Our Fractured Souls | Kaz Brekker

[05]

5

Viktorya

Viktorya stepped into the Crow Club, she'd gone straight from her conversation with Kaz to seek out the card dealer.

He'd been at the tables, dealing Three Man Bramble for Jesper and a couple of Ravkan tourists. When he'd finished the hand, Viktorya had suggested they speak in one of the private gambling parlours to spare him the embarrassment of being fired in front of his friends, but Rojakke wasn't having it.

"It's not fair," He'd bellowed when she told him Kaz's orders, "I ain't no cheat!"

"Take it up with Kaz," Viktorya had replied without remorse.

"And keep your voice down," Jesper added, glancing at the tourists and sailors seated at the neighbouring tables.

Fights were common in the Barrel, but not on the floor of the Crow Club.

If you had a gripe, you settled it outside, where you didn't risk interrupting the hallowed peace of separating pigeons from their money.

"Where's Brekker," Rojakke snarled.

Viktorya merely replied. "I don't know."

Then he leaned in, his breath stank of lager and onions, "You always know everything about that bastard. Am I supposed to believe all of a sudden you're turning up a blank?"

"I don't know where he is or when he's getting back." She only said in answer. "But I do know you won't be here when he does."

"Give me my cheque, I'm owed for my last shift."

"Brekker doesn't owe you anything." Viktorya spat.

This was escalating, and she was beginning to get tired.

And she still had to patch up that damn slice on her hip.

Rojakke scoffed. "He can't even face me himself, eh? Sends a little girl to give me the boot? Maybe I'll just shake a few coins out of you then."

He'd reached for her, and snagged the collar of her jacket, his fingers brushing the exposed piece of skin that was her neck, and Viktorya's brain short circuited and all she saw was red.

Her breath hitched and she immediately sprung, dodging him, prying his fingers away from her throat as her vision speckled and Jesper stood from his seat.

He sat back down quickly when Viktorya slipped out one of her knives and gave him a swift crack across the left cheek, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

He shrieked, his hand flying up to his face. "Hey! I didn't hurt you, none. It was just words."

People were watching now, but Viktorya couldn't function anymore. Her breaths were shallow, coming in short, stabbing pants.

She hit him again, this time her knife sunk into the soft part of his shoulder and he gasped out, stumbling back, taking the knife with him.

Regardless of Crow Club rules, this took precedence. When Kaz had brought her to the Slat, he told her that he wouldn't be able to watch out for her like he'd done during the scuffle outside of the Sweet Shop. She'd have to fend for herself, so she had.

She couldn't take the contact anyway. Not like she'd been able to as a child. Not from men at least.

Women she could handle. Her friends. Zahra and Inej, sometimes Anika.