Her Monster's Wraith

Even demons can die

To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life. –Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness which you know you cannot fight. –Phantom of the Opera

(Three months after Inej has left, Wylan's back yard)

Kaz sat in the shade under a tree, eating an apple, the sweet crispness of it soaking his sense, and a small dribble of it's juice slipped down his chin. He was waiting for the little girl, Wylan had told him she'd been begging to see him. He took one last bite, as she was running towards him. He stood and walked over to her, sweeping her up into his arms. She laughed and grabbed his cheeks, pinching. He grimaced and used a free hand to pull her hands away.

"How are you doing, little dear?" he asked. She frowned, her plump baby lips pouting.

"I mithed you," she garbled. He smiled, and tickled her behind her knee. She giggled and twisted, almost falling out of his arms. He laughed and caught her. She grabbed his hair as he set her on his shoulders.

"To woods!" she ordered. He complied, walking towards the woods. She screeched in joy as he pretended to trip and she went vaulting forwards. Kaz grabbed her out of the air and swung her around by her feet. After a few spins he held her back up right. She was giggling and she said,

"Why Angie not like Montah?" He carried her softly back out of the woods and into the soft, warm, grassy backyard. He figured Angie was the devil of a woman, Angelique.

"Because she's jealous that you like me more." The little girl nodded, her wide blue eyes so serious it made him smile.

"Angie evil." He sat her down on the grass and said,

"Magic trick?" She clapped her hands. He took out a coin, sitting down across from her.

"It's in this hand." Kaz laid out both palms flat. He closed his palms, and then banged them together, and when he open his palms the coin was in the other hand. She giggled, grabbing the coin and throwing it at his face.

"Again!" He did it again, and this time she took the coin and banged her fists together.

"Not working!" she screamed, throwing the penny, wailing. Kaz laughed, and was patient. He retrieved the penny and showed her how to do it. She kept trying, her tongue sticking out of her mouth slightly in concentration. Finally she threw it back at him.

"Imposbl," she pouted. He smiled.

"I'll teach you it when you get older." She reached out her hands and he picked her up.

"Swing!" she giggled. He took her hands and started spinning. She lifted off the ground and started laughing, her smile wide. What little things it took to please her. As he swung her he thought he heard a gun cock. But he dismissed it, Wylan's house was guarded, and anyone shady couldn't have gotten in. When he heard the first bang of the gun he stopped swinging, and pushed the little girl to the ground, moving in front of her in a seconds space of time. It hit home, digging deep into his calf. He groaned, lifting up the girl quickly and limping as fast as he could back towards the house. He'd left his cane inside because last time she'd almost killed him hitting him with it last time, giggling like a mad little baby the whole time.

Another shot fired and a curse escaped his mouth as a bullet dug into the back of his bad knee. He fell to the ground, on top of Margaretha, who wailed in pain and because she was scared. They were only a couple yards away from the house. He staggered back up, hardly able to walk, but he had to save Margaretha, she didn't deserve this. But he would never make it. Three bangs went off, two bullets into his bad knee with the other one, and the last one in his shoulder. He cursed more, falling to the ground. By now Wylan and Jesper and guards were rushing out. They ran over to him and he pointed towards the woods.

"In there, but someone, take Margaretha to safety." He lifted the child, who was screaming in fear. Kaz new this was it, he couldn't survive this. Thoughts of everything he could of done with his friends, with Inej, his promise that he wouldn't die, that they would grow old together. I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all. That memory clanged through his head. If only he had let her in sooner, so much more time than just a few days every eight months for the past two years. Memories of Jesper teasing him, or Matthias' scolding of all of them, Inej's stupid Suli proverbs, and Nina... she reminded him of almost everyone except his Wraith. Wylan, the foolish merch kid turned Barrel boy. They had done the impossible, he had. But he had cheated death to many times, and now the shadow was here to take him.

"Kaz! Kaz, can you hear me?" asked Jesper, shaking him.

"Let me go, Jesper. Tell Inej I'm sorry." Suddenly extra weight was applied to his body as Margaretha jumped on him, sobbing.

"Don't leave me Montah." She cried into his shirt. He had enough strength to lift his hand and tap her shoulder.

"Don't fret, little dear. I'll still be there, under your bed, to protect you. Don't worry, little one." She was pulled away kicking and screaming again. He smiled slightly, she was so sweet.

"Kaz, I'm sorry," started Wylan.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Inej for me. Tell her I'm sorry... for everything. For all the lies, for all the times I shut her out. Promise me." He didn't hear anything.

"Promise me!" he yelled.

"I promise," the two boys chorused. Kaz looked up at the sky, such a bright blue, so cheery, when he was here, dying, not able to apologize to the one he needed to the most. His blood was flowing to fast. At his side suddenly was Jordie, just as he remembered him, but a glowing kind of pigment to his skin, and he wasn't a corpse.

"Come on, little brother, follow me into the eternal sleep. It doesn't hurt, I promise. Let go, come with me," coaxed his brother. Kaz feebly raised a hand, he could hardly hear his friends' voices anymore, he was falling now, deep down into the darkness. But it wasn't scary, it was his friend. It had followed him for years, been his pet that rested on his shoulders, or the annoying older brother that leapt out from corners to scare you. A Suli proverb came to mind: When Death is beckoning you, you obey, you follow, with open arms. To accept your fate as, if you do not, Death angered is a hell worse than the feat of living. The darkness was a soft blanket, wrapping around him, warm and soft, singing hushed lullabies. There was no more pain as he took his brother's hand, and stood. Up he looked over his shoulder, and he was standing just in front of a body soaking in a pool of blood. It was him. He looked so calm, so happy, in his last moments, his brother had come for him, he would see his family again. Death was so sweet, no more burdens, no more worrying, and he would have eternal bliss.

Jordie held his hand as they started walking, walking up into thin air. He looked down one final time as they approached gates of gold, and saw his friends weeping. At the loss of him. And the small Margaretha, her arms wrapped around his neck. Jordie led him to the gates, and as Jordie passed through, Kaz hit them like they were real gold.

"Come on Kaz! Stop playing around!" frowned Jordie.

"I'm not." And then the darkness truly swallowed him. He had thought it was a friend. No, it was eternal torment. For when he opened his eyes he was back on that boat with Inej, turned away, the answer that he wouldn't wear his armor on the tip of his tongue, but it was impossible. Because he was Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, the Bastard of the Barrel, now the worst demon in Hell.

Hey guys! So, I hope you liked the chapter. I tried to make it sad, but it's hard. I don't think I even made it enough to kind of choke anyone up. I tried. I'm sorry it was so bad. Please pardon any spelling mistakes and my horrible writing. Please comment.

–MOJ

P.S. I know the proverb was stupid, but I couldn't think of anything good.