𝕬𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖘 𝕷𝖚𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞 - [𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿]

𝐯𝐢𝐢. 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯?

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 — who will you have then?

━━━━━━━

 "𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 think?" Were the first words uttered from the Bastard of the Barrel mere minutes after he and Aleksa had settled into a bout of quietude within his office.

 A blanket of cool air had wafted around them, drifting inwards from the open window that dipped with lingering rain and cloudy condensation. The pair hadn't spoken since leaving Dreesen's, after watching Alexei's head cave with a bullet.

 Inej and Jesper had disappeared. The Suli girl would no doubt ponder and praise the Sun Summoner; she'd pray and dwell within a new hope blossoming within her heart, whilst Jesper would likely drink away the memories of watching a boy getting shot before his very eyes.

 "I don't know." Aleksa mumbled. Her fingers picked at a fraying thread around one of the buttons lining her shirt. She truly didn't know what to think; did she now suddenly believe in the Sun Summoner just because a boy desperate for his freedom had said she existed?

 Did she think it was worth the risk to travel to Ravka and scoop her up just to sell her to the highest bidder? Everything was contradicting. Aleksa wanted her freedom, she wanted the Kruge that would guarantee her stay within Ketterdam... But kidnapping another girl was the trade, and Aleksa wasn't sure she could submit somebody to her former fate.

 Could she truly rest knowing that her cage had been unlocked just for another young girl to take her place?

 Then there was Inej. Aleksa and Inej's bond was something close to unbreakable; could she do that to Inej? Help kidnap the very person the Suli girl prayed to in her times of hardship?

 Speaking of Inej; would she go? Would she join them if they sailed across the choppy and salty seas, would she follow them side by side through the wall of shadows that acted as a scar across Ravkas heart? Would she help take the Sun Summoner from beneath Aleksander's nose?

 Kaz rose a brow, "That's a first. You said you didn't believe in the Sun Summoner."

 "I don't believe in Saints, Kaz. I can summon and control the dark, why wouldn't there be somebody who could do the opposite?"

 "So now you're a believer?"

 "I believe in Grisha. If she's a Grisha who can manipulate the light, it's really not all that unbelievable."

 There was a beat of silence. Kaz's stoic gaze lingered on Aleksa, watching as she stared into nothingness. There was time that he believed she could see things in the shadows; she'd stare so intently as though a crowd of people swam within the darkness.

 His fingers tapped at his knee, "Would you go?"

 She hesitated, and Kaz had caught it immediately. His stomach twisted.