Drowning (Kaz Brekker)

xvii - Lightning

THEY HOPPED ON A BOTTLE BOAT MORRED UNDER ZENTSBRIDGE. The Ravkan Triumvirate were waiting, Kuwei's corpse set in the centre of the boat. They'd hidden themselves from anyone else on the emptying canal with a few well-placed wine crates. Inej was already waiting, bleeding and bruising but alive, eyes swollen and rimmed with some kind of red dust. Asra handed her a flask of fresh water.

"I know that trick. Even the almighty White Blade takes the occasional cheap shot."

Inej chuckled, washing out her eyes before taking a quick swig of water. "Thank you."

"What are friends for?" She had her own sip, then stashed the flask back in her jacket.

"Your sister?" Inej asked.

"Dead, hopefully. Dunyasha?"

"Dead, definitely."

Asra grinned. Nina and Rotty hauled themselves onto the boat, disguised as some boat-living couple. Rotty removed his coat and fake beard as Nina took off her gown and the fake pregnant belly beneath. All was tied into a bundle and tossed into the water.

"Good riddance." Nina said as it sank.

"So little maternal instinct." Kaz drawled.

"Where's Inej?" Nina asked.

"I'm fine." She said, stepping out from behind Kaz, Asra at her side. "But Kuwei -"

"You're bleeding again." Nina said. "Both of you."

"I'm fine." Asra echoed. She needed to check that, actually.

Nina raised a brow, then squinted at Inej. "What happened to your eyes?"

"I'd tell you to ask the White Blade, but..." she shrugged.

"I hope she suffered."

"Nina." Inej scolded as Asra laughed.

"What? We can't all be merciful and serene." She stepped closer, looking down at Kuwei.

He was still on the stretcher, set down on a makeshift table of crates. Genya Safin was injecting something in his arm, red hair tied back and scars pulled taunt over her skin as she moved. Asra had only met her the other day, when she'd Tailored her hair back to red, but she'd heard plenty of the scarred woman. The First Tailor. The Grisha who all but killed the last King of Ravka.

The only thing she and her sister could agree apon was that the woman was a damn legend.

Asra swallowed her fear at the sight of a needle, shifting on her feet as she stood beside Kaz.

"How is he?" Nina asked, staring at Kuwei's pale and limp form.

"If he has a pulse, I can't find it. The poison did its work." Genya said. She'd given Kaz a poison that would lower his pulse and breathing to a point where he'd seem dead. He'd injected it after Jesper had shot the sack of blood and gore under his shirt. As far as the world knew, Kuwei Yul-Bo was dead.

From the looks of things, it might be true.

"The antidote?" Nina asked.

"This is the second dose she's injected." Kaz told her.

The Tailor checked his pulse, then his breathing. She shook her head.

"Zoya." Sturmhond said, the voice of a captain and king.

The beautiful Squallor sighed, pushed up her sleeves. "Unbutton his shirt."

"What are you doing?" Kaz asked as Genya did so, revealing the outline of his ribs and a small lake of pig's blood.