Heartrender (KAZ BREKKER) [1]

Twenty One

Ciardia

-

Darkness and silence. It surrounded her, she always hated the dark. When she was first in Ketterdam staying in the small cramped room that Kaz and his brother Jordie owned. She remembered that first night with them, the nightmares of the fold had filled her mind that night. She remember Kaz had woken her up in the middle of the night, he looked concerned. She told him the dark scared her, he opened the window where the street lamp light shone through. Ever since she has slept with a light on. She smile at the thought of her friend. She missed him, she wanted him here, she wanted to hold his hand as she faced her nightmare of the fold. 

He wasn't though. She was stuck with her father, the last man she wanted to be with. "Can you feel them?" Kirigan asked, his eyes scanning the darkness that surrounded them. The dim light from the blue flame illuminated his face. 

"No heartbeats yet, sir." A heartrender replied. Ciardia looked around, her mind focusing on finding any heartbeats, she wanted to know when they were near, she wanted to make a break for it when Kirigan was distracted, and she wanted to pull Alina with her. Just like they had planned. 

Ciardia sighed, she stood just behind her father, stuck beside his heartrender. In a desperate hope to look for a sign to kick start the plan Alina and she had discussed a familiar-looking face winked at her. 

She had to do a double-take, maybe the darkness was playing tricks on her. Jesper couldn't have been here. She glanced back at him, he only raised his finger up to his mouth, telling her to be calm. She watched discreetly as he crawled down into the under compartment of the boat, followed by two more people, one had a limp. Kaz. 

She let out a sigh of relief before the screeching of a volcra replaced her eased mind with fear. "They're coming," Alina said looking at the sky. 

"Yes," Kirigan said, his excitement was not hidden well. 

"I should just tear this down now." Alina declared, but the conversation had faded from her mind as Ciardia felt the heartbeats of the nearing Volcra. Her mind like the rest of the boat became fixated on the possibilities if Alina couldn't tear down the fold. We would all most likely die. Grisha or not. 

"Do something-" Alina spoke, her face full of worry. She turned from Kirigan, getting ready to summon her light. 

"No. Remember who's driving," Kirigan spoke putting his hand on her shoulder. He was using her power through her. Ciardia felt sick to her stomach at the man he had become. A path of light was set and the volcra backed off. They were safe in the little bubble of light. "Your power is mine now." 

-

Kaz 

-

Kaz stood up, looking through the slotted trap door entrance at the light shining through. This was his stupid idea to wait until they crossed to grab Ciardia and make a quick escape. He regretted that plan now. He wanted to go back up there and pull her down under the deck with him. 

"So?" Jesper asked, looking up at Kaz. "What's our play?" He asked holding his gun up, ready to fire if need be. Kaz didn't look away from above him, he was too worried about his CIA.

"We wait." Kaz cringed at his words internally, why was he like this? It was a question he asked himself often recently. 

"For what?" Jesper questioned, Kaz knew Jesper was worried about his friend. Jesper hated the idea of leaving her alone up there and so did Kaz.

"For whatever the general has planned." 

"You figured him out?" Jesper had hope on his face. 

"Not quite." Kaz tried to guess the plan the black general had and why he was so desperate for Ciardia to be on this boat.  "Consider the scenario.  The sun summoner fled from his palace, now she's tied to the deck. We're sailing for a city where another Ravkan general hired Arken to kill her and I am assuming Ciardia as well. And I saw his face as he boarded. I know that look. He's a man consumed with vengeance." 

"See it enough in the mirror, do you?" Jesper remarked, Kaz paid no mind to the comment because he knew it was true. "So? What kind of revenge is the planning, exactly?"

"We know it requires the sun summoner, which makes her valuable to us. She's the one keeping everyone safe in here. If we have control of her, then we call the shots. We need to threaten her life." 

"What?" Inej said, both Kaz and Jesper faced her, she held a gun to the back of a man's head. Jesper was quick to grab ahold of his gun. 

"Who's this? Who are you?" Jesper asked him.

"A stowaway," Inej answered for him, she did not budge from her position. "Why pick this of all skiffs?" 

"To kill the general and save Alina." He answered, Kaz's interest was peaked.  

"I'll ask again," Jesper asked cocking his gun. "Who are you?" 

"Mal Oretsev." He answered, that he made no attempt to free himself from his situation. Kaz walked forward, his cane giving him support to do so. 

"You know Alina?" Kaz asked, his eyes narrowed in his signature cold glare. 

"I do," Mal answered. 

"Who's in control of her?"

"The general I'm going to kill,"

"My friend up there might not be very forgiving to you if you do that," Kaz spoke, his mind always seemed to go to her lately. "Inej, give him his gun." 

"Why?" Inej asked not moving. 

"Because if he isn't with Kirigan's crew, he's with ours." 

-

A/n: Hiiii, imma be busy all week so probably no update until Friday. Just school. Moving etc.