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When you learned that your lover is actually just taking advantage of you, you chose to run. You had hid at the back of a carriage and slept there until the carriage came to a stop, and were met with three people standing outside of the carriage - you recognized two of them as guards back at the palace from the previous day, but the third you hadn't seen. They had told you they have a way out of Ravka, and you knew exactly what they had in mind - they had made a deal with someone to hand you over.
Your brains had told you to run, blind them with your powers and run to the woods, and maybe you were stupid when you didn't listen to your brains. Maybe you just wanted to rest for a moment after running away and the heartbreak you had just gone through, or maybe you were just simply losing your mind. But you agreed to go with them willingly, and you had settled to rest at the tavern for a while as you prepared to leave at sunrise the next morning.
Surprisingly, you had good time with them, even laughing at some jokes and the Zemeni man, Jesper, even flirted with you a little. Even the gloomy man with a cane, Kaz, gave you a vibe of him enjoying your company somewhat.
But of course, Aleksander had come after you, somehow locating the area where you were and you had to run again.
You went outside and were immediately met by patrolling Grisha, them attacking you. And before you could do anything, Kaz jabbed you with his cane, gesturing you to come with him and you obliged, though you noticed Zoya following you soon.
"Keep walking, don't look back," Kaz gruffed, and you obliged. Soon you had lost Zoya into the crowd, but instead you came to meet with the Heretic himself. Aleksander smiled fondly as he saw you, but then laid a death glare on Kaz.
"Hand her over," he growled, but Kaz didn't move. "I said. Hand. Her. Over."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," you scoffed back, and his eyes widened for a moment in shock before they narrowed.
"What? But this man and his—"
"No," you interrupted. "I fled on my own, and agreed to go with them."
Aleksander let out a disbelieving scoff. "You do know they're going to sell you?"
"Of course I do." You rolled your eyes. "I'm not stupid. But anywhere is better than with you."
Aleksander's eyes jumped between you and Kaz for a moment, and you saw Kaz held something in his hand. You met his eyes briefly, and then Aleksander's eyes had darkened again.
"If this is how it's going to be, then I have no choice but to take you by force," he growled, and you saw he was forming the cut. But in a split second, you both had disappeared into a blast and smoke, and walking quickly into the meeting point at the fountain.
---
"Wait, hold up, you were on a showdown with the Black Heretic?" Jesper exclaimed once you had explained what took so long to him. "And she knows we're planning on selling her to Dreesen?" Jesper was looking at you with wide eyes. "And she's okay with that?"
You shrugged. "Can't be worse than be the Heretic's prisoner."
Kaz cleared his throat. "Doesn't matter right now. We have to get to Arken's train, get to Os Kervo and smuggle her to Ketterdam unnoticed. Her face will be spread around in posters soon, so we cant be here for long anymore."
Then he walked a little further, inspecting his surroundings, leaving you stare after him. Jesper squinted at you.
"What happened in there?" he asked, and you turned to look at him. "And why- how are you okay with us basically kidnapping you?"
"I don't want to go back," you admitted. "And... I owe you guys now. I owe to Kaz." You glanced at Kaz again before lowering your head.
"How so?"
You looked up at the Zemeni again and took a deep breath.
"Because… he saved me back there. He could have died because of it."
Jesper frowned even deeper, looked over at Kaz, then at you as to wordlessly confirming it, but you just nodded and he then let out a disbelieving laugh and ran his hand over his hair.
"Kaz Brekker, that man right there, saved you and put his own life in line by doing so?" he asked, and you nodded again. "Wow. Something is definitely up, something he hasn't told me and Inej. More money from Dreesen maybe?"
You frowned at him, but he shut up and you were left wondering an impossible thing... could they maybe change their plans about selling you after all?