Natasha Van Doren is a shadow summoner. She bides her time and resides in darkness, feared and esteemed by Ketterdam's civilians, a ghost . She cons Kaz Brekker into joining a heist he can't refuse and with thirty million kruge on the line, the crow...
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THE HEALER HAD DONE HIS BEST.
Alessia's face was no longer scarred, all evidence of those horrible thorny scars gone. The bones Nina Zenic had been too cautious to mend had been snapped into place, her leg no longer twisted like the bend in a pin. Someone had also washed and combed her hair, the flowing black strands scattered across the pillowcase.
She was still abnormally thin and hacked coughs each time she attempted to speak. Yet, she still managed to smile at Nina's jokes and even noticed Inej's presence before the Suli had the chance to announce herself.
The crows had taken a liking to her. Nina braided her hair and did enough chatting for the both of them over steaming mugs of broth. Inej sat patiently at the foot of her bed, sharpening her knives and occasionally contributing to the conversation. Her name eyes would occasionally focus on the Shu's face, the ghost of a smile tracing her lips. Even little Wylen had relocated into the nursing room, leaning his papers against a crate and finishing his drawings.
Natasha stood with her shoulder against the doorframe, watching them silently. They all looked so at peace. So normal. Right then, they weren't teenagers signing up for a very painful suicide. They were teenagers enjoying an afternoon.
Jesper swaggered into the room not soon after, pearl-studded guns at his side. He spun them around his fingers as he entered the room, cosying up at Nina's side. "You looked so much more badass with those scars," he chuckled.
Without the use of her voice, Alessia swatted his shoulder weakly with a floppy hand. Nina continued braiding and unbraiding her hair into different fashions as the boy babbled on.
The healer had set Alessia a few days bed rest. After furious shouts from Natasha, he had reassured her that Ivanov was fine but still a little weak on her feet. He suggested she stay away from alcohol and sip on broths and water throughout the day.
She had sent the healer away scowling, heating water up in a tin can on the stove. The kettle had broken three days ago, but Kaz seemed to think The Slat no longer needed it. Natasha was sure he refused to get it fixed because she was the only person to drink tea or coffee.
She felt his scowl before she had seen it, his presence stepping very slowly down the stairs. "I can see your shadow, Brekker," she called, dumping the hot water into a chipped ceramic bowl she had found in the cupboard.
"Will you still refer me to Inej for lessons," he blinked, peering over her shadow like an annoying fly. "I enjoy her presence very much, she's a lot quieter-"
Natasha swatted Kaz's face with a wet dishrag, grabbing a knife from the block and holding it out in front of her. "You may be used to running this little playhouse, Rietveld, but your charm means nothing to me," she sneered, running the blade across the lapel of his jacket.
