❝ she loved him,
but she kept pretending
she didn't because
she knew he didn't
love her the same ❞
In which the Snake of Ketterdam slithers out from the cracks of the Barrel to raise her head and break some bones.
【 Kaz Brekker x OC】
【 Grishaver...
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𝕿he crow club was not a place that Stasiaj ever visited. In fact, she made it her life's mission to stay away from the Ketterdam gambling dens, brothels and other establishments. But, when one of her vipers had come slithering back to her den, whispering of betrayal and a plot to dismantle the Dregs' little plan before it had even begun, Stasiaj emerged from her lair to pay her favorite Crow Man a visit.
There was no bouncer on the door, no guards in the windows, and Stasiaj took the opportunity to stroll into the club. The den fell quiet, people hurrying to hide their coins, averting their eyes.
Just because Stasiaj had never visited the Crow Club, or any of the other Dregs owned buildings, did not mean that she was any less well known. She smirked, her painted lips quirking as if they had a mind of their own.
The gamblers and drinkers hid their eyes and face from the woman, who swept in as if she owned the place and with the information that she had on most of the people in the room, Stasiaj practically did.
"Where is the Crow Man?" She asked, leaning over the bar as she watched the man in front of her. He gulped, pointing a shaking finger at a door at the back of the club. "Good boy."
She placed a pouch of coins into her guards hands, motioning for them to get a drink and occupy themselves whilst she talked to Kaz Brekker. He wouldn't dare harm her not with all of the information and secrets she carried. She was far too useful.
The chatter started up once more as Stasiaj took the steps up to the door, which creaked open under her touch. They were hoping that when she was not in the room, she would not learn their secrets. That was a fool's hope though, as her guards would listen in and report back for her. That's what she payed them for.
Behind the door was another set of stairs, which Stasiaj took quickly, lifting the hem of her skirt as she reached the top corridor. It was lined with doors, but Stasiaj ignored it, already knowing the layout after a conversation with Luisaj, her woman on the inside. She missed the first few doors, before knocking on one of the final door in the corridor.
"Who is it?" Stasiaj rolled her eyes.
"Snake." The door flew open, Kaz Brekker glaring down at her with narrowed eyes. "Hello Bastard."
"What do you want?" He growled, narrowing his eyes at her. Stasiaj rolled her own.
"We need to talk, Crow Man. Step aside." He moved out of the way just in time, as Stasiaj swept into the room, looking at the assorted papers and plans on the desk with interest. Unfortunately, there was nothing new in the pages. "Haven't gone to Hellgate yet?"
"Tonight. Why are you here, Snake? You don't normally make house calls," Kaz hissed, folding his arms across his chest as he sat down in one of the chairs in the room. Stasiaj hummed, looking around the Crow Man's study, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves, trying to see what information she could get from it. Any information was good information for her. "Snake!"
"Patience, Bastard, is a virtue and it seems that you have yet to learn that lesson," Stasiaj mused, before turning away to sit in the chair opposite him. "I come bearing ill news."
"That is the only news that comes from your lips," Stasiaj laughed, his harsh words having no effect on her. She'd been called, and told, worse things than that.
"Ah, Bastard, you never fail to amuse me," Kaz was not laughing with her. "They know."
"Who does?"
"They don't know about Hellgate, but they do know about your little heist and are waiting for you," Stasiaj replied, her painted lips twitching into a grin at Kaz's annoyed face. She knew that he despised the fact that she had gotten hold of this information first, and that she was withholding the names from him, but to her this was all a big game. One that she would win.
"Give me names, Snake,"
"But there would be no fun in that and you have no more information that I need to buy those names from my lips," Stasiaj replied, as Kaz glared at her. "Business is business, Bastard."
"Then why come and tell me?" He asked, an eyebrow raised, still trying to figure out what motives drove the girl in front of him.
"You owe me, remember," Kaz's eyes narrowed. "I need you alive to pay me for providing you with all of that helpful information. So, I shall aim to keep you alive until such time that you pay me back all of the money that you owe and I like to collect my debts, Kaz Rietveld."
"It's Brekker now," Kaz tensed at Stasiaj's use of his old last name, the one that he had dropped after his brother's death.
"Oh, silly me," Stasiaj grinned, before standing up again. "Well, that was all I came here for. Good luck, Crow Man. You'll need it."
A cane shot across the door before Stasiaj could leave and the woman tensed, turning back to face Kaz with narrowed eyes.
"I invite you to think of what you are doing, Bastard, very carefully," Stasiaj's voice dropped to a hiss, anger lacing into her words as her lips pulled back into a snarl. "I came here, out of the goodness of my heart, to tell you some information that I learnt and it would be in your best interest to let me pass."
"I want to make a new deal," Stasiaj tilted her head, before scowling.
"I don't make deals, Bastard," She replied, turning to face him head on. He might have been taller and stronger than she was, but there was no challenge in who held more power in the room. "People pay me with information for more information, and that is as far as it goes. I would have thought that in our multiple years co-existing with one another, you would have learnt that. I see now that I have to spell it out for those of simpler minds."
Kaz bristled at her insults but did not react to them. Reacting to Stasiaj's insults would give her more ammunition to use against him, and he did not need the Snake to have any more information than she already did.
"I know you don't make deals. I want to form a partnership,"
"A fool would be the only one to form a partnership with you, and I am no fool," Stasiaj hissed. "If I did that, I would shackle myself to you in the process and you'd throw away the key."
"It would be a good investment,"
"I don't care," Kaz didn't falter from his stance. "Move aside."
"You haven't even heard what I have to offer in return,"
"What could you have, Bastard, that I don't already know?" Kaz Brekker smirked and in that moment, Stasiaj found her curiosity piqued. What did he know?
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Hiya,
Have another chapter because I was just very in love with Stasiaj and her and Kaz are very love hate relationship at the moment.
