Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Waffles were, in Nina’s opinion, a Saints given gift to humanity. She didn’t know who did what to earn such a blessing, but boy was she grateful. 

She moaned dramatically around her next bite, enjoying the look of conflicting happiness and disgust on Matthias’s face across from her. They were seated at one of the nicer restaurants in the East Stave, talking, people watching, and most importantly eating the glorious meal before them. She was making a mess of herself, dripping syrup down her chin and onto her new blouse. Matthias normally would have told her off for it, but for the past year he’d been so happy to see her appetite return after her scare with Parem that he never once complained about her eating habits. It was wonderful to watch him force himself to keep quiet while she acted completely improperly. 

“Are you going to eat that?” she asked with a full mouth, pointing at the last of three waffles that had originally been on the boy’s plate. He gave a small smile.

“No, Nina. You can have it.” 

“I may have it, you mean,” she said, giggling as she reached across the table to transfer it from his place to hers. His brow crumpled in confusion, it was obvious that the school teachers in Fjerda didn’t insist on that distinction. 

They hadn’t been back to Fjerda since the Ice Court. She and Matthias had, however, spent several months in Ravka visiting the little palace and seeing her old friends before returning home to Ketterdam. Their original plan had been to stay there for the foreseeable future, but they had come back after barely any time at all. She’d missed their crew the moment they set sail, and couldn’t imagine leaving them for longer than they had those months ago.

“Matthias,” she said, deciding she had waited long enough to have this conversation. “I don’t want to go back to Ravka.” He stared at her like she had gone mad, obviously shocked by the sudden change in tone. 

“You don’t?” 

“No,” she replied decisively and pointedly looked away from his face to focus on her waffles. 

“But… that was the plan. We finished with the crew, then we went to Ravka. I know we’ve spent longer here than intended, but wasn’t that what you wanted, little bird? To go home?” 

“I am home, Matthias! Home for me, it isn’t a place anymore. Not Ravka, not Ketterdam, not anywhere! You’re my home. Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, they’re my home. Home is where your family is, and I have found my own family here. And that is where I want to stay.” Her voice was firm, but her hand quivered. What if Matthias didn’t want to stay? What if he left her here? Would she follow him?

After pausing for a moment, staring at her like she was an indecipherable puzzle, Matthias heaved a breath. “Thank Djell.” 

“I’m sorry?” 

“I will do anything you wish of me, Nina Zenik. But I was hoping and praying that we would not have to leave this city. I have made… friends here. I have loved you here. I did not wish to leave.” 

Nina barked a laugh. This would only happen to them. Both saying they wanted to leave, but both hoping they never had to. 

“Then it’s decided, Druskelle ,” she said with a smile. “We stay in Ketterdam. Our home.” She held out a hand across the table for Matthias to shake. 

“It’s decided.” He shook her hand, smiling as well. 

They finished their meal in peaceful silence, only interrupted by the continuation of a game they had made up where they would try and guess the lives of passers by. 

It was good. 

They were home. 

Several hours later, Nina was lounging at the bar in the Crow Club, nursing a mug of beer and talking up a pigeon. He was unsure about continuing his time at the tables after a big loss, and Nina made sure to tell him all about the time she had come back big after a losing streak the size of Ravka. Soon after she had sent him back to tables, Kaz swept into the crowded room, crow’s headed cane tapping a harsh pattern into the warped floor as his eyes dissected the club. He found her and immediately strode her way. 

“Nina,” he ground, voice hoarse as always, “tell Wylan I need to speak with him when he gets in. He’s in a Mercher meeting, should be by in half an hour.” 

“Sure thing boss,” she drawled, “Are these family matters or just business?” He glared. “Right, right, sorry.” She held up her hands in mock surrender. “Is he in trouble?” 

“Should he be?”

“Wow, protective father looks good on you. What are you gonna do next, raise his allowance? Get him a puppy?” The glare deepened. Nina wasn’t fazed.

“Jesper got him a dog for his birthday. And no, he’s not in trouble. It’s about the Troshani job.”

“ Really ?” She leaned forward, intrigued. “What about it?” 

“That’s for me to know,” he smirked, “and you to find out.” With that, he turned and strode towards the staircase that led to his office. 

“Damn you, Kaz Brekker!” She called after him, not caring about the odd looks it earned her. “Damn you and your son!” 

She could’ve sworn she saw him smile as he disappeared up the stairs, but it was highly unlikely. Kaz did not genuinely smile under any circumstances, barring those involving Inej and Kruge. Or, it seemed to be, Wylan .

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, barely ten minutes later the merchling himself entered the club similarly to how Kaz did, head held high and posture radiating confidence. 

This past year had dramatically changed Wylan Van Eck in ways nobody had seen coming. Gone was the timid boy who first set sail for Fjerda, and in his place was a brave young man, who commanded Merchers and barrel thugs alike to do his bidding. Ever since that last job where Jan Van Eck had been locked away, Wylan had become the person that Nina thought fit him better than that boy he had been. He spoke with confidence to rival Kaz, but still held the kindness and a small amount of innocence in his heart, reminiscent of his childhood. 

These days, he had two separate identities: the mysterious boy who had become Dirtyhands’ right hand man, and the young Mercher who had replaced his lunatic father on the council. Surprisingly, only the few people close to him had figured it out. 

“Nina!” he called, his face bright. That, at least, had remained the same. “How was your date with Matthias? Was the food good? Jesper and I were thinking of going there for brunch next Sunday.” 

“Oh, it was delicious. Matthias still hasn’t commented on how I eat, but I think I’m getting close. Messy porridge might do the trick.”

“Yes, I would think so. Maybe chocolate cake?”

“Oooh, that’s a great idea, Wy. How was the meeting?” He groaned and flopped onto the stool beside her. 

“Boring as ever. I’m starting to regret taking over for my father, I much prefer my work in the Barrel. You will not believe the amount of paperwork I have to go over, and it takes twice as long with Jesper reading to me! Do you know any good tailors? Maybe I can pay one of the boys on the streets to take over for me. None of those old fools listen to me anyway, I only get what I want by working behind the scenes.” 

It was true. Nina had recently learned that through some… less than legal action and convincing of Merchers, Wylan had successfully fixed many of the problems plaguing the city, the Barrel in particular. Gone were the days of thousands of beggars rotting on the streets. There were still some, of course, but beneath Wylan’s control, the city had greatly improved.

“I’m sure there’s someone out there who can help you. In the meantime, daddy’s calling.” He gave her a blank look. “God, you’re no fun. Kaz wants you, he’s in his office.” 

