Six of Crows characters in the Hunger Games

The Tribute Parade

Kaz

Surprisingly, Kaz was bewildered, and considering how rarely that happened, it was quite a feat. In fact, he hadn't felt that way since he had crawled out of that canal, all those years ago.. Until now. He had walked in through that crowd, and then those garish people had taken one look at his leg, then poked him with a needle.  As blackness overthrew his mind, his one thought was not this again. The whole heist had began similarly (sort of), and that had not ended up well. Kaz wondered what Van Eck was thinking. Suddenly they's all vanished off the face of the Earth. As far as he could tell.

Now, Kaz woke up sorely missing Ketterdam, and actually knowing what was around the corner (literally and metaphorically.) He had woken up ten minutes ago, leg miraculously healed. He was on a chariot, which was really just a fancy carriage, pulled by two black horses. He barely noticed his outfit, though of course he'd realised that his customary suits were long gone. Now, looking down, he realised he was dressed as a tree. How embarrassing. Kaz was glad none of the others were here, because they would never let him forget it. The chariot began to move, pulling him out into the sunlight. 

Kaz blinked, blinded, trying to view the entire crowd at once. Then he caught sight of Inej. A part of him groaned, please let her not see me like this, but mostly, he was stunned. He'd never seen her with make-up on, never seen her trying to be beautiful. Well, apart from that one time in the menagerie, but that didn't count. Inej's hair was down, but swept back off her face. She wore a black dress, tight around her chest and hips, but then swooshing out behind and out of the chariot. She looked stunning. It was an effort to look away, to keep his stance steady. For a moment, Kaz was certain he'd fall out.

He needed to get over this obsession with Inej. It wouldn't do anyone any good, and she was leaving as soon as it was all over, anyway. Kaz wouldn't benefit from thinking like this, so he had to ignore it until it no longer existed. Still though, even all of this couldn't stop him from noticing the way she gazed at the crowd in wonder, waving in awe. He could tell the loved her; not only from the flowers thrown to her, but by the stares. Kaz forced his eyes away, and glared at the ground, almost hoping to sink into it, and back to Ketterdam. Let this weird dream be over. Sadly, his wishing did not work.

Inej was now smiling and waving at the crowd, laughing when the flowers hit her. She radiated happiness. Kaz wished she'd smile like that at him. Laugh with him. Forgive him, and help him be a better human...... NO! He MUST stop indulging in these fantasies, and focus on the problem at hand. If Inej was here, were the others? Yes - there was Wylan, grinning and waving enthusiastically at the crowd. And there was Nina, throwing kisses to the crowd. Typical Nina. Jesper was managing to flirt with the entire crowd at once. There was Matthias, glaring straight ahead, dressed as..... was that a tulip? At least he'd be teased more than Kaz. Really, though, if anyone EVER heard about his outfit, his reputation would go down the drain. And his blood.

That definitely would not happen, though. Not only did he rely on his reputation, but Inej did, too. Stop thinking about her like that. She is an investment - nothing more. A useful one, admittedly, but nevertheless an investment. And not to be treated as anything more. Anyway, it wasn't as if she cared for him.

Then Kaz's breath caught. How had he not noticed? He should have. This is what happened when he thought about Inej. Maybe Inej was right about fate. Because ahead of Kaz was Van Eck. And just ahead of him, was Pekka Rollins.