Chapter Text
"Now listen," Kaz leaned back and ran a gloved hand through his hair, vaguely aware of the traces of blood he was leaving on his forehead, "this has been fun and all, but I promised my wife I'd be home in time for supper,"
He consulted his pocket watch and frowned.
"And I'm already running late,"
It was clear that the man tied to Kaz's chair had no idea what to say. Or maybe he just couldn't. His cheek was a bloody crater; his jaw tight at a painful looking angle. Kaz paused for a moment to survey his half-closed eyes, wondering if he'd done the job too well. But the man was still breathing his pathetic, shaky breaths, and his eyelids were quivering slightly. Kaz hit the chair leg with his crow's head cane, and the man shook back to life.
"Are we done here?"
The man nodded shakily, quivering as he leaned as far from Kaz as his chains would allow.
"Good. Then I'll see you next week, with the money," Kaz pulled a key from thin air and placed it on the man's knee, "Have fun getting out,"
He walked away, listening to the man attempt to call him back through a mouthful of blood right up until the door slammed shut. Kaz stretched, smiled, rolled his shoulders. That had gone well. He was late though - she wouldn't be happy. Speaking of which, Annika was leaning against the wall opposite him, picking at her nails with a knife. She must have news.
"Go check on him if he's not out in an hour. Cleanly, for now, but keep an eye on him. If he tries to run this week, put a bullet in his skull,"
"Why me?"
"You're in my line of sight. And on that, what are you doing here? Aren't you meant to be at the Crow Club?"
"Just came off a shift. Brought you a message,"
Kaz nodded.
"She's back?"
"And pissed at you," Annika confirmed, "She's coming to find you,"
Kaz was meant to go to her. If she'd decided to come to him, it could only mean one thing: he was in deeper shit than running late.
"Fine," he said, and marched upstairs.
" - something else!" Annika called after him.
Kaz turned.
"Yennefer Baars is dead,"
"Then it's a happy day for everyone. Except for me, because unlike other people's spouses when my wife suggests murder, she actually means it. Go to the dock's and rustle us up some attention, the Silver Six is quiet,"
And with that, ignoring Annika's brief mumble of protest, Kaz began to head up the stairs. Yennefer Baars was dead. So that's what Inej had been up to. She'd been gone for the last month, and as a rule they didn't tell each other what a job was until it was over - no sense in worrying each other over nothing. But that didn't mean they didn't guess at what the other was up to, and usually figure it out. Kaz knew that Inej wrote a goodbye note before every job she did and left it with a particular member of the Merchant Council and his risk-loving fiancé, to be passed on in case something went wrong. He only knew that because he did the same thing, and Jesper was a terrible liar. Inej was better at figuring out what he was up to than he was her, that was true, but usually he had some idea. This time he'd heard nothing, until today. Yennefer Baars, owner and proprietor of the Tulip Mill, the most successful pleasure house in Ketterdam since the Menagerie closed, was dead. Kaz had to smile.
Even if he was next on Inej's list. What the hell had he done this time?
It was raining, but what else was new? Kaz opened the window and listened to the droplets flowing over the pane and hitting the sill like a waterfall. He couldn't hear Inej, but he wouldn't be able to. Definitely not over the wind and rain. He left the window open for her, and headed to the basin. He shed his gloves and began to wash the blood off before it dried. Running hot water. Years ago he'd added this, with the bathroom of their suite at the Geldrenner on this mind. It was such a luxury, back then. So normal now.
"Inej,"
He smiled to himself as he imagined the brief look of annoyance on her face at him greeting her just as she opened her mouth to do the same.
"Kaz,"
He turned to see her, and immediately Annika's message was unimportant. It was good to see her. She smiled.
"How are things, Kaz? I heard the Silver Six has been quiet,"
Of course she had.
"A little slower than usual, but the Crow Club's booming. I've got time to fix it before the profit's take a hit,"
Inej nodded. A moment passed in silence, before she said:
"Maya Olsen,"
"What of her?"
"You know her then?"
Kaz shrugged.
"One of Yen's girls, isn't she? The Tidemaker. Never met her, but she passes information to the Dregs. I have a few people watching her, making sure the information's good and trying to find out where she gets it. Why?"
"I met her tonight,"
"You mean when you killed Yennefer Baars?"
They looked at each other, dark eyes stone. And then both their hard expressions collapsed, and they smiled.