Wylan, finally understanding the joke, scoffed at her. He did, however, immediately stand up and head for the stairs. She could’ve sworn she heard “ you call Kaz ‘dad’ one time! ” trailing over his shoulder.

 She laughed at him as she saw the way the room parted for him like the sea did for a tidemaker. 

Just the way it did for Kaz. 

Chapter Text

Wylan still didn’t understand why people had started treating him differently. One minute half of the Barrel was trying to pick his pocket, and the next beggar boys were scrambling out of his path like he was some kind of terrifying monster. Like he was Kaz.

For example, there was a gang member just outside of Kaz’s office door when he approached, obviously about to knock. However, the second he caught sight of Wylan emerging from the staircase, he flushed, nodded his head, and rushed back downstairs, giving Wylan a wide berth. 

What the hell? These things had been happening for nearly the past six months, and honestly, Wylan was more confused than annoyed. It was actually kind of nice, not being seen as some useless pigeon anymore. 

He wasn’t. He knew that. Kaz had promoted him to be his right hand man after Inej set sail and Jesper kindly declined the offer. Wylan had been doing small jobs and ordering around the Crows for the past year, but he still couldn’t quite convince himself that he was a true Crow. He was just… Wylan . A kid who had the good fortune of being picked up off the streets by Kaz Brekkar and managed to prove himself using dumb luck and a lot of gunpowder. It didn’t make sense, honestly, that Kaz kept him around after the events with the Merchant Council last year, when they almost lost Matthias. He wasn’t very useful anymore, and no one had ever described Kaz as the compassionate type. 

You can worry about that later, he told himself, Kaz needs you right now. And not even his inner circle dares to keep him waiting. 

He raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he even could, Kaz called out to him. “Come in, Wylan.” 

Of course he already knows I’m here. He did as told and took a seat in the rickety wooden chair across from Kaz, who was seated behind his desk. Nina and Jesper had a theory that Kaz had intentionally found the most uncomfortable chair in Ketterdam just to torture whoever dared to enter his office. 

“Nina said you needed me?”

“Yes,” Kaz drawled. “We have a job coming up.” 

“Councilman Troshani, right? You haven’t told us much.” 

“That’s right. I was waiting for Inej to get back, we’ll need her for this one.” He was probably right. Wylan had intel on all of the important Ketterdam officials, and Troshani kept his home heavily guarded and locked up tight. 

“Well, she’s back now. When’s the heist?” Wylan assumed it would be a heist. Few jobs were hard enough that they needed the Wraith to succeed, and that meant it would most likely be a heist. Also, Kaz really liked his heists. 

“Good guess.” It wasn’t a guess. “And I don’t know.”

Wait.

What?

“You don’t know? You always know! You’re Kaz Brekkar, you’re supposed to know everything down to the shoelaces on your mark’s feet when you plan a job!” Wylan complained, exasperated. Kaz was playing his games again, and Wylan was over it. 

“Well, you see, that’s the thing. I’m not planning this job.” Kaz’s smile was cool and collected. 

“You’re not? Then who is?” Kaz was not the type to give up control. No, let him rephrase. Kaz never gave up control. 

“You are.” 

“I’m sorry?”

“I said you are . I’ve decided to give you complete control of the Troshani job. Don’t let me down.” 

I’m sorry. WHAT? Kaz never lets me take control! He never lets anyone! Hell, the only person I’ve ever seen order him around is Inej, and she doesn’t even do it during a job. What the hell is he playing at? I’m not able to do this! I’m just the demo guy! 

“I’m in charge of the Troshani job.” Wylan kept his face composed, but he doubted Kaz couldn’t see the turmoil going on inside. 

“Yes, you are.” 

“Okay then. I’m going to need all the information you have. I don’t even know why we’re doing this.” Wylan did what he always did in stressful situations where he needed to stay calm. He acted like Kaz. 

“Now you’re asking the right questions.” Kaz smirked at him and pushed the file sitting in front of him across the table. “The mark is Hadon Troshani, husband of Ralph Troshani, father of a girl and a boy. For the past six months, he’s been smuggling large amounts of Jurda and several enslaved Grisha to his home in Ketterdam. Based on other evidence, we have reason to believe he is attempting to recreate Jurda Parem, and he might have some of the remaining substances made by Bo Yul-Bayur. As of yet, we do not believe he has been successful, but in the past month, those shipments have increased dramatically. He’s close, and we need to take him out of the game.”  

Wylan nodded, dissecting the information.

“Do we need to kill him?” he asked calmly. He really didn’t want to kill anybody, but he would if necessary. You had to, when you lived in the Barrel. 

“No. Unless he had already created the drug and memorized the formula, as long as we can get rid of it, we should be able to leave him alive. Wouldn’t want to cause too much of a stir.” 

“Right. So why did you decide to put me in charge of something this important?” 

“Because you can do it, and I want to see how you work under this kind of pressure.” Thanks for the vote of confidence Kaz, but I think you’re placing your bets on the wrong horse. 

“Right. Of course. Why wouldn’t you. Is that all?” 

“Yes. Take the file, let the others know when our first meeting to plan is. I’m putting my trust in you, Wylan. Don’t let me down.” 

Well isn’t that just great.

Wylan nodded and headed out the door, ready to just go home and sleep . He needed it. He gave Nina a tight smile on his way out, but she didn’t seem to notice as Inej had arrived and they were deep in conversation. He pushed open the heavy doors and headed home. 

Jesper was not being helpful. 

“But this is great! Kaz actually thinks you can do this, do you have any idea how much that means he trusts you?” 

Wylan groaned and dropped his head in his hands. They were sitting at the dinner table in his childhood home, which they had made their own. Jesper was snacking on some grapes, but Wylan was too anxious to eat.

“But that’s the problem! I can’t do this! I don’t know how! Kaz always takes charge on these things, I wouldn’t even know where to start. And if I fail him…” he trailed off, prepared to drown in his misery. 

“Wylan, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You’ve been working with Kaz for nearly two years now, and he’s basically been training you to be the next him. People are legitimately starting to think you’re his son. You know how to do this.” Jesper popped a grape in his mouth. 

“No I don’t! And--wait! People actually think I’m his son?” 

“Uh, yeah . You act more and more like him by the day. You’re basically a smaller, more handsome, redheaded version of him at this point.” What?!

“That’s--you know what, we can talk about how wrong you are later. I still don’t think I can do this.” 

“Okay, calm down, let’s take this one step at a time. You have to break into this man’s house and steal something. What’s the first thing you do when you need to break in somewhere?” He stopped eating and looked imploringly at Wylan, elbows resting on the hard oak as he leaned forward. 

“You research and scope out the place, that’s common knowledge.” Wylan sighed.

“Did you know that two years ago?”

