Chapter Text
As they approached the building, Wylan wasn’t surprised to see that it was dreary and dark. He looked at Jesper. “Do you remember much about your mother?”
A slow smile spread across Jesper’s face. “Yeah,” he said. “She taught me to shoot.”
Wylan didn’t press him further. You’ll have plenty of time.
They walked toward the building, and Wylan saw the graveyard. Alys was wrong. There is a graveyard. Is my mother buried after all?
“Good morning!” A woman called, pushing a wheelbarrow with a mound of earth inside. “Can I help you?”
Wylan squared his shoulders. “I am Wylan Van Eck. I’ve come to visit my mother.”
The woman nodded carefully. “Alright. Is your father with you?”
Wylan shook his head. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard as of yet, but my father tragically passed away a couple of weeks back. A tumble down the stairs at the Van Eck estate.”
The woman flushed, embarrassed. “I am sorry for your loss. I’ll take you to her.”
She led the way into the building, and Wylan’s stomach sank. “Jesper,” he whispered. “There are bars on the windows.”
“Antsy monks?” Jesper offered. His smile was weak.
The woman led them into the front parlor, and the scent of wisteria filled Wylan’s nose. The woman opened a filing cabinet, sifting through for a moment. “Here we are. Marya Hendriks. As you can see, everything is in order. You can take a look at her file, if you wish, while we get her cleaned up.”
Wylan pulled the folder toward himself, a chill running down his spine. He nodded carefully. The woman took a large key ring from the wall, turning toward a blue door. She unlocked it, then opened it and stepped through, carefully relocking it again.
“What is this place? What did they mean, get her cleaned up?” Wylan’s heart beat to a frantic rhythm. Jesper was flicking through the folder. Wylan stared at it, the words a black meaningless scrawl. Panic gripped his throat, tightening it. “Jesper, please. Read it to me.”
Jesper looked at him. “All it says are the same things the one in your father’s office said. Persecution disorder. Hysteria. Paranoia.”
Wylan leaned heavily on the desk. The woman returned.
“She’s ready now. She’s quite docile today. Are you all right?”
Wylan looked at her and smiled, a careful smile to mimic the one his father had often worn. “Of course. Shall we?”
The woman led the way into the hallway, unlocking and relocking the blue door.
The woman led them to a glassed-in porch. The beginnings of a landscape were painted on a canvas. A memory returned to Wylan, of his mother on the lawn at the house on the Geldstraat, a canvas in front of her.
“She paints,” he said flatly.
“All the time,” the nurse said cheerily. “Quite the artist, our Marya.”
A woman sat in a wheeled chair, her head leaning to the side as though she was trying not to doze off.
“You have a visitor, Miss Hendriks.”
She looked up at Wylan. Wylan smiled softly. His mother returned it, and Jesper turned to the nurse. “I’d like to go over that file with you, make certain it is accurate. I saw a couple of inconsistencies…”
Wylan let Jesper’s voice fade, as Jesper and the nurse left the room. Marya was silent.
“Hello,” he said, stepping toward her.
Her hand lifted to cradle his cheek. “Wylan. My golden boy. You’ve grown.”
He nodded. “Mother, I’ve missed you.”
She pulled him toward her, and he let her pull him down to hug him close. “I missed you, too.”
He let the tears fall. Kaz would have laughed. “Sentimental merchling.” Wylan found he didn’t much care.
He backed away. “How long have you been here, Mother?”
She looked at her hands, curled in her lap.
“What did they do to you?”
She met his gaze. “Too much,” she said softly.
He set his jaw. “You’re coming home. I am your son. Alys has agreed to help. You won’t stay here much longer, Mother.”
Her gaze had gone distant. “Home.”
Wylan nodded. “Home.”
Jesper returned with the nurse, and Wylan felt a pang of jealousy at the way they laughed together. “Miss Hendriks, say goodbye to the boys.”
Marya’s lips moved, but no sound came out.
The nurse leaned closer. “What was that?”
Marya looked her dead in the eyes. “Van Eck.”
Wylan felt like jumping for joy, but he settled for a gentle smile. “Miss… I’m sorry, I missed your name,” he said to the nurse.
“Betje,” she replied, her gaze on Marya.
“Miss Betje. What paperwork would be necessary to discharge my mother? I intend to take her care upon myself, and my stepmother has agreed to help.”
