SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER || k. brekker || CURRENTLY UPDATING

3.1

     THIS ALL FELT like a bad dream to Victoria. After all, her nightmare was the Fold, and that's right where they planned to go. But first, they were to meet with a Heartrender.

     The four Crows were bundled into a horse-drawn cart, along with the Conductor. Kaz and Victoria sat on one bench, going backwards and keeping comfortable distance between themselves, watching that their gloves didn't dare brush. Opposite them was Inej, Jesper and the Conductor, a little squished together; Jesper having the short end of the stick as he was stuck in the middle. Now entering Novokribirsk, Kaz decided to make it clear exactly why Arken was here.

     "I didn't hire you simply to get us across the Fold. You're with us because you smuggle Grisha out of the Little Palace, and that's the location of our target." The man looked to Victoria, before speaking again, "The only other person who knows the Little Palace will be recognised if she goes in, and not in a good way, so you're next in line."

     Earlier, Victoria had to explain that although she could direct them through Ravka if she were blind, she couldn't risk going anywhere in the Little Palace. All it took was one person to recognise her, and it would all go down. There was no telling how Aleksander would react, nor any other Grisha she knew for that matter. Hence why they were now en route to the Heartrender.

     "Sun Summoner." Inej added, a little hope in her voice.

     "Alleged." Dirtyhands corrected, before Victoria responded.

     "As much as I gave up believing in fairytales, my brother wouldn't let a fraud anywhere near the Little Palace." She toyed with her dagger as she was watching out the window. This whole thing was making her feel sick.

     "You said you have a contact who can get us inside. A Heartrender." Kaz stated, his eyes as if they breaking through into Arken's twisted mind. Now, it was entirely possible that Victoria knew this particular Grisha they were meeting, but she'd seen through her own eyes with many different lives enough times to forget who knows her. The man opposite Kaz nodded, and he questioned it all, "How do I know we can trust her?"

     "Nina grew up there." Arken told Kaz confidently.

     "All registered Grisha grow up there." Victoria told Arken, shooting him a look. She didn't trust him. She didn't trust most people.

     "Very few would betray their general and fewer still would help three foreigners and a Shadow Summoner kidnap their most prized possession." Kaz argued calmly, his eyes still boring into the Conductor's.

     "Nina's a radical. Thinks Grisha should get to choose if they serve the Crown. She despises involuntary service more than she does Fjerdans." Arken explained, his confidence unwavering.

     "She must really hate involuntary service then." The Shadow Summoner commented, raising her eyebrows a little.

     Jesper shook his head and chuckled a little, "Do you know her?" He asked Victoria whilst, after a few minutes, Kaz and Arken were still going back and forth.

     "I might do, but I spent a lot of time with the Second Army stationed near the Fold, we may have never crossed paths." Victoria shrugged a little, rubbing her fingertips together to savour the feel of leather once again.

-🐦‍⬛-

     "She knew to expect us." Arken insisted for the third or fourth time. Vi still felt uneasy, something most certainly felt off. A nearly packed suitcase and ruffled rugs? Not to mention the open door or glass on the floor. Something went down before they arrived, and it was recent.