“...No.”

“And what do you do next?”

“Give everyone specific jobs and make backup plans because something always goes wrong.” 

“Do you think any of the new Crows know to do that?”

“I mean…”

“See? Wy, if you know the first steps, then you can just keep going from there. And hey, if you need help, there are five people just waiting to give it to you.” Jesper smiled at him, his dark eyes twinkling from beneath his bowler hat. 

“Okay, you might have a point.” 

“I’m always right, it’s part of my charm,” Jesper laughed lightly and leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the table. Wylan had long-since given up trying to stop him. 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Wylan chuckled. Jesper gasped and brought a hand to his chest in mock disbelief. 

“Wow, I can’t believe you’ve done this! My love, you hurt me so!” Wylan laughed louder and stood. It was getting late and he’d had a long day, to say the least. It would probably be best to get to sleep early. 

“Deepest apologies, dear. Come up to bed soon?” He pecked Jesper on the lips as he passed. 

“Let me finish my grapes,” Jesper smirked. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t dare take you away from your grapes. Love you!” he called over his shoulder.

“Love you too, Van Sunshine!” They both laughed at the old joke. 

Wylan didn’t feel completely better, but maybe, just maybe, he could pull this off.

Chapter Text

For the past few months, Jesper’s job had essentially added up to arm candy with excellent aim. He loved every second of it. 

Don’t get him wrong, he was still a badass Grisha sharpshooter who could beat you in cards any day(not that he played with anyone other than the Crows these days, Wylan had made sure of that), but he’d gotten a nice break from that lately. A nice break where all he had to do was go with Wylan to meetings, sit there, and look pretty. Boy, was it fun. 

There was another reason he liked it so much, though. Sure, rest and relaxation was all good and fun but Wylan in action? That was the good stuff. From arguing with Merchers to ordering around the Dregs, Jesper could sit and watch him all day. Along with the less than… innocent reasons that came along with that, he was just so proud of him. He knew everyone was saying how much Wylan had changed over the past year, but he wasn’t sure if anyone could comprehend just how far the boy had come. 

And now he was in charge of an entire heist ! Jepser couldn’t wait. 

Unfortunately, that also resulted in a cold bed. Because for some strange reason, Wylan had decided he needed to wake up at crazy o’ clock in the morning to get planning, leaving Jesper alone and cold without his personal heater. When he discovered this, he harrumphed and flopped dramatically back on the bed, despite there being no one in the room. He was a drama queen, sue him. 

Eventually, at a more reasonable hour of eight o’ clock (Wylan was a weird early bird and Jesper had too much energy to stay in bed that long), he went in search of Wylan. And boy was it a sight. 

When they’d moved into the Van Eck house, some redecorating had been in order. From Van Eck’s questionable decorating choices (seriously, who owns a DeKappel these days?) to some less than fond memories from Wylan’s childhood (Jesper had once taken a sledgehammer to a room after he found out what happened there. No regrets), and their… unique lifestyle, the house had undergone some big changes. Gone were all of the things Jan even mildly enjoyed. Carpeting, paint colors, furniture, and even light fixtures had all been redone. The house was now sleek, modern, and had certain rooms for things both of them loved.

There was a painting room, just for Wylan’s mother. She was in the countryside at the moment, she’d missed it there, but most of the time she stayed with them and loved painting just about anything. Jesper even had a framed painting of his beloved revolvers hanging in their bedroom thanks to her. 

Wylan had installed a shooting range out back, just for Jesper as a birthday gift, and there was a chemistry lab, music room, and little gambling room(for when the Crows came over and they decided to play). 

And finally, there was what they had dubbed the “crime room.” Who doesn’t love a good crime room?

Basically, it was a hidden room where they did all of their less than legal business, so when they had business men over it wouldn’t attract suspicion. Jesper was pretty sure most of the Merchers had figured out who they were by now(even those who weren’t there when Wylan had his standoff with his father), but as long as they didn’t complain and the Barrel didn’t know, then who gave a crap? Definitely not Jesper. 

The walls of the room were almost entirely covered in cork board to pin things to, there was a large table in the center, and cabinets were filled with files and blackmail information to be used for future use. It would be a real mess if anyone managed to get in, but the whole crew had worked together to design it, so that was a very small chance. One would even say impossible. 

That was where Jesper found Wylan. 

The boy looked… well he looked like a mess. He hadn’t gotten ready for the day yet, so the sight that greeted Jesper when he entered the room was of Wylan, curls unrulier than normal and pajamas ruffled, perched in the center of the large oak table with paper spread out around him. Wylan obviously couldn’t write much, so his notes were all in sketches and things labeled with one or two words, each sheet numbered. It obviously made sense to Wylan, if the frantic way he worked was anything to go by, but it all looked like gibberish to Jesper.

Maybe this is how he feels when he looks at writing , Jesper mused. I can see why it annoys him so much . 

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Jesper asked, leaning against the doorframe. 

“Huh?” His boyfriend’s head shot up to look at him. 

“You’re still freaking out, aren’t you.” It was more a statement than a question. 

“No, I’d say I’m approaching this with a healthy level of concern. Kaz always makes everything go perfectly, so I have to do the same. Which means planning, planning, and more planning. Did you know that the weather patterns lately mean it might rain the night of the job? Should part of my plan rely on lightning? Would that be too risky? What if I plan for rain and the job gets messed up because it doesn’t? What if I don’t and the job gets messed up because it does! Shoot, I need to research wind!” He scrambled off the table leaving a flurry of papers in his wake, but Jesper stopped him in his rush to scour the library. 

“Hey, calm down,” Jesper said in a low voice. 

“What? Jes, let me go!” He struggled. “The wind could be a problem, and I need to solve it!” 

“First of all, the wind is not a problem. Kaz never thinks about the wind, unless he plans on putting Inej on a high wire. Are you going to put Inej on a high wire?” He raises his eyebrows at him. 

“I might !” 

“No, you won’t. Because we both know Kaz would kill you, and he’s not as emotionally constipated anymore, so he would actually admit why. But first, you’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t calm down . Does Kaz freak out before a heist?” 

“ No , but I’m not Kaz! I’m me! And honestly, I think I deserve a good freak out.” Wylan crossed his arms petulantly. 

“You’re not wrong there, but maybe save it for after the job? You’ve got this, Wy. We’ve been over this. So where are you stuck?” 

“I’m not stuck, I’m thinking about weather patterns.”

“You’re stuck. There’s something bigger that you can’t figure out, and you’re deflecting from it. Tell me.” By this time, Jesper knew Wylan well enough to know exactly how his brain was working. 

The boy rolled his eyes, but complied and turned back to the table. 

