hoax | kaz brekker

twelve. pirates

(malakai is partially non-verbal, so when dialogue is in italics it means that she or another character is using sign language.)

"and i think you should come live with me and we can be pirates, then you won't have to cry"
seven by taylor swift

When Malakai stepped off the boat into the harbour she felt an overwhelming feeling of both utter relief to be home and a deep uneasiness about what they would have to face. She didn't like feeling this way. She had never felt this way. She always had somewhere to be safe. If she wanted to, she could have ran away to Ravka or to Novyi Zem or to Shu Han, but that was before the world found out about who she really was. Now, all she had was the Crow Club. Her room. Kaz's room.

"Home sweet home." Jesper sighed in content.

Inej quickly took of her head covering and placed it over Malakai. "Be careful." She said, giving her arm a squeeze.

The small girl nodded before melting into the shadows and pulling herself up onto the rooftops she knew like the back of her hand. As she slinked around in the dark, she felt a sense of calm at the familiar feeling under her boots.

"Straight off the boat from Ravka and no one was waiting to kill us as soon as we arrived. Yay! That's a good sign." Jesper jeered as they weaved through the cobbled streets. "I think I might celebrate with a little dice and debauchery."

"No debauchery." Kaz said, already annoyed.

"Dice then."

"No dice. We have stops to make."

"What's first? Tante Heleen?"

"We get to the Crow Club."

Dropping down to the familiar cobbled ground, Malakai stood beside the other Crows. She placed her hands on her hips and her face scrunched in confusion as she looked up at the bright green sign that now hung over the Crow Club entrance.

"Where's our sign?" The gunslinger asked the question they were all thinking.

"It's been replaced."

Inej tilted her head. "The Kaelish Prince?"

"What sort of name is that?

Malakai knew that this couldn't be right. They hadn't been gone for long and the Dregs would have been holding down the fort. She thought of Rotty. Her concentration immediately heightened. As if she didn't need more of a reason to be vigilant. She immediately felt like someone was watching her, glancing around the street warily. Her eyes landed on the man guarding the door. "Guys." She muttered, they all turned to her. "Dime Lions."

"Pekka Rollins owns the Crow Club?" The Suli girl asked in disbelief.

A heavy silence blanketed the crew. "Where does that leave us?" Jesper turned sharply to Kaz. "Are you saying we have no home? My suits. All my hats."

"My cloak. And my drawings."

Kaz stood up straight in sudden realisation. "Split up. It's not safe." He turned to Malakai. "Phantom, get out of here. Now."