Drowning (Kaz Brekker)

x - Cowards and Courage

THEY FILED DOWN THE TOWER SLOWLY. Jesper took the lead, following after his father. Inej was close behind, utterly silent. The others gave them time, space. Each of them went their own ways to fill the time while Jesper and Colm spoke. Asra found herself walking the halls, that bonfire once again in her veins as her sister's footsteps followed. Without warning, she whirled to face her.

"Get out."

The Harbinger raised a brow. "Are you seriously ordering me about?"

"Yes. You're here because I allowed it. Now I'm not. So go. You've seen enough."

"Who are you to judge that?"

"Espionage was never your fortay, Sister. I'm famed it for it. You -"

"Not anymore. All you're known for now is desertion." She smiled that cruel smile she'd learnt from their mother.

"You all thought me dead. My reputation is fine. Not that it matters." Asra said slowly, each word articulated with malice.

The Witch laughed, throwing her head back with the sound. "Oh please. You're reputation is the only thing that matters to you. Ever since we were kids, you've been obsessed with how people perceived you. You've killed people for muttering behind your back."

"I've changed. I've grown. I have bigger things to worry about than what you and our so-called family think about me."

"We think you're a fucking coward." Her sister hissed, stooping her head to bare her teeth in Asra's face. "We think you're a traitorous, two-faced, lying coward. You turned and you ran. You abandoned your family, your people, everything. All of us. We have nothing but each other and you abandoned even that. And for what, your own selfish attempt to be better? Not surprising. You always thought you were better than us, better than everything. The prodigal daughter, Mother's special girl, her favourite pet. You call me a suck-up but no one scrambled and begged for her favour like you did. We were raised by the Devil and you managed to befriend her. And even that wasn't good enough for you."

"I didn't ask to be this way. I didn't ask to be chosen by her."

"But you sure as fuck didn't resist it."

"You're just jealous I had the balls to escape when no one else would. You're just jealous I could."

She flew back. A hurricane poured from her sister's palms as she shoved her chest. Asra went flying, back slamming into the wall before she slid to the carpeted floor, clawing for a hold in the purple fabric as the air was snatched from her lungs. She choked and coughed, clawing at her throat, staring at her sister across the hall. Her eyes blazed, her fists clenched at her sides. Her blood red skirt swirled about her thighs in the the wind the Witch controlled.

Asra suddenly realised she was going to die. She should've cared more about that.

Then a hand gripped her sister's  shoulder. He threw her towards the wall, the movements practised as his hands went for hers, aiming to pin them to her sides and render her Grisha power useless.

But if anyone was equipped against drüskelle techniques, it was the Witch. She leapt from Matthias' hold, snarling like nothing that could be called human.

"You drüskelle scum." She hissed, Fjerdan rolling easily off her tongue. "You dare -"

Matthias placed himself between Asra and her sister, feet braced apart, fists clenched at his sides. "You have outstayed your welcome." He said, his native tongue a growl. "As she said, get out."