Sea of Secrets

Chapter 13 - Kai

"There's a special going on at the Tavern tonight, so I'll be seeing you two later. Don't have too much fun, ya hear?" That was all Nikolai said before leaving that night, and now he'd be off swooning over ladies with his drunken smile while Kai and Mira were left home alone. Mira kept by the fire, drawing the flames to pass the time, and Kai was at the kitchen table, shuffling the same deck of cards for the hundredth time. What a bore.

He was studying Mira, and she was nothing but a statue. Maybe she hated him, maybe she had a right to. He just wanted to hear her. Hear what made her upset, and maybe Kai could help.

Because Kai had known it from the moment she picked him up off the street, Mira wasn't like the people in Davor. Nobody would have done that for a stranger, but she had. In Miss Braithwaite's Inn, he'd watched as she'd cheered up that baby, her eyes bright with joy, and he'd almost burst into flames when the woman returned a nasty look. He knew Mira might've acted cold, but she was warmer than most. And now he wanted to understand why someone so kind would be stuck here in this gods-awful place, why she had accepted this.

The patch over his eye, he rubbed over it. To soothe the burning sensation underneath.

"Mira." He watched as she stayed still, not even turning her back. "I'm itching to get out there. We've been hauled up in this Flat for too damn long." He flashed a devious grin, "Let's go get a bounty."

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*MIRA*

Mira hadn't spoken with him at all besides the balcony, mostly because she didn't know what to say and she'd avoided him at all costs. Not just because of their fight on the balcony, or him seeing through her lies, but while he and Nikolai had gotten along so well, she was left sulking and moping around as usual.

"Is your shoulder better?" Her sharp voice asked.

A week had passed since he'd woken up, and he hadn't been nursing his wound. He didn't seem to care whether or not it was healed. Kai wanted to get back out on the job, despite how much fun he seemed to have here. All week long, Mira watched as Nikolai and Kai played poker together, laughing, Nikolai retelling his tall tales and smoking his cigars.

"Yes," He set down the deck of cards, "I've been waiting all week for this bounty, and my shoulder is not going to stop me." They hadn't gotten a bounty in gods-know how long, and Mira could feel this next week's bills looming in her nightmares. Slowly, she made her way to the kitchen and took a file out of the drawer Nikolai had placed it in after visiting the Court and set the file down on the kitchen table. Mira opened it, took a brief glance, and slid it over to Kai.

He read the name aloud, "Lee Langston."

"Ever heard of him?" Mira asked.

"Nope." He raised his brow, "Have you?"

"No, I haven't." She sighed, feeling the stress of this bounty beginning to mount already.

He gave her a heavy stare, "What's the matter?"

"The file doesn't even include a description, a location, his conviction. All we have is the name and a photo." Mira examined the photo, studying Lee Langston's aged face, beading eyes, and light, cropped hair. A deep scar ran across his cheek, adding to his ruthless look.

Another devious grin, "All I need is a name and a photo."

Her eyes rolled, "Are you going to go door to door, knocking asking for Mr. Langston? Show his picture off to the whole city, let him know we are coming to get him?"