. He seemed to narrow his eyes at her, mentally wondering if there was a smirk plastered on her face underneath the bag over her head. He wouldn’t brush it off.

And so he repeated himself. “I said...how do you know that name?”

More silence.

Without thinking, Kaz went to grab the gun at his side. He raised it up and instantly fired a shot, which caused a short bout of mayhem between his crows at his recklessness. They called out his name in utter shock, having been taken away by his action.

The gun did exactly what you’d expect a gun to do rightly; it fired a bullet that should have lodged itself between her eyes. However, the bullet stopped directly in front of her face and dropped to the ground. He carelessly threw the gun away.

“Fuck,” Kaz cursed under his breathe. He walked away momentarily as if trying to find a way to vent his anger.

“What the hell is happening?” Jesper demanded an explanation.

“She’s messing with my head,” Kaz said slowly. He tried to shake the feeling he felt of her looming presence, but she wouldn’t leave him alone. She had infiltrated his memories having just discovered his name. “I can feel it,” Kaz explained further.

“But how?” Inej questioned.

“I don't know!” Kaz almost lost his temper with how loud those words came out. “I don’t know how she got into my head, but she knows my name.”

All of the sudden, Kaz saw brief flashes of his memories from the past. He was hunched over his desk, looking over the plans nearly three years ago. He watched his former self take hold of the plans and crumple them up. He discarded them.

Out of instinct, Kaz squeezed his eyes shut tightly in hopes of blocking her out of his mind. He quickly shook the memory out of his line of vision. It didn’t take long for him to realize that she had been the one to activate that memory.

He began pacing back and forth. He could feel the strong sense of fear taking over his demeanor, feeling at a total loss of control over his thoughts and memories. He was shown another memory of himself in his office. He heard the familiar voice of Jesper and Inej talking to him, but his former self didn’t look up.

Upon being shown that particular memory, Kaz was able to put the pieces together. When he turned his body to face the prisoner, he saw that she was no longer looking towards him, but rather, with her head slightly lowered. He narrowed his eyes at her odd demeanor.

“Boss,” Jesper watched Kaz carefully. “What you doing?”

“She’s looking for something,” Kaz spoke mostly to himself.

“What?” Wylan perked up. “I-In your head?”

“Yes,” Kaz nodded.

“How do you know for that she’s looking for something?” Nina added.

“Because she’s silent,” Kaz examined. He only knew this because he too also grew silent when he was thinking hard about something. “She’s focusing,” Kaz noted.

For a brief moment, Kaz wondered if it was a coincidence that he saw himself in her mannerism. He studied her carefully as if she was a newfound species he had just discovered. He wondered what she could possibly be after.

“What is she looking for?” Matthias asked him.

A beat of silence was all that followed. One particular memory came flooding back to Kaz’s mind; the one where he finally chose to present his grand scheme to the rest of the crows. In the memory, the voices of the crows were quick muffled as if they were struggling to become clear. His former self hadn’t looked up at them just yet as they filed into the room.

Finally, a wave of realization overcame his features. His shoulders dropped in defeat and his face went blank. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she tried to make out who belonged to those voices. Now Kaz realized what she was searching for.

“It’s you,” Kaz breathed in realization. “She’s looking for all of you in my memories.”

And that instantly became his biggest mistake. For this job, he recruited his most trusted companions; the ones he had worked with in the past and the ones he knew he could rely on to get any job done that was thrown their way. Now he had put them in harms way.

He tried so hard to block that memory out of his mind for the pure sake of his crew. It felt like he was pushing his shoulder against a solid door in attempts to keep an intruder out. He was using all his mental strength to keep her out, but it wasn't going to be enough. The door cracked open.

The blurry images of the memory came into his line of vision. He saw the heist’s plans laid out in front of him. Those distant voices that had once sounded rather foggy had now grown into something clearer. Much to his surprise, Kaz’s memory of himself was the first to speak in a normal voice that could be understood.

“The person we are breaking out of the court isn’t just an ordinary scientist this time,” Kaz’s former self placed his hands on the table to lean forward in his place. “They aren't Grisha, but they are more powerful than them.”

“More powerful than Grisha?” Wylan wondered out loud. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Is that even possible?” Wylan almost scoffed in the memory.

In that exact moment, Kaz was ripped out of that particular memory. His eyes snapped open. He quickly redirected his attention towards the youngest member of the crew who stood not too far away from. He was compromised at this point.

“Wylan Van Eck,” the emperor of magic’s demonic voice sounded. “The demolitions expert.”

Both Wylan and Kaz heard that demonic voice speaking in the back of their minds. And it frightened them both terribly.

“G-Guys,” Wylan stuttered. He had just glanced down at his hands to see that his fingertips had begun to grow black “W-What’s happening to me?” Wylan’s voice quivered in fear.

“Wylan,” Jesper called out desperately.

But there wasn’t enough time to save him. His eyes were overcome with a wave of darkness that turned them pitch black. His body succumbed to the darkness taking over which resulted in him collapsing to the ground. His mind began to wander through the abyss of his worst nightmares. And there was no telling when he’d come out.

From there, it all came shattering down around them. It was a chain reaction. For the crows had grown to be somewhat like a spiderweb; each of them were connected to one another in some way or another. Returning to the memory only showed Wylan turning to face Jesper who stood directly beside him.

“So remind me why we are breaking them out?” Jesper from the past asked almost sarcastically because it didn’t seem like a very appealing heist to him.

“Because she is worth nearly 100 million kruge,” Kaz shut him down in the memory.

By this point, Jesper had abandoned his post to hurry towards Wylan’s body. He dropped down to his knees, gathering the boy into his arms for comfort. He tried to wake him up by desperate tapping his cheek and calling out his name. But nothing changed.

“Wake up, please.” Jesper begged. He felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes. “Please Wylan. Wake up.”

“Jesper Fahey,” the demonic voice resounded once again. He perked up upon hearing his own name in the depths of his mind. He was slow to turn towards the prisoner. “The sharpshooter,” the voice added.

“What the hell do you want with us?!” Jesper was seething with anger. He quickly rose to his feet and proceeded to reach for the guns at his sides. He pointed one of his guns directly at her face.

Though, in reality, Jesper knew that his precious guns would be no match against the emperor of magic. He had seen firsthand his boss fire a single round at her and she completely deflected it without flinching. So his eyes shifted towards the only person they all believed could take her down.

Without much warning, Jesper’s eyes grew black just like Wylan’s had done not two minutes earlier. His mind became clouded with memories from his past. He flinched at the pain it brought him. His arm eventually fell at his side and his body dropped to the ground.

The familiar voices from the memory came flooding back into Kaz’s head. He had to watch Jesper turn his attention to Nina who stood beside him. She spoke up next.

“Where is she contained?” Nina asked, glancing back down at the map.

In the background, Nina’s eyes had only widened in horror upon seeing two crows collapse to the ground. She raised her hands to stop whatever madness was ensuring since she was always reminded that she was the only one who might come close to stopping her. All she needed to do was stop her heart.

“Nina Zenik,” the deep voice spoke to her. Nina’s own heart dropped. “The heartrender.”

Out of instinct, Nina looked towards the one person who always kept her grounded. She knew what was going to happen next. She reached out for him only to see the tips of her fingers growing black in color. Her once beautiful green eyes changed to this pitch black shade of horror.

The strong heartrender stumbled forward for she was unable to keep herself standing up anymore. Before Nina was able to fall to the ground, Matthias was able to catch her in his strong arms. He lowered her to the ground slowly just as she slipped past the darkness.

The memory returned once again.

“She’d be kept here,” Matthias pointed to the center of the map where the White Island stood. “In the dungeons to be specific,” Matthias added.

In the memory, Nina’s former self had shifted her attention to the great fjerdan who stood beside her. He knew the court better than anyone in the room. The change shifted to compromise the next victim.

“Matthias Helvar,” the demon breathed. “The druskelle.”

Upon hearing his name, Matthias lifted his head to look directly at the emperor standing before him. He felt his own jaw lock into place. His blood began to boil in anger. His hands clenched into tight fists as he held the body of the woman he loved dearly.