“It’s Nina and me. I decided we should go in teams of two, but I can’t decide where to put the two of us. Nina’s supposed to go in the front, but I also need her to take out guards with Kaz. I suppose I could go in her place so she could help him, but I don’t think I look enough like her to flirt my way past a couple dozen guards.” 

“You could flirt your way past me any day,” Jesper winked. 

“ Jes .” 

Okay, okay. Let’s think about a different approach. Is there another way to get past the guards without flirting? Sneaking around?” Jesper smiled at him, happy to see Wylan calming down and back into his real planning mode, as well as proud of himself for helping. 

“No, only Inej would be able to--” Wylan cut himself off as his eyes went wide. “Oh! Oh, that’s brilliant!” He jumped in the air. 

“Really?” Jesper was not ashamed to say he squealed. He’s still a masculine, badass man. Just one who squeals on occasion. 

“No, your idea was stupid,” Wylan ignores his with a wave of his hand. Well okay then. More like Kaz every day . “But I’ve got something. Oh, I need to get this down!” 

He scrambled for a blank sheet of paper, hurriedly scribbling his musings down in the form of what looked like a deformed dog and what could’ve been a house. Honestly, one would think an artist would be better at sketching. 

“Well, I’ll leave you to it then,” Jesper says, only a little dejectedly. Wylan acknowledged him with a bob of the head and Jesper left the room with a grumble. More like Kaz every day was right. 

Four hours later, he was having lunch with Inej at the Crow Club. Kaz wasn’t around--surprisingly--so he got Inej all to himself. It was, naturally, waffles and coffee, which Jesper knew Wylan would reprimand him for later when he was bouncing off the walls. 

“How’s Wylan’s mom been lately?” she asked, looking across the table with soft eyes. “I heard about her breakdown a few months ago, is she getting better?” Jesper nodded, remembering the incident that Spring when Marya had been convinced she was back with Jan, trapped and abused in that house. It was one of the main reasons she was staying in the country now, nowhere near the house that had probably been worse to her than it had to Wylan. 

“Yes, much better. She’s down south, has been since a couple weeks after. Wylan misses her, of course, but we go and visit her every other weekend. She’s enjoying painting the countryside.” He sipped his coffee, enjoying the buzz it gave him. 

“That’s good. And you? How are the two of you doing?” 

“What do you mean?”

“Relationship-wise, I guess. With the whole Kuwei thing, escaping certain death, and putting his father in prison blocking you two, you never really had time to sort out what you are to each other before I left. So tell me… everything.” She leaned back and smiled comfortably. Happily. 

“Well, I’d say we slid right through the honeymoon phase about a week after we got together and have been stuck in the ‘bickering like an old married couple’ phase ever since. It’s great, though, honestly. I love him, he loves me, and we tell each other as much. We make each other happy, isn’t that all that matters?” 

She smiled wider, happy for them. 

“Now the real question,” he said, “is how you and Kaz are doing. That boy's mouth has been a steel trap, so I’m gonna need all the details from you. Go on. Spill!” he laughed along with his friend as her cool facade cracked at his antics. Out of the Crows, her, Jesper, and Kaz had known each other the longest. Despite how close she was with Nina and his relationship with Wylan (that was not only love but friendship), they were each other’s best friends. And boy, did it feel good to have her back. 

As she opened her mouth to speak, hopefully about Kaz, they were interrupted. A small boy, who couldn't have been more than twelve, hurried nervously up to their table. Must be a new runner, Jesper noted. Kaz and Wylan can’t help but take pity and get the young ones off the street.  

“Sir, Ma’am,” he nodded at them each respectively. “Boss says ‘e needs your presence at meetin’ room twelve, don’t know what that means but ‘e said it was impor’ant. Said startin’ ‘round thirteen bells, ‘e did.” 

Jesper nodded to the boy, sent him off with a tip (having money was fun! ) and shared a look with Inej before heading out the door. Meeting room twelve was the one in their house, where Wylan had been holed up this morning. Jesper supposed he was finally ready to explain the plan. 

It was strange to have the meeting in their house instead of the Slat. Normally, Kaz called the meeting. He arranged their knowledge of the heist, where they would meet, what they would talk about, and when it would be. This time, Wylan was in charge. Things were a little different. 

For example, when the four others entered the room (Jesper assumed Kaz was already in there) the table was clear of the wreck it had been hours earlier. It was actually completely empty except for a folder in front of each of the six seats around the table. Giving them the information written down was something Kaz never did. 

Wylan stood at the head of the table, cool as a cucumber compared to earlier (why was the term cool as a cucumber? What makes cucumbers so cool? Is it talking about temperature or popularity? Jesper often pondered these important questions in life). Kaz was beside him, looking the exact same as always. Literally, did that boy even age ? It just seemed like he got more scars. 

“Have a seat, everyone,” Kaz said. They all complied, of course, and watched the two expectantly. 

“What do you have for us, Kaz?” Inej asked. 

“Actually,” he explained, “I’m not in charge today. Wylan is.” He swept his arm dramatically to the boy beside him and took his seat to the right. Fitting, that Wylan had been his right hand man, and now Kaz was taking that mantle for himself. 

“Wylan?” Matthias asked, incredulous. Nina looked confused beside him. 

“Yes,” the youngest in the room said confidently. “Kaz gave me control of this heist, and I’ve been planning all morning. That okay with everyone?” His voice was defensive. 

“Congratulations, Wy,” Inej smiled at him kindly. “I’m sure you’ll do great. What’s the job?” 

“Councilman Troshani. You’ve heard of him?” Wylan began. 

“Yeah, the only Mercher with a husband. I always thought he was a good guy,” Jesper remarked. “Good for a Mercher, anyway.”

“I thought so too. Unfortunately, it looks like he’s taken a turn for the worse. Hadon Troshani has been taking in large amounts of Jurda over the last half a year, and Kaz has been suspicious of him for a while. By now, we’re almost certain he’s trying to recreate Jurda Parem. And in the past few weeks, he’s been getting close. We need to get him out of the running, similar to the Laurens job and the Holdman one. Got it?” 

“Holy Saints above,” Nina whispered. “Scheming face.” 

“Definitely,” Inej and Jesper said in sync. Kaz smirked. Matthias, as always, looked confused. What else is new? Jesper mused. 

“Okay, okay,” Wylan smiled. Still Van Sunshine, no matter his resemblance to Kaz. “The folders in front of you have all the information you’ll need.” They all opened them to see papers covered in Kaz’s scratchy handwriting. So that’s what he was doing all morning, Jesper realized. Playing scribe . That’s my job!  

“Alright everyone,” Wylan smirked. “Let’s get to work.” 

