The Love of a Crow - Wesper/Crows Fanfiction/AU

32. Jesper

A/N: Hello, hello! I really don't know how to say this but... we have some serious, dramatic angst coming up (emphasis on the DRAMATIC). All I can say is... good luck! And enjoy. 

The courtyard was silent, minus the slow recede of their departing ride. Jesper could practically hear his thoughts buzzing in his mind as they clashed with the fog, which had annoyingly covered most of their viewpoints. Scales and his men should hopefully be already inside, and all they needed to do was kill the snipers.

"Are you ready for this?" Inej asked as they waited in the alley.

"Come on, Nej, this is a stroll in the park! Enjoy the fresh air while it lasts." Jesper grinned. He was ready for this, but it wasn't just that; he was ready to go home, something he never thought he would ever say. To him it was all about the action, not the results, but now the tables had turned. For once he actually minded that he could be killed.

Bang! The shot was so loud in the emptiness of the night. Jesper covered his ears. Bang! Bang! Bang! Silence. Shit.

"Great, we're only five minutes in and someone's already dead!" Jesper complained.

"Shut up, Jes, our cover's still not blown. Kaz would still want the plan done no matter what. Go scout the ground, I'll get the sky." She whispered. "No mourners."

Jesper sighed; there was no catching a break on a scrape. "No funerals." They left.

Cautiously Jesper crept through the fog on the ground, scouring the South entrance for any sign of Scales's men. Nothing. He continued to the West, ignoring the pit of dread forming in his stomach. Creeping against a wall, he snuck over to the opening and... nothing. It was completely deserted. Almost as if the fog had swallowed them up. Or someone was waiting for them.

Jesper was so wrapped up in his confusion that when the almost-silent scream pieced the air he nearly brushed it off. But it had come from somewhere; deeper into the Exchange.

There was still no sign of Inej, who had taken to the wall, so Jesper assumed she was busy killing the snipers, if there even were any. At this rate, the assassination would turn into a game of Cat and Mouse, or rather, Crow and Snake.

As Jesper made the treacherous journey through the sea of white, he noticed a small path glistening through the fog, and at the end of it... was that a figure? Whoever it was seemed to see him, but Jesper was pulled away by the clear sound of voices. When he turned back, the path was gone. A trick, he thought to himself, trying to deflect the feeling he had just missed something important.

Footsteps. Right behind him.

The gun was in his hand before he could see who it was. He nearly shot his best friend in the head.

"What are you doing here?" Jesper hissed. "Aren't you and Matthias supposed to be at East?"

"We heard the gunshots and we came to save you guys!" Nina argued.

"Well thank you so much Prince Charming, you've probably just blown our cover! You do realise Kaz is gonna kill you now, right?" He retorted as he watched Matthias emerge from the gloom.

That was when more feet on stone were heard, along with the irreplaceable sound of a cane. You can't be serious.

Kaz burst through the gloom, glaring at them frantically.

"Ok, what the fu-" Jesper started hysterically.

"Where's Inej?" Kaz said. Jesper froze. Kaz grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Didn't you hear me, Jesper, I said where's my Wraith?!" He looked almost maniacal, and it was an emotion that didn't match Kaz's usually-ice-cold expressions.