“Demon,” Matthias hissed. “Go back to hell.”

Out of pure anger and resentment, Matthias stood to his feet with every intention of putting one final stop to the emperor. But he too fell under fatigue. He began to loose his footing, dropping one knee to the ground. He glanced towards one of the last two crows remaining. He tried to hold himself up and be strong for as long as possible. His eyes became black and his body tumbled to the ground.

In utter shock and horror, Kaz was forced to watch his four closest friends succumb to the darkness. He glanced at each of their unconscious bodies, feeling the panic and fear growing stronger with each passing second. He didn’t know what to do; he wasn’t in control anymore.

His heart stopped for a second as he heard a sweet familiar voice from that same memory resound in the back of his mind.

“But that means...” Inej’s voice trailed off in the memory. She was one of the few who knew exactly who he was talking about. “The Emperor is real?” Inej asked horrified.

“Yes, Inej Ghafa.” She turned to face the voice who spoke to her in her mind. “I am very much real.”

Instinctively, Inej had to shifted her body to face towards Kaz. She held onto the last sliver of hope that he’d be able to save her and save them all. She had this panicked look on her face that he will never forget as he had never seen her look more terrified in her life.

This was the final straw for him.

“Wait!” Kaz begged for the first time in his life.

Without hesitation, Kaz broke into a full run towards the emperor. He had every intention of putting a stop to her schemes because she had passed a line by messing with his crows. Unbeknownst to him, Inej had just fallen to the ground behind him. She slipped past the veil. He raised his cane above his head, fully intending to bash her head in.

But right as Kaz brought his cane towering down, his body fell through black clouds. The darkness had taken hold of his senses, which rendered his body completely useless in reality. When Kaz lifted his head to get a feel of his unknown surroundings, he was met with his worst nightmare staring directly at him.

OOOH!!!! Only one more chapter to go! What are everyone’s thoughts? What do you think is gonna happen in the last chapter???

TAGLIST:

@d34drapunzel @adorawritesalot @vixythepixie @theghostofshadows @lonelywitchv2 @arcadialine @zeeader @cleverzonkwombatsludge @shara-ne @iloveinej @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo @mystic-mara @missymisha @tremendoushearttaco @home-of-disaster @gh0stgirl333 @harrydimples @marina468 @phoenix666stuff @grippleback-galaxy @mariar31

#Kaz Brekker #kaz brekker angst #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x inej ghafa #kaz brekker series #six of crows #nina zenik #inej ghafa #matthias helvar #jesper fahey #wylan van eck

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rose-sophia-isabella-rogers · 4 months

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A Steel That Went Through Hottest Fire: Chapter VI - Blend into the Woodwork

Chapter Summary: You set out after three rouges from Ketterdam to find Alina. When you don't find her with them, your presence turns out to be crucial in finding her. Slowly, Kirigan's plans come to light. Are you ready to pay the price for following him?

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan/Reader, Alina Starkov/Mal Oretsev

Characters: Aleksander Kirigan, Reader, Ivan, Zoya Nazyalensky, Alina Starkov, Jesper Fahey, Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Mal Oretsev, Feliks

Word Count: 4108

A/N: This chapter contains plot and dialogues from episodes six ands seven of season one. Inspired by prompt: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089798499/ otkazat'sya – orphaned, abandoned; used by Grisha to refer to non-Grisha merzost – magic, abomination, unnatural creation, something from nothing

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed):

@budugu

@intothesoul

@mizelophsun11

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

@zeeader

@marrymonrich

@wonderland2425

@chelseyyouraverageluigi

@thehufflepuffavenger1

You arrive to the place you have tracked the three rogues. Everyone gets out of the couch. Aleksander is second to last. You move to follow him.

'Stay,' he stops you in his general voice and turns his head slightly to you. 'I don't need you out here.'

'Rude,' you huff and frown. 'If you are trying to protect me-'

'Stay,' Kirigan repeats, narrowing his eyes at you. 'I mean it, [Y/N].'

'I'm not your puppy,' you say, glaring at him. Aleksander raises his eyebrows.

'No, but I'm your general,' he says. 'And that's an order.'

You exhale slowly and climb back into the couch, closing the door behind you. You see others gathering and discussing the situation. You huff again and take out a book you've taken with you, fuming. You hate not knowing what's going on.

However, you don't even manage to open the book when there's an explosion. Screams follow it. With wide eyes, you open the door.

'Stay!' Aleksander repeats harshly, noticing you, but then his look softens. 'Please.'

You stare at him for a moment. Then, you sigh and fall back. You open the book and start reading.

When you've arrived, it was night. Now it's day and you seriously start to get worried. But suddenly the door opens. However, the person who did it is not anyone from your party, but a young man with brown skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair. It's not hard to guess he's one of the thieves.

'Oh. Hello,' he says, grinning at you. You raise an eyebrow at him.

'Sorry, this couch is taken,' you say.

'Yeah, not anymore,' the man says and points his revolver at you.

'I'm still sitting here, though,' you point out. The man uncocks his weapon. You sigh.

'Please, don't do that,' you say. 'I can stop the bullet before you even fire it. And you have a nice face.'

'I know,' the man says, grinning. 'But thank you.'

'Please, put it down,' you say. The other door of the couch opens and you see a skinny, pale young man with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He points his gun at you.

'Get out,' he orders. 'Now.'

You contemplate this. You know you could disarm them easily. Maybe even defeat them. But you have no idea where's the third one. And you know Zoya would raise hell if they killed you. Aleksander probably as well.

'Is she alright?' you ask quietly, surprising them. 'Answer this and I'll get out without a fuss.'

'She was last time we saw her,' the second man answers. You frown, trying to understand the meaning of this.

'You didn't take her?' you ask, confused.

'No,' the second man answers gruffly and raises his gun a bit higher. You sigh and leave the couch. The men help a wounded woman inside and ride off in the couch. You exhale slowly.

Not long after Ivan shows up. He speeds up seeing there's no couch. He quickly checks if you're harmed.

'Sorry,' you apologised. 'I didn't really want to take them all on.'

'Your safety was more important,' Ivan says. 'If they had done something to you, I would've burst their lungs.'

Bless Ivan and his sweet heart. You're so touched you smile. Just then Aleksander walks swiftly to you. He also looks you up and down.

'They stole-' Ivan starts.

'I know,' Kirigan interrupts him. You look at him apologetically.

'I'm sorry,' you say quietly. He shakes his head.

'I'm glad you're unharmed,' he says.

'I'll find a horse and I can catch up to them,' Ivan offers.

'No, it's a waste of time,' Aleksander disagrees. 'She's not with them. She's on her own. And our priority now is to locate her as quickly as possible.'

'Well…' you say slowly and both men look at you. 'David told me Genya had given her a ring. Made of pure iridium, not native to Ravka. So when we get within one mile of her… I can direct us.'

'Well done, [Y/N],' Kirigan says, smiling. 'Proving again the many uses of a Durast.'

Your heart skips a beat at those words and that smile. You nod and look down, not wanting him to see your blush.

'Let's go,' Aleksander says and turns. You and Ivan follow him. You join the others that accompanied you. Meaning guards, another Heartrender – Feliks – and Zoya. Polina is dead. It shocks you. Zoya has to put her arms around you and murmur some comfort words into your ear.

'I didn't think someone would die,' you whisper to her.

'I know,' she says and rubs your arms up and down. 'I know, [Y/N]. Which is why we have to find Starkov before someone else dies.'

She almost spits out Alina's surname. You smile slightly at that.

'You really hate her, don't you?' you ask. Zoya glares at you but doesn't answer. She's saved from it by Aleksander, who's found someone who saw Alina. A city guard.

'Yeah, she was Shu,' the man says. 'Pulled a trick with phosphorus or something, blinded my mate.'

'Any idea where she went?' Kirigan asks.

'Neighbours said they saw her flee north, into the woods,' the guard answers and you turn to leave. 'She's a spy, yeah?'

'What makes you say that?' Aleksander asks, turning back.

