Talons⛥Kaz Brekker

⛥𝔗𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢⛥

The next day, Van Eck put me into wrist and ankle shackles. No one dared to put a blindfold on me. I kept snapping my teeth every time they dared, showing off my pearly white sharp teeth to them. I ended up with a hood. Van Eck did as Kaz had told him, I chose to have my gloves off and in my pockets and my knives were tucked onto my feet shackles. I couldn't reach them unless I was untied.

At least, that's what they thought.

Three guards stood around me as we walked onto Goedmedbridge, I spotted Kaz holding onto Alys' shoulder as they walked towards us. I locked eyes with him and didn't look away. He glanced to Van Eck's nose and back to me, I smiled. Van Eck's nose was crooked and swollen, a dark circle of bruising forming beneath one eye. A university medik had treated the worst of the damage, but without a Grisha Healer, there was only so much you could do to hide a break like that.

Van Eck was trying to keep his expression neutral, but he was working so hard to look impassive that his high forehead was shiny with sweat. His shoulders were fixed stiffly and his chest jutted forward as if someone had attached a string to his sternum and yanked him upward. He walked onto Goedmedbridge at a stately pace, surrounded by liveried guards in red and gold.

Then Van Eck signaled to his men to
bring me forward, and Kaz and Alys started across the bridge.

I overheard the conversation Kaz was having with Alys. "Do you think he's handsome?" Alys asked.

"What?" Kaz said, clearly unsure he had heard her correctly.

"Something has happened to Jan's nose," Alys said.

"I suspect he caught a bad case of the Vampress."

I stifled a silent laugh. He wasn't wrong.

Alys wrinkled her own small nose, considering. "I think Jan would be
handsome, if he were not quite so old."

"Lucky for you, we live in a world where men can make up for being old by being rich."

"It would be nice if he were both young and rich."

"Why stop there? How about young, rich, and royal? Why settle for a merch when you could have a prince?"

"I suppose," said Alys. "But it's the money that's important. I've never really seen the point in princes."

Well, no one would ever doubt this girl was Kerch born and raised.

"Alys, I'm shocked to find you and I are in agreement."

Van Eck and Kaz stopped a good ten paces apart. Alys tried to step forward, but Kaz held her firmly in place.

"You said you were bringing me to Jan," she objected.

"And here you are," Kaz said. "Now be still."

"Jan!" she yelped sharply. "It's me!"
"I know, my dear," Van Eck said calmly, his gaze locked on Kaz. He lowered his voice. "This isn't over, Brekker. I want Kuwei Yul-Bo."

I stopped listening to their conversation as my mind began to wonder. Why exactly had Kaz come for me? He has Kuwei, he's worth more than the money Van Eck was supposed to give him. He's worth more than I am. And yet, here in front of me, he stood there. Waiting to trade me.

"Come," Van Eck said, ushering Alys forward as he signaled to the guard
holding me to release me.

Ten feet. Five feet. Van Eck embraced Alys as she let loose a stream of questions and chatter. Three feet. My gaze was steady. I was thinner. My lips were chapped. But despite long days in captivity, the sun caught the dark gleam of my hair. Two feet.
And then I was before him. We still needed to get clear of the bridge. Van
Eck would not let us go this easily.