The FlameKeeper - Kaz Brekker

CH.05 - Black Veil

(THE GIF I USED ISN'T MINE, CREDIT TO THE MAKER!) 

~~~

It had been half an hour since they had arrived at Black Veil. 

Jesper and Wylan had checked the cemetery. Sabo was nowhere to be found.

With no results, they walked back toward their meeting point.

'We can't find her.' Jesper announced as they entered the room.

Nina was bandaging Inej's wounds in the other room, Jesper looked toward her before quickly looking away. He did not like to see her getting stitched up. 

'Was she supposed to be back by now?' Inej asked feeling a pang of fear.

'Yes, she was.' Kaz said, using a controlled tone as his muscles tensed. 'Turns out that there was another bounty on her head.' he turned toward her. 'Care to explain?'

Inej swallowed, the guilt was lying heavily on her stomach. 'She asked me not to tell any of you.'

'Tell us what?' Wylan asked, not understanding.

'When we arrived. We were arrested for the murder of Tante Heleen. I managed to get away in time and found out that there was a bounty on all of our heads, but there was another one on Sabo's.'

'Why didn't she want us to know?' Jesper asked.

'She thought that it was nothing, some friends of Billy who wanted to teach her a lesson.'

'Well, was she telling the truth?' Jesper asked.

Kaz felt a sudden jolt. What did Jesper know?

'I think so.' Inej replied. Nina narrowed her eyes at her, knowing she was lying.

'Kaz I-' Inej tried but he interrupted her.

'Who was looking for her?'

'Five Fjerdans, drüskelle.' Inej replied. 'That's all the girls knew.'

Nina didn't need to be a Heartrender to see the vein throbbing in Kaz's neck.

'What do we do now?' Jesper asked him.

While Jesper and Wylan had been outside, Kaz had been looking through Pekka's papers. 

'We continue.' Kaz said as he handed Jesper one of the papers.

Jesper took in from him, throwing him an angry look before glimpsing at the paper.

'Appelbroek?'

'Pekka has a glass factory there, but there are no sandpits in Appelbroek. Cartage fees would kill all of his profits. Find out what he's really up to.'

Jesper clenched his fists, the paper crumbling.

'You know Inej took some serious damage, the novice nearly lost his head, the Heartrender took a bullet, and Sabo is being hunted by drüskelle. Drüskelle, Kaz.' Jesper said while gesturing wildly.

Sabo had known that Jesper was Grisha and from the look on Jesper's face, it was clear that he knew something.

'-but no worries. As long as you're on top of Pekka's corporate holdings.'

'You don't take down a lion by cutting off his tail.' Kaz said after he drew in a steadying breath.

'I'm sorry, you've been on safari when?  We're putting our lives on the line.'

'I thought you preferred it that way.' Kaz said calmly before looking back at Pekka's papers.

Nina didn't know who he was trying to fool, but it was certainly not working on her.