'First Army came through here, too, earlier,' the guard explains. 'Looking for her.'

'Who… exactly?' Kirigan asks, walking closer to the man.

'Some tracker,' the guard answers and you see something change on General's face. 'A corporal.'

'No ordinary tracker,' Kirigan says, smiling for a moment. 'No ordinary girl. Orphans of Keramzin. Reunited. Adorable.'

He turns and walks away. You frown, sensing the clear displeasure emanating from him.

'Miss Starkov is in the woods,' he says. 'She's going after the Stag.'

'What Stag?' you ask, confused. Others slowly turn to you. You gulp. Something tells you that you're not going to like the answer.

You walk through the woods. You're freezing. You start to hate snow. And winter. Maybe even Alina a little bit for making you go through this. Why? Why did she run? She was happy. You know she was. She was finding her place, learning to control her powers… flirting with Aleksander. Maybe even falling in love with him.

Your thoughts on Starkov are quickly interrupted when you sense it. You feel iridium pulling you to itself. Calling you. Whispering your name. You stop.

'Sir…' you say, stopping everyone, '… she is close by.'

Aleksander turns to you. You point a direction. Everyone heads there. After a moment you're the one leading. You focus completely on iridium calling to you. At least until the Darkling starts walking next to you. It's already dark.

'How are you doing?' he asks. 'You're not tired?'

'General, I can manage walking for some time,' you say, a bit amused.

'Can't I worry about my best friend?' Aleksander asks.

'You're doing that awfully a lot today,' you point out.

'This mission is dangerous.'

'I know. But I can take care of myself. Case in point, I didn't fight with the thieves, I withdrew.'

'I'm glad you did.'

'Even though I lost your fancy coach?'

'Even though you lost my fancy coach.'

'I would buy you a new one but I don't think I have that much money.'

Aleksander laughs. You smile, relieved. You've always been loving to make him laugh. But now it's even more important, because you haven't heard him doing that since the Winter Fete. Since Alina disappeared. Your smile falls.

'I'm sorry for putting you into this,' he apologises.

'Don't be,' you say. 'I'm glad I can be useful for something.'

'You are useful,' Kirigan insists. 'And valuable.'

You glance at him. He looks at you softly. Your heart clenches. You force a smile and look away.

'Really?' you ask teasingly. 'If I disappear, will you look for me? Like you're doing now with Alina?'

'Absolutely,' Aleksander answers without hesitation. You look at him, surprised. He stares at you seriously. You stop. You gaze at each other for a moment.

'Five minutes,' you say, causing Kirigan to frown. 'Five minutes and we reach her. Do we have a plan of approach?'

General sends others ahead. You and him walk slower. Your heart is beating fast.

'Is there really no other way?' you ask quietly. Kirigan looks at you. You see no warmth or kindness in his eyes.

'No,' he answers simply and continues walking. When you're almost there, you hear gunshots, screams and see Alina's light. Aleksander walks ahead and covers everything in shadow.

A man is kneeling on a ground, bleeding. Must be the tracker. Alina's friend. Mal. You remember him. He's the one you were talking to all those months ago. Starkov is kneeling by his side, afraid. A beautiful white stag is behind them, dying. You watch as Kirigan starts forming the Cut. Alina glances at the Stag, General, and rushes to the animal.

'No!' she screams and creates a barrier of light, protecting the Stag, herself and Mal.

'You can't save them, Alina,' Aleksander calls to her. 'You may have the power of light… but not the power to heal. I know the tracker is important to you. Give me the Stag, and I'll have my Healer save him.'

He waits. He's sure of her decision. And you are, too. Because you'd make the same if it was Aleksander. But it doesn't mean you enjoy what's going on. You barely see or hear anything that's happening under the barrier, but you do just enough to be heartbroken because of the dying Stag.

Suddenly, the barrier goes down. Alina throws herself at Mal. Others rush at them. Alina protests, distraught. They separate them. Feliks punches the tracker. You wince and glance at Kirigan. He doesn't react.

'No! You said you wouldn't hurt him!' Alina shouts. Aleksander ignores her and creates the Cut. Just before he uses it, you turn your head, your eyes clenched shut. But you still hear the sound of the Stag being sliced in two. Then silence. You bite your lips and force yourself not to cry.

'Bring me its antlers,' Aleksander says. You open your eyes. You know he's talking to you. You gulp.

'Yes, sir,' you say quietly and walk slowly toward the Stag, trying to focus only on his antlers. You try not to look at his body. Or his neck. Or his sad eyes. You would start crying immediately then, you have no doubt. You can't do that in front of the others.

'You murderer!' Alina cries. 'You stupid fool!'

'And the otkazat'sya, sir?' Feliks asks. You reach the Stag and start working on separating the antlers from his head.

'I am a man of my word,' Kirigan says. 'Heal him. He was only protecting Miss Starkov.'

He turns and walks away. You finish your task. You don't even notice the tears on your face. Your plan on not crying in front of the others failed spectacularly. You hope no one can see it in the dark, though. You look sadly at the Stag.

'I'm sorry,' you say quietly, softly, and stand up. You try not to as much as glance at Alina and go after your General.

'I'm going to ask you to do something that hasn't been done before,' he says when you catch up to him, causing you to frown. 'Can I count on you?'

'Don't ask questions you already know the answer for,' you answer quietly. He doesn't look at you but his lips move slightly upward. He speeds up, leaving you behind.

You don't know what you're going to do now, but you know that you will do it, whatever it is. Because while you may not agree with Aleksander about what he did tonight, you'll continue to follow him. Always.

You make camp in the woods. You create two amplifiers from the Stag's antlers and bring it to the tent Alina is being held. You try not to look at her, kneeling, bound and held by Ivan. You pick up one amplifier and walk toward her.

'What are you doing?' she asks, causing you to stop.

'I'm going to place this around your neck,' you explain.

'I meant why?' she asks. 'I didn't kill the Stag. It's not my amplifier. He killed it. He gets its power.'

'You asked for this yourself, when we met,' Aleksander says with his back to you all. But now he turns and walks toward Alina. Ivan steps aside. You look down.

'To transfer your gift to someone who could use it,' Kirigan says.

'I can use it now,' Alina hisses.

'You know so little,' General says. 'You'll learn.'

'I know things,' Starkov says and looks at him defiantly. 'General Kirigan, is it? Or is Aleksander a fake name, too?'

Your eyes snap to your best friend. You had no idea he told her his name. But you suspected they had a thing. So, you shouldn't be really surprised by that, should you?

'Careful with your words, Alina,' General warns her. 'Consider whose life is in your hands.'

'You said you'd let him go,' Alina says, tensing. You look at Aleksander. You're not thrilled he's blackmailing Starkov with the life of the tracker.

'I said I would heal him,' Aleksander corrects her. 'What happens next is up to you.'

'None of this has been up to me!' Alina protests. Kirigan walks closer to her. He crouches in front of her.

'Do you know the only thing more powerful than you or me?' he asks. 'The two of us. Together. Together, we can end all wars. We can protect our own. Is that not what you want?'

'Are we destroying the Fold?' Alina asks.

'We can do anything,' Aleksander answers after a pause and offers her his hands. 'Together.'

You almost snort at his deflecting answer. You're not sure whether Starkov doesn't understand the way he answered or if she simply decides to do it for her friend. But she stands up and so does Kirigan. He steps away a bit and glances at you.

You walk toward Alina. General moves even further away. The Sun Summoner tries to catch your eyes, but you avoid her look and place the amplifier on her collarbone. She's breathing heavily, scared. You go for the second amplifier. Aleksander extends his hand.

'What… What's happening?' Alina asks, confused, and you place the other amplifier on Kirigan's hand. 'Wait. I don't understand. What-'

Ivan shuts her up by using his powers on her heart. She closes her eyes for a moment because of that.

You stand between her and Aleksander and touch with your hands the amplifiers. You close your eyes and concentrate. You almost smile, feeling the power surging through you. You force them to become one with their skins. When it's done, you drop your hands and open your eyes. Alina is breathing heavily, shocked.

'That should, uh…' you say, still a bit dizzy from using that much power, '… bridge the gap.'

