INIQUITY- kaz brekker

Nine

They waited until sundown to hit Ohval's, knowing that the darkness would mask their presence and attempt to hide their break in. Iris ambled alongside Jesper, finding comfort in his cheeriness over Kaz's drab. She watched as the boy anxiously scratched at his neck and traced his fingers over his pistols. She could tell he was upset at how he had left things with Wylan, itching to make it up to him. 

When they reached Ohval's, Iris found herself admiring the building. It seemed everything about this woman was incredible to her, the way she dressed and the architecture of her house. There was something about Ohval that stopped Iris in her tracks and really made her assess the brilliance of her work. 

"This house is traditional. It has a specific layout. We enter through the front courtyard, antechamber, middle courtyard, main chamber," Tolya directed as he drew a map of the house in the dirt and pointed to each section with a stick.

"We sweep the entirety," Kaz ordered. "How long will it take you to set up?" he questioned Wylan who was surveying the property.

"I can have the door open in about five minutes. And if Ohval trips it, we have two minutes before the firecrackers go off to get out," Wylan spoke hesitantly, revealing the risk of their trap. 

"Even if she returns prematurely, we cannot leave without the blade," Inej pressed firmly.

"Yes, the future of Ravka and my payment depend on it," Kaz snarled.

Jesper and Iris rolled their eyes simultaneously. Kaz always had to make it about himself. Or money. Usually both. 

"I'm aware. It's more than the future of Ravka at stake. If we fail, Shu Han, Fjerda, Ketterdam, and beyond, they'll feel the weight of the Darkling bare down on them," Tolya spoke dangerously, setting an uncomfortable tone upon the group.

"Cheery," Iris grimaced.

"Way to up the stakes," Jesper added, raising his eyebrows. 

As Kaz twisted his lock pick one final time, the door opened with a soft groan. Kaz stepped through and the rest of the Crows and company followed until they reached a second door inside the impressive stone courtyard. 

Kaz passed a fleeting glance over Iris as he turned to call Jesper over. Her sharp features softened as she realised he was looking but she refused to meet his eye and kept her gaze fixed on Inej. Kaz fought a frown but failed, it becoming etched across his face as he called out frustratedly to Jesper who was trying to make peace with a frustrated Wylan. 

"Jesper. We're going in. Close the doors behind you."

The antechamber was decorated like an ornate dojo. Ocre wood floors joined up to patterned glass doors on both sides of the chamber. Bar the lights from the lanterns in the courtyard, the room was dark and shrouded in an orange glow. 

"Spread out," Kaz instructed. 

Iris warily examined the chamber, a gut feeling that their entrance into Ohval's had been so easy. For a woman so clever, it seemed awfully easy to penetrate where she stored her artefacts. 

"I sense a heartbeat," Tolya frowned as he paced the chamber.

"I thought the compound was empty," Jesper furrowed his brow in confusion. 

"It's faint. Further in the house," Tolya replied.

"Someone ill... or dying?" Iris questioned to which Tolya nodded in confirmation. As the man stepped forward to survey the other side of the room, the floorboard his foot landed on gave way and a mechanism suddenly began to creak. The glass doors at the entrance began to slide close and Tolya and Inej rushed to pry them open. Kicking at the door Tolya had no luck and when Inej moved to shatter the glass with her knives, she received the same result. The group were trapped.