Kanej

Chapter 14

Inej

'Someone followed you?' 'You heard me.' Kaz was quiet, contemplative and Inej could only wonder what he was plotting. His previous words suddenly registered. 'What are you going to do about it? You mean we.' She clarified, daring him to contradict her.

Kaz's lips twitched in amusement but he shook his head. 'This isn't an assignment, Inej. You no longer work for me. I don't expect you to do my bidding.'

His words would have been insulting if Inej actually believed them. She raised an eyebrow and simply said 'if there's another wraith in town, you know I'm your best bet at discovering their identity. Or are you going to insult me by denying  me this opportunity?' Kaz shook his head.

'I wouldn't dream of insulting you, Wraith' he said, his tone slightly mocking but Inej knew he had caved. ' We need a name for this shadowy figure. Until we discover they're identity.' He was so sure, so confident in his ability to unmask this person, but he always was when Inej was involved. He may not have believed in much, but in Inej he had complete faith. To a point where it frightened him sometimes.

'The ghost?' Inej suggested, but then she shook her head. Her eyes lit. 'How about the Phantom?' She said, a little too eagerly.

Kaz nodded curtly, thinking the name was appropriate for this mysterious individual. Inej was practically glowing with the prospect of this job and Kaz had to suppress his amazement.

'Craving an adventure are you, Inej? Life at the Slat has become too unbearably dull?' He teased, although he was only half joking. Inej understood what he was really asking, if life with him had become dull but she shook her head. 'I want to help.' She sighed in resignation. 'This is Ketterdam for you. Never a dull moment.'

Kaz looked at her, a thought lingering on his mind that has been bothering him for the last few weeks but he couldn't bring himself to say those words. 'Inej-.' He began, but he panicked and abruptly got to his feet. She looked at him inquiringly but he merely said, 'I'd better get dressed now.' And he disappeared in their walk-in wardrobe. Inej briefly wondered about what was bothering Kaz but she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

...

Inej was troubled. The Crows weren't short on enemies, but this felt more personal. She was still reeling from the fact that Kaz was followed, but in his defence, he'd figured it was her. She was deep in thought, trying to figure out the best way to rectify this situation.

But how do you eliminate the enemy if you don't know who you're looking for?

Inej was silent, deep in thought. She'd woken up with no appetite but coffee in the morning was a ritual. And as she absentmindedly tapped her fingers against her coffee mug, her silence hung heavily in the air. Kaz could feel Inej brimming with questions and he finally asked, 'something on your mind?'.

She turned to him then, her beautiful eyes narrowed. 'There's something that's been bothering me,' she began slowly, carefully scrutinising Kaz's expression as she continued. 'Last night, when you...' she faltered, struggling to articulate her words. Inej wasn't sure but Kaz looked a little nervous and defensive. She continued.

'Last night was just an experiment to you, wasn't it? You forced yourself to be close to me, just to confirm some hunch.' She looked at him as she spoke but her voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. 'If it pained you so much to be in close proximity to me, why the act? You could have just asked me. Or were you hoping to catch me in a lie?' She said, as sudden realisation dawned.

Inej stood abruptly, eyes wide in disbelief as she stared accusingly at Kaz and his clenched jaw. He was no longer hiding how uncomfortable he was. Or was it embarrassment at being caught?

'I don't believe you, Kaz. Are you going to explain or would you prefer I conjure a thousand justifications for your absurd behaviour, each one more far fetched than the next?!'

'I shouldn't have doubted you and tricked you,' Kaz said. But it wasn't enough. Not this time. Inej looked tired, her face scrunched with the effort to keep her tears at bay. She said softly, 'I know you have trust issues, but I thought we were closer than that.'

Kaz stood up, unconsciously reaching towards her. His mouth was pinched and lines of frustration were carved on his forehead. 'Inej, I apologise for-,' but she shook her head, cutting him off. 'I need time' and disappeared upstairs.

Kaz growled in frustration, and angrily brought his fist down on the hard wooden table. His hand throbbed with the impact but it did nothing to diminish  the ache in his chest.

Inej spent the day indoors relaxing. She knew she would have to talk to Kaz eventually but not today. She fell asleep on their window seat, Mr Whiskers cuddled against her stomach.

When she woke up, it was late afternoon and the cat was nowhere to be found. A blanket had been draped on her and she smiled, thinking it was sweet of Kaz but remembered she was upset at him and frowned. He could be kind one moment, then callous and she was frustrated at having to keep up with his temperament. It was exhausting and she didn't think she had the mental capacity to endure it anymore.

She could feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes and she breathed deeply, struggling to compose herself. She didn't cry easily; she'd become immune and indifferent after her time at the Menagerie, yet Kaz didn't even have to try. His mere actions could reduce her to tears.

By nightfall, Inej was dressed and ready for battle. Knives were strapped around her torso, waist and hips. She shoved two daggers in her boots and drew her hood over her head. She slipped in the shadows of her room and unless you stared hard, and knew she was there, she was practically invisible. She moved towards the window, and perched on the window sill, bracing herself to leap below onto the rooftop.

Her heart drummed with anticipation. It had been too long since she had been on a mission and she realised with a jolt that she had missed it. Everyday she used to risk her life on the streets of Ketterdam to ensure her survival. Ironic that she was putting herself in danger in order to survive and tonight was really no different, other than her veins humming with excitement and apprehension. Her job was dangerous, but that didn't mean she didn't get the occasional kick and adrenaline rush from a mission.

She took a deep breath and was about to leap when Kaz came in. She glanced at him quickly and said 'what are you doing here? I thought you already left.' Kaz walked to the dresser and grabbed an envelope. 'I forgot this,' he answered, tucking it into his coat pocket. His gaze lingered on her but she was already turning away from him. 'I'll tail you from the rooftops' she called. She didn't wait for a reply and leaped.