Of Crows and Eagles // Grishaverse

The Tailor

Inej

Inej couldn't say quite what they were doing, just that if Genya were to find out, she would be quite angry indeed. Jesper and Wylan had returned to the sitting room an hour before—chuckling good-naturedly over something Genya or one of the waitstaff had said—and quickly briefed everyone on their conversation with the Tailor, and their theory surrounding Hiram Shenck. Inej found she wasn't at all shocked by their words. Even for a mercher, he had always come across as incredibly irritable, and he would by all means have the funds to plot an assassination.

Now, Kaz leaned across the table, passing Inej a stack of creased playing cards. Nina had managed to unearth a yellowing deck from the salon's mahogany cabinets and they had promptly set up a rowdy game of Three Man Bramble. Kaz caught her eye as she flipped the cards over, scanning the contents. It was a solid hand, not perfect by any means, but significantly better than anyone else's, if their expressions were anything to judge by.

Inej raised an eyebrow and Kaz quickly returned his gaze to his own hand of cards, shuffling them back and forth between his gloves fingers. Inej tore her gaze away, turning her attention to Jesper as he lay a card face-up onto the table, the glossy white paper practically shining in the salon's dim light.

It felt somewhat pointless, lounging around playing cards while Genya was off challenging the Kerch government. For all Inej knew, the country of her birth and the country that had inadvertently become her home would be in a political battle before the day was through. She supposed she should just be grateful her loyalties had never lain with the nations themselves, only to the people in them.

"Your turn," Nina said, nudging Inej with her shoulder. She moved her gaze to the cards clutched between her hands, examining the contents and selecting a creased five of hearts. Inej tossed it onto the table, the card fluttering softly as it landed. A winning move.

Jesper tossed a tarnished coin into her lap, the others following suit, the metal chiming softly as each coin landed among the folds of her trousers. Swiftly, Inej scooped the coins into her hand, pocketing them in one fluid movement.

Genya

Genya couldn't say quite what she felt when she saw Zoya and Nikolai standing—half tailored and in awful need of a change of clothes—standing at the end of the corridor. Shock, joy, relief. Maybe it was something else entirely, the comfort of knowing her friends were alive, followed by a surge of anger that someone had dared try to hurt them.

"You're alive." Genya moved forward, one tentative step at a time, as if maybe they were just apparitions, simple figments of her imagination, who would disappear if she moved too fast.

"A wonderful observation," Nikolai said, widening his arms in salutation. Slowly, Genya closed the distance between them, each step a fraction faster than the one before, until suddenly Zoya and Nikolai were just inches away.

A moment later, she had thrown her arms around each of their necks, tugging them both into an awkward three-way hug. Genya felt Zoya stiffen beneath her touch before returning her embrace with a tentative arm across the shoulders. Nikolai was distinctly more enthusiastic, quick to lace an arm around each of them.

After a moment, Genya stepped back, untangling herself from the mess of their arms. She couldn't put into words what it felt like to look into her friends' faces and know that they were there beside her, that they were alive. Since she had lost David, Genya had felt as if she were floating aimlessly through the sea, searching for some sort of anchor to hold her down, and maybe these people were it.

Slowly, Genya turned her attention to Mal, Alina, and Tolya who stood awkwardly to the side, staring as she embraced with Nikolai and Zoya. Genya raised her arms, stepping forward and wrapping them into a hug as well. Their embrace was quick, no more than a brief acknowledgement of each other.

"Well then," Nikolai said as they pulled away, "I suppose we have some explaining to do."

"Go ahead," Genya said, grabbing Zoya by the forearm and tugging her down the hall. From behind, she could hear the mismatched footsteps of the others, softly tapping against the marble floor.

Genya perched on the edge of the velvet chaise, arms crossed over her chest, as Nikolai and Zoya explained all that had happened to them since the events of the wedding. She supposed it was useful information, but each word they spoke only made her anger rise. She would be more than glad to strangle Hiram Schenck and anyone else who had allowed this to happen. These were her friends, her country, and there needed to be at least one level-headed person ready to defend them.

"Kidnapped during our reception, committed murder, hid in a convent, stole from the poor," Zoya listed, counting each item off on her fingers. "Are we missing anything?"

"Some level of normalcy?" Nikolai suggested.

"I'm afraid you're in the wrong country for that," Alina said flatly. Nikolai gave a sage nod, a mocking frown playing across his lips.

Genya leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "We think we might know who's behind all this."

"We?" Zoya asked, raising an eyebrow.

Genya pursed her lips. "Brekker's crew."

Zoya frowned, skepticism playing across her features. "Go on," she said hesitantly.

"You know Hiram Shenck?"

Tolya frowned. "Unfortunately."

"You think he's behind this?" Alina asked, leaning forward ever so slightly.

Genya nodded solemnly in assent. "Makes sense," Nikolai mused. "He's certainly got the funds for it."

"And he wouldn't have to face very many consequences," Genya added.

"If any," Zoya said. Alina murmured a few words in agreement, and Tolya and Mal both dipped their heads.

Nikolai bumped shoulders with Zoya. "I told you Brekker had his uses." She snorted, tossing her sheet of raven's wing hair over one shoulder.

"I suppose." And with that, it seemed, the conversation was over, just a few short words, and hurried explanations. Genya sighed, rising to her feet and heading for the door. Zoya and Nikolai would want to rest, surely, and she couldn't blame them. She tugged the door open and stepped through. There was work to do.