You blink and clear your throat. You look at Aleksander.

'You should now have full access to all of her light,' you say, trying to ignore Alina touching her collar in shock. 'In theory. Like you said, it hasn't been done before. You really like giving me difficult tasks, don't you?'

'Only because I know you'll excel splendidly in them,' Kirigan says, smiling slightly. You almost smile back. Almost. Starkov's gaze on your back doesn't allow you to do that.

You walk aside. General steps to Alina with his outstretched hand. He touches her shoulder and forces light to come out of her. Starkov pants, clearly in pain, trying to fight back.

'This is my power,' she says and grabs Aleksander's shoulder, trying to get back what's hers.

'But now I control it,' he says and forces Alina to create more light. She groans. You can't look at it and turn around.

A moment later the light fades. Ivan and Aleksander leave the tent after a moment. You're about to follow them-

'[Y/N],' Alina stops you, her voice pleading. You hesitate. You glance back at her. There are tears in her eyes. You gulp.

'I'm sorry,' you say quietly. 'You shouldn't have had that done to you. Not against your will.'

'Then take it out of me,' she begs. You smile humourlessly.

'You know I can't,' you say. 'And even if I could, I wouldn't do it.'

'Why?' she asks, frowning. 'Why do you stand by him? He… He wants to expand the Fold.'

She looks at you urgently, expecting you to be shocked or horrified. But you stare back calmly at her. Her shoulders slump.

'You knew?' she asks with disbelief.

'No,' you deny, confusing her. 'But I'm not an idiot. If he wanted to destroy it, you wouldn't have run away. So… I suspected it's something like that.'

'And you're still on his side?' Starkov asks, shaking her head.

'World isn't black and white, Alina,' you say. 'People are not completely good or completely bad. What General has done today, before that and what he plans to do… do not make him a good guy, But he's not evil either.'

'Let me guess, he's just misunderstood.'

'Old. In my opinion he's lived too long.'

Alina's eyes go wide. She sighs. Of course you've figured that one as well.

'We've been told one side of the story,' you say. 'The side of the victor. We don't know his version. His motivations. I don't think creating the Fold happened because of his thirst for power. Well, not only at least.'

'I don't need to know his motivations back then,' Starkov spats. 'All I need are his actions from today. Why can't you see it?'

'Because, like with you, he saw me for who I really am,' you answer, slowly becoming more emotional. 'He saw something more than a Durast without friends. He looked into my heart and didn't turn away. He offered me his hand. His friendship. And don't forget I know him longer than you. Yes, today his actions were… horrible. But I've watched him working hard to make this world better for Grisha. I've watched him mourn every. Single. Fallen one. I've watched him always making time for Grisha children to explain something to them or to humour them. Don't tell me a man that takes a child on his back and gives them a ride is evil or has no heart. Because the problem is, he has too big heart. Maybe you could have helped him understand he's not the only one who cares and can find a solution to our problems. But you left. It's not going to happen now.'

Alina stares at you, stunned. Once again you don't notice tears on your cheeks. But she does. And she understands.

'You love him,' she guesses. 'Saints, you do. And I… and he… He broke your heart and you still…?'

'I just want him to be happy,' you say. 'Even if not with me. Or because of me.'

Not waiting for a reply, you turn around and hurry away. You pass Ivan, who's apparently decided to wait nearby in case you needed a rescue, and go to rest after the day. But your heart and your mind don't let you.

You reach the armies' camp by the Fold. You're about to cross it, together with foreign diplomats. Aleksander wants to demonstrate them his power. What he can do. Show them that there will be no messing with Grisha. You're not fully convinced it's a good idea… but you're sure his heart is in the right place.

Not long before the skiff is about to cross, Kirigan, who's talking with Ivan, finds you heading towards it. He quickly understands what you want do to.

'What do you think you're doing?' he asks, grabbing your arm and stopping you. You look at his hand on you.

'Currently I'm being a hostage for some reason,' you answer.

'[Y/N],' General barks. 'I hope you're not thinking about crossing the Fold.'

'I'm not,' you deny and Aleksander relaxes slightly, enough for you to pull away. 'I've already decided to do it.'

'No, you're not,' Kirigan says, irritated.

'Yes, I am. I have to make sure everything goes smoothly. This time.'

'It wasn't your fault. Just some idiot who lighted a lantern.'

'Well, I have to make sure another idiot won't do it. Besides, I've never crossed the Fold. It may be exciting.'

'It's dangerous. It may get you killed. No.'

You glare at each other. Ivan stands awkwardly behind you, not sure whether he should stay or go.

'Why do you insist so much on going?' Aleksander hisses. 'Do you want me to go down from apoplexy?'

'That would actually be hilarious,' you say after a moment. 'But no.'

You jab with your finger the fragment of the Stag on his hand. He frowns.

'What I did, has never been done before,' you say. 'We have no idea it's reliable. It can blow in our faces any moment. Or at least yours.'

'You're reliable, that's enough,' Aleksander says.

'You're sweet, but I'm going anyway,' you say and poke his chest. 'End of discussion.'

'[Y/N]-' Kirigan starts but you're already walking away. '[Y/N], stop. Come back here at once.'

You ignore him. He sighs, frustrated.

'Ivan, drag her away from the skiff,' he says. 'Tie her to something if you have to. But with her arms spread, because she can get out of anything.'

Ivan gives him a look. He shakes his head.

'I don't want to be aggressively poked to death, thank you,' he says. Aleksander freezes. He looks after you.

'That's why she…?' he starts quietly.

'Obviously,' Ivan confirms. Kirigan frowns.

'Do you think she knows?' he asks. 'About…?'

'I wouldn't be surprised,' the Heartrender admits. 'She once told me she's more sensitive to metals. She hears them singing sometimes to her. Calling her. Whispering. Fedyor said that he once had seen her hitting a metal tray with a hammer, shouting at it to shut up. So, the metal cuffs he had on himself could tell her they're open and he's free.'

'Or she simply walked into that tent.'

'… That too.'

Aleksander sighs. He shakes his head.

'Keep an eye on her,' he orders. Ivan nods.

'Yes, General,' he says. 'Even two.'

Not long after Kirigan and Alina leave the tent she's been kept in. She's wearing a dark cloak, her hair is done beautifully, same as her make up. They head toward the skiff, same as you and others. People you pass by touch their foreheads and chests. Because of Sankta Alina.

You get on the skiff. Alina is bound to the deck. Aleksander walks to her and takes off her cloak, revealing a beautiful dress… and the amplifier. Immediately, it gets everyone's attention.

'It's not my best work,' you say to Zoya, who's maiming the main sail. 'With more time I could make it more pretty and… less standing out.'

'Important part is for it to do its job,' your friend says.

'You can say that because your amplifier looks pretty,' you point out. Zoya smirks.

'Obviously,' she says and sighs. 'I hope she's ready for it.'

You gulp. Oh, you know she's not. But she's going to do something different than the Squaller believes. Or at least helps unwillingly with it.

'I hope we all are,' you say quietly. You go down. Ivan nods at you. You walk around the deck, making sure everything is alright.

'Everything is perfect,' General says, suddenly showing up next to you. 'Stop fussing.'

'I either fuss or panic because of the Fold,' you say and look at the Unsea. 'You know, I've always thought that the Heretic had to be a really powerful Grisha to be able to create it, even with merzost. And while I knew you're powerful, I didn't know that you're that powerful.'

'Does that scare you?' he asks with a small smile.

'Obviously,' you answer and look at him. 'Doesn't mean I'm going to stop being your friend.'

Aleksander smiles. He lifts his hand and is about to touch your face. But then the skiff moves. You gulp.

'I'm starting to have second thoughts,' you say nervously.

'I can have Ivan throw you overboard,' Kirigan offers quickly. You elbow him to the side.

'Not gonna happen,' you say and brace yourself. Because in the next moment you enter the Fold. To change the world you all know.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts! Reblog, like and comment if you could.

