The Phoenix and the Crow

The Wraith

Kaz's POV

It took two days after she emerged from the surgeon's cabin for Kaz to make himself approach Y/N. She was sitting by herself, legs crossed, back to the hull of the ship, sipping a cup of tea. The view before him reminded him of their last conversation on a ship.

Y/N turned to look up at him as he leaned on the railing beside her. The silence that settled over them wasn't heavy as Kaz wracked his mind for something to say.

"The Darkling. That's who I saw." Her voice almost startled him as he realized what she was sharing. "Reminding me of everything I could never have despite my childish wishes and dreams."

"From where we stood it looked like he reminded you just how powerful you are as well," said Kaz.

She shook her head, "He reminded me of the monster he made me."

"The Phoenix is hardly viewed as a monster. From what I've heard you're just as much a Saint as the sun summoner. The most powerful Inferni to walk the earth." Kaz couldn't bring himself to look at her as he spoke, only kept his eyes trained on the sea below them.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be known as powerful because of my gift or- or because of the Darkling, or because of fear. I... I want to be powerful because I moved forward despite the odds. If people were to fear me, I want them to fear the name I built for myself." She squeezed the rail under her hand. "I envy you for that reason... if I were to speak honestly."

It still confused him how anyone could be jealous of the life he built himself. Yet alone how Y/N L/N ex-Lieutenant General of the second army. She lived in a palace with full meals every day and nice clothes on her back. How could she be jealous of a barrel rat who was a scavenger of food most of his youth?

Kaz tilted his head as if to dump his thoughts out as he limped over to her. "I want to show you something."

"I'm well, thank you for asking," she said, looking up at him. "How are you?"

He felt his lips twist. "Splendid." Awkwardly, he lowered himself down beside her and set aside his cane.

"Is your leg bad?"

"It's fine. Here." He spread Wylan's drawing of the prison sector between them. Most of Wylan's plans showed the Ice Court from above, but the prison elevation was a side view, a cross-section showing the building's floors stacked on top of one another.

"I've seen it," Y/N said. She ran her finger from the basement up to the roof in a straight line. Six stories up a chimney."

"Can you do it?"

"I'm a heavy-footed soldier, not your Wraith. Is there another option?"

"No."

"So if I say I can't make the climb, will you tell Spect to turn the boat around and take us back to Ketterdam?"

"I'll find another option," said Kaz. "I don't know what, but I'm not giving up on that haul."

"You know I'll at least try it, Kaz, and you know I'm not going to refuse. I'll find a way to get us out of there. So why ask?"

'Because I've been looking for an excuse to talk to you for two days.'

"I want to make sure you know what you'll be dealing with and that you're studying the plans."

"Will there be a test?"

"Yes," said Kaz. "If you fail, we'll all end up stuck inside a Fjerdan prison."

"Mmm," she said and took a sip of her tea. "And I'll end up dead one way or another." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the hull. "I'm worried about the escape route to the harbor. I don't like that there's only one way out."