WICKED GAME [shadow and bone]

comrades along the way

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:

"your secret is safe with me, don't worry"

A few coins, Kaz's broken cane, and a few trinkets, that was all that the group possessed that could be sold.

"Is this all that we have left?" Inej breathed out while clutching her side. The wound bothering her even more and more with each second. She asked Jesper to hand her bag while Katerina leaned over the table with her hands.

"Yes, well, if I had time, I would have picked up my wallet from the Little Palace." It was a joke of course; Katerina didn't have a wallet or something of sorts. In the Little Palace for someone like Katerina, everything was taken care of. Lowkey Katerina hated that.

Kaz glanced her way. Then his eyes dropped to her waist.

"What about your revolvers?" Kaz already expected Katerina's next move. She instinctively placed her hands over her holstered revolvers and straightened her back.

"Don't you dare." The redhead narrowed her eyes while Kaz let the corners of his lips move slightly upwards.

Their moment was interrupted by Jesper who has started to gag at the sight of Inej's injury. The look that Kaz sent the Suli girl did not escape the redhead. She observed the concerned expression on his face and a brief smile appeared on her face.

Katerina was not jealous. She was happy that Kaz, even if that was discreet, showed that he cared. Inej, of course, did not notice it, but Katerina did.

Seeing that Jesper will not be a big help, Katerina moved past him and crouched beside the wounded girl. Earning a surprised look from the trio.

"It's not healing on its own. I will have to stitch it." Katerina slightly winced imagining the needle and a thread. A thought came into her mind.

"What if offered you a different way?" Inej stopped to look at the redhead. "It might be a bit more painful than a needle, but it will be more effective." She heard the question that was on Kaz's tongue before he could say it. She turned to face the man. "And that way she will be able to travel sooner."

"What is it?" Katerina turned back to face the Suli girl. "The way?"

The Inferni raised her palm, and the trio could see the heat waves coming from it as the redhead's palm became hotter. They instantly understood what Katerina meant.

For a minute Inej just stared at her hand. Katerina could see the slight fear in her eyes.

"We don't have to do that if you don't want to."

The Suli girl shifted her eyes from her palm to Katerina's eyes. Inej was baffled by the fact of how different they were from that day when the group met the Inferni in that tavern. Inej remembered how scared she was of the redhead and her intense gaze that seemed to stare right into your soul.