This can also be found on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52696933/chapters/133928497

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aoibhinnslater04 · 11 months

Text

Kanej AU

The scene (specifically from the series rather than the books but basically the bathroom scene) where Nina doesn’t interrupt them and Kaz doesn’t decide to sabotage himself

Basically a whole load of Kanej angst!!

Word count: 1697

Requested by @arany-studio

TW: mentions of rape, trauma, injuries

Kaz walked into the small room to find Inej packing her knives. He saw her pause at the sound of his steps, her head tilting slightly towards him, before she resumed sorting her knives.

"You've been lying low?" he asked, his voice rough.

"I've been gathering Intel on Pekka's assassin. I've discovered my bladesmith supplies him with bone-cutters and fillet knives," she responded, still not looking at him.

"Taxidermy tools," Kaz choked out.

"His name's Mogens. I've got his address,"

"That must have cost you."

Inej cut him off. "A new set of blades." She paused before continuing. "He intends on taking me alive, so he can put me back in the Menagerie."

"I won't let that happen," Kaz said gruffly.

"And why should I believe you?" Inej asked, sharply, turning to face him at last. "We were ambushed, Kaz. Whatever this is, this blood feud you have with Pekka Rollins, I don't believe it's about some Saints-forsaken club! You are gambling with our lives and I deserve to know the reason! You owe me that much," she spat out, the first time Kaz had truly seen her angry. She always managed to find something positive about every situation, even being taken by slavers, sold to a Menagerie where she was abused and raped nearly every day, because her parents and brother weren’t there with her, they were safe, they were alive. Suddenly a bright red staining her sleeve caught Kaz's eye.

"Inej, your arm," he whispered, his eyes fixed on the blood spilling out of her. She paused and glanced down, before sighing and rolling her eyes. She seemed to whisper a silent prayer for patience before removing her shirt, leaving her with just a vest on. She checked the bandage, before removing it, wincing. Kaz looked away, unable to bear it, before finally answering her question.

"Pekka Rollins killed my brother."

He felt Inej stiffen slightly, and heard her turn to face him. There was a long moment of silence, as she searched his half-hidden face, before finding whatever it was she was looking for.

"Then we destroy him."

Kaz turned his head quickly up to face her, and saw the openness and anger in her face. She meant it, too. They shared a look, a brief moment where they were both just two people in pain, where they could get comfort from each other, before Inej winced again, and the moment shattered. She glanced once more at her arm, before turning away from Kaz again, reaching for the alcohol to disinfect the wound. She poured some on a piece of linen, and started dabbing at it, twisting her neck to make sure she was reaching every bit of the exposed cut. Kaz, hardly even aware of his own body, moved towards her. She glanced up at him, her beautiful doe eyes searching his face, before she turned to the cut again. Kaz reached out his hand silently, an offer. With her eyes now again on his face, not moving, as if hypnotised, she handed him the cloth. He wasn't able to remove his gloves, not yet, but he hadn't been so close to another human being since Jordie had died.

Inej saw his momentary hesitation, and turned away from him, allowing him to move at his own rate. He reached towards her, dabbing at the wound with the cloth. He heard her breathing hitch slightly, and kept dabbing, not wanting to break the spell by speaking. But then Inej spoke, her words soft and hesitant.

"Is there anyone to protect you?"

You, Inej. You.

But instead he responded, slightly harsh, "Was there no one to protect you?"

Inej turned to look at him, her face soft and vulnerable. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off before she could say a word.

"Look for Mogens' tells. Signs of an old injury that point to a weakness or a repeating action that tells you what he's going to do next."

He saw her face turn contemplative, before she asked hesitantly, "Do I have one?"

He turned his head back to her soft brown skin, before responding "you shift your weight onto your back leg before you lunge. "

She turned fully, facing him again. He stepped back slightly, cursing himself inwardly. She whispered, so softly he could barely hear her. "What's yours?"

Kaz paused, before looking her in the eye. "The limp. The cane. No one's ever smart enough to look for the real one."

Inej moved slightly, just an inch towards her. It was as though his senses were heightened. He smelt her gentle jasmine scent, saw her lips slightly parted, heard her soft breathing, felt her gentle touch as she recovered the cloth he forgot he still held, and all he could think about was her nearness. He hadn't so much as removed a single glove, but he felt as vulnerable as though she had stripped him naked.

Kaz cleared his throat before stepping back, grabbing the fresh roll of bandages off the bench. Inej obediently turned away again, allowing him to take a deep breath. The silence was killing him, and he spoke without thinking.

“You know, I don’t find this part easy. The cutting, the slicing, causing pain is the easy part. Repairing the damage afterwards is far more difficult.”

He wondered if she knew that he wasn’t talking about her wound, then, not really. He was trying to explain that although he was broken, he was trying to repair himself, trying to fix the cracks to become the sort of man she would be proud of, that Jordie would be proud of.

Inej let out a deep breath, sending strands of her dark hair fluttering outwards. Kaz reached out automatically, smoothing her hair down against her head. She stiffened, and so did Kaz, that brief moment of automatic affection an oddity to both. But Kaz then again, feeling almost dizzy with desire, allowed himself to gently stroke her hair. His gloves were still on, a barrier that separated them, but as he felt Inej relax at his touch, he allowed himself to want more, to want Inej. Perhaps one day she might want him too.

Inej cleared her throat, bringing back reality. “Once, when I was much younger, the first time that I tried to walk across the tightrope, I fell. Not when I was on the wire, but at the end, can you imagine? I fell, and hadn’t yet learned how to fall properly. My parents ran to me, but I didn’t feel the pain. I think I was in shock.”

Kaz waited, sure she had a point to this story.She hesitated, before continuing.

“I broke my leg in three different places. My mother thought I might never walk again. My leg healed, but some scars still remained. I couldn’t walk on the tightrope for months, fearing what would happen when I reached the end.”

She turned to face him now, causing him to step back.

“Finally I decided enough was enough. I had been afraid for too long. So everyday for three weeks, instead of walking across the tightrope, I would climb the ladder and just stand at the end. I stood there for an hour that first day, until I had calmed enough to climb down. The second day, I stood there for forty five minutes. Finally, I was only standing there for a few seconds. It took a long time, and the end is still my least favourite part, but I fought against my fears and won.”

She stepped closer to him, and this time he didn’t move back.

“You will fight your fears Kaz Brekker, and then one day you will live without the same fear. It might still hurt occasionally, but you are stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

Kaz looked down at her, his face soft, open and vulnerable. Inej looked straight back up at him, her eyes wide and searching, waiting. Kaz bent down slightly towards her, and brushed his lips slightly against her forehead in the gentlest kiss. Her eyes shuttered closed briefly, the softest sound escaping her throat, but she didn’t move. She allowed Kaz to tell her without words what he was capable of, what was too far and yet not enough. She allowed the broken man before her to fix a small, fractured piece of himself, before she stepped back, quivering slightly. She was feeling everything all at once, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. But she stayed steady, and breathed, like she was at the end of the wire once again. Kaz gazed at her, his expression full of wonder, like a young boy, his future full of possibilities.

She turned, so he wouldn’t see the tears that had filled her eyes, and grabbed a hairbrush, unpinning her plait to rebraid it. But he held out his hand, and said, softly, gruffly, as if he, too, was fighting back unshed tears, “Let me.”

Inej handed him the brush, and climbed onto the small bench in front of him, and as Kaz began to gently brush her hair, untangling the knots with such care it was as though he thought she might break at the slightest tug. Inej allowed, then, the tears to fall. She didn’t see that Kaz, too, had tears trickling down his cheeks.

She let out a deep breath, she didn’t realise she had been holding, shuddering slightly, and allowed her eyes to shut for a moment. It had been so long since she had slept, and she had never felt so tired, as if her emotions had drained her more than usual. Her body swayed slightly, but then felt Kaz steady her. He gently laid her back onto the bench, and she felt him move away. She thought he had gone, but then heard his uneven steps return. She felt the softness and warmth of a blanket cover her, and felt him gently lift her head to put a pillow underneath.

“I thought you had left me,” she whispered, her voice heavy with sleep.

“Never,” he vowed. “I will never leave you.”

