In a cold and rainy city, comes the story of two unlikely individuals. A criminal prodigy and a Grisha. The boy, known more commonly by the alias he shared with his brother, together they were the "bastards of the barrel." His brother was Dirtyhand...
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OVER THE NEXT DAY, INEJ AND LANYING SAW KAZ AND KASPER BEGIN TO MOVE THE PIECES OF THEIR SCHEME INTO POSITION. The girls had been privy to their consultations with every member of the crew, but they each knew she was seeing only fragments of the plan. That was the game Kaz and Kasper always played.
If the brothers had doubts about what they were attempting, they didn't show, and Inej wished she shared their certainty. The Ice Court had been built to withstand an onslaught of armies, assassins, Grisha, and spies. When Inej said as much to Kaz, he'd simply replied, "But it hasn't been built to keep us out."
His confidence unnerved her. "What makes you think we can do this? There will be other teams out there, trained soldiers and spies, people with years of experience."
Kasper spoke now, "this isn't a job tor trained soldiers and spies. It's a job for thugs and thieves. Van Eck knows it, and that's why he brought us in."
"You can't spend his money if you're dead." Inej protested
"I'll acquire expensive habits in the afterlife " Kaz replied
"There's a difference between confidence and arrogance." Lanying reminded as she stared intently at the two brothers before her. Then she snapped her eyes to Kasper saying, "are you sure you'll want to give up your dream of spending your four million kruge on acquiring a tie for every day of the month?"
They'd turned their back on the girls then, each brother giving each of his gloves a sharp tug.
Kaz said "And when Kasper and l want a sermon on that, We'll know who to come to."
"If either of you want out, just say so." Kasper added
Inej's spine had straightened, her own pride rising to her defence. "Matthias isn't the only irreplaceable member of this crew, Kaz. You need me." She then turned to Kasper. "And you'll need Lanying on this mission. She isn't irreplaceable either."
Kaz responded "I need your skills, Inej. That's not the same thing. You may be the best spider crawling around the Barrel, but you're not the only one. You'd do well to remember it it you want to keep your share of the haul."
Inej hadn't said a word, hadn't wanted to show just how angry he'd made her, but she'd left his office and hadn't said a thing to him since.
Now, as she headed towards the harbour, she wondered what kept her on this path.
She could leave Kerch any time she wanted. She could stow away on a ship bound for Novyi Zem. She could go back to Ravka and search for her family. Hopefully they d been safe in the west when the civil war broke out, or maybe they'd taken refuge in Shu Han. The Suli caravans had been following the same well-worn roads for years, and sea the skills to steal what she needed to survive until she found them.
That would mean walking out on her debt to the Dregs. Per Haskell would blame Kaz; he'd be forced to carry the price of her indenture, and she'd be leaving him vulnerable without his Wraith to gather secrets. But hadn't he told her that she was easily replaced? If they managed to pull off this heist and return to Kerch with Bo Yul-Bayur safely in tow, her percentage of the haul would be more than enough to buy her way out of her contract with the Dregs. She'd owe Kaz nothing, and there would he no reason for her to stay.
