Fight or Flight

Waffles and Infidelity

 Despite the events of the previous night, everything seemed back to normal. Kaz Brekker was scheming. Inej Ghafa was climbing. Jesper Fahey was chatting up a bartender. Nina Zenik was out to get waffles. The only thing that was different was the person sitting across from her. 

"So, are you going to explain what happened last night?" Nina had insisted she have a talk with her old friend, and when is it not an excuse to have waffles?

"What do you mean?" Victoria was a fine actress, however this was not her shining moment. She continued to stab at the waffle in front of her, as it seemed to run from her fork.

"So you woke up, in Kaz's bed, had no reaction whatsoever, had a nice chat with the devil himself, then just left this morning?" Nina cast a skeptical look layered on a knowing smile. 

 "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a nice chat." Victoria nearly laughed at the thought. "Never is a nice chat with him, is it?" She looked down at her plate, tensing her jaw in irritation. 

 "I mean you can't be too upset with him, not after what he did on that job." Nina lowered her head as she spoke, so that she was level with Victoria, giving her a sympathetic look.

Victoria took in a sharp breath, clasping her palms on the table. "What he did on that job is barge into my room, have the nerve to ask me for favors, pry literal diamonds from my hand, and finally sneaking in a little comment to hurt my feelings before leaving. " 

"Victoria, are you really going to ignore what happened after?" Nina was confused, her brows furrowed.

"Funny thing is, I don't even know what happened after. Kaz had to lecture me to the point I couldn't stand it, and I sent him out before finding out. I'm not even sure I want to know, I'd like nothing to do with him." Victoria shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee, before turning back to Nina's slowly growing smile.

"So, you don't know?" Her teasing manner agitated Victoria.

"Would you stop giggling!" Victoria tried her best to shout her whisper. Composing herself, she averted her eyes from Nina's smile. "And no, I don't know whatever you're talking about."

"Well I know all of this from Inej and Jesper, so it is second hand, but they said that they were getting into the carriage to leave when two Dime Lions came out of the party, carrying you, unconscious of course. And apparently Kaz, well he sort of-"

"Nina, spit it out!" Victoria was intrigued, and becoming impatient.

"Kaz went a little mad."

"Mad as in?"

"Mad as in he bashed their heads in. And a hand or two. With his cane." Nina watched Victoria's expression of surprise.

"When you say bashed their heads in, do you mean that they're dead?"

"I would assume so. Anyway, after bludgeoning the guys, he scooped you up and took you back here." Nina seemed to hesitate as if expecting the girl in front of her to suddenly explode.

"I'm sorry, but he killed someone? I mean I know it's Kaz but still, it's a little-"

"Romantic?" To Victoria's annoyance, Nina tilted her head with a dreamy glance.

"No, no not that, definitely not, but it's a little frightening. Usually when Kaz kills someone it's premeditated, part of a larger plot." 

Nina scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Yes, exactly, however the sight of his Tori, unconscious, being carried away by two Dime Lions clearly set him off."

"Nina, I see where you're going with this, and that's not at all what I'm saying. There must be something going on, I mean you should've seen him yesterday, he was truly, truly awful." She gazed away thoughtfully, as if solving a puzzle. "Anyway, I better be back to the university, I've spent enough time in this place."