"It's good to be home, Kaz,"
He liked it when she said 'home'. Really, he knew, 'home' was Ravka. But the Suli travelled the country, never static, never anywhere long enough for that one solitary place to be the only singular point they'd always want to return to. That was too limiting for Inej; she existed to explore. To her, 'home' really meant 'family'. It had taken the last ten years to get here, but he'd come to like that word.
"But we do need to talk,"
Kaz sighed.
"Of course we do,"
Kaz cooked. Nothing special, just warm bread and soup, but Inej seemed to like it. They sat opposite each other at their little wooden table, eating and waiting for the other one to talk first. Kaz was stubborn, but Inej was infuriatingly patient when it came down to this sort of thing. Eventually, he broke the silence.
"Maya Olsen, then?"
"She's at the shelter - "
"I didn't ask where she was, I want to know - "
"Let me finish, Kaz,"
"You know I've killed people for less than interrupting me," he smirked
"And I've killed people for far more. Now be quiet, and listen to your wife,"
Kaz frowned and mumbled something about only agreeing to marriage for the tax break, but stopped interrupting her all the same.
"Maya's sixteen, I met her tonight at the Tulip Mill and took her to the shelter along with a couple of others, but they were the only ones I managed to get out," she paused and glanced away, just for a second, before picking up the thread of her story, "the other girls were both passed out - long story, I'll tell you later - I'm going to check on them in a couple of hours. But Maya was awake, so we talked and... Kaz there's no easy way to say this, but she wants to kill you,"
Kaz almost laughed. So this was why Inej had come to him, instead of waiting for him near the shelter. The had a second place there, unbeknownst to the gangs or anyone else, except the liberated kids - in case they needed Inej.
"Invite her to join the queue,"
"This is different, Kaz. This isn't some random act of aggression or some boy from a rival gang who wants to prove himself. She hasn't just picked you because you're Dirtyhands, she's picked you because you're... you,"
Kaz collected their empty bowls and began to head towards the sink, before Inej tutted and took them out of his hands, swapping them for his cane. He leant against it, and pretended the relief wasn't palpable. Somehow it was still a bad thing to rely on her.
"How does this kid even know about me? The information she was sharing wasn't specific to the gang, she didn't know who she was talking to. Just that he paid her to talk, and to not talk to anyone else. Did Yen find out about the extra income?"
"I don't think so, but Maya didn't say much about it,"
"So what information, in your extreme wisdom regarding matters of life and death, did you manage to gain?"
Inej looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Information isn't my specialty anymore, Kaz,"
"Yes it is,"
She laughed, and Kaz closed his eyes to listen to the sound, but it was only short.
"She blames you for her indenture,"
Shit. No wonder Inej was mad at him.
"What do I have to do with that?"
"Apparently there was no choice but to sell her indenture to a mercher, when her father was in debt. The mercher died and her contract changed hands, several times, before it ended up with Yen,"
The tap hummed as Inej washed the plates. Kaz shifted his weight against his cane.
"She blames the man her father was in debt to," she glanced at him over her shoulder, "No prizes for guessing who,"
This wasn't sounding too good.
"And just for that she wants to kill me? So do a thousand other unlucky sods, Inej, I'm not concerned,"
"You also killed her father,"
Damn it.
"So, she wants to kill me. That doesn't mean she gets to. Doesn't really mean she even tries. I've killed a lot of people's family members, but I'm still standing here. Did you...?"
"Tell her we're married? Yes, Kaz, I'm that much of an idiot,"
"Alright, alright. Still, you might as well. Talk her down, take her back home and find some relative or whatever to take her. That's what you do, right?"
Inej rolled her eyes. She was now perching on top of the half wall between the little kitchen and dining spaces.
"She can't go back. She's a Fjerdan grisha, she wouldn't be safe. And as for relatives - anyone she's got would either kick her out or not dare the risk of taking her. But that's not the problem, Kaz,"
"Right, and remind me why we're more worried about this murderous little problem than any of the others?"
"Because she's different to the others, Kaz. She... well, she reminded me of you,"
"Oh," said Kaz, freezing for a second before slowly returning his watch to his pocket, even though he hadn't checked the time yet, "Then I guess we have a problem,"
Problem was an understatement, and both of them knew it. There was every chance that he was completely and utterly fucked.