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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
KAZ BREKKER IGNORED HER. For two days and two nights, he didn't bother even looking at her. He ignored her gentle smiles, the soft brush of her palm against his sleeve. He had to snub Natasha for the plan's sake. So that's - exactly what he did.
His mood grew sour, his temper fizzing on short ends. He was annoyed with himself for his weakness and his desires. He had known Natasha for most of his life, and right when 40 million kruge was in his palm, he decided to fall.
Kaz Brekker knew he was playing a dangerous game. He couldn't have both, and in the end, he had debts to pay - people to see and places to be. Love was powerful, but so was money.
___
"Who's Sasika?" Natasha's voice was frustrated and almost hurt. The pair had been walking along the stream in their underthings and socks.
Kaz Rietveld had been talking about her all night. Her almond green eyes, her lovely rosy cheeks and the pale blush of her skin. He had spoken about her as if she were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
"Just a girl," Kaz hummed. His hand twined around Natasha, a giddy feeling in his heart. He liked Sasika, her hair, her smile, her little dolls.
"Am I not a girl too?" Natasha asked, placing both hands on her hips.
"She's different," he said. "She comes from a good family, she has money, she's pretty too. Jordie said I should keep girls like her in my company," Kaz tugged on the end of Natasha's plait, pulling the silver ribbon from her. "Can I give this to her?" he asked, halfway through tucking it into his pocket. Natasha let out a sulky scowl.
"You already took it," she snapped. Her fingers still wrapped around Kaz's hand, but she had a mind to stalk off.
"I can give it back," he said, holding the limp ribbon in his hand. "Sasika wears red ribbons. She gave me hers," he smiled proudly, holding up the velvet tie. "I think grey would look good in her hair, that's all,"
"Fine," Natasha huffed. "Take it, take them both," she forcefully tugged at her hair, dropping the two ribbons in his palm and slapping her hand down for good measure.
Kaz Rietveld didn't know what he had done to send her crying. So he kept her grey ribbons safe in his pocket. And when Jordie's demons managed to swallow them both, he kept Natasha's ribbons in his palm, too alone, too afraid, and too scared to let go.
___
"You need to sleep," Nina's voice was warm and full of concern. Natasha blinked up at her with heavy silver eyes, rubbing at her dark eyelids. "Natasha, you haven't slept in a week,"
