TROUBLE , kaz brekker

viii. i have a job for you.

CHAPTER EIGHT

WALKING THROUGH KETTERDAM WITH Kaz Brekker was liberating.

The cesspool of Kerch was no stranger to impossibly high levels of footfall, even at this time of night when the scummy grey moon was mounted high in the ink-black sky. If they had been anyone else, the greed and gluttony of the crowds would have swallowed them whole and yet, tonight, they parted with a single shadowed glance. By his side, Echo felt feared, powerful. It was beautiful.

In her little Ravkan village, Echo would walk through the streets unseen and insignificant. There truly was nothing quite like growing up in the shadows of the Little Palace. But here, in Ketterdam, she had a place, she had a purpose, she had...a very hard time matching the pace of Kaz Brekker - why were his legs so long?

Underneath her tightly pulled gown, the evidence of the fight with the Tidemaker was becoming harder and harder to ignore. Even though Echo had long since coughed up the last of the harbour water that seemed to seep into every pore of her body, there was still the blooming collage of bruises that painted her ribs and pulled her breath taunt with every jolt.

"Kaz, wait." She muttered, lifting a pale hand to a soot covered wall.

Kaz hesitated. His gaze flickered back and forth between the dimly lit alley and where her red hair sent shadows sprawling across the dirt. She could almost hear his thoughts, plain as day on his scowling face. They both knew they had moments to get to the Conductor before Tante Heleen managed to silence him and their way through the Fold forever. But Echo knew that if she had to take one more step without subduing the ache in her side, Kaz would have to find himself a new genius.

"We need to move." His reply was short, but, despite his tone, Kaz steadied to a halt.

Cursing under her breath, Echo pulled out a blade. It was no longer than her pointer finger but the steel was sharp and sliced through the fabric of her bodice with ease. The pressure on her chest lifted and with it, the blinding pain of her bruises. She tossed the ruined material aside, leaving her covered by just a white linen undershirt that was easily pulled aside to reveal the skin underneath.

A scattering of purple and green blossomed on her abdomen. Bruises. A broken rib or two. Echo had seen worse. If everything went to plan then maybe she'd have enough time to find a grisha healer to mend the worst of it. She didn't imagine Kaz's plan to kidnap the Sun Summoner involved lugging around a slow, breathless Ravkan around the Little Palace. But right now, Dirtyhands was looking at the stains of her skin with a tight jaw, hands clenched around the head of his cane. He was studying, scowling, with a darkness in his eyes that made Echo glad she had gotten rid of the Tidemaker before he could have his way with her.

A few more careful inspections of her broken skin and Echo was ready to move. "Let's go."

Kaz's brows were furrowed but without a word, he began to follow the route. They continued in silence until an unfamiliar building parted the mist. It was ugly and grey, as most things in Ketterdam were, but the locks were malleable and soon broke under the clever fingers of Dirtyhands.

Inside, the apartment was ransacked. Every drawer overturned, papers littering the floor and from behind a pair of sliding doors, muffled voices could be heard. With the stick of his cane, Kaz pushed Echo behind him, almost without thought, and began to walk towards the doors, stalking like a predator.

Echo swatted the cane away with a scoff and matched his steps. She was beaten and bruised. Not useless.

They fell side by side at the door, that ever present distance between Kaz and the world lingering, as it always did. He put a finger to his lips and listened.