The nurse blanched. “I hardly think—”
Jesper cut her off. “Wylan is quite capable. Show us the paperwork.”
The nurse sighed. “Alright.”
The three of them made their way from the room, and Wylan whispered a promise to his mother.
Two hours later, Wylan sat side by side with his mother on the little boat. They made their way back toward Ketterdam. Wylan’s hand was clutched in Marya’s, and he felt a certain comfort in having his mother right there with him. “Jesper.”
Jesper looked at him. “Yes?”
Wylan pressed his lips together. “I’d like to leave the city. I’ll buy a farm. I’ll move to Novyi Zem. Alys and Marya and my sibling can come with me. Only problem is, I don’t have much experience on a farm. I’ll need help liquidating the profits from the Van Eck empire. Of course, I could get Kaz’s help, but with a name like Dirtyhands…” Wylan trailed off, and Jesper’s gaze was trained on him. “What I mean to say is… will you help me? And will you stay with me?”
Jesper’s smile faded. “Wy, I can’t—I can’t live in the country. It’s too calm.”
Wylan’s heart sank.
“I can split my time. I’ll spend most of my time on the farm, and when I need to take a gambol—awful wording, I’m sorry—around the city, I’ll pop out to Ketterdam and visit Kaz. I’ll try my best. For us. Alright?” Jesper looked pained. Wylan could tell he hated having to say any of it.
Wylan nodded.
They continued toward Ketterdam.
When they docked in Second Harbor, Jesper climbed out of the boat, offering a hand to Marya. Wylan climbed out after them, and they made their way to the Geldstraat and the Van Eck estate.
When they arrived, they found the khergud that had attacked them scattered across the lawn.
Dead.
Kaz stood in the doorway of the mansion, surveying the stadwatch cleaning up the street and lawn. He met Wylan’s gaze, and the barest hint of a smile flickered across Kaz’s face before he disappeared back into the house. Wylan offered his arm to Marya, and he, Jesper, and Wylan’s mother made their way into the house.
It had been two days since they’d left. Matthias and Kaz were in the foyer waiting for them. Esmeralda, the Healer caring for Inej, stood with them. Wylan called up the stairs. “Alys! We’re back!”
Alys came down the stairs in a rush, wrapping Wylan in a tight hug. She turned to Marya. “Miss Hendriks. It’s so wonderful to meet you. Your son is a wonder.”
Marya’s smile was tight.
Wylan walked toward Kaz. “I’m looking to liquidate the Van Eck empire. Put the money into a farm in the country. There’ll be a lot more money than I’ll ever need. Will you have some? Please?”
Kaz’s eyes glinted. “I believe there are better uses to put that to. But I digress for the moment. Inej is awake, and has been asking after you and Jesper.”
Wylan beamed. “Jes! Inej’s asking for us!”
He and Jesper raced up the stairs toward Inej’s room.
He pretended not to hear Kaz’s bemused chuckle.
Jesper burst into Inej’s room well ahead of Wylan. Wylan followed him, and Inej was propped up against the headboard on several pillows. Jesper had flung himself across the foot of the bed, unable to breathe from laughter. Wylan met Nina’s gaze. Inej was giving Jesper a mock glare.
“You nearly crushed my feet. I would have been very unhappy if you had,” she said, and her voice was nearly as gravelly as Kaz’s.
Wylan walked toward her, extending his hand. She clasped it in hers, saying something in Suli.
He gave her an odd look.
“‘This action will have no echo.’ It means we won’t continue to make the same mistakes, that we won’t continue to do more harm. It is the Suli way of apologizing.”
Wylan repeated what she’d said, tripping over the Suli. She helped him through it. He said it again, more fluidly this time. “Mati en sheva yelu.” He paused. “I intend to move to the country. Novyi Zem. With my mother and stepmother and Jesper.”
Inej smiled sadly. “The Crows are disbanding. Kaz says he will stay here. Matthias will return to Fjerda with his pardon, and then he’ll be a free man. Nina will serve six months in Hellgate for perjury, but she insists it is nothing compared to the year he spent there. The life sentence he was supposed to have. They have reconciled. When the six months is up, they’ll figure out where they’ll go from there.”
Wylan studied her. “And what will you do, Wraith? When your indenture is up?”
