★𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝑭𝒍𝒚 ༄ 𝑲𝒂𝒛 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒌𝒌𝒆𝒓★

4: Coal

"Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise"
-David Bowie-

"We're looking for Nina," the Conductor said.

I knew of his name from the Mortality, but never looked beyond it.

Nina was a Grisha who would supposedly help us get into the Little Palace once we were clear of the Fold.

The Little Palace.

The man behind the counter pointed at a door in response. It was slightly ajar.

The room was empty.

"She knew to expect us," Arken, the Conuctor, hissed.

"She isn't late; she's gone," Kaz remarked.

"What, like poof? Saint, what don't these Grisha do?" I muttered jokingly.

Kaz's eyes met mine for a split second, a twitch of a smile tugging on the corner of his lip. Then it was gone, as if never there.

"Yes, but her things are all..." Arken looked at the mess of Nina's belongings strewn across the bed.

I fumbled through her things, my fingertips grazing something cold. Kruge? No. It was a coin shaped piece with a wolf engraved on its face.

"What the fuck is this?" I said, handing it to Arken.

"Drüskelle. They are ruthless Grisha hunters," he replied.

I stiffened. Ah, yeah.

Kaz interjected. "Explains the Fjerdan krydda the innkeeper was counting when we arrived. It's likely he ratted her out."

"She's probably captive on a Fjerdan ship by now." Arken sighed disappointedly.

"They had a clear line of attack," Inej observed, glancing out the window.

"Inej- take a look, make sure there aren't any more surprises." Kaz ordered.

She slipped out the window as we headed down the stairs and out of the inn.

"Why do the Drüskelle go to such damn lengths just to nab a couple Grisha? Spending their coin on bribery just to get a murder toy. Seems a little pointless, don't you think?" I said to Kaz.

"They take pride in what they do." he replied with vacant eyes. "They believe they're delivering justice, freeing the world of 'witches'"

"What a load of bollocks," I sighed as Inej dropped down beside us.

"All clear," she said to Brekker.

"This seems like a reasonable juncture to abandon this whole Sun Summoner plan," Arken spoke, stopping in his tracks.

Kaz arched his brow. "Abandon? We're in this now, and I know what a million Kruge means to me- what does it mean to you?"

"Justice," said Inej.

"Fun," Jesper remarked. "Like, at least a few months."

Kaz glanced at me when I did propose an answer.

"...Retirement," Arken sighed.

"Right- so we press on. Get us across the fold and I'll figure out the rest on the other side." Kaz said firmly.

"Fine." said Arken tiredly, producing a notepad to scribble on. "To cross, I'll need twenty pounds of Alabaster coal, a peck of Majdaloun jurda- not the kind from Kerch, it's too weak." he glanced up briefly at Jesper. "And, uh, a goat..."

Arken handed the paper to Kaz. "Now, we meet in the dead of night. There's a wreckage of a skiff northeast; on the edge of town," he paused. "So who gets what?"

"Inej, jurda. I'll get the goat," Kaz instructed. "And Jesper, Ada, just the coal. No detours."

"Yes sir." I saluted dramatically before turning on my heel, grabbing Jesper's arm and tugging him along behind me.

"The coal, the coal, the coal," I repeated, massaging my temples in attempt to focus. There was so much, everywhere.

"What're you gonna do with your cut of the Kruger?" Jesper asked as a distraction from... all the other distractions.

"I'm not getting any,"

Jesper raised his brow. "Why not?"

"My cut is passage across the Fold, and into the Little Palace." I explained.

"But why?" Jesper questioned incredulously. "What's the Little Palace to you? You got an angle or something?"

"No, there's no angle," I sighed. "It doesn't really matter..." I drifted off.

"Oh, coal!" Jesper reminded himself and I.

I clicked my fingers. "Almost forgot..."

"Wait for us!" Jesper and I shouted in unison.

My legs burned as we sprinted past a sign 'Landmines'. Fuck.

Better than the angry mob, though. Quicker death.

The lantern in my hand swung to and fro as we ran; I was surprised it hadn't gone out.

"Leave the lantern!" called Inej.

I tossed it over my shoulder, the soles of my boots sending dust up in squalls behind me.

"Landmines!" came a shout from behind us.

"Wait for us!" Jesper hollered. "Don't you dare leave!"

He shoved me forward as we came upon the train. The force sent me tripping into it.

I cursed as my palms grazed the rough floor, cutting them.

I barely had time to clamber to my feet before I was shoved into my seat by Arken.

"Please tell me you have twenty pounds of Alabaster coal," Arken prompted desperately, preparing the train.

"Slight snag in the plan," I coughed, warming my sore palms. "Turns out the kid who was helping us didn't exactly know how to, uh, buy coal..."

"We know you and Jesper gambled it away," Kaz sighed. He sat across from me, cane gripped tightly.

"We lost a little bit of the money," Jesper protested, his eyes met mine and he scrunched up his nose. "Okay, we lost all the money."

"Uh, we did manage to steal twenty pounds of Alabaster coal, though," I butter in.

Jesper handed the bag to Arken.

"No, no, there's sixteen pounds here," Arken corrected.

"Sixteen pounds of Alabaster coal." Jesper said through a gritted smile.

I massaged the bridge of my nose and let out a pained laugh,

"Can we do it on sixteen?" interjected Kaz.

"Never been done before," Arken replied worriedly.

"I like those odds," I said, though my face said otherwise.