𝕾𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖉𝖘 - 𝙺𝚊𝚣 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚔𝚔𝚎𝚛

VI

Mira sits on the table and waits for Nina to raise her lover's pulse again. She holds a glass of kvas and kicks her legs, happy to be back in her own clothes.

He wakes up and Brekker makes sure he's fully aware before he starts talking. He drones on and on about the drug, the job, the pay. Mira almost falls asleep.

"No," Matthias says. It's so curt it makes her want to laugh.

"Believe me when I say this, Helvar: I know getting knocked out and waking up in strange surroundings isn't the friendliest way to start a partnership, but you didn't give us many options, so try to open your mind to the possibilities."

"You could come to me on your knees, and my answer would stay the same."

This does make Mira giggle. The idea of Kaz Brekker, Bastard of the Barrel, kneeling for anyone, was funny.

"You do understand I can have you back at Hellgate in a matter of hours? Once poor Muzzen is in the infirmary, the switch will be easy."

"Or you can just kill him." Mira suggests, but Brekker ignores her. The others don't, they turn to stare at her with wide eyes. She just shrugs and sips her drink.

"Do it. I can't wait to tell the warden your ridiculous plans."

"Who says you'll be going back with a tongue?" The cripple threatens.

So basic, Mira rolls her eyes. She would've gone for something creative, like his spleen.

"Kaz-" Nina starts.

"Do what you want," Matthias says. Such a noble citizen of his country.

"I told you."

"Don't pretend to know me, witch," he snarls, refusing to look at the Heartrender.

Jesper unfolds himself from the corner where he's been lounging. "Without him, there's no job. We can't break into the Ice Court blind."

Mira thinks about it as the conversation ripples around her. If she had enough rest and energy, and time too, she could erode the walls and bluff or kill her way through the rest of it. Probably. This was why she'd left the planning to the 'criminal mastermind'.

"Crimes against the people."

"Which people?" The love birds are quarreling again.

"Natural people. People who live in harmony with the laws of this world instead of twisting it for their own gain."

Hypocrite! Mira wants to shout, to storm up to him and beat him until he sees sense. It's your people who twist what nature has given us to turn us into the evil ones. Your people are the ones who kill and kill and kill and are surprised when all that's left are those who refuse to die. Those who take eye for eye.

The glass in her hand shatters, spilling the last dredges of her kvas onto the table. She barely looks down at it. She looks around at the rest of them. She was the only one who seemed truly angry. Everyone else's faces held amusement that was slipping into fear. Except Matthias. He was angry too. And it was directed at her.

Mira lifts an eyebrow. "Shall we continue? Brekker, give him the pardon."

He looks at her, upset she ruined his big reveal. Dramatic little boy.

Matthias looked between the two of them. "Are you a magician? A wej spirit who grants wishes? I'm superstitious, not stupid."

"You can be both, you know, but that's hardly the point." He slipped his hand into his dark coat. He pulls out the paper and hands it to Inej, who held it up for Matthias to read.