She leaned back, her gaze drifting to the ceiling. “Help others like me. Hunt slavers. I’ll save up enough money to buy a ship.”
Wylan thought of the small craft in Second Harbor.
It would be perfect.
Small, sleek. The Wraith. He turned back to the doorway, and Kaz stood there, a twinkle in his eye. Wylan lifted his brows, and Kaz nodded. He turned back to Inej. She’d fallen asleep again. Wylan inched his way backward, letting her hand fall from his. He backed into Kaz by accident, and Kaz placed a hand on his shoulder, firmly putting him back a bit farther away. “I will not accept a gift. But if you wanted to pay the money your father owed, it would certainly go quite a bit toward Inej Ghafa’s indenture, and I would likely purchase a ship from the Van Eck estate.”
Wylan grinned. “I have just such a one in mind. I think we should let her sleep. May I show you the craft?”
Kaz studied Inej, then nodded. “By all means.”
Wylan led him through the foyer and out onto the Geldstraat, then north to Second Harbor. “My father’s fleet is stationed here. This one in particular made me think of Inej. It would perfectly suit her needs.”
Kaz nodded, studying the craft. He then turned around. “Head back to the estate, Wylan. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
Wylan sighed. He’d tried. They walked their separate directions, Kaz toward East Stave and the Dregs’ territory, and Wylan toward the Van Eck estate.
The next few days were a blur of Kaz, Jesper, Wylan, and Marya liquidating the Van Eck assets, choosing and purchasing property in Novyi Zem, and deciding what to bring and what to leave. Marya’s collection of paintings were sent to the farm immediately, as was Wylan’s music. The grand piano from the parlor went to Novyi Zem. A lot of his father’s belongings were sold, and finally, the house on the Geldstraat was sold as well. Wylan had decided to hire Esmeralda to be a live in nurse, while Marya found her way back to herself. The Saint Hilde asylum had kept her on medications she didn’t need, and Marya had a long way to go to heal. Wylan’s movement in his fingers had returned, which Jesper was quite grateful for, as he declared he thoroughly enjoyed Wylan’s flute playing.
Inej was back on her feet, though her coordination wasn’t quite back. Marya, Alys, and Esmeralda left for Novyi Zem. The last day before Jesper and Wylan set out, Kaz took Wylan aside. He asked Wylan to follow him at a distance. Kaz brought Inej to Second Harbor, and gave her a long glass. She looked toward the Wraith, as Kaz and Wylan had christened it, and Wylan watched Kaz take her hand. Wylan turned away, as a tear slipped down his face.
They’d heal.
Wylan knew there was plenty of trauma and uncertainty tainting every aspect of both of them; it was tangible, the tension. But they’d live. And they’d thrive. Wylan knew Kaz had had Inej’s parents found, and that they were bound for Ketterdam, Fifth Harbor. Wylan had sent the ship to retrieve them himself.
The next day, he and Jesper stood on the docks of Fifth Harbor, waiting to board the Angel of Death. Jesper had commented on the irony that the ship that would take them to their future bore such an ominous name. Jesper had hugged each and every one of the Dregs gathered to see them off, and he’d exchanged a firm handshake with Matthias. Jesper’d clapped Kaz on the shoulder and earned a cane to the shin. Wylan stood in front of Kaz. “To the next big adventure, and to, hopefully, a lack of death for a long time to come.”
Jesper smirked.
Kaz glared at him.
Wylan pressed his lips together, willing the tears to fade even as they welled up. “I’ll miss you, Kaz.”
Kaz looked at him, and the surprise in his expression made Wylan laugh. And laugh. The others began to laugh too, and Wylan threw his arms around Kaz’s waist. Kaz tensed, pressing a fist to his lips. Wylan began to let go, then stopped when he felt a hand resting against his back. Kaz removed his hand and cleared his throat, and Wylan let go.
“I am not… I am not glad to see you leave. Wylan. You’ll be missed. Around the Slat.”
Wylan grinned, sniffling. “Even though I’m only passable at demo?”
Kaz stepped back. “Your ship awaits, Mister Van Eck.”
Wylan looked toward the dock. “So it does.” He and Jesper made their way toward the ship, then they looked at each other. Wylan smiled. They both turned around. “No mourners,” they said, hands clasped together.
The Dregs’ reply was unanimous, including Matthias.
“No funerals!”