Echo • Six Of Crows - Kaz Brekker

9

(I know you lot were waiting for this part 👀)

Usually Kaz wasn't bothered when Mavka didn't talk to him; she didnt talk to many, if at all. But now her tiny form had come silent in his arms despite him telling her to continue talking to him, and truly, he felt a panic.

A type of inescapable panic he hadn't felt since Jordie died.

He had pushed himself through the terrible pain in his leg - it was the absolute worst it had been since he'd first broken it falling off the roof of a bank near the Gaaldstraat. It was possible he'd fractured it again. It felt like it, but he persevered simply because he had to.

Mavka's weight wasnt helping at all, even if she was light. His leg nearly buckled with every lurching step.

"Get us out of here!" Kaz shouted as soon as he limped aboard the schooner with Mavka in his arms. The sails were trimmed already, and they were on their way out of the harbour in moments, though not nearly as fast as he would have liked. He knew he should have tried to secure some Squallors for the journey but they were hell to come by.

There was chaos on deck, people shouting and trying to get the schooner into open sea as quickly as possible.

"Specht!" He yelled at the man he'd chosen to captain the vessel, a sailor with a talent for knifework who had fallen on hard times and ended up stuck in the lower ranks of the Dregs. "Get your crew in shape before I start cracking skulls."

Specht saluted - stuck in his old habits, but he was no longer in the navy and Kaz wasnt a commanding officer. Still, he did as he was told, because in the moment he couldn't decide if he'd fear a commanding officer or Kaz Brekker more.

Jesper jumped into his path to offer help, paling at the bloody sight in Kaz's arms, but he shoved past him.

"Where's Nina?" He snarled.

"Seeing to the wounded below. She already took care of me," he only dimly noted the dried blood on Jespers thigh, too focussed on the fact he could feel the warmth leaving the figure held against him. "Wylan got dinged during the fight. Let me help you-"

"Get out of my way." Kaz said, and plunged past him down the ramp that lef below decks.

He found Nina tending to Wylan in a narrow cabin, her hands occupied drifting over his arm to cover a bullet wound, nothing more than a graze.

"Move!" Kaz demanded.

Wylan's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he practically leapt from the table.

He hadn't even noticed Inej in the corner observing, who shot up with wide eyes and Mavka's sword at her side - now polished of blood and safe. He briefly recalled something odd about how she'd looked, and that must have been it. He'd rarely seen her without her weapon until now.

"Im not finished-" Nina began. Then she caught sight of what she had. "Saints," she swore. "What happened?"

"Knife wound, broken fingers and who knows what else."

Tears welled in Inej's eyes.

The cramped cabin was lit by several bright lanterns and a thick stash of clean bandages had been aid out on a shelf beside a bottle of camphor. Gently, Kaz placed Mavka on the table that had been bolted to the deck.

Her head lolled to the side, hand limply falling across the edge of the table and away from the gaping wound in her stomach.

"That's a lot of blood," Nina said on a low breath.

"Help her."

Inej put her palms together, fingertips at her lips, and whispered a silent prayer to her saints, unable to take her eyes away from the horrific sight.