A child, a mystery, a powerful Etherealnik... and perhaps something more. Even Saoirse has yet to uncover all of her own secrets. But maybe it starts with the ominous black bird that haunts her windowsill and the space between her collarbones.
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S...
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ketterdam, kerch
— UNFORTUNATELY, THE STADWATCH WERE EQUIPPED FOR ARRESTING GRISHA TOO. Inej had slipped away, and while Kaz and Jesper were shackled with regular old cuffs, Saoirse's hands were divided by a piece of wood just over a foot long to keep her hands away from one another. They were loaded into a carriage bound for Hellgate and sent off on their way with all the rest.
"Let's all go back to Ketterdam." Jesper grumbled. "It'll be fun, they said. Now I'm off to Hellgate." He blinked purposefully at Kaz. "Hellgate."
Saoirse watched him with concern. Packed in with people all around, Kaz did not look well. His eyes were intense, but unfocused, his body tense and his face paler than usual. "Kaz." She said quietly. He clenched his jaw, shutting his eyes as if in the hopes of shutting out everything else too.
"Pekka's got his grotty fingers in every part of that pie." Jes was still whining.
She blocked him out as someone beside Kaz moved, and he shuddered, gasping softly. She tapped her boot lightly against his three times. I'm here. For about half a second, it seemed to work, then the prisoners shifted again and his breathing turned more laboured as he swallowed back hard against the Bile. "Kaz." She tried desperately, her chest constricting when he hunched forward. I have to get him out of here. "Jes, help me out here! Make them stop this thing!" working around her shackles, she managed to slide up the sleeve of his coat just slightly. While Jesper shouted and banged on the wall of the carriage, she reached up to where her braids were still in a bun and plucked out the pair of pins there. She slid one of them up her own sleeve and reached out towards Kaz with the other. "Sorry." she muttered, then, using the sharp tip, she pricked him. Not too hard, but it made him jump, shocking him out of that horrid corner of his mind for a moment. He swallowed a gasp, looking up at her with wide eyes as the carriage stopped. She slid the other pin into her sleeve too before the guards could see.
The door opened, and the officer who'd arrested them appeared with an irritated sigh. "You three." he pointed at the Crows. "Out."
Jesper smirked. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure. Come on." He nodded at the other two and they stood, following him back out into the open. Saoirse breathed a small, inaudible sigh of relief at how fast Kaz regained his composure, tugging his sleeve back down again.
The place they were led to was unfamiliar, but looked like a rather expensive office, doused in orange candlelight. They were shoved into chairs, side-by-side with no further hints as to what might be going on.
"What's all this, then?" Jesper demanded.
The Stadwatchman placed their confiscated items on a nearby table. "Somebody paid good kruge to spend some time alone with your little troup."
The double doors opposite them were suddenly yanked open, and a man with grey hair, a large, equally-grey mustache and an expensive-looking suit stepped in. "Criminals." he sneered.
