A Gamblers Luck | Jesper Fahey

Ghosts of our Past

As Eliana walked up the flight of stairs to Kaz's office she realized this was her first time ever actually going into his room. Four years in the Dregs and she'd still never been up here. Kaz and her weren't friends by any means; she didn't actually know if Brekker had friends. She just knew the only reason he tolerated her was because she was useful, and that was fine by her. She made her way up the last step, creaking slightly, as she stepped on it. She knocked on the wooden door. 

"You're late," rasped Kaz from behind his desk, face inches away from a paper he was intently reading. Taking in her surroundings she saw Jesper leaning up against a wall, Inej perched on the window sill, a simple bed with gray bedding, and a chest of drawers next to it. 

"Rotty needed my help," Eliana replied. Kaz didn't reply and instead looked up from his paper and surveyed the people gathered in front of him. 

"How would you guys feel about four million Kruge?" He said, eyes lingering on Inej before swiftly looking away, almost quick enough to make Eliana think it was a trick of the light. 

"Money like that is more curse than gift," said Inej, shifting slightly on her window perch. 

"My little Suli idealist. All you need is a full belly and an open road?" Kaz said in a mocking voice. 

"And an easy heart Kaz." 

Ignoring the last remark, he turned his attention to Jesper and Eliana. 

"What about you guys?" 

Eliana thought for a moment. Of course she wanted four million Kruge. Who in their right mind wouldn't? But then again, what kind of job would produce that amount of money? 

"What kind of job?" She said at last. 

"Very high risk, but high reward," Kaz replied. 

"I would prefer to be alive to spend my Kruge." 

"I can't promise you that, but I can promise it will be buried with you if you so desire." 

"You're terrible." 

"I know," he replied ruefully.

"Whos offering the job?" 

"Van Eck." 

So that explained the large sum of money. 

"And you trust him?" Eliana said, with a raise of a black brow.

"About as much as I'd trust Jes with money at a gambling hall." The sharpshooter stopped fiddling with the button on his shirt and shot Kaz a glare. 

"Fine I'm in," Eliana said rather reluctantly. 

"If she's in, I'm in," said Jesper. 

Kaz looked back at the spy perched on the window, still as day. "And what about you little saint?" He rasped out. 

"I'll think about it." 

The answer seemed good enough for Kaz. Not bothering to dismiss them he went back to his paper's. Eliana and Jesper made their way to door as Inej climbed back out the window, silent as a mouse. Before Eliana could walk out the door Kaz said, "Oh and Eliana, go fetch Wylan." 

"Why?"

"Just do it." 

Eliana walked out of Kaz Brekker's room and went back down the stairs, where she saw Jesper waiting for her. 

"What else did he want?" Jesper asked with what looked to be a hint of concern in his gray eyes. 

"He wants me to fetch Wylan." 

"Why do you think he needs a demo guy?" He said, while making his way down the flight of stairs to Eliana's room.

"I don't Know." 

"Hm. I'm surprised he's survived the Barrel this long."

"And I'm surprised all of Kerch hasn't heard this conversation," she mumbled, with a pointed look at the sharpshooter now leaning against her door. Eliana walked up to the bedroom door and pulled it open, Jesper following in behind her. 

"Now what do you want?" She asked while taking the gold clips out of her curly black hair.

"Well it's either be here or in the gambling halls."

"It doesn't have to be like that Jes," she said while looking as the brown skinned Zemeni boy perched on the edge of her bed. One hand playing with a tassel on a blue blanket, the other resting on his revolvers. 

"It's just- you wouldn't understand." 

"Then explain it to me." Taking a bowl of water she hovered her hand over it, flexing her fingers ever so slightly. The water started to steam as she dropped her hand. 

"Aren't you afraid someone's gonna take you because your Grisha?" Asked Jesper. 

"My Mama said always said being Grisha was a blessing, my Papa said it was a gift from Djel and that I should embrace it." 

"I thought the Fjerdans hated Grisha?"

"Not my Papa, he saw them as gifted by Djel himself. He said my brother and I were very lucky to be so blessed." The more Eliana Valentina talked about her family, the more she remembered. Although their faces were slightly blurry, she could still remember the smell of Mama's fresh baked waffles, or the sound of her Papa and little brother arguing about the best way to chop wood and charm women. She would give anything for one last moment with them. 

"El?" Jesper said with yet another look of concern. 

"Sorry Jes, I'm just tired."

Taking the hint, he got off her bed and opened the door. 

"I'm sorry about your family, whatever happened, you can tell me when your ready." 

Eliana gave him a stiff nod and returned to her bowl of water, softly dunking her towel into it and waiting for the door to close. After it shut, she washed her face and put on a simple cotton nightgown, tied back her hair, and tumbled into her small bed. Pulling the blue blanket around herself, she could faintly smell where the sharpshooter had been sitting. The scent of pine and gunpowder clung to the fabric and filled her senses as she drifted off to sleep. 

Edits: I fixed some grammar and spelling mistakes.