A Coin Has Two Sides (Season Three) || Kaz Brekker x OC

14. Civility

Winnie Marth had always dreamed of living amongst the stars.

It had been one of the few things that had remained constant throughout every version of herself as she lived her life.

There were many things that stopped that dream from coming true.

Her father. The torture. The responsibilities. The battles.

Then it was Ketterdam. The newfound excitement. The people. The darkness that never left.

Then it was Ravka. The dependence. The safety. The duty.

But the real reason was always that it was simply too far a journey. Too big a dream.

The stars were always too far out of her reach, no matter how many rooftops she climbed, what heights she would reach, or how longingly she stared up at them.

But there was something new Winnie was experiencing in this moment that was even further out of her capabilities than living amongst the stars.

Finding civility with a Fjerdan.

It made her dreams of reaching the stars seem easy.

This was truly impossible.

The entire journey back from Hellgate and through the streets of Ketterdam until they reached the Crow Club, Winnie had stayed as far away from Matthias Helvar as she possible could.

She didn't even look at him once.

But it was just a delay of the inevitable.

Jesper and Kaz had hauled the knocked-out Fjerdan onto a chair where they tied him up by his arms, wrists, and ankles.

Inej and Nina had positioned themselves to the right side of the parlour that had been emptied with each blind closed and door bolted shut.

Wylan was sat at one of the card tables doodling on a scrap of paper.

Jesper was perched on the top of said table, leaning back to occasionally glance at whatever Wylan was working on with a lost expression on his face.

Kaz was stood directly opposite the chair holding Matthias, a good five steps away.

Winnie had sat herself down in a far corner, letting the darkness of her shadows surround her, smoking one of her valdrien cigarettes as a precaution for when the Fjerdan woke up.

She had removed her earlier costume disguise and was now back in her black, lace corset with a patterned white mesh top placed over it. Slightly loose black trousers and scuffed boots were on her lower half.

After ten minutes, Kaz gave Nina the go ahead to lift Matthias out of his doze.

The second he woke, he was disorientated by the single bright lantern that had been kept lit dangling above his head.

Blinking rapidly and squirming only to discover he was bound, the Fjerdan then looked around the room to gage his surroundings.

What he saw was six people all staring back at him, with various emotions on each of their faces.

But he focused on the unreadable one of Kaz Brekker first as the boss started talking.

He relayed their plans for him. To acquire his assistance in breaking into the Ice Court. About jurda parem, the high reward they were being offered for the job, and that they were to retrieve Bo Yul-Bayur.

When he was finished, only one word was given as a response.

"No."

Winnie almost scoffed.