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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" You have to believe in Gods to be blessed by them, "
- N.V.D
LIKE DRUNKEN ANIMALS, the five of them emerged from the shadows. Water spilt from the corners of Natasha's lips as she staggered up the bank. Nina Zenic was unconscious with gluey traces of baleen on her damp cheeks.
"Is she alive?" Matthias asked faintly, scraping his palm over his mouth. Natasha kneeled over Nina, rolling up the ends of her silks to grab hold of her wrist.
"Scarcely," Natasha hissed. "You deal with Zenic,"
Natasha crawled over to Kuwei, rubbing his back. His skin was white, glassy from time underground. His black hair was buzzed against his forehead it was a Frejdan practice for prisoners. "Are you Bo Yul Bayur?" Natasha asked in Shu.
The boy shook his head, convulsing up another spout of icy water. "My father is dead," Natasha looked furiously towards Matthias. His face was obscured by a dripping curtain of blonde hair - as he forced compressions against Nina's chest.
"Don't look so appalled," Kuwei said snappily. His golden eyes aglow, his lips pursed in displeasure. "I know just as much about parem as-"
"You know just as much as a shoebox Yul-Bo,"
Kaz Brekker lay on his back, hands trembling on either side of his body. The ambassador's uniform stuck against his body as heaved breaths rattled out of his pale chest.
"Aren't you a ray of sunshine?" Kuwei grumbled under his breath. The Shu plodded over to Nina and Matthias, squatting by Matthias' heel like a submissive pet.
"You're alive," Natasha said ponderously. She sat cross-legged by Kaz's side, fiddling with the hem of her silks. They caressed against each curve of her body, practically see-through, at that point. "Saints, I thought we'd die in there,"
Kaz nodded, keeping his eyes fixed towards his lap. Water trickled off his dark eyelashes, spilling like tears down his hollowed cheeks, coming to rest in the sharpness of his cheekbone.
"It's ridiculous," Kaz said, running a hand through his inky black hair. "We've just been drowned in holy water, and all I feel is wet,"
"You have to believe in Gods to be blessed by them," Natasha grimaced.
They sat in silence, Nina, Matthias and Kuwei's hushed conversation ringing in the back of their water-logged ears.
Kaz reached into his back pocket, holding a small vial in his palm. "Four million kruge," Kaz said quietly. He settled it down next to Natasha before slumping against the shoal. "We walked through hell and back for this," Kaz sighed, a cynical laugh escaping from his lips.
Natasha twirled the glass between her forefinger and thumb. "It's beautiful," She whispered. The golden power was finer than sand and brighter than the stars. The vial was corked and secured by a plastic-red seal made of hardened wax.
"Tempting isn't it," Kaz smirked, propping himself onto his elbows. His shirt was open, a breeze rippling through the ends of a white silk shirt. "How lethal beauty can be,"
Natasha lay back on the rocky bank, her hand inches from Kaz. "Saints," she chuckled after a few moments. "I missed this,"
"What?"
"These quiet moments after nearly dying a brutal death,"
Kaz laughed alongside her, tilting his chin towards the mourning sky. Rain sobbed down from the sky, painting their faces with delicately shaped teardrops. Kaz wiped his palm across his cheek, staggering to his feet.
"We should go," He said softly, already turning towards the others. Determination flared in the debilitated cuts on his face. "The others are waiting," They both turned quietly, leaving whatever moment they had shared to be ravaged by the rain.
Nina Zenic lay against Matthias's shoulder, her round face drained. "You," she murmured, pointing at Natasha. "Thank you," Natasha's face furrowed in consternation. "You pulled me from the river," Nina continued, fanning her muddy silks.
"It was nothing-"
"I've been awful to you," Nina choked. "You could have left me to drown, but you didn't. You saved me, thank you for that,"
"I'd love to let this ballad play out, but our money isn't secure until we've boarded the Ferolind, and until then, I'm not stopping," Kaz stood with his arms over his chest, tapping his foot, annoyed.
"You're horrible," Kuwei exclaimed, his bare feet stomping against the length of the bank.
"I know," Kaz scoffed, walking ahead with Kuwei latched to his side.
"But not to everyone," Kuwei said thoughtfully. The Shu smirked through golden eyes, glancing back towards Natasha and Nina. The two girls walked side by side, arms looped over one another. "You like the girl,"
"No, I don't," Kaz snapped. He looked over his shoulder. "She's headstrong, unpredictable, dishonest, spoiled," Kaz turned a final time towards Natasha. "Do I need to go on?"
Kuwei laughed, scrutinising Kaz. "Your eyes betray you," Was all he said, slipping back to walk with the others. They all stopped at the summit of a boulder, leaning against the grey rock to wait for the others.
"Saints," Nina mumbled into the damp collar of her silks. "I pray they're alright," She crooked a hand across her eyes, staring at the glistening ice palace.
"They're fine," Kaz sulked, leaning against the far side of the boulder. "The wraith always finds a way,"
"I should hope so," Matthias grumbled. His clothes did not endeavour to dry any faster, his entire body smelling inexplicably of sea salt. "Or else this would have all been for nothing,"
"Not nothing," Kuwei added. "You got me out of there," He looked up towards the ice palace, a curl of smoke swelling into the atmosphere.
"That is hardly worth four million kruge,"
Kuwei frowned, kicking at the toe of Kaz's boot. Anger shattered across Kaz's features as every ounce of his self-restraint arrested him from lurching forward and strangling Kuwei. "You stole me out anyways," Kuwei said, imitating the glower on Kaz's lips. "I must mean something,"
"You mean as little as to me than this rock," Kaz rounded upon Nina and Matthias, hands folded across the front of his sodden clothes. "Now, will someone care to explain why our glorious Shu scientist looks like a long-lost son of Ivanov?"
A/N
- It seemed like a while since Kaz and Natasha had been able to share a quiet moment even if it was only for a few short-lived moments. Also, enjoy Kuwei being a pain in the ass for Kaz. If you enjoyed please vote and comment!