And then Inej fell asleep, guarded by the healing man above her, his dark eyes keeping watch, protecting her from anything that meant her harm.

#kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #six of crows #crooked kingdom #bathroom scene #angst #kanejedit #kanej angst #netflix shadow and bone #shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #shadow and bone season 2

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jackwolfes · 7 months

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Kanej // Six of Crows // 402 words // M rated @kinktober2023 Day 11: Humiliation [all kinktober fills]

This should be hell.

To be kneeling like this with his shirt unbuttoned and the button of his trousers popped, hair mussed and cheeks stained the red flush of crushed raspberries, is debauchery of the finest sort. He can’t kneel for long but Inej asked him to, so he is, and that is all part and parcel of the humiliation. The debasement. For as long as he can kneel he will, simply because she asked.

Kaz stares into the pooled depths of his own dark eyes. She put his mirror on the floor, propped at just the right height for him to watch himself unspool, and his ever-seeing eyes catalogue each too-obvious tell. It all points to his non-existent inhibitions and fresh weakness, because Inej wants him without armour and he will give it to her. It is a contract signed in the shortness of his breath, the erection straining against his clothes, the place his ungloved hands are cuffed behind his back. He could get out of them, but he won’t.

How humiliating to see how easily it is that he folds to the whims of his lover. He’s just another fool, vulnerabilities obvious, and the dirtiest sort because he fucking loves it. Craves it, even, and oh how it should be absolute hell but Kaz trusts her. He trusts Inej with the very filigree of his being and when her hand touches lightly to his chin — covered entirely in whispering soft silk gloves — he allows her to tip his head upwards. He doesn’t take his eyes away from his reflection in the mirror.

“Kaz,” she says, voice insistent in a way that makes him think she’s had to repeat herself. He holds back a shudder, trying to ignore the way his thoughts leap to punishment and yes, please.

He allows his gaze to dance to hers, finding himself wondering with unfettered curiosity what she thinks of him looking like this, ruined and wretched as he is. There’s a glint in her eye, but no smile. Fuck, how Kaz wants her to like him like this.

Wordlessly, Inej tips his chin up another half in. It makes him strain, and kind of hurts, and that’s exactly what he wants from this.

“Good,” Inej finally whispers. Kaz fails to keep his shudder in check this time, but he’s far past caring.

He hopes that Inej is pleased to watch him fall apart.

#kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #soc #six of crows #crooked kingdom #sab netflix #dgb does kinktober 2023 #kinktober 2023

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dregstrash · 1 year

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begging

a/n: i just wanted to write the kaz pov for when Inej told him that she would have him without his armor or not at all. it’s not an original idea. but i wrote it anyway.

Kaz Brekker never begged.

He made others beg.

To get down on their knees and pray to the demon that held their lives in the balance of a gloved hand.

Sometimes he was a merciful god. Most of the time, he swung his cane down like a guillotine and left all their prayers and intentions unanswered.

When have the gods and saints ever been good or kind?

So, no, Kaz Brekker was not in a habit of begging.

It was Kaz Rietveld that was the problem.

A sniveling boy trapped in a past memory who refused to relinquish his hold on the present.

That boy who had begged to passing strangers for money so that rotten food wouldn’t make its way to his and Jordie’s stomachs.

That boy who had begged to the air to save his brother--in the silence of the night, when his brother’s sleep deepened and lengthened until no breath was left, he pleaded and pleaded.

And what had ever given him?

A broken childhood and invisible scars that reopened anytime anyone brushed against his skin.

“Stay.” The word escaped out of Kaz’s mouth.

He took a breath.

“I want you to stay.” He needed to stop talking, his heart was hammering against his chest, as if it was signaling to him that these were treacherous, unknown waters.

“I want you to...” What did he want? What did he really want? “I want you.”

The truth slipped out of him like a knife from a body. It drew out the mess of his tangled emotions, and he couldn’t take them back now.

To his ears, he sounded desperate. He sounded hungry. He sounded like the voice of his past self had crawled up his throat.

Inej was still holding his hand. The heat of her burning through his flimsy shield.

“You want me.” She breathed. She tasted the words, testing them against the cool ocean breeze. Inej looked at him then. Her eyes were dark now. The night made her look more shadow than person. “And how will you have me, Kaz?”

Kaz felt his muscles start to tense. His resolve slowly slipping away.

“How will you have me?” She repeated, the fierce set of her mouth betraying just how badly she wanted the answer. “Fully clothed, gloves on, your head turned away so our lips can never touch?”

The sudden though turned his stomach and he released her hand. A deep roiling shame washed over him. His own failure to fix this affliction. His own pathetic plea still ringing in his ears. He turned away from her and faced the sea. Kaz fisted his hand tightly, desperately trying to forget the way it felt more empty without her hand there.

“I will have you without your armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”

Kaz could feel Inej linger at his back. He could feel how much she wished for him to turn around, and give her his many reasons to stay by his side. To tell her that without his armor, he was just a scared boy who wasn’t sure that his desire for her could overcome the waters that continued to drown him. To tell her that he would at least try--to prove that she was worth the effort. To beg for her to be by his side anyway, to beg for patience, to beg for her to see something in him that was worth staying for.

But Kaz Brekker did not beg. And while Kaz Rietveld railed inside his mind, and screamed that try as he might he was just as human as anyone else, Kaz stayed silent.

He kept his eyes to the horizon long after he stopped feeling Ine’s presence at his back.

#Kaz Brekker #inej ghafa #kaz x inej #KANEJ #soc #six of crows #crooked kingdom #ck #canon compliant

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jahayla-parker · 8 months

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Symmetrical Healing: Kaz Brekker × Sister!Reader

Part 3

Description and Warnings: view miniseries navigation Previous Parts: here

Y/n stumbled back slightly as Kaz’s cane pushed her protectively away from where the mechanical sound emitted. Her confused eyes meet Kaz’s worried ones as they both began coughing profusely. They’d been trapped in their target’s compound and now there was some gas entering the room.

Kaz covered his mouth and aggressively pulled the collar of y/n’s top to to cover her mouth and nose as much as possible before he fell backwards as the gas filled his lungs.

Within moments, Y/n dizzily landed a few feet from her brother. She watched as he twitched and gasped with his eyes closed. No one was touching him, but she could feel the pain and fear radiating off of him. Y/n tried to move closer to him but her tired eyes closed before she could.

Kaz watched as Jordie’s sickly face peered down at him mockingly. He couldn’t do anything as he watched his brother scold, taunt, yell, and insult him. Kaz’s focus unfortunately kept looking at on the bumps the fire pox had caused on his brother’s face, the image being far too vivid. He could hear his sister y/N’s screams in the back ground. In reality they were the ones he’d heard when finding her after Jordie’s death and getting her out of the clinic. Only in this hallucination they appeared to Kaz’s drugged mind as the insinuation that she was crying for help so loudly he could hear it that night instead of just him and jordie. To make matters worse, as time went on here screams stopped and Jordie then began implying that she was dead and it was Kaz’s fault. “What is the worth of life if you have no one left to fight for?” Jordie said, shoving him back under the water.

Y/n struggled to breathe as Jordie had a hood on her neck. Her feet were dangling just a few inches from the ground in his grip. She felt an excruciating pain in her chest that beat out even the burning from the lack of oxygen in her lungs as Jordie screamed at her one and over about how she’d failed. He reminded her how weak she was to need actual medical treatment when he and Kaz were willing to fight off the plague without it. He reminded her of how she continued to be weak now as she still couldn’t do the one thing Kaz needed her to; move on from Jordie’s death. Instead she was riddled with grief even all these years later and it was making Kaz have to take care of her instead of it being mutually beneficial. Jordie spoke her worst fear as he told her how her weakness would be the downfall of Kaz, that she would be the reason he died.

Kaz had shoved Inej off of him in walking back up. He then whipped his head around the room to find Y/n. Upon seeing her thrashing and sobbing profusely, he spucked in a sharp breath.

