Heartrender (KAZ BREKKER) [1]

Eleven

Ciardia

-

"How are we even going to get in? Inej and Jesper have the cover of the circus act." Ciardia asked Kaz as they walked along a dirt road. 

"I have a plan." That was all he said, his glare focused on the road in front of him. They walked in silence for a few more minutes before he spoke again. "What was it like? Living in the palace?" 

Ciardia glanced at him, bewildered by his question. She took moment to think. Think of the memories she had, the feeling of warmth and happiness. The love from her father, the coldness from her mother. The memories of being treated differently than others. She was half Shu. nobody trusted the Shu. "It was home, there was a community. But strangely it feels foreign to me now, Ravka feels distant from me."

"You don't miss it here?" Kaz's voice was laced with curiosity and shock. 

"It's strange but I miss Ketterdam. The Crow Club. I have a new family." That was the end of the conversation, but she noticed the title smile that formed on his lips as she told him that.

-

"Does it fit?" Kaz asked, his back to her as she changed into the guard uniform they had stolen. It did fit much to her surprise, it was weird wearing one of these things.

"Yeah." Kaz turned his head to the side, then he turned to her fully once he knew she was decent. 

 "Let's go before we miss our window to get in." Kaz began walking out of the alleyway they had found themselves in. Ciardia noticed his struggle to walk, if only she was able to help heal it. Never again had she trusted him on rooftops again. Jordie would have probably laughed and then scolded the two for being so stupid that night. 

When they finally had arrived near the gate, Jesper's top hat that rested on his curled hair in its signature slant was seen. Both Kaz and Ciardia took their place behind the carriage that inej and Jesper had ridden in. Marko was talking to a palace guard, assumingly about his invitation. The Little Palace's security was by far the best-gaurded place in Ravka other than the royal palace. Ciardia looked around the tall Castle walls. She caught glances at the top walls where red jackets could be seen. Those were the jackets she would have worn if she was never taken away from here. The thought made her uneasy. 

"Hey!" One of the palace guards yelled, one of the guards pulled a man screaming no from under the carriage that was behind her. Kaz whispered something about the gun that was strapped onto her back, but she was too busy watching the encounter. 

"The Sun Summoner! I just want to see her!" The man yelled, Kaz took her gun from its straps and forced it into her hands. One of the guards forced the man to the ground. kaz and Ciardia joined the surrounding guards in pointing their guns at the man. 

"All right that's enough." The guard who was previously talking to Jesper and Inej's group said. Two guards held the man up, he struggled trying to break free from them. "Do we really need the entire crops for one man?" He asked. Kaz and Ciardia stood down, Kaz eyed the man with curiosity. 

"Come on," and the man was dragged into the castle walls by the two men, most likely to the prison. 

"Rest of you, post up know." The lead guard ordered, Kaz and Ciardia followed his orders quickly and walked straight through the gates. Inside Ciardia wasn't shocked that nothing had changed at all, maybe the people had changed but the grounds looked identical to what it looked like when she was last here. 

"Come on, we have to scout out where they would be taking her." Kaz whispered, grabbing her hand with his gloved one and pulling her along towards the side out of the crowd. For some reason the action made her heart jump.

"Won't it seem suspicious that two palace guards are wandering the castle at random." Ciardia questioned looking around her surroundings making sure nobody noticed them. 

"No, as long as we know where we are going, follow my lead, and keep your head down. I don't want anyone noticing you." Kaz said letting go of her hand. The lost of his gloved hand made her's feel cold. 

She did as she was told and followed him through the hall. Taking note in his increasing limp. As they walked she recited the plan Kaz had explained to the group before they had all split ways. "Here's the plan. Ciardia and I will walk the route our target will take from the ballroom, to the dinner event and look for an ambush point."

Kaz stopped walking suddenly and leaned up against a wall. Clutching his leg. "Kaz?" 

"I'm fine. Just give me a second." He said, typical Kaz to ignore things that should not be. 

"Do you want me-"

"No." He cut her off, the no wasn't harsh it was just a soft no, like he begged for her to let him get through the pain. 

Inej's worries filled her head. "You should have another one of us with you two. Just in case Dia is regonized and-"

"We'll manage."  Was all kaz had told her. He didn't like being treated as fragile. "You can't blow your cover this early and Jesper needs to plot our escape route." 

Kaz pushed himself away from the wall, cueing for the two to go on with the plan. Ciardia watched him carefully, she could feel his pain from where she was walking. She hated it. 

"There is a gap in the schedule between events, so they may place her in a room here, away from the crowd, somewhere safe."

Ciardia paused, it hit her where she was. She looked at the wall, noticing the hidden door. "Kaz."

"This would be where they feel she's most protected and therefore the best place to grab her."

Kaz looked back at her, and then to his map. "Here." He said, Ciardia nodded in confirmation. 

"We just need to find a way in. and have someone ready with a distraction to give us cover on our way out."

"Can you open the lock?" Kaz asked, glancing at the wall.

"No, it's made for certain Grisha to unlock." She explained, and Kaz nodded. "But it is pickable I think."

The sound of foot steps caused the pair to step away from the wall, Kaz hurried Ciardia behind the large door that sat at the end of the hall. 

"That's where we grab her." 

-

Word count: 1107

Sorry for the long wait for this one.