The FlameKeeper - Kaz Brekker

CH.09 - For a cause

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

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'No, Hring-kaaalle.' Nina articulated. 'You have to hang on the last syllable a bit.' They were still walking through the mountains of Fjerda, it started snowing as Sabo finally put on her goggles.

'Hringalah?' Inej tried.

'Better but, here, it's like Kerch is a gazelle. It hops from word to word. Fjerdan is like gulls, all swoops and dives.'

'Sabo, you try.' Nina said. 'Hring-kaaalle.' she sang.

Sabo was walking in the front with Kaz and Matthias as she looked back at Nina. 'Higalla?' Sabo pretended. Kaz glanced at her sideways with an amused expression.

'You're even worse than Inej.' Matthias laughed. Sabo was about to laugh with him before realizing that it was Matthias who had been speaking. She turned towards Nina while ignoring Matthias. 'I'm not good at languages.' she explained apologetically.

'Let's never give you a Fjerdan undercover role.' Nina winked.

Sabo could sense the fire before she saw it. Sabo halted in her tracks as she looked in front of her again.

The pyre had been made on a bluff. Whoever was responsible had tried to build the fire but it hadn't been enough to keep the flames from dying out in the wind. There were still small flames in certain places on the bodies. 

Three stakes had been driven into the icy ground, and three charred bodies were bound to them, their flesh still smoldering. Matthias stood frozen beside Sabo as he took in the bodies.

Nina placed her hands over her mouth as Inej prayed for the burning bodies. Jesper looked away and Wylan tried to stop himself from gagging. Kaz stood like a stone, his expression inscrutable.

Sabo could see the pyres in her nightmares, she knew turning back to the prison would bring up back memories, but these hit awfully close to home. Whatever home was for her anyway.

'Ghezen.' Wylan swore. 'What is this?!'

'This is what Fjerdans do to Grisha.' Sabo replied.

'It's what criminals do.' Matthias replied.

'That's what I just said, didn't I?' Sabo replied.

Sabo could kill him where he was currently standing. How could the boy she grew up with, the boy she'd been engaged to, be so unbelievably stupid?

Matthias took a step closer to her. 'The pyres have been illegal for decades-' Matthias began.

'If I remember clearly the last time a woman was officially sentenced to death by burning was a few years ago.' Sabo interrupted.

Matthias bit his tongue. 'That woman was an exception, she was guilty of heinous crimes, she-'

Sabo was about to lose her temper with him but Nina beat her to it.

Nina whirled on him and shoved his chest hard. 'Don't you dare.' she seethed.

'Nina-' he began.

'Do you have a different name for killing when you wear a uniform to do it?'

Then they heard it.

A moan came from one of the bodies.

'Saints.' Jesper trembled. 'One of them is alive.'

Sabo drew in a sharp breath as she looked at the bodies. Kaz looked at her, wishing there was something he could do.