Empyrean || Kaz Brekker

chapter eight

Elham felt like she was seconds away from fainting when she pushed herself through the doors to the Emerald Palace. Turns out, it didn't matter if she or Kaz were good actors at all. Nina was constricting their chests hard enough that the instinct to fight for breath was involuntary. She hardly had any time to take in her surroundings as Nina finally let her go, and she buckled to the floor alongside Kaz.

"Tell your boss I have what he wants," Nina said from above them.

Elham could still feel Nina's pull, but luckily, she gave her just enough slack so that she could actually take a full breath and fake the rest. The momentary release allowed her to look up around the room, and she realized it was packed with Dime Lions.

And to make it worse, Pekka Rollins had just come around the corner.

Elham couldn't help herself, quickly jumping to her feet. Kaz was still on the floor, and he was all Pekka truly had his eyes on anyway. Nina continued to control Elham's heartbeat so that she could do little more than stand still, but her real effort was put on Kaz. She could hear him groaning through clenched teeth as he tried to push himself up.

"No match for a Heartrender, are you, Brekker?" Pekka taunted, his men gathering behind him. "A real boss knows how to inspire loyalty in his people. Isn't that right, boys?"

Elham desperately wanted to say something, but she kept quiet. This rivalry was between Kaz and Pekka, and it wasn't her fight to lead. She stood in silence, waiting vigilantly for any type of signal from Kaz telling her to make a move.

Pekka continued. "Good job, lass. I got it from here."

He motioned toward his men, and the one closest to him immediately drew his pistol, pointing it at Nina. She raised her hands in retaliation, but was quickly stopped when another man behind Elham cocked his gun too, pointing it directly at her. Slowly, Nina moved her hands out to the side, surrendering.

"I'm gonna make you regret the day that you crossed me," Pekka said, removing his coat as he glared down at Kaz. "Get him on his feet. And take that one's sword."

As a few of the men moved to hoist Kaz up, and the others worked to pull Elham's sword from its sheath, Nina turned to Pekka. "We had a deal. I did my part."

"We'll get to that. But first...I need to make an example out of this rat."

Kaz was standing now, and his eyes held back a fury that made his usual annoyance with the Crows–Jesper in particular–seem like a dream by comparison. He turned to Nina with such disdain that Elham almost forgot that he was faking the whole interaction. He was terrifying, even when he was directly in the line of fire.

"You'll pay for this, you double-dealing witch!"

"No, she won't," Pekka grinned, turning Kaz's attention back to him. "But you will."

The second their eyes met, chaos erupted. Pekka's fist collided with Kaz's stomach, making him double over in pain. He let out a dry cough as he caught himself, only to be yanked back up to a kneeling position on his knees when Pekka threaded his hand through Kaz's hair.

Elham couldn't hold back now, moving to aid Kaz. The second her foot stepped forward towards Kaz, the barrel of a pistol pressed itself up against her back. She let out a grumble, letting the heat gather in her palms. Just as she was about to spark a flame, Kaz's eyes flitted to hers for no more than a second. But a second was long enough. With just one look, she could tell what he was trying to say.

Don't even think about it.

It was her one and only warning.

"Get her on her knees. I don't trust her not to pounce like the rabid mutt she is," Pekka ordered once he saw Elham's movement.