BOMBS AWAY ➤ kaz brekker

turn your head

Esther still didn't understand why Kaz brought her along on every job. She couldn't do much - she was more useful off the field than on - but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed it. Not because she was with Kaz, of course, but because it was becoming a new kind of thrill. Maybe she was past the panicking stage, and she could live with what she'd done.

She wore the blue silk cape and matching veil of the Lost Bride, identical to the Heartrender Kaz had brought along, a girl called Nina. Already she liked her. She was big, loud, and fun, and her spirit wasn't dampened by the crushing smog of Ketterdam. Kaz always seemed irritated, no matter what time of the day, but with Nina around his annoyance was clearly doubled. It spurred her to join Nina in her taunts, and she knew she and Nina were going to be friends.

"Lower your veil," Kaz told them. Nina flashed Esther a quick smile before drawing the royal blue fabric over her face, obscuring her features. Esther did the same. Now, her world had been tinted azure, the details blurred by the lace that hung over her eyes. In a way, she felt like a princess, dressed up in silks, standing before her people, the measure of beauty. At least, if princesses got their clothes from an old rack of costumes used for vulgar plays.

Looking out over the ocean, Esther spotted more boats coming in towards Hellgate, their occupants dressed in costumes that hid their identity. She now knew that when tourists wore masks, it meant they were involved in something sketchy, preferring to hide their face in order to keep their names respectable. Shadow business.

"Couldn't you just bribe the warden?" Nina muttered to Kaz.

"I don't need him knowing he has something I want."

The hull of their boat bumped against the shore, and two men rushed forward, pulling them in. On the inside of their forearms were the marks of the Dime Lions, the huge cat curled inside a crown.

"Money," one grunted. Kaz handed them a stack of kruge. The Dime Lion counted through the bills and then waved them on. They headed towards Hellgate.

Esther looked up towards the looming tower, black against the night sky, blotting out the few stars visible through the mist. The ocean crashed against the rocks in the background, a soothing melody in the quiet. The repetitive whisper soothed her nerves. Their guide led them through a dark kitchen, the smells of urine and mildew combined with vinegar and sage. She wrinkled her nose behind her veil. Even after living on a farm, spending days at a time in the barn with the stench of animals clouding all other senses, she still would never get used to rancid smells.

The guide led them from the kitchen through a dank entryway, then through another door onto a high stone walkway. It led from the main prison to the opposite tower, cutting through the open air. The winds bit at her hands, the only bit of her exposed to the air, sand and salt brought along from the sea stinging when it made contact. Upon entering the second tower, a small figure appeared, the shadows falling away from her. 

Nina made a slight choking noise. "Inej." The Wraith wore the horns and high collar of the Grey Imp. "How did you even get in here?"

"I came earlier on a supply barge."

"Do people just come and go from Hellgate for fun?" Esther wondered the same thing. What were they doing here? Kaz did take her on jobs, but he never explained what was happening until it was happening. Of course, from what she was learning about him, that wasn't out of the ordinary. 

"Once a week they do," Inej replied.

"What do you mean once a-"

"Keep quiet," Kaz snarled. 

"Don't shush me, Brekker. If it's this easy to get into Hellgate-"

"The problem isn't getting in, it's getting out. Now shut up and stay alert."