Kaz Brekker x reader

Chapter 8 | performance

"What about..." Jesper started.

"No look, there's a tower." I pointed to a tower on the map.

"Oh,"

"How about this hallway?" Inej questioned while pointing at hall on the other side of the map.

"No go, see? Guard tower." Jesper pointed out from my left. We all examined the map for a minute, in deep thought like we were trying to figure out where to place the first few pieces of a 1000 piece puzzle.

"There's no way in!" Inej exclaimed.

"And no way out." Kaz added from beside me. He stood so close to my right shoulder I could sense his breath against my neck when he huffed in frustration. His hands were on his hips causing his elbow to press against my lower back every time he exhaled.

"Well, I thought this plan might not work."
Spoke Arken from the other side of the table.

"What do you suggest?" I questioned in annoyance as I raised my eyebrows.
Kaz tilted his head slightly down to look at me, despite me knowing, he was observing my facial figures.
Suddenly a loud thug resounded through the bar. The crowd exclaimed in shock as we all turned our heads to look at the stage where the sound came from. The acrobat had lost her grip and fell to the floor.
I tried to turn back around to face the table but I somehow managed to face Kaz right in the eyes as we both tried to turn around.
His face was inches away from mine as he peered down at me with his lips in a straight line.
I mumbled a quiet sorry before anyone else could notice the awkward moment Kaz and I were sharing as I leaned my back against Jesper's shoulder to push him back a little so I'd have more room in between the two.

"Stop that," Jesper whined with his hands on the table.

"Then move back, can't you see I'm a little squeezed here." I groaned in frustration.

"Calm down love, just had to ask first." He giggled when he understood the reason why I wanted more space.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2h later

"Got any plans up your sleeves," Inej asked no one in particular.
Kaz sent her glare as he kept the neutral expression he wore when he was in deep thought.
Inej sat next to Kaz as she was clearly counting the seconds in her head to pass the time while Jesper sat staring blankly in front of himself with a glass of beer in his hands as I stood in between him and Kaz with my elbows on the bar and my head facing down as I thought of a different plan.

"I mean, Kribirsk isn't the worst." Jesper tried to reassure causing me to look at him throw my eyebrows.
"We can open up a bar. Brew East Ravkan beer for the Westerners."

"Shut up Jesper!" The three of us exclaimed in sync causing Jesper to hold his class in front of his mouth in shock as the three of us stared blankly in front of ourselves in deep thought.

"I miss Milo," Jesper whined.

"Friends!" Arken suddenly interrupted our intense moment of concentration.

"What are you so cheery about?" Kaz questioned once Arken leaned against the counter next to Jesper.
I didn't even bother to look up at our guests.

"This is Marko." He introduced causing me to finally tilt my head up.
"Marko is the leader of the travelling troupe known as the Pomdrakon Players.
They have been invited to perform in this year's winter fete."

"A lifelong dream." Marko sobbed.

Oh saints

"Yes, yes," Arken whispered awkwardly as he pat his new friend on the shoulder, secretly praying for Marko to not start bawling his eyes out in front of us.
"A chance to get inside the Little Palace. But they lost their star performer due to...an...unfortunate freak accident."
Arken explained as I raised my eyebrows at him. Clearly not what happened, I thought.
"They are in desperate need of someone with the skills to replace their star performer, and as Ketterdam's premier talent manager, I had an idea." He explained further in detail as he glanced behind Kaz's shoulder.
I tilted my head to the left as did Kaz and Jesper as we all made eye contact with the victimized Inej.