(𝐊𝐀𝐙 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐊𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐗 𝐅. 𝐎𝐂)
❝︎Why didn't he see
it coming?❞︎
BORN A PRISONER, TURNED INTO
one of the best soldiers of the Second
Army was Vera Sokolov, a Fjerdan
girl born with Shadow Sum...
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THE THREE WERE dragged into the room and pushed into their chairs. The room was full of fancy decorations. "Come on." One of the officers ordered, yanking the group along.
"Watch the coat." Jesper tried to wave one of the officers roughandling him off but he was forced into the chair all the same. Once the Stadwatch officers backed away and the Crows were given air to breathe, "What's all this, then?" Jesper asked.
"Somebody paid good kruge to spend some time alone with you two." The Stadwatch officer grinned wickedly, standing in front of the group.
The wide doors behind the officer were opened dramatically. She saw the man before she heard him angrily comment, "Criminals." Dreesen's scowl was seen as he walked past the guard, glaring at the Crows.
Kaz lowered his head, not desiring to see what happened next. "Dreesen." He greeted, sounding exhausted before they'd begun.
"Hmm. Ten minutes alone. Out you go." After handing the lead Stadwatch officer a stack of kruge, Dreesen ushered the officers out quickly, his bodyguards staying in the room. One of the bodyguards' eyes widened at the sight of Vera, Kaz noted it, "So, are you going to tell me what happened?"
"We've been framed for murder?" Jesper tried to deflect, raising his hands innocently.
Dreesen scoffed, "I'm not asking about that. Where is Alina Starkov?"
Even though the man had stopped in front of him with a pointed glare, Kaz avoided eye contact, "We don't have her." He said instead.
"Obviously." Dreesen shook his head in disappointment, "You left with an advance on my million kruge with passage on my ship. And you dare to return empty-handed. The deal was meant to include one Sun Summoner in exchange for the advance. And you step off the ship with no such person in your possession. Clearly, you must have something of value to me or else you would not have dared—"
"It wasn't your money, Dreesen." Kaz interrupted without warning.
A tense quiet filled the room as Dreesen stared open-mouthed at Kaz. Vera and Jesper made eye contact around Kaz who was maintaining his stare. Both wondered what their boss was getting up to now.
He wouldn't leave it at that. Instead, he laid his cards down, "You were brought in as an intermediary. Someone to hire the likes of us. But this operation wasn't yours." Kaz's eyes moved to the guard standing to Dreesen's left, "It was his. Wasn't it?"