“What’s the antidote?!” Kaz barked, ignoring his bad knee as he knelt beside Y/n. From the corner of his eye he sees the group quickly pass around an object. When Inej passed it to him, she had it pinched between her fingers as to allow him to grab without having to touch her. Kaz eyed the blue butterfly suspiciously, but otherwise wasted no time in administering the antidote. As his head held steady millimeters from y/n’s, Kaz whispered an apology. His hands shook as held her tossing head steady and forced the butterfly into her mouth.

Y/n was still fighting Jordie’s grip when she heard something faintly. Behind Jordie’s voice telling her that she’s going to fail Kaz, she could hear someone else’s voice. But, she couldn’t make it out. She kept trying to focus on the other voice instead of Jordie repeating himself over and over. And soon, Kaz ’s voice cut through Jordie’s chanted taunts, “I need you. Wake up.”. That was her sign, Kaz needed her and she was going to be there. Even if Jordie was right, she had to at least try.

Everyone else in their group had left the compound’s doors other than Kaz; at his demand. That was the only reason he’d been able to utter the words that y/n needed to hear to be pulled from her fear landscape. Kaz sighed with relief as y/n finally came to, even though she was now gasping and choking on her own tears.

“Sit up,” Kaz encouraged, moving back to give Y/n space. He looked around for something to help her dry her eyes, but didn’t find anything. So, Kaz took a glove off and passed it to her. “For your eyes”.

Y/n shoot him an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry,” She mumbled as she wiped her face with the glove. Y/n hated to show weakness, and while the others somehow weren’t here, she knew she’d again failed Kaz by being doing so just now.

“What did I say about apologizing to people for no reason?” Kaz asked rhetorically as he slowly rose from his crouched position. He stared down at his sister in anticipation.

“It’s not for no reason!” Y/n argued, pushing herself off the ground. She angrily passed the glove back to her brother.

Kaz glared squintingly at y/n. “Then what?” He questioned with a huff. “This trap wasn’t on you,” Kaz pointed out as he faced away from y/n.

“Wasn’t it?!” Y/n shouted, shaking her head. She’d been in charge of helping Kaz scope out the place alongside Kaz, Nina, and Inej. Yet, somehow she’d not caught on that this was a trap. “I should’ve known!” She sighed.

“You should’ve known?!” Kaz snapped with a growl. He spun around on her. “It’s my job to help you safe,” Kaz growled.

Y/n sighed loudly. “Only because I’m so bad at keeping you safe,” she whimpered, her voice cracking.

Kaz’s body froze. He had to force his mouth to expel the words he needed to ask. “W-what are you talking about?” Kaz asked, stuttering uncharacteristically.

Y/n shook her head, taking a few wordless steps closer to the exit. Her body was shaking lightly from her still present nerves and the tension in her limbs.

“Y/n,” Kaz called, moving to block her from exiting. “Answer me,” he ordered.

Y/n looked into Kaz’s intense gaze but shook her head again. “Doesn’t matter,” she murmured.

Kaz groaned, rubbing his gloved hand down his face. “Y/n, damnit, tell me-“

“Sorry to interrupt,” Jesper said, peeking his head into the chamber. “But, umm…, I’m glad to see you’re up!” He cheered opening the door more as he saw y/n was standing again. “We should really get going though!” Jesper explained upon seeing the harsh glare Kaz was shooting at him.

Kaz switched his glare over to his sister as y/n walked off. He knew she was intentionally keeping some emotional barrier up between them. He couldn’t fault her completely, it wasn’t like he was the most transparent person, even with her. But, Kaz wanted better for y/n.

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mery-cm99 · 1 year

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Vixen ~ Nikolai Lantsov (Chapter 1)

Masterlist

Description: Vixen is one of the Crows. Kaz saved her a long time ago. He’s the only one who knows the truth about Vixen. He’s the only one who knows her past, her secret. That’s until a certain privateer shows up in Ketterdam looking for a living Saint.

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x fem!OC

Warnings: Mention of trauma, blood, war and sad stuff in general. English is not my first language, so sorry in advance for any grammar or spelling errors. The sign language used in this story is made up and does not correspond with any official one. The sport is based on the series, not the books.

Rating: Teens and up

Chapter 1/6

Word Count: 2,680 words

— — — — — — — — — — —

Arriving at the port, Vixen remained half hidden behind some crates of merchandise and from that position she watched the ship that had just docked at the docks. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over the crates and the heads of the fishermen and merchants that filled the harbor. For once in her life, Vixen wished she looked more like her father than her mother in height. Her short stature was an advantage in many aspects of her life there in Ketterdam, but it was a disadvantage when she wanted to see what was going on inside the ship. Soon after Vixen saw the three occupants she was expecting exit the ship and had to resign herself to leaving without even getting a glimpse of the famous living sankta, the Sun Summoner. It was easy for her to hide in the crowd again and follow the three newcomers through the streets of Ketterdam, though it was clear to her where they were headed. Once in the Barrel, Ketterdam's neighborhood of criminals and prostitutes, Vixen came out to meet them in front of the entrance to the Crow Club.

“What’s happened to my club?“ asked the guy in the middle. Vixen noticed his elegant posture, even when he had to lean his weight on a cane. Her eyes unconsciously went to his gloved hands and she thought about the rumors that were going around Ketterdam about Kaz <<Dirty Hands>> Brekker. “I left you here to take care of my properties. Why is my Crow Club in Pekka Rollins hands?” Kaz insisted, his voice laden with menace. Vixen pulled her hands out of her cloak to answer him, but another voice beat her to it.

“Halt! All of you! Hands up!” shouted one of the officers from the standwatch as he and his men entered the street. Vixen’s back was to them, so they didn’t see her move her hands at Kaz, who nodded slightly. “Come on. Everybody get your hands up!” he repeated before informing that the four of them were charged with murder.

Kaz was the first to raise his arms, his cane still in one of them. Jesper and Inej repeated him. Vixen was the last to do so, and only because one of the men slapped her with the barrel of his gun on her back to make her turn around. They were ordered to surrender their weapons, including Kaz's cane, but Inej had disappeared without them noticing. Vixen smiled, unable to contain herself. She may be stealthy, but the Wraith was capable of disappearing right in front of your eyes. Jasper handed over his shooters, the two loves of his life. Kaz offered his cane, which was taken from him in very bad manners.

“Your weapons, Vixen. And this time I want them all," the guard declared, staring at her. The girl returned his gaze without moving, but in the end she pushed her cloak aside with her shoulders and took out the two daggers hanging from her hips. “Hand them. No sudden movements," the man ordered, holding out his hands. Vixen did so, though it was hard for her to open her hands to let go. Just as Jesper loved his pistols, Vixen had an unconditional love for her daggers. “The others too," he added when she made no attempt to pull out the rest of her weapons. The silent girl pulled out the knife she carried in her boot and the other one she kept in the inside pocket of her jacket. “Is that all of them?” Vixen scanned the street with her eyes once more and pulled out the small knife hidden in her right sleeve. The Standwatch chief felt satisfied with his haul of weapons, so he ordered his men to handcuff them and put them in the prisoner wagon. "Of to the Hellgate to await trial," he declared before closing the wagon door.

As soon as they got moving, Vixen squirm to push away the two men on either side of her who were crushing her. One of them put his hand on her knee, trying to grope her, but with one swift movement she dislocated his index finger and brushed it off. She was used to dealing with criminals and men who thought they had the right over her, so she had long ago learned to protect herself and stand up to guys like this one.

They all went silent, all except the man to her left, who was whimpering in pain from his dislocated finger and Jesper, who was saying something about them being screwed. But Vixen wasn't able to hear him, her mind was churning like the sea in a storm. Hellgate. She didn't want to go back there. She couldn't go back there. Vixen looked up at Kaz, who was sitting in front of her, to see if his wonderful brain was preparing his escape plan, but he seemed as disturbed as she herself was. Vixen guessed for different reasons, considering he had nothing to do with Hellgate. Noticing this, Jesper began shouting for them to stop the car. To everyone's surprise, the driver complied.

When the door opened, one of the standwatch officers pointed to Jesper, Kaz and Vixen.

“You three, out.”

