the Reason ~ Kaz Brekker

2 Dirtyhands

IT WASN'T KAZ BREKKER THAT SCARED SIA. Not much did anymore after years of living on Ketterdam's streets. He may have been a thief and a crime boss, but it was Dirtyhands that made the rest of the Barrel rats scurry back into their holes. Dirtyhands had built up quite a reputation in the Barrel. Not only was he heartless, but he was ruthless, cold, and oftentimes, bloodthirsty. He was everything the Kaz she thought she knew wasn't and she had watched him change. If he'd ever found out. If he recognized her face...

But, regardless of the fear she pushed down, Sia found herself standing in his bedroom. It was clean, not like what she had expected from Mr. Brekker. She wandered about the room, brushing her hand over the bedpost, fiddling with the trenchcoat that hung on the wall. It was a darkly lit room, having only just enough candle light to find a way around.

As she creeped into a dark corner of the room, she heard the wooden door of the office creak open, the familiar sound of a cane following. She smirked as stayed in the shadows as she saw Kaz Brekker walk in. She waited until he turned to lean on the front of his desk before she emerged from the shadows.

"What information do you have tonight, Inej?" he said. Sia bit down a scoff as she realized she had fooled him.

"There's a stray Fox in your club." she said quite obviously. Kaz turned around at the unfamiliar voice and their eyes met.

This was the first time Sia had really had a good look at him. He was tall, at least 6 foot, and had a slim, but strong build. He wore a pair of black pants, a black waistcoat with gold design, and a pair of black, leather gloves. His face was quite a bit more defined and had a handsome structure. His cheekbones were high and his jaw sharp. His straight, nicely falling hair was as dark as his eyes were then.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Sia smirked, hiding her relief that he didn't recognize her. "Well, I had hoped the first hint would have given that away."

Kaz sighed. "You're the Fox."

"So you have heard of me." she faked being flattered and began to walk past him. She sighed quietly as Kaz watched her sink into his leather chair and put her feet on the desk he leaned on.

"What do you want?" he said, annoyance edging his voice.

"Your darling Wraith sent me here." Sia slid him the little paper. "Word has it you can help me, Brekker."

"And why, Pray tell, would the Fox of Ketterdam need help from me?" he asked, still glaring at the sight of her in his chair.

"I need Pekka Rollins off my back." she said plainly, picking up a coin and casually making it disappear and reappear.

"What does Pekka want with you?"

Sia crossed her arms in front of her, looking Kaz up and down. "He's had it out for my head since a few months ago when he found out that I'd been wrecking his cons and plans. He wants me dead so he can actually accomplish something.

Kaz squeezed his gold crow cane. "It takes a lot to get in Pekka's way and live this long." he said to her. "What could you give me in return? Helping you would put a larger target on my back."

"I have a..." Sia thought. "Certain set of skills that could be quite useful for your little crew of Crows."

"Like what, Fox?"

She smirked once again and looked up at him. "Do you recall an encounter you had with Pekka's men? They snuck up behind you in an alleyway. But when you turned, they were already falling to the ground, purple."

Kaz's mind suddenly remembered. "That was you." she nodded. "You protected me?" another nod. "Why? You have no ties to me."

"We all have our reasons, Kaz." Sia answered, avoiding direct answers.

"How?"

A smile twitched on her face and she flicked her fingers. Without having to touch it, Sia's blade flew from its sheath and nicked the top of Kaz's cane, embedding itself into the wall. "You're a Durast."

"Yes." she answered plainly, bringing the knife back. Kaz thought for a moment and she fiddled with the ribbon in her hair. She had given him two good reasons to let her in, but she could tell he was skeptical. "I'm offering myself to you, Brekker. My skills and services for your protection. Plus, having me on your crew would keep you at an advantage against Pekka Rollins."

More thought from Kaz. he stared at the wooden desk and silently thought for a moment. He liked being on top, and she had proven herself useful. "Alright. I'll need you to prove yourself before you're let onto the crew, but I'll keep Pekka off your back. In the meantime, there's an empty room next to Inej. you'll sleep there for now."

Sia stood up and headed to the door. "It's a deal then, Brekker."

Just as she was about to leave, Kaz's voice stopped her. "What's your name, Fox?"

She turned back to him with a sly smile. "Sia."

That was all she dared to tell him. He may have hoped for more, but even if she would tell him eventually, she didn't tell him then. She simply walked out of the little room, leaving Dirtyhands to wonder.

A/N: hey! I've decided to post 2 chapters today since this is the first of the book. hope you liked it!