Chapter Text

Inej was not claustrophobic. She wasn’t! She could handle being in tight spaces for a job, she was able to do whatever it took to pull something off. But when she was curled up in a ball and shoved into a cart while Nina took far too long than was necessary to flirt her way past a guard… well. She wasn’t very happy. 

 Unfortunately, she couldn’t voice this opinion without giving them away, so she made due by giving Nina a sharp pinch on the ankle. The Grisha girl jumped a little and Inej could practically hear the inquisitive look the guard was giving her. 

“Sorry, my feet are sore from walking all day. Please, sir,” she purred, “It’s my first day here and I really need to get this into the kitchens. Just this once?” Inej imagined Nina batting her eyelids and licking her lips like she did when she was trying to rile up Matthias. 

“Oh… alright,” he said. “Just this once.” 

Nina got back behind the cart and wheeled Inej inside. They traveled through the very house they would rob the next night and quickly ducked into a closet to change. In as maids, out as scientists. 

Once Inej had unraveled herself and stretched her sore limbs, they both donned fine clothing and lab coats, courtesy of Wylan’s impressive funds and Kaz’s impressive connections. 

Jesper and Kaz were somewhere in the building, disguised as a butler and a guard, respectively. Inej actually didn’t know what they were doing, as it seemed Wylan had inherited Kaz’s trait of only giving out information on a need-to-know basis. 

Once they were changed, she and Nina headed out the door and straight for the lab. Inej hadn’t been the only thing hidden in the cart, she’d also been packing a healthy number of explosives thanks to Wylan. Nina unraveled the map he had given her and Inej began unloading herself of the bombs and placing them where the map said. 

“So…” Inej started, “Have you talked with Matthias yet?” Nina smiled at her excitedly. 

“Yes! We’re staying!” 

“Really?”

“Really!” They were both obviously overjoyed by the news. 

“Oh, yay! I’m so happy, we would have missed you terribly,” Inej cheered. 

“You’re one to talk, Miss ‘leaves for two months to hunt slavers then only comes back for a few weeks.’” 

“Hey, I’m staying for a long time now! And I intend to keep it that way. I have two loves, the Wraith and Ketterdam, and I will split my time between them equally.” 

Nina laughed.

“Yeah, Ketterdam .”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Inej asked, offended, as she placed a charge under a table. 

“I’m just saying that if Kaz went with you on that ship, you’d have no reason to come back here,” Nina smirked at her. 

“That may be partially true, but Kaz isn’t the only one I love here. You, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan are here as well. I would never leave you forever.” 

Nina blushed and smiled warmly at her. Inej smiled back. 

They finished placing the bombs, and headed out the door (Inej was thankfully out of the cart now). 

“You know, that might be the first time a mission has ever gone completely perfectly,” Nina remarked. “We should do this more often.” 

“You’re right. The life of crime is almost fun when we don't die every five minutes,” Inej laughed with her friend. 

“I don’t know, I like the danger,” Jesper remarked as he and Kaz fell into step with the pair. Maybe it looked strange for a guard, a butler, and two scientists to be exiting the manor as a group, but their job had been done. Inej wasn’t inclined to care about what people thought of her in general, let alone when playing a character. 

“Did you get everything done?” Kaz asked. 

“Yep! Any chance you lovely boys will tell us what it was you were doing?” Nina smirked. Jesper brought a hand to his chest. 

“You really believe I would betray my dear Van Sunshine’s trust?! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your family, dishonor on your cow!” he exclaimed. Nina looked affronted. 

“First of all, I don’t have a cow. And second, you all are my family! You just wished dishonor on yourself!” Jesper and Inej both smiled widely, and Inej could’ve sworn that she saw a blush color Kaz’s pale face. 

Maybe miracles really do happen.

The group shed their costumes a little farther away from the manor and returned to their original outfits, all far more expensive versions of those that they had worn back before the Ice Court. Nina wore flowing purple silks that never failed to catch passers by attention. Kaz wore a tailored black suit (that Inej could’ve sworn was a present from Wylan), and Jepser was in a brightly colored green and orange suit. Inej was the only one still in her old clothes, as they were far more worn in and useful for sneaking. 

And okay, she might have been a little nostalgic for those early days. 

Wylan and Matthias were waiting for them in the Slat. The youngest of the group had completely taken over one of the private rooms with his planning, and Inej found Matthias standing guard outside. Nina stopped to talk with him--Inej was almost certain it had nothing to do with the heist--while Inej and the other boys passed him to join Wylan. 

Both Kaz and Jesper went to stand by Wylan’s side. Inej noticed that only Kaz was interested in the plans laid before them; Jesper was just staring at Wylan as he worked. 

Scheming face.  

Finally, Jesper looked away from the ray of scheming sunshine that was Wylan Van Eck to examine the future of the heist. 

“I’m gonna be honest, Wy,” he said after staring at the table and the walls around them for a full minute. “I have no clue what any of this means. I think you’ve invented your own language.” 

Wylan laughed, then began to explain as he pointed at the different papers spread around the room. 

“Well, I’ve set it up in a chronological order with most likely to least likely progressing forward across the table. Starting on that wall,” he pointed at the wall to his left, “with the jobs you finished today, and going to that wall,” he pointed to his right, “with the plans for afterwards where we prevent us getting arrested for any of this. And that wall,” he pointed forward, “is for the most likely things to go wrong. Extra guards, a Grisha on staff, Parem already being produced. Whereas this wall,” he pointed at the barest wall in the room behind him, “is for the least likely scenarios. The Fjerdans finding out and trying to steal it on the same night, Troshani secretly being a Grisha himself, the Parem actually being produced somewhere else, etc.” 

Jesper and Inej stared at Wylan in shock, and even Kaz’s eyes widened fractionally. 

“Um…” Wylan looked around at them. “I realize now that I may have gone a little overboard.” 

“No, this is… amazing,” Inej marveled. “Kaz, he may run you out of your job.” Kaz smirked at her like he was saying ‘ as if .’ 

The leader of the crew stood and looked at Wylan. 

“Good job.” And then, as if that wasn’t insane enough, he patted him on the back . And then he left. 

The three left in the room watched him go, shook. 

“Did that just happen?” Jesper broke the silence thirty seconds later. “ Did that just happen!? ” 

“I think it did.” Wylan was still frozen. “Oh my Saints he told me good job .”

“He patted your back!” Inej exclaimed. “He doesn’t touch people. He doesn’t do it! What is happening?” 

“I have… no idea. Is that the real Kaz? Is there an imposter in the crew?” Everyone was completely bewildered. They stood for what must have been for several minutes, all lost in thought about the enigma that was Kaz Brekker. 

