Lily Geel
The smell of burning paper filled Lily’s small room, a bitter reminder of what she’d just done. She stared into the cracked porcelain basin on the desk, watching the edges of the letter curl and blacken before crumbling to ash. It had arrived that morning, slipped under her door while she slept—a folded piece of parchment bearing Pekka Rollins’ unmistakable seal.
The contents had been simple but chilling:
Lily,
The Barrel is no place for traitors. Come back to where you belong before you learn the hard way.
—P. Rollins
It wasn’t an offer. It was a command, wrapped in the guise of an invitation, and it had sent a cold shiver down her spine.
For a brief, terrifying moment, she’d thought about going back. About slipping away from the Crows and disappearing into the shadow of Rollins’ empire. At least there, she’d known the rules, as twisted as they were.
But the thought passed quickly. Rollins didn’t want her back out of kindness—he wanted her under his thumb, to make her pay for every moment of defiance. And she refused to give him that satisfaction.
The parchment crumbled completely, leaving behind a pile of ash that she swept into her palm and scattered out the window. She wiped her hands on her trousers and took a shaky breath.
It wasn’t the first time Rollins had tried to haunt her, but she hoped it would be the last.
---
By the time she made her way downstairs, the Crow Club was alive with its usual chaos. Jesper was lounging on one of the couches, flipping a coin between his fingers as he chatted with Wylan, whose hands were covered in soot from his latest project.
“Lily!” Jesper called as she passed, his grin as bright as the sun. “Care to join us? We were just discussing how Wylan managed to nearly blow up the workshop this morning.”
“I didn’t *nearly* blow it up,” Wylan protested, his cheeks turning pink. “It was just a small miscalculation.”
“Small miscalculation?” Jesper repeated, laughing. “Sweetheart, you almost took off my eyebrows.”
Wylan groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Lily smiled despite herself. “I’ll pass, but thanks.”
“You’re missing out,” Jesper said, flipping the coin once more before tucking it into his pocket. “Wylan’s blush alone is worth the price of admission.”
Wylan swatted at him, and Jesper dodged with an exaggerated flourish, laughing as he did.
Lily turned away, her smile fading as the weight of the burned letter pressed against her thoughts.
---
“Lily.”
She froze at the sound of Kaz’s voice, low and sharp, coming from the doorway to his office.
“Come in,” he said, not waiting for her response as he disappeared inside.
She swallowed hard, her heart racing as she stepped into the dimly lit room. Kaz was already seated behind his desk, his cane resting against the edge. His cold eyes locked onto hers as she closed the door behind her.
“You’ve been distracted,” he said without preamble.
“I haven’t,” she lied, her voice steadier than she felt.
YOU ARE READING
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 || Jesper Fahey
Action𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 in a nightmare under Pekka Rollins' cruelty, Lily Geel finally escapes into the orbit of the notorious Kaz Brekker and his band of misfits. As she bonds with the charming sharpshooter Jesper amidst a treacherous heist, Lily must summo...
