Crow with a Diamond eye: Kaz Brekker x Reader

Chapter 8: no mourners no funerals

Nina, Jessper, Wylan, Kaz and Y/n all stood outside their backs to the Crow club.

"You all know the plan?" Questioned Kaz.

"Some of it." Replied Jessper.

"Good, lets go." Said Kaz

"No mourners." Whispered Nina.

"No funerals." Chorused the rest of the group in a solemn monotone. Jessper and Wylan hailed a cab and hopped on. Nina began to walk away as did Kaz and Y/m.

Kaz had changed his usual black coat, pants, and gloves for a dull grey suit paired with a blank mask to hide his face.

"Why do you say no mourners, no funerals?" questioned Y/n. Kaz sighed.

"Because Y/n, if any of us died no one would throw us a funeral and no one would mourn our death." Y/n wished she could see Kaz's face behind the mask. She wondered if he still had his walls up or if he finally let his guard down.

"If you died, I would mourn." The words fell out of Y/n's before she could stop herself. She heard Kaz's uneven steps falter to a stop behind her. She turned to face him. He was closer than she assumed.

"Why?" Kaz questioned, his voice a whisper.

"Why would you mourn me? I'm what's wrong with this world. I've stolen, I've conned, and I've killed. You must promise me, Y/n. Promise me that after this job you will go home to the Little Palace and never come back to Ketterdam. Forget the dregs, forget all of it, forget me. Go home, live your life away from the badness of this city, away from me."

"I-" Kaz slipped his glove off and grabbed her hand, skin on skin. She could tell when he winced.

"Promise me Y/n." Y/n looked down at their hands and then back up at Kaz's masked face. She reached her other hand up and removed it. Kaz's face was twisted in a grimace, but he was trying to hide it.

In that moment Y/n made up her mind.

"Kaz, I'm not going back to the Little Palace, and I never will. I'm staying in Ketterdam. The Palace was never my home, not really. I'm staying with the dregs, and I'm staying with you." Kaz looked at her, his face softening despite their hands touching. At that moment a carriage rolled past them.

"Sorry to interrupt love, but we have a job to do!" Jessper hollered through the window. Kaz snapped back to normal. He dropped Y/n's hand and slid the mask back over his face.

"Jessper's right we have a job to do." He limped passed her, toward the Kaelish Prince.