“Okay, you know what, we need to move past this shocking revelation, and I have just the thing,” Jesper eventually said. “Wy, I think we really need something extra special for this heist.” 

“For the last time, Jesper, I’m not going to put glitter in my bombs--”

“No, not that. I think we need… a goat .”

Inej groaned and Wylan looked at him in confusion.

“A goat?” 

“A goat.”

“And why would we need a goat?” Obviously, Wylan hadn’t had the privilege of learning about Milo. 

“The real question is why wouldn’t we need a goat.” 

“Jesper--” Inej started, but Jesper cut her off. 

“No, listen! Goats are great, they eat everything, they’re super soft, and you heard what Mal said after we rescued them! Milo saved his life!” Inej had heard this story one too many times. 

“Who’s Milo?” interrupted Wylan. 

“ I haven’t told you about Milo! ” Jesper gasped, obviously disgusted with himself. “He was the one true love of my life--other than you of course,” he said after a sharp look from Wylan. “He made our trip across the Fold possible, he saved the life of Mal, Sankta Alina’s best friend, and we lost him in the process. I can only wonder what his life is now, probably traveling the world, saving the lives of more lowley sharpshooters. He’ll remember me longingly, wondering if we shall ever meet again.” 

As Jesper continued to monologue, Inej sidled up to Wylan. 

“He talked about that goat for hours on end on the trip back from Ravka, I can’t believe you hadn’t heard about him before.”

“To be fair, I probably have. Jesper tends to talk… a lot. Sometimes I tune out and let him keep going without paying attention.” Most of the crew did the same. “So, do you know what that thing with Kaz was about?” 

“I know he’s gotten a lot better with his emotions since last year,” she replied. 

“Because of you.”

“I guess. I think that was him… trying. To be better for all of us, but especially you. You know he sees you in a paternal sense, so it’s understandable that he would start with you.”

Wylan flushed, obviously pleased. He’d talked with Kaz about their relationship before, but it always made him happy to hear someone else talk about them. 

“Could you tell him it made me happy, for him to say that?” he asked hesitantly. 

Saints, boys. Why can’t they just be upfront about their emotions for once? I need to spend more time with Nina.

“Sure, I’ll tell him. Now, what do you need us to do next?” 

“Right! Jesper, get over here!” 

As Wylan walked them through the next step of the plan, Inej couldn’t help but muse that he might actually end up better at this than Kaz, no matter how much she’d been joking earlier. Wylan had skills, and Inej was happy that he was finally confident enough in himself to use them.

Chapter Text

The rain left Matthias chilled to the bone. Yes, he was used to the cold from Fjerda, but not the wet kind of cold. He and Wylan crouched behind a tree, just at the edge of the Troshani property, getting steadily dripped on. Looking around, he caught Nina’s foot disappearing behind a tree in one direction, and Jesper’s in another. 

Wylan, similar to Kaz, was cagey with the information he gave them, but Matthias knew this much: he and Wylan were the distraction, blowing up the guard house, while Inej and Jesper would sneak in the back door to steal the formula. Kaz and Nina would enter through the side as backup. If everything went as planned, Matthias would never even see the inside of the house. 

Wylan tapped his shoulder, pointing to his watch then holding up a hand. Five minutes. 

Everything was quiet, save for the steading drops of rain. Matthias watched the guards in their rotations, moving exactly as Wylan had predicted. 

Three minutes.

He hoped Nina would be alright. She’d certainly improved over the last year, her appetite returning (in a disgusting way), but he doubted she’d ever reach where she’d been before. None of them would. 

That didn’t have to be a bad thing. Matthias had definitely improved for the better. He hated to think back on the cruel, prejudiced, stupid boy he’d been before. Kaz was getting less “emotionally constipated” as Nina put it, Jesper was happier and gambling less, Inej was on a path towards righteous revenge, and Wylan was obviously doing pretty well. Nina, as much as she suffered with Parem, had grown stronger. She was already the strongest person he knew, but now she was powerful not only in magic, but in spirit. He would never say it aloud, but he was in awe of her soul everyday. 

One minute.  

Wylan was practically vibrating beside him. Matthias imagined it was a combination of nerves, excitement, and anticipation. Matthias, as much as he resented the Demjin , had to admit that the feats Kaz pulled off were spectacular. He would be a hard act to follow. The boy held up his hand again. 

Thirty seconds.

Slowly, slowly, they crept out from their hiding spot. The guard had just finished his third walk; if everything went as planned, he wouldn’t patrol again for another five minutes. Matthias held his leather bag carefully, and they made their way to the closest guard post. He turned so that Wylan could reach inside and pull out the first explosive. Methodically, they made their way to each of the three guard posts, laying explosives and connecting them to one fuse. 

Wylan had explained to him earlier. 

“Once we connect them all, they’ll all blow at the same time, leading to more confusing. That will be when the other four sneak in.” 

Wylan held the end of the completed fuse in his hand, and pulled out a lighter. He clicked it once. It didn’t light. 

“One minute until the guard patrols,” Matthias whispered, “hurry up.” 

“I’m trying!” Wylan clicked the lighter again, producing a spark that was quickly doused by the flame. “Shit, this rain is messing with it!” 

Matthias held out a hand over the lighter, hoping to block the rain. Finally, the lighter successfully lit. Carefully, they brought it down to the fuse and lit it. The spark began to run but fizzled out within seconds. 

“The fuse is wet, it’s not going to work!” 

This wouldn’t have happened with Kaz, Matthias grumbled in his mind. 

“What do we do?” he asked. 

“Shit, I don’t know!” 

A light fell on them. In sync, they looked up into the snarling face of a Stadwatch officer. 

“Well, well, well, what do we have here,” he grinned.

Chapter Text

“So, Kaz,” Nina whispered to the grumpy boy beside her, “how does giving up power feel? Relieving? Excruciating? Cathartic?”

“Fine.” Kaz didn’t even look her way. 

“Come on, you have to give me more than that! This is a big thing for you!” Nina knew better than to touch him in anyway, but she did lean a bit closer. He, of course, leaned further away. 

“Focus on the job.”

“You and I both know that we’re gonna be sitting here for at least another ten minutes. Can we at least chat about something?”

Silence. 

“ Kaaaaaaz,” she whined. 

He groaned. “Fine. Nothing about the job or my emotions, though.” 

“Well that’s no fun! Can we talk about Inej?”

He cut her a sharp look. “That involves my emotions.”

“Aha!” Nina stuck a finger in the air, “so you admit you have feelings for her!” 

Kaz just hung his head. Obviously she was far too smart for him to combat. 

“How are things with Matthias?” he asked eventually. 

