𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐒 | kaz brekker

five ཾ the only people who don't know

FIVE
THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW

KAZ LET HIS GAZE SOFTEN as he watched Verena. Her chest rose and fell steadily as she slept, her nose scrunched as dreams flashed behind her eyes. Kaz dreaded the moment when he'd have to wake Verena up. She look so peaceful, and unthreatening, and her face was relaxed from its permanent scowl. After taking another long minute to admire her beauty, he rose to his feet and walked closer to the edge of his bed.

"Verena, darling, you need to get up," Kaz spoke softly as Verena's eyes began to flutter.

Letting out an irritated groan, Verena dragged the covers to her chin and rolled over so her back faced Kaz. "Piss off and let me sleep," she grumbled, her voice raspy and laced with sleep.

"Verena," Kaz grumbled under his breath while he shook his head. "Get up."

Verena rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Oh, Kaz, love, it's too early in the morning for you to have your cane up your ass already," she replied as she took the cover off of herself.

Kaz cleared his throat as Verena got up. His shirt went down to her mid-thigh and the top buttons were undone, showing off her porcelain skin. He focused his eyes on the embroidery of the bed sheets as Verena brushed past him. "Relax, Mr. Rietveld, you're getting flustered," at Verena's words, Kaz lowered his head at her teasing as the light tint of pink dusted over his cheeks.

     A SCOWL, PAIRED WITH A glare itched its way onto Verena's features. Her shoulders touched one of the men on either side of her and each time the carriage turned or hit a rock on the road, she was squished by either Jesper or the Conductor. From the other side of the carriage, Kaz glared toward Jesper and the Conductor taking turns every few seconds. Every time Kaz switched his burning glare to Jesper, he'd cower into the side in a poor attempt to make himself disappear.

"I didn't hire you simply to get up across the Fold. You're with us because you smuggle Grisha out of Little Palace, and that's the location of our target," Kaz explained, sharpening his fixed glare on the Conductor.

"Sun Summoner," Inej corrected.

"Alleged," Kaz snapped, changing his eyes to Inej for a quick moment. At the moment, Verena wanted to climb under the carriage and let it crush her skull open. If she had to sit through Kaz's pessimism and Inej's hopefulness, none of them would be returning to Ketterdam because she'd murder them all.

"They wouldn't keep a fraud in the most secure location in all of Ravka," Inej argued.

Rolling her eyes, Verena spoke. "You said you have a contact who can get us inside. A Heartrender."

The Conductor simply nodded and hummed. "How do I know we can trust her?"

"Nina grew up there," he answered, shortly.