𝕬𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖘 𝕷𝖚𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞 - [𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿]

𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐢. 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎 — truth be told

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 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 of the fire broke through the night. The orange and yellow embers danced along an old slab of wood that Kaz had found by the stump of a tree, engulfing it whole.

 The sky was a deep blue, edging into black; stars splattered across the cloudless canvas. It was a clear winter night filled with a bitter cold that was enough to make Kaz's nose turn red, even beside the heat of the fire.

 He had secluded himself after watching Aleksa patch Inej up; they had both taken care of each other so many times before and now, because of the failure they'd all partaken in, they might not have the chance to do it again. They might leave one another side... it'd be an odd sight to see.

 He had come back to the Slat on numerous occasions only to find Inej seated at a table with a needle and thread in one hand, whilst Aleksa's hand was gripped tightly in the other, blood spilling over her glowing skin. Aleksa would always seek out fights and her excuse was always the same, fun. Kaz knew differently. It was for control.

 Aleksa had given away snippets of her childhood, usually the good, yet somehow he'd manage to snag slivers of the bad too. Her brother, the Darkling, wasn't quite the brother that Aleksa would describe him to be. She'd look on with stars in her eyes as she rattled off stories of herself and her dear brother... And she'd brush away the stories in which the General would turn cold and lash out.

 Aleksa liked things to be pretty, but everything has its cracks and scars. She would grin as she spoke of her brother and would simply shrug when somebody echoed some of her words; 'he'd hit you?' or 'he left you in the dark?'

 She never saw the problem, for it seemed that General Kirigan had latched his claws so very deep within his sister. He had twisted her views, and made it seem like every harsh punishment was just and out of love.

 How could Aleksa, someone so headstrong and stubborn and smart, remember the bruises he'd give her with a smile?

 Then again, Kaz Brekker knew how it felt to look at one's older brother as though they'd hung the night sky themselves. They could do no wrong.

 Aleksa had lingered by the door to the barn, growing restless as she felt the damn thing swinging back and forth, bumping into her shivering back. Cas had perched upon her shoulder, nipping at her ear rather painfully. Even so, she took the small moment of quietude to watch the golden glow that Kaz bathed in. She was absolutely enamoured, and it was torturous.

 He blinked, finally allowing his eyes some rest against the gleam of the fire. That was when he saw the Summoner in his peripheral, blending into the shadows even despite the glow before him.