She rolled her eyes. Classic deflection, but she let him get a away with it. “Alright. We’ve decided to stay here for the time being. Ketterdam feels more like home than Ravka these days.” 

For a second, Nina could’ve sworn she saw a smile cross Kaz’s face. It must’ve been a trick of the light. 

“Good. You’re useful on the crew.” 

“Thanks.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice. “Any big jobs coming up?”

He shrugged. “Not much, other than this.” He was quiet for a minute, as if debating something in his head. “Might take a week or two off, do some traveling.” 

What. The. Hell. 

“Holy shit are you okay?” 

“What?” He swung his head around to look at her. 

“You just said you might take time off. And travel. Be honest with me, are you dying?”

“No, Nina I-” He put his head in his hands, “I’m not dying. There’s just some things I need to take care of.”

“Okay, that’s good, but if you are dying, you need to tell me. I may not be as strong as I used to be, but I’m still a healer. And I have connections in Ravka, I bet Zoya could get me someone to fix you up in no time!” 

“Ghezen, Nina, I’m fine. I’ll tell you if I fall ill. Now for the life of you, shut up. We have two minutes until we need to go in.” Well, that was good. If Kaz died Nina would kill him. 

“Alright, fine.”

They spent the rest of the time waiting in silence, until Kaz finally checked his watch and gave her the go sign. 

Silently, they both slunk to the door situated on the side of the house. With such a simple lock, it took Kaz all of thirty seconds to crack it, Nina keeping lookout. Quietly, quietly, they snuck inside and scoped out the hallway. So far, all clear. 

The house was fancy in a simplistic way. With deep red-stained wood flooring and intricate green wallpapering, the manor had an understated, woodsy feel. Nina had to admit, out of all the Mercher houses she’d broken into, this one was definitely the nicest. 

Their goal was to efficiently and quietly neutralize any and all guards on the ground floor. Of course, this specific job never went as planned, so they were in for a treat. 

The first few guards were easy. One, Nina used a touch of her powers to make him faint, then they knocked him out fully the manual way. Another, Kaz simply snuck up behind and whacked with his cane. 

They worked as one, in the way only two people who’d been committing crimes together for years could. It was strange that this boy she had despised so much and for so long could now be one of her closest friends. 

They reached a large door with a gold plaque inlaid reading “Guards’ Quarters.” Kaz stopped, held a finger to his lips, and slowly turned the knob of the door. As usual, Nina entered first. 

Four of the six beds were filled with sleeping guards, but two sat at a table playing cards. Their eyes shot to her, but paired with a pleading look and the maid’s dress she was wearing, she was able to confuse them out of violent reactions. 

“Please, sirs, I’m sorry, but I think a pipe has burst on the second floor!” She exclaimed, leaving one hand behind her back. As she spoke, the fingers counted down. 5… 4…

One of the guards scoffed. “And why’s that our problem?” 3… 2… 

“Please, I didn’t know who else to go to!” …1

Kaz burst through the door behind her, right as she dropped the pulse of one of the men. The other let out a shout, but Kaz’s cane struck him across the forehead before he could even rise from the chair. 

This was one of the worst parts of her new powers; Nina could feel the shift in the air when the man died. Another dead being was at her disposal. 

She signaled to Kaz to take care of the slowly waking men, while she raced the deceased guard as backup. 

“Knock them out!” she growled at him. Together, Kaz with his cane and the guard with the blunt of his gun, they knocked out the rest of the men. 

Just as all the men were out, and the dead man returned to the ground, a bell rung on the wall. Intruders.

Chapter Text

Out of nowhere, Inej asked, “what was it like on the farm?”

They’d been sitting in silence, waiting for a good ten minutes already. 

“Huh?” Jesper gave her a weird look. 

“I just wondered what it was like on the farm. You were the only one of us who ever had a normal life, I think. Well, Kaz…” she trailed off there, as if unsure to mention something. “Anyway, what was it like on the farm?”

Jesper thought for a moment. “Boring. At the time, at least. Now I think I would love to go back, but it was boring back then. Lots of fieldwork, trading, a lot of work for not a lot of money. What, you wanna go live on a farm?”

Inej laughed at him. “No, I don’t think so. Too slow moving for me. I’ve just been thinking, everyone had these whole lives before we knew each other, but I barely know anything about them. I feel like I should know everything about you.” 

Jesper grinned at her, softness seeping into his features. “What was the circus like?”

She sighed and leaned back against a tree. “Exhilarating. Don’t get me wrong, it was still life. I argued with my brother and complained about the food, and being on the road was hard. But, the circus part? Walking the highwire? That was the most magical place I’ve ever been.” She had a wistful look on her face, and Jesper knew she wasn’t fully there. “One of my favorite memories, as bad as it sounds, was when my brother fell off the wire. I was teaching him, unsuccessfully, to juggle while walking. We had a net, so it was fine, but his determination was the most adorable thing. That is, of course, until he slipped and the apples he was juggling knocked me off too.” She laughed at the memory. 

“How is your brother?” he asked. That brought her back to reality, and she gave him a delighted smile. 

“He’s good! Just started school in Novyi Zem. I’d love to have him closer, but I couldn’t bear to expose my family to life here. Plus, I’m on the water so much it doesn’t matter where they are, as long as I can visit.” 

Jesper hummed his agreement. He loved his Da more than life itself, but man, it had been a relief when he went home. 

Now that Inej had mentioned it, he realized he didn’t know much about his friends’ lives, Wylan being the exception. Kaz was obviously a mystery, but he never realized how little he knew about the others. What happened to Nina’s parents? Does she even remember them? Does Matthias miss some of his friends from Fjerda? What was his wolf’s name?

“You know what,” he gave a short laugh, “we should have a crew debrief after this job, where we make everyone go around and tell us their tragic backstory.”

Inej threw her head back and laughed at that. “Good luck getting Kaz to agree.”

“I don’t know,” he side-eyed her, “I think you could get the job done.” 

She blushed lightly and looked away. 

“How much longer?”

Jesper checked his watch. “One minute and counting.” 

“Great, let’s get in position.” 

Jesper rolled his eyes. Kaz and Inej were truly meant for each other, two souls fantastic at avoiding the subject. 

When the time came, they crept to the back wall of the house as a unit. The bricks were new, but styled to look old fashion, and Inej only had to reach the third floor. Piece of cake. Piece of waffle? Did that work? 

As Jesper conducted this debate with himself, Inej deftly slid up the side of the wall and into the window. He kept watch, tuning everything else out. That is… until he heard her speak. 

“Hello,” her quiet voice flitted down to him. 

“Uh, hi?” he said. 

“What’s your name?” What… was… happening. 