Vixen was the first to do so, but not before leaving a disguised elbow in the crotch of the man who had tried to touch her, and who let out another yelp of pain.

As soon as she put her feet on the ground, two arms held hers, which were still in shackles. They were two other men from the standwatch, who must have been aware of the girl's history. Kaz and Jesper climbed down behind her and the three were escorted into a building the girl didn't recognize. She felt out of place, like a fish out of water, and she didn't like that. Vixen needed to know her surroundings, it was the reason she had survived so long. So she made sure to observe everything around them as they were led into a room, making a mental map of the building for when they escaped their captors.

Once in the room, they were seated in chairs and the man from the standwatch stood in front of them.

“Someone paid good kruge to have some alone time with the three of you," he said with a smile. The girl was not surprised. Everyone had a price, you just needed to know what the amount was. It was one of the first lessons Kaz had taught her.

The doors in front of them opened and through them an older man with a gray mustache entered. Vixen recognized him without trouble. It was Dreesen, a merchant from Kerch. And the man who had hired them to bring him Alina Starkov, the Sun Summoner.

The young woman let Kaz and Jesper handle the conversation while she studied the room for a way out of there. It was thanks to that scrutiny that she noticed the bodyguard. Dreesen had brought two men to protect him. The one on the right looked like a bodyguard. The right posture and ready to pounce if his boss was attacked. The one on the left, however, did not have the bearing of a guard. His back was too straight and his shoulders too square, as if he needed to stand out even without intending to. His eyes moved between the merchant and the three prisoners, as if he was very interested in the conversation. A bodyguard wasn't interested in such things. What gave him away were the cufflinks on his jacket. Too expensive for a guard's salary.

Kaz must have noticed the same thing she did, because he cut Dreesen off mid-speech.

“It wasn't your money, Dreesen. You were brought here as a intermediary. Someone to hire the likes of us. But this operation wasn’t yours. It was his" he assumed, pointing to the bodyguard on the left.

Dreesen was about to protest, but the stranger cut him off.

“Oh, yes. Totally convincing," he said wryly, approaching the merchant. “Thank you, Dreesen. But I'll take it from here " he added, looking at the three crows.

Vixen saw the new posture he was acquiring, even stiffer, more arrogant. He was just like the rest of men who entered the Barrel with a full wallet and false hopes. He had an undeniable beauty, which made him even more unbearable. Vixen was fed up with those bastards for the false freedom they thought they had, not bothering to protect their backs -or their pockets-, while she had to keep an eye always open for survival.

"Tell me. What give it away? "he asked amused. That pissed off Vixen even more, that he took the false identity as a joke.

“You dress too well for a bodyguard," Kaz replied. The girl took a moment while the man took off his hat to sign at Kaz, still wearing the shackles. She hated those things. She needed her hands to communicate and to defend herself. "And you were hanging onto every word, as if it was your money on the table. My question is, who are you?"

"Oh, you don't know me?" he asked, and aside from the arrogance that permeated his voice, there was also surprise. Although Vixen didn't know if it was genuine or just another show, like the rest of his appearance. "Maybe in profile," he added, letting them see his face from the side. Vixen had to admit that he had a very nice profile, but that didn't take away from the fact that his arrogance made her feel repulsed by him. However, something about his arrogant posture rubbed her the wrong way. Vixen was a major asset in the Crows because she was good at identifying details. And there was something odd about the man's attitude. It was too perfect, as if it were rehearsed. "No? Very well. The name is Sturmhond," he introduced himself, leaning against the table casually.

"I’ve heard of you" Jesper said, which made the man smile.

"Yeah, I should hope so."

"He's a very rich pirate," the zelemi explained to the other two prisoners.

"A privateer, actually" the man corrected him, as if he had had to clarify that one too many times. “It’s an important distinction”

Vixen looked at him again, weighing the information. The arrogant posture suited him for a pirate, and the cufflinks might belong to a very rich one. But his posture was too elegant and refined for a man who had lived his whole life at sea. As she studied him on that occasion, Sturmhond returned her gaze. His expression remained steady. Vixen guessed he would be good at gambling games with that impassive expression. But she needed him to give her the information she was looking for. She had to know who he really was.

Nikolai forgot about the other two men occupying the room for a moment as his attention was drawn to the girl to Kaz Brekker's left. She was so still and silent that he had almost forgotten she was there. He supposed that was what they meant when they said Vixen was like Brekker's shadow. He wondered what a thief would want with a Wraith and a Shadow at the same time, but he didn't ask out loud. He looked at her, her frown as she looked at him and the tension in her body. She looked...angry. But he didn't know why. It was the first time they had met, and he thought for sure she didn't know who he really was. He had made research on the Crows, but there was very little about her. Everyone talked about the lethal Wraith, but Sturmhond considered Vixen more mysterious. He knew that wasn't her real name, but no one knew what it was. She had appeared shortly after Kaz Brekker created the Crows and he had taken her in as one of his own. He had been told that Vixen was as loyal to Kaz as a dog to its owner. Rumor also had it that she could not speak.

"Are you the Wraith or the Shadow?" he asked with a small smile, just to find out if the angry expression was permanent or just being offered to him. He verified it was the latter when her brow furrowed even more. The first sound he heard coming from her was the clinking of her hadcuffs as she gestured with her hands staring at him. The privateer didn't know the meaning of her signs, but it must not have been a compliment, if he could take Jesper Fahley's smirk into account.

"My question now is: What does a privateer want with the Summoner?" Kaz spoke again to get the blond to stop looking at Vixen.

"You may not be aware, but half the world is looking for her. Or even just confirmation of her death. The reward has gone up. Twenty million to hand her over to Fjerda. Turns out they're not particularly pleased with Kirigan and the Sun Summoner's plan to weaponize the Fold."

Vixen wanted to hit the man upon hearing him speak so snidely about the Sun Summoner's death, but she restrained herself. She could not yet unveil that her hands were no longer tied.

Jesper laughed and revealed the truth unconsciously by referring to the grisha by her first name. That served Sturmhond as proof that they had at least seen her in person. They had talked to her. Then he turned his attention to the other two crows, who remained silent.

"You escaped. I know you two are already out of those cuff" he asked with a smile, as if he was impressed, but not overly concerned. Kaz let the shackles fall to the ground. Vixen guessed there was no problem in showing that she had gotten rid of hers as well. "If we had more time, I would insist that you show me how."

He offered them money and to let them go if they would tell him where Alina was. Jesper was going to refuse, but Kaz told him straight out. Sturmhond left the money and their weapons on the table and exit with what he came for, but left a tense atmosphere in the room. As soon as the door closed, Kaz and Vixen were on the move. The Crows boss went over to get their things from the table while the girl headed for the windows to look for the escape route. The hallway was not an option because it would be occupied by the Standwatch.

Jesper seemed disappointed that Kaz had sold Alina out. Vixen hated confrontations, so she opened the window and went outside while leaving them to sort it out alone. From the window sill she scanned the corridors on either side of the room and the rest of the windows to locate the standwatch. She peeked back into the room when she saw them running toward them. Vixen tapped on the glass just enough to get the attention of the two boys and motioned for them to come out. Just then, a bang sound on the door, which was blocked by a chair someone had used to block it. She guessed it had been Kaz because Jesper was still fighting with his handcuffs.

They went back to the Barrel and hid in the worst part of the neighbourhood, where the Standwatch didn't patrol.

"What are they accusing us of? Who have we killed?" Kaz asked as they walked.

"Tante Helen," Inej answered, making Jesper jump in fright. He hadn't heard her coming.

"We didn't do that, though? Wait. Did you do that?" the zelemi asked Inej. He seemed to be begging to be told he was right.

"It was Pekka Rollins, wasn’t it?" Kaz guessed.

"It was a trap for when you returned, for taking the Summoner's job from him" Vixen confirmed, running her fingertips along the texture of her daggers. Her voice sounded a little hoarse after not using it for so long.

#sturmhond #grishaverse #nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov imagine #shadow and bone #grisha netflix #six of crows #Kaz Brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #tolya #tamar #zoya #alina starvok #the darkling #genya #ravka

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