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"Why are we here again?" Inej's words held a slight hint of frustration. Even after all the two of them had been through together, Kaz Brekker remained just as elusive with his plans as ever. His gloved hands curled around the crow's head of his cane with a soft whisper of leather, he lifted the blunt end and lazily pointed it in the direction of a ship shrouded in mist, approaching the harbor. Even through the bustling chaos of the docks, it seemed to stand out, to silently call attention to its own importance. Such a ship couldn't belong to Kerch. It's shiny ebony hull and sheer size indicated it was far more expensive than even any mercher would dream to afford, very possibly some sort of royal vessel. Kaz shifted slightly, his eyes sharp with concentration as he studied the sails snapping in the breeze, slowing the ship so it could dock. An eclipse was detailed into the sleek fibers.
"I have no intelligence on this ship or the occupants, and I don't like not knowing about something going on in Ketterdam."
Inej resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"And remind me why that means you had to drag me out of bed at dawn again? I'm pretty sure you can see on your own just fine," she raised a brow.
He adjusted his gloves, fingers flexing as he pulled them up, the corner of his mouth quirking ever so slightly.
"Maybe I wanted to spend time with you," he suggested mildly, "Or maybe I just wanted someone else to have to wait in the freezing cold with me. Take your pick." Inej snorted. More likely the latter, she and Kaz had spent plenty of time together, in fact, they had been practically inseparable over the past few months, excluding the periods she had spent with her parents.
As if to emphasize Kaz's point, an icy wind whipped through the streets, tugging a few strands of hair loose from her dark braid. Something hung heavy over the city, and not just the dark storm clouds looming on the horizon. The air was ominous, almost as if the city knew there was something significantly pivotal about to transpire. Inej slipped her hands to her knives, stroking her thumb over their grooved handles to soothe her inexplicably shot nerves.
I'm the Wraith, she reminded herself. People fear me.
That assurance promptly vanished as two individuals appeared from the deck of the ship, ascending onto the dock surrounded by a heavily armed guard dressed in charcoal gray.
Kaz didn't have to look at Inej to know that her jaw had dropped to the ground. In fact, he was feeling a bit starstruck himself.
"Sankta Alina," Inej finally managed to get out, her strangled words tinged with disbelief. Alina Starkov and her husband looked especially impressive in their matching black keftas made from the finest silks, hers stitched in gold spun into the daintiest decorative thread. The Darkling, King of Ravka, was tall, taller than Kaz, who already stood at a height that dwarfed Inej. His jet black curls looked as silky as the material of his kefta, his face delicately carved into flawless features, the only imperfections being the faint white scars that disrupted his pale cheek.
And then there was Sankta Alina, the Sun Summoner, Queen of Ravka. She was literally glowing, her skin shining with warmth, her famed white hair flowing in luminous waves down her shoulders. Both Inej and Kaz gaped as their forms grew closer, it was almost like they were otherworldly beings, the way they pulled the crowds of onlookers as if they were a force of gravity. The Darkling leaned down to whisper something in Alina's ear, making her cheeks flush a light pink in response. She batted at his hand that reached for her own, a bright laugh escaping her lips.
And then, as if Kaz and Inej had both been snapped from a joint dream, they suddenly became aware that a slew of oprichniki were staring them straight in the eye.
"Move," the one in front gruffly ordered. It was now they realized they were standing directly in the path of the monarchs of Ravka, gawking like a couple of children. Inej thought she might pass out as the two most powerful Grisha in the world both fastened their eyes on her and Kaz.
"Hold," Alina softly spoke, her hand lifting as the corner of her lips tugged upwards ever so slightly. Suddenly Inej felt self conscious, even Kaz stood frozen for a moment, looking at her as if she was the sun itself. She shooed the guards out of the way, clearly to the irritation of her husband, stepping in front of the two uninhibited, her smile deepening. She startled as Inej abruptly sunk to a knee, looking up at her in awe.
"It is a great honor, Sankta," Inej breathed.
Kaz looked down at her with a hint of exasperation.
Her and her saints.
Alina tilted her head back with a laugh, her cheeks dimpling.
