─── ❝She was expensive,
like the piece of velvet she was wearing,
but she demanded his heart,
not his money❞
or
─── in which he finds his crow in the most unfortunate t...
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chapter twenty-seven,lily
ALL OF THEM HAD THEIR JOBS THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO. Wylan and Jesper had to make sure to buy everything they needed for the successful infiltration of the silos. Nina and Matthias had to go to the Ravkan embassy because there had been talk of Grisha stationed in Ketterdam and Shu embassy arriving, meaning they needed to get Grisha out of there as soon as possible. Inej and Kaz had unfinished business with Per Haskell as Rotty has been repeating how displeased the boss was with everyone. Especially with Kaz.
Kuwei had to stay put and silent and Aleksej was instructed to babysit him. And Lavender—well, she was ready to go with any of them to be some sort of help, but Kaz stopped her, just as soon as everyone was ready to get separated and get to business.
"I think you should take the opportunity and go home," he said.
"I can't just go to Novyi Zem, Kaz," she shook her head.
"You should take the opportunity while you don't have a bounty of your head and visit your mother."
Oh.
Lavender's face grew still. She hasn't thought about visiting the place that they had—what for? She knew it was burnt to the ground. There was nothing left. And if there was anything left, it probably got stolen already.
She didn't want to think about this, so she shook her head: "I want to be helpful."
"Either you stay here or you go there. I asked Rotty to spare you a boat. Rowing to the east, you'll get to the lake – it will take time."
The woman understood why Kaz didn't want her to go with any of them. She was the only one that didn't have a bounty on her head, yet. Except from Aleksej, but Kaz didn't even want to think about him. But she still was a valuable eye candy to the gangs because of the new last name she took. She knew that her being beside others would put attention on them and they could get caught. She only had to trust him, that when the time was right and the plan will be undergoing, he won't keep her away from all of this.
Kaz watched the way she was fighting with her own emotions and how the light in her face faded when he mentioned her mother. She deserved to know that she was there. She deserved to visit the place that was her happiest. Everything was going to go to hell in mere seconds and the least he could do, was offer a piece of serenity, away from all of this stench.
"I buried her," he admitted. "By the old oak. To the lake's side."
She froze in her stance and she quickly covered her face, breaking down into tears. She was living all this time with the knowledge that her mother didn't even get to rest properly and that her bones will be splattered by the predators and humans. She didn't know that Kaz waited there until the fire was out, trying to put it out. As soon as he did, he buried her mother, who didn't seem like anyone he had ever known. Her skin was burnt off and still burning, sizzling underneath his touch as he dragged her to the hole he had dug. There wasn't an ounce of Lily left in what he buried, but he couldn't just leave her there. Not the way he left Jordie.
