MORTAL NIGHTS . . . kaz brekker

03. old friends

chapter three

NINA ZENIK

present time...

[Ketterdam , Hellsgate]

NINA couldn't move her hands, for they were trapped underneath Matthias' knees, no doubt he knew how dangerous she was with her hands free. She would never hurt him though, although she very much wanted to as he was strangling her.

His hands were around her neck and she couldn't breathe. She couldn't have been more of a fool, she thought it would be like in the books she reads, how he's glad to see her, welcomes her with open arms and gentle kisses. Not after what she had done.

Nina couldn't help but remember Matthias' face shadowed by the planks of the ship when he saw she had betrayed him. Heartbroken. Angry. Hatred. There had been so much that day.

There was a click, and a gravelly voice said from behind Matthias, ''Hands off, Helvar.''

''Go ahead and shoot me,'' He said, he dug his fingertips further in her neck.

Nefertari looked almost angelic as she said from next to Kaz, ''If you've actually lost your mind then this will be a lot tougher for the both of us, so if you didn't hear him. Hands. Off.''

The blunt of her axe was pressed into Matthias' neck, underneath Kaz' gun, and Nina wanted to cry out, for them to stop hurting him or for him to stop hurting her. Her brain was a muddle and she didn't know what to think anymore.

The black spots that were forming in Nina's vision didn't stop her from seeing Kaz and Nefertari exchange a look. There was a whooshing sound and Kaz' cane came down on Matthias' left shoulder, almost lazily as Nefertari stood back.

Matthias almost fell forwards, one hand still clamped defiantly on her throat, if not for Nefertari's strong grip when she pulled him back by the collar of his shirt.

''Get hold of yourself, Helvar. We're here to break you out. I can do to your leg what I did to your arm, and we could drag you out of here.''

Nefertari chimed with a patronizing grin, ''Or you can leave like a man, on two feet.''

''No one gets out of Hellgate,'' Matthias said.

Nina wanted to cry, she had dreamed of this moment, getting him out, for such a long time, yet now here she was, and he wanted to kill her.

''Tonight they do.''

''You can't just walk me out of here. The guards will recognise me,'' The beautiful boy before her snarled viciously. ''I'm not losing fighting privileges to be carted off to Djel knows where with you.''

''You'll be masked.''

''If the guards check-''

''They're going to be too busy to check,'' said Kaz. That's when the screaming started.

Matthias' head jerked upwards, there were so many noises coming from so many places. Nefertari still had a grip on his shirt, keeping him from lunging at her again.