“Jesper,” he replied helpfully. 

“That’s a very pretty name, Clara.” What? His name wasn’t Cl-- OH SHIT. 

“So, basically, Inej is inside the mark’s house, talking to who I can only assume is his daughter, while we rob her dad. That’s… really great.” He spoke in a harsh whisper to himself, drowning out Inej above him. 

Inej and Clara must have begun moving down the hallway because their voices grew fainter until Jesper couldn’t hear them. He stood there, waiting in tense, anticipatory silence for a solid two minutes. What if she has to kill the kid? She would never kill the kid. Will I have to kill the kid? 

Finally, the window creaked back open and Inej poked her head out. “Jesper!” she whispered sharply. His head jerked up, and he was promptly hit in the face by the rope she dropped. Great. This night just kept getting better. 

“Whoops,” she shrugged sheepishly. “Come on, we need to hurry.”

Jesper obeyed, climbing the rope until he was able to fall through the window, about as gracefully as Wylan on a boat. 

Inej helped him up. 

“So… are we gonna mention Clara?” 

Inej was silent. Great sign. 

“You- she’s still alive right?” he spoke quietly. Inej whipped around and aimed a startled glare at him. 

“What? Of course, she’s still alive. I told her I was one of Santa’s helpers and she needed to go back to sleep.” That was way better than murdering a nine-year-old. 

“How do we know she won’t blab?”

“We don’t. So I suggest we get in and out of here as quickly as possible.” 

“Right. Let’s get a move on then.” 

With that, they hurried down the hall, knives and pistols drawn.

Chapter Text

“Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit,” Wylan paced the holding cell, and frankly, lost his fucking mind. “This was not supposed to happen. I had it all planned! It was going perfectly!”

Matthias grunted. “You call getting caught part of the plan?” 

Wylan whirled around, fed up. “Yes, actually! That was part of the plan, I just had to lie to you because you can’t act for shit! But they were supposed to take us to Troshani, not this tiny fucking cell! Holy shit what am I gonna do?”

He couldn’t believe he was already screwing this up. It was supposed to be perfect, Kaz trusted him with this! Saints, what was he going to do? Would Kaz kick him off the crew? He’d have to live the awful Mercher life, and what if Jesper left him too? Jesper had known Kaz longer, he would probably pick him. And Inej would choose Kaz, Nina would choose Inej, and Matthias would choose Nina. He didn’t have any other friends! He and his mom would be in that big, empty house, filled with the ghosts of his father’s voice, forever. 

“-ylan. Wylan!” Matthias’s voice broke through his panic. The man was right in his face, shaking him. 

“Huh?” Wylan asked stupidly. 

Matthias sighed. “You need to calm down. Deep breath in,” Wylan took a breath, “Deep breath out.” Wylan breathed out. Okay. Okay. Maybe he could do this. Matthias was here; he didn’t blame him. 

“I- I’m good,” he stammered. 

“Good.” Matthias frowned. “Sometimes I forget this was never your life. But you’re in charge Wylan, time for you to get us out of this. Got any ideas?”

Wylan frowned, and then what might have been a literal lightbulb flashed above his head. 

“Oh!” he exclaimed, then began fishing down the front of his pants. 

“Uh… Wylan?” Matthias backed up, looking concerned. 

“Shut up, there’s a method to my madness.” Finally, he found the small vial hidden in the small pocket sewn to the inside of his underwear. “Emergency acid!” he held it up. He’d been in too many sticky situations that could have been solved with acid. No more!

“Emergency acid?” Matthias raised an eyebrow. “In your pants?”

“Where else was I supposed to put it? They don’t search there, and it’s for emergencies.” 

“You put acid in your pants.” 

“Yeah?”

“Acid. In your pants.”

Wylan rolled his eyes. “Jesper made the bottle, it won’t break. What, do you think I’m crazy?”

The look on Matthias’s face said that might be exactly what he was thinking, but he chose not to voice his concern. 

Wylan unscrewed the cap of the bottle and carefully drizzled it over the rusting iron lock. Like magic (or chemistry, rather) the bar dissolved, and the padlock fell to the ground with a clang. Nice. 

“Okay, let’s get out of here. Hopefully, they left our stuff nearby, I’ll need my picks.” As a unit, they crept out of the cell and down the dank hallway. The smell of moss and mildew was a constant companion through the cavern until they reached a set of iron bars blocking a staircase. 

If there was a higher power, they were certainly on Wylan’s side tonight because they found a box by the stairs filled with his varied supplies and Matthias’s gun and knives. He easily picked the lock on the gate, and they were on their way. 

Silently, they crept up the stairs. Matthias held up a hand for Wylan to wait, then cracked open the door and peeked out. 

“Clear,” he whispered. 

Matthias, far more accustomed to warfare and dangerous situations, led the way down the hallway, up another set of stone stairs, and through the main floor of the house. As they went, their surroundings slowly grew more and more opulent. Wooden trim changed to painted carvings, iron doorknobs changed to silver and gold. Finally, they reached the nicest part of the house and found themselves outside a tall oak door. Nina had marked it as the office on her reconnaissance mission, and now the real job began. 

Wylan snuck forward and tested the handle. 

 “Unlocked. 3… 2… 1!” With a sharp whisper, he shoved the door open and revealed a beautifully empty room. 

It was the quintessential Mercher’s office; so much so that for a moment, Wylan wasn’t in the office anymore. Instead, he was timidly creeping into his own father’s office, asking if Jan would join him for dinner. Of course, the door was slammed in his face, and he ate alone.

Wylan and Matthias scoped out the office. It really was quite standard: papers on the desk, pens and stamps in the drawers, disgustingly ornate paintings on the walls. The chairs were covered in horrible upholstery, and Wylan could smell the lingering of the man’s expensive cologne. 

“Where’s the safe?” Matthias whispered. Wylan was wondering the same thing. Most merchers were ridiculously cocky with their money, leaving a large safe visible on the wall as a status symbol. It was just Wylan’s luck that this Merch was smarter than the usual buffoon.  

They scoped out the room for several minutes, moving furniture and pressing various loose panels in the wall. Finally, Wylan noticed a set of hinges peeking out from behind a portrait of a young girl holding a frankly terrifying dog. 

He swung the painting open, and low and behold, there was a safe. Kaz would have spent crucial minutes cracking the safe, probably just to prove that he could. Wylan just poured some of his acid on the lock, and they were in. 

As he rifled through the contents, Matthias remained a silent guard behind him. After pages of bank records (recognizable by their seal) and personal letters, Wylan found the formula hidden far at the bottom of the pile. Just as he wrested the paper from the safe, he heard a soft click behind him. 

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you right now.”