The FlameKeeper - Kaz Brekker

CH.05 - Sesh-Uyeh

(GIF ISN'T MINE, CREDIT TO THE MAKER!)

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'Take out your pen and proper paper, Wylan. Let's put Helvar to work.'

Wylan reached into the satchel at his feet and pulled out another roll of paper, along with an expensive-looking pen and ink set.

'I can see where you've been spending your money on in the past year.' Sabo said to Wylan.

'I've had this since before I joined the crows.' Wylan whispered back.

'Where did you get it?' Sabo asked as she looked at the pen and ink set. 'Must've cost you a fortune.'

Wylan looked away from her with a guilty expression on his face. 'I've gotten it from my father.' he murmured.

Sabo wondered what happened between him and his dad that made him fidget so much.

'Start talking.' Kaz said to Matthias. 'It's time to pay the rent.'

Matthias looked at Kaz with anger in his eyes. Kaz just looked at him with his usual bored shark-like expression. Sabo wondered how long Matthias was going to keep up the scary-drüskelle act.

Finally, Matthias sighed before closing his eyes. 'The Ice Court is on a bluff overlooking the harbor of a tree.' he said slowly, as if speaking each one was causing him pain. 'First, the ringwall, then the outer circle. It's divided into three sectors. Beyond that is the ice moat, then the center of everything, the White Island.'

Wylan began sketching on the paper, Jesper peered over Wylan's shoulder. 'That doesn't look like a tree, it looks like a cake.'

Sabo was sitting next to Jesper and Wylan, giving her an excellent view of the paper.

'You're just hungry.' Sabo replied.

'Well, it is sort of like a cake.' Wylan said as he looked at the sketch. 'The whole thing is built on a rise.'

Sabo frowned at him. 'How do you know?' Sabo asked.

'I've been to the Ice Court once, with my father. We went to an embassy dinner.' Sabo wondered if Kaz knew that. Of course, he did, she thought, he had been talking about multiple sources.

'Damn,' Sabo said as she observed Wylan. 'Who is your father?'

All Wylan's attention went back to the sketch. Sabo looked at Jesper, not understanding what was going on with Wylan. Sabo caught his gaze, he just shook his head at her. Not now.

Kaz gestured for Matthias to continue.

'The cliffs are unscalable, and the northern road is the only way in or out. You'll have to get through a guarded checkpoint before you even reach the ringwall.'

Wylan looked towards Kaz. 'Two checkpoints,' Wylan said. 'When I was there, there were two.'

Matthias' head snapped towards him. 'You were in the Ice Court?' Matthias fumed.

'Did you really think you were going to be my only source?' Kaz said to Matthias. Matthias glared at him. 'Hidden depths, Helvar. Wylan is watching you.'

'Why two checkpoints?' Inej asked.

'It's harder to bribe two sets of guards. The security at the Court is always built with multiple fail-safes.' Matthias explained.

'And here I was thinking that drüskelle acted with honor.' Sabo said to Matthias. 'Aren't they considered to be the best of your kind?'

Matthias glared at her before continuing. 'If you make it that far-'