❝ 𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 ❞ | kaz brekker

⁰⁴ westside

❝ 𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 ❞

westside

"I didn't hire you simply to get us across the Fold," Kaz told the Conductor. Their carriage was heading for Novo-Kribirsk, a city right against the Fold. Paedyn was beyond thankful that she didn't end up there, where Alexei had been found and taken by Dreesen. The small town she had entered didn't even notice the poor girl as she kept running.

The inside of the carriage was small. The Conductor, known as Arken, kept throwing wearily glances towards Paedyn from his side of the carriage. He should've been more worried about Jesper, who sat next to him, and who might've actually killed him.

Inej sat next to Jesper, directly across from Paedyn. The Suli girl threw a few glances of pity, something Paedyn had grown used to since her outburst in the rain that night.

Paedyn sat as close to the side of the carriage as she could, leaving plenty of breathing room and leg room for Kaz. 

"You're with us because you smuggle Grisha out of the Little Palace," Kaz said to Arken, reminding the new addition who was in charge. "And that's the location of our target."

Although she already knew the Conductor was a smuggler, hearing those exact words from Kaz himself did something to Paedyn. Had her sister gotten out? Unlikely, she always was the General's favorite, but it was a possibility.

The chances of Arken remembering every name of every Grisha he had smuggled out were slim, it couldn't hurt to ask. He was already afraid of her, she would just need to get a moment with him, alone.

"Sun Summoner," Inej's voice broke Paedyn out of her thoughts again. The brunette rubbed her arm, trying to refocus in on the moment she was in. 

"Alleged," Kaz muttered.

"They wouldn't keep a fraud in the most secure location in all of Ravka." Inej argued.

"That's true, Kaz," Paedyn mumbled, "Unless she's good at faking Grisha abilities, I don't think she's a fraud."

"Whatever happened to not have hope in Ketterdam," Kaz raised an eyebrow.

"We're not in Ketterdam," Paedyn spoke softly, eyeing the boy gently. His jaw ticked, not enjoying having two members of his inner circle question him.

He turned back to Arken, tearing his eyes from hers. "You said you have a contact who can get us inside. A Heartrender."

The Conductor hummed in response.

"Can we trust her?" Paedyn questioned, hoping the Heartrender wouldn't be like Milana.

"Nina grew up there," Arken reasoned.

"Most Grisha grew up in the Little Palace," Kaz snapped, "Very few would betray their general, and even fewer would help foreigners kidnap their most prized possession."

Paedyn frowned. Kaz was right, many Grisha would stand with General Kirigan. But those Grisha were not the ones of his inner circle. Genya, her sister, and even Paedyn herself. Those handpicked by him, trained with him, those were the ones that would betray him. The ones that get to see him for who he really is. A monster, no better than the Menagerie, worse even.

"Nina's a radical," The Conductor added, "Thinks Grisha should get to choose if they serve the Crown."

Oh. Well, it was still nice to know that even Grisha that weren't in the inner circle of the Black General could betray him. The name Nina did sound familiar to Paedyn, but in the short years that she was at the Little Palace, she was always with General Kirigan and her sister. His favorite Grisha.