The Fox and The Crow [Kaz Brekker]

chapter 3

Italics - Sign Language

Everywhere they asked, they got no answer. No definitive way to cross the Fold and come out alive. It was a fool's game. A death wish. And so the four found themselves back in the Crow Club, sitting in a quiet area.

Daemon had her head down on the table, thinking hard. There had to be someone around here with the necessary connections. It was at this moment she wished she was as smart as Kaz was. But he was the brains and she was the brawn. Her mind was more adept at quick solutions. She was shit at the long games. Not patient enough for it.

Jesper was the first to speak, "Here's what I don't get."

Inej twirled her knife on the table, "We're gonna be here all night."

Daemon made a loud huff that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Her eyes flickered over to Kaz as he fiddled with his cane, his thinking face on. She mimicked it after a moment, wondering if it would make her smarter at all. It didn't. It just made her look like a pouting child.

Jesper gave Inej an offended look, taking his feet off the table, "Rude. Why haven't they tried going under it? Just dig a tunnel."

"Tried that. More than a century ago. Something...heard them digging," Kaz said.

Daemon's fingers twitched under the table. She bet if she had been on that crew she could've killed whatever was there.

"So it was made hundreds of years ago by that crazy Grisha..."

"The Black Heretic," Inej corrected.

Daemon felt weird hearing that name. Something in her heart. It was uncomfortable. Familiar. Fear The Black Heretic is what it told her.

"The one who controls shadow. They've got one in their army now. General Kirigan?"

Daemon raised her hand lazily and waved it in a circle to tell Jesper to get on with it.

"If one of his kind made it, can't he unmake it?"

"Have you ever put out fire by adding more fire?" Inej sassed.

"Then what's the opposite?"

Daemon rolled her eyes, "Water, obviously."

"Well...yeah. I know that. I mean what's the opposite of a shadow summoner?" Jesper clarified.

Daemon gave him a look that said he was an idiot. She rolled her head to turn the look to Inej.

Inej answered, "A Sun Summoner."

"Right, then, one of those."

"Doesn't exist," Kaz interjected.

"Doesn't exist yet," Inej persisted.

Daemon signed, "The Sun Summoner is a real thing Kaz. Mom mentioned it once."

"You don't even remember your mother's face, Daemon. How are you to know if she told you that or if it's a bedtime story Inej told you a hundred times that just stuck?" Kaz pointed out.

Daemon slid down in her seat, quickly averting eye contact with everyone at the table. Though she did catch Inej glaring at Kaz from the corner of her eye.

Kaz quickly moved on, "Dreesen comes into town, doesn't waste a minute. Sends out for a crew to steal something but doesn't specify what. Is it heavy? Is it large? Is it worth more than a million on the black market? Maybe he doesn't know."

"We can let this one go, Kaz," Inej said.

Daemon knew Kaz wouldn't do that. Not with a million kruge on the line. Especially when the competition was Pekka Rollins.