INIQUITY- kaz brekker

Nine

Kaz had faced the Black General and had escaped unscathed and unharmed. He was feeling mightily proud of himself until he came across an old shop that seemed to be going up in flames. Glancing in the dim window he saw two bodies and rushed into the shop, ignoring the ragged pain of his leg.

"Kaz," Iris croaked.

For a moment the boy paused and Iris feared that he would realise how much of an opportunity this was and simply walk back out of the shop. Kaz looked down at the body of an Inferni beside her and the flames on her other side and pushed tip of his cane under the shelf using the crows beak to lever it upwards and free Iris's arm who scrambled away from the fire, tears glazing her eyes over as she was brought back to those years with Pekka and Victor.

He yearned to hold out a hand to her, to lift her upwards and free them from this abomination and his jaw clenched as he fought his terror. But Kaz was afraid, she was damned and abomination always won in the end so he simply watched as she heaved herself upwards, choking on smoke and tainted reminiscence. As much as she could try to forget Victor, the memories would stay there forever. The burns may have healed but the recollections would never fade.

Kaz offered Iris his cane and she gazed up at him with wild confused eyes. Without words or speech, a silent recognition passed between them and Iris gratefully took the cane, leaning on it as they limped from the shop. Taking a glance back at Luna, Iris clutched her heart and hoped that if there were Saints out there then they would take care of her.

Meanwhile, Kaz prayed to Saints he didn't believe in, begging them to heal Iris, to remind her that damnation would not last forever.

"Careful Brekker, you might make me think you actually like me," Iris spoke softly with a grin as they walked up to Jesper.

"You two alright?" he asked worriedly and the pair nodded in return. The Zemeni boy raised his eyebrows and grinned when he saw Iris resting on Kaz's cane.

"I knew it," he whispered to himself. "Inej owes me!"

"Inej," Iris cried out as the girl dropped down beside them, clutching her bleeding stomach, doubling over in pain.

"Hey," Jesper spoke softly as he grabbed the girls arm, keeping her upright.

"The Inferni, she's dead," Inej grunted in pain.

"Well, you can't manage a horse," Kaz shook his head, grimacing at his friend in pain, grimacing that he too could not help another person he cared for.

"Not even riding double. We'll have to come up with another plan", Jesper nodded.

"Saints," Inej gasped.

Iris gritted her teeth at how the Saints had failed Inej.

"That's a pretty nice ride," she spoke glancing over with a grin to Kirigan's carriage.

"Yes, indeed it is," Jesper smirked.

Jesper snuck up to the carriage, opening the doors with a theatrical flourish and speaking "Oh. Hello!" to the Grisha inside of it.

The Durast grunted in surprise and launched his book at Jesper before leaping out of the other door into the street. Glancing around wildly he was met by a strike on the head from Kaz's cane, knocking him to the ground.

"He threw a book at me," Jesper exclaimed as he leaped from the carriage.

"Good taste," Iris smiled as she slipped it from his hand and helped Inej into the carriage.

~~~~

"Is this all we have left?" Iris sighed at the meagre amount of money laid on the table in the barn they had stopped at.