Chapter Text
Typically, people discovered who their soulmate was after they got to know them. The soulmarks matched up with the other’s personality, and it clicked, like the missing piece of a puzzle—it felt right. It felt like completion, like coming home. Most were romantic, some were platonic, and a few only got one brief moment together, or never met at all.
Kaz had known who his soulmate was ever since his soulmark formed.
It showed up when he was thirteen, a year after becoming an official member of the Dregs. Kaz had retired to his room and found it when he removed his gloves. It started at his fingers, like they’d all been dipped in black ink, fading out toward his knuckles, then wound up his arms in branches of swirling shadow, faded and wispy at the edges. On his right arm, one strand curled around the edges of his Dregs tattoo, toward the bottom of the thorns and the glass, almost possessive in its path.
He froze. Most people had simple soulmarks, a shape of some sort, but they were usually smaller and didn’t spread up whole extremities. And yet, both of his arms were covered in the mark, black like the void and so very unusual.
Immediately, there was one who came to mind, who could fit his mark. The Black General.
After joining the Dregs, he’d always figured his soulmate would be a liability—someone who could be used against him, who would be a weak point. If it was the general, perhaps that wouldn’t be the case.
Soulmates went deeper than inked marks. There was the Connection. With enough familiarity, boundaries would blur and they could even share thoughts or emotions, and pain. Another thing that could be shared was abilities.
Those with Grisha soulmates were frequently able to access their soulmate’s powers, even before meeting them. It was different than being Grisha, though with similar longevity—the power was described as feeling as though it came from outside of them, from a warm but distant place that felt like home.
When Kaz accidentally harnessed shadows a few weeks later, his theory about his soulmate was all but confirmed.
After the discovery of his newfound, shared Grisha abilities, Kaz practiced them in secret. He learned to call the shadows to him, to envelop him in their darkness and hide him away. When he was sure in that ability, he started using it on Dregs jobs. It made it easier to escape, and could lend a subtle, threatening air when needed, but he knew he could never show it openly. If the general received news that there was another shadow summoner, he would be tracked down and taken to the Little Palace.
That wouldn’t do. He had plans, commitments, and revenge to complete here in Ketterdam. So he practiced with the shadows, but only used them in ways that could be a trick of the mind, and only as a last resort.
It wasn’t until several years later that he was found out.
-
“‘Steal the shipment, there won’t be many guards,’” Jesper mocked, panting as they stopped running to hide behind a large crate. “Oh, no worries; it’s just ten normal guards and six Grisha!”
“Jesper, focus,” Kaz called out, leaning heavily against his cane. Their odds weren’t the best—so far, they’d only managed to incapacitate one of the Grisha and four guards.
“What could be so important that they need that many guards for it?” Jesper muttered to himself.
Beside them, Inej sighed. “Jesper.”
Jesper aimed a loose shot past the crate and there was a thud. “So no one else is a little bit concerned about our informant giving us terrible information?”
“The informant will be dealt with later,” Kaz said. “Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here alive.”
“Against the five Grisha and–” Jesper shot another one of the guards. “–four other guards?”
“Three guards,” Inej corrected as she threw a knife, sinking it into the thigh of a guard, who went down with a wince.
The shadows shifted behind them, and Kaz tensed. “Behind us.”
“Shit,” Jesper cursed as they all turned around to see four of the Grisha.
Pinned against a crate, with three guards behind them and four Grisha in front of them, and another one of the Grisha unaccounted for—not good. Even with Jesper’s shooting, they wouldn’t be able to take out all three, and Inej’s knives wouldn’t be able to get through their Keftas.
One of the Grisha lit a fire in his hand and grinned. “Stand down and come with us, and no one has to get fried.”
No, they’d just be shipped off to a prison, likely well-guarded if the tight security on the shipment was any indicator, and possibly questioned or tortured. But the odds weren’t in their favor, and Kaz refused to let anything happen to his Crows.
Last resort, then.
“Jesper,” Kaz said, and understanding clicked in Jesper’s eyes. He eased into a relaxed stance, and before the Grisha could react, fired off a shot from each of his guns.
As the Grisha ducked, Kaz pulled the shadows in, plunging the room into darkness. The shadows surrounded him, Inej, and Jesper, but didn’t cover them. Although he could see in the shadows, they couldn’t.
“Move,” Kaz ordered, ignoring the open shock on Jesper’s face and the surprise on Inej’s. As he started walking forward, they trailed after him. Behind them, there were sounds of confusion and panic as the Grisha searched for them and called out “shadow summoner”.
When they were finally out of the warehouse and safely back in Kaz’s office at the Slat, Inej was the first to ask about it.
“Your soulmate?” She asked, always so perceptive.
