Our Fractured Souls | Kaz Brekker

[03]

3

Viktorya

Viktorya was angry.

No, she was beyond angry. She was furious.

She had known the parley at the Exchange would go south.

But what she hadn't known- what she hadn't anticipated - was Kaz's life was going to be on the line.

All of their lives were going to be compromised All within a mere second.

And Kaz was all the wiser.

He knew. He knew the whole damn time and didn't say a word. The realisation had hit her like a punch to the gut the second she saw the smug glint in the boy's shark eyes.

The second Geels made the notion he had paid off the two guards on duty, Viktorya had felt her blood turn to ice. All of the thoughts rushing through her head pressed in on her like a giant anvil just waiting to drop.

She knew the Ghafas were already on the rooftops. She knew they'd heard what Geels had said. But Viktorya couldn't help the worry that they might not make it in time.

He'd orchestrated every single word spoken during the parley. Had been counting on every single little detail being just the way he'd predicted it.

The snipers.

Bolliger's betrayal.

Geels and his gun.

All of it.

He stood there, cool and collected, withholding all of the answers to every question pelting Viktorya from every direction.

And when his eyes had met hers for that brief moment as he stood there with that damn gun to his chest. She'd understood. She didn't want to, but she did.

Her gloved hands had drawn into tight fists at her side. Suddenly, she had the strong urge to crack him a good one right across his perfectly sharp jaw.

The cunning bastard knew everything.

Viktorya stayed silent the remainder of Kaz's ego trip with Geels.

Reeling in her anger until Bolliger made that single remark and she'd let her perfect mask of impassivity slip.

Kaz had looked delighted to hear her snap at him.

But when she gave him a single sharp, steel-eyed glare, he turned away, expression falling back.

Dirix, Rotty and the others charged at them, whooping and shouting, holding out their weapons.

The crew had gotten the barest glimpse of the proceedings with Geels, but they'd heard most of it.

"The Burstraats on fire! The Dregs don't have no water!" The Dregs were chanting as they approached.

"I can't believe he just turned tail," Rotty jeered. "He had a loaded pistol in his hand!"

Viktorya said nothing, not a word as she took all of her knives and daggers back from Anika, sliding them in place all over her leathers, her swords slipped in last, tight on her back.

"Tell us what you had on the guard." Dirix begged.

"Can't be the usual stuff."

"I heard about a guy in Sloken who liked to roll around in apple syrup and then get two-"