If anyone had paid close attention to the Darkling at that moment, they might have seen his eyes soften the smallest fraction as he drank in the sight of the only person he had even the slightest weakness for. Alina Starkov seemed to have that affect on people.
"Get up, please, and call me Alina, there's no need for such formality," she offered a hand to Inej. It was almost comical, the reverent look on her face as she took the hand of the woman she had named one of her precious knives for, rising back to her feet.
It was at this time Kaz finally broke his silence with a soft clearing of his throat, running a hand through his already immaculately combed hair and adjusting his blood red tie, almost as if he was preparing himself for a particularly important interview.
"Hi, um, Mr. Darkling sir," he spoke as confidently as one could when garnering the intimidating man's attention. He looked at Kaz with only a dimly lit interest, stunning quartz eyes impassively blank. "Kaz Brekker, sir," Kaz continued, and Inej was tempted to poke him to assure herself that the nervous man beside her was, in fact, really Kaz Brekker. "I'm a huge fan of your work, been following it for quite a while," he dipped his head slightly in respect. The Darkling was impassive for a long moment before his lips curved into a soft smirk.
"Do you hear that, Alina? He's a fan of my work," he nudged her slightly, a silky chuckle falling from his rosy lips.
Now Kaz didn't like the way Inej was regarding his idol, as if she was seeing a real man for the first time.
Alina rolled her eyes before arching an elegant brow at Kaz, noticeably evaluating him, "I wasn't aware he had a fan club solely for being horrible."
Inej tensed as Kaz held her gaze in silent challenge. Now there was the Kaz she knew.
"Being horrible makes for good money," he contended almost mockingly.
The Darkling chuckled lightly, though his wife didn't seem to take the same amusement in his response. She met Kaz Brekker's stare, one that would make anyone from the Barrel cower in fear, with hard golden eyes. Finally, he looked down, confidence crumbling in defeat to the sun saint herself.
"I just might have heard about you, Brekker, we could use a mind like yours in Ravka," the Darkling nodded, his stare now significantly more interested than before, like he had just discovered a valuable tool that could be of some use to him.
Alina grabbed for his arm, her words now a low grumble, "But we don't condone mindless violence anymore, do we?" Her voice dropped to a softer decibel as she whispered his name in his ear so no one else could hear in order to emphasize her point.
Do we, Aleksander?
It was peculiar, seeing the King of Ravka frown in defeat, his lips turning into a sulk, almost shameful. The Queen of Ravka had more power over the man than people would think.
"But we don't condone mindless violence anymore," the Darkling repeated in a rather lackluster manner, flashing Alina a sarcastic smile before looking back towards Kaz and Inej. By now their interaction had drawn more than enough stares from the onlookers passing by.
The King and Queen of Ravka were casually conversing with the Bastard of the Barrel and his Wraith? The sight was enough to make anyone double take.
There was a beat of silence before Alina sighed, "We do have business to attend to with the merchant council, someone blew all of our funds in the civil war." The way the Darkling glowered indicated that that someone was, in fact, him.
"We can help escort you there, if you need a guide," Inej blurted loudly, her eyes growing wide in embarrassment at her impulsive outburst. Kaz ran his thumb over the top of his cane, a nervous tick he had thought he had disposed of years ago. Alina shared a look with her husband, a sly glint in her eye as they seemed to share a silent conversation. After a drawn out pause, the Darkling made a gesture that seemed to indicate, fine, go ahead then.
She grinned, turning her attention back onto Inej, "Lead the way."
Kaz and Inej, the newly appointed King and Queen of the Barrel, shared a look. Kaz could act as casual and dismissive as he wanted, Inej knew deep down he was just as excited as she was.
"Right this way, your majesties," Kaz, saints was that actually a smile on his lips, gestured with his cane, breaking out in a long, confident stride that always never failed to surprise people, considering his obviously crippled leg. And so the King and Queen of the Barrel led the King and Queen of Ravka through the winding streets of Ketterdam, drawing disbelieving looks all the way to the grand merchant's building.
It seemed that a new era could just very well be beginning.