“Wait, hold on, let’s talk about the fact that he’s a shadow summoner, not about his–” Jesper paused, his eyes widening. “Oh.”
Kaz averted his eyes.
“It’s the Black General,” Inej said; a statement, not a question. Inej had probably grown up hearing whispers about the Black General in Ravka.
They’d never seen his soulmark before, hidden under his gloves as it was. Carefully, Kaz pulled off one of his gloves and flashed his soulmark at them before putting the glove back on.
It was only fair. He’d seen Inej’s—a bird in flight, feathers trailing from its wings as it chased after the sun, inked in shining gold on her right wrist. Jesper’s was on his left shoulder—a treble clef swirling around a writing quill, ink dripping from the tip. Kaz had his suspicions about who Jesper’s match was, but playing matchmaker didn’t suit him. He’d let them figure it out on their own.
“I can’t believe you never told us you could summon shadows,” Jesper grumbled, taking it in stride. “I mean, that would have been so useful for heists!”
“And useful for getting dragged to the Little Palace,” Kaz responded dryly. “Which, when the news reaches there—because it will now—I’ll have to be ready.”
Jesper blinked. “You don’t want to go with your soulmate?”
“I have commitments here,” Kaz said. His Crows, the Crow Club, taking his revenge on Pekka Rollins—he couldn’t just leave that behind. If his soulmate wanted to be with him, they could strike a deal of sorts.
“I’d go with you,” Jesper volunteered with a grin that was a bit nervous at the edges. “Since we’re sharing secrets and all—I’m a Durast.”
Kaz wasn’t surprised—he’d already had his suspicions. He just nodded at Jesper, and Jesper seemed to relax at the easy acceptance. “Any Grisha powers to share, Inej?”
Inej paused. “...I may be able to summon the sun, because of my soulmate.”
“The Sun Summoner?” Jesper gasped, eyes wide. “You’re telling me the saint you worship is your soulmate?”
“I don’t know,” Inej answered honestly. “But, I can’t help but hope.”
That was certainly a revelation that Kaz hadn’t expected.
“You’re telling me all of us are technically Grisha?” Jesper asked, staring up at the ceiling. “And I thought I was the odd one out.”
“I did too,” Inej admitted quietly. “I only found out I could summon light a few weeks ago.”
“I was thirteen,” Kaz revealed in return. “A few weeks after my mark appeared.”
Based on the recorded cases, it was never consistent when those with Grisha soulmates gained access to the shared ability. Some died before they experienced it, and some’s soulmates died before they had a chance to. No one really knew why, but the theory was that the Grisha abilities were shared to link their lifespans together, so that they could spend their lives together.
Ironic, considering just how many people died separate from their soulmates.
“Well, heists will be easier now that you don’t have to hide it, right?” Jesper asked Kaz, hopeful.
“No,” Kaz denied. “It will still be a last resort. Relying on stolen abilities will only make you grow dependent and weak.”
Jesper made a face of vague agreement. “I guess. Couldn’t hurt to make things a little easier, though.”
There was some truth to that. It would lessen risk in certain scenarios, especially stealth and clean escapes. If it meant one less wound, Kaz was willing to use it. But he would never use it frivolously, for something that they could do with their own skills. They would let their guard down, and one of them could be killed for it.
“Only when we’re in danger,” Kaz said, as much of an agreement as Jesper would get.
“Oh, come on, we’re always in danger!”
Kaz gave him a look. “You know what I mean.”
With a small smile, Jesper conceded. “Yeah, I do.”
“Now,” Kaz said—it was time to call their attention back to the matter at hand. “The guards will be on high alert after that, and likely the Stadwatch too. We’ll all need to lay low for a while, and keep an ear to the ground about any generals coming to pay a visit to Ketterdam.”
“I’ll keep watch,” Inej offered, and Kaz nodded.
“Jesper, you lay low with Wylan. Tell him what’s going on, so he can keep you out of trouble,” Kaz ordered, with an internal sigh. So much for not playing matchmaker.
“Hey!” Jesper placed a hand on his chest in mock offense. “I’m plenty capable of keeping myself out of trouble, thank you very much.”
Kaz gave him a pointed look, and Jesper gave him a sheepish smile in return.
“Inej, back me up–” Jesper pleaded, turning to look at her, but she was already gone. “Oh I hate how she always does that.” When Kaz raised his eyebrow at him, Jesper finally conceded, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine, I’ll stay with Wylan.”
Then he was gone, leaving Kaz alone in his office to ponder the events of the day. The Black General was likely coming to Ketterdam, and Inej could summon sunlight because of her soulmate. In addition, Kaz had recognized some of the guards on the shipment from earlier as being on Pekka’s payroll, which hinted at some sort of important plot. But what could it be?
Kaz would have to find out.