Definitely Something Kaz Would Say

Definitely something Kaz would say…

Wraith Wrath - Table of Contents

After two years at sea, Inej Ghafa returns to Ketterdam. She and Kaz will have to face an adversary they know all too well as they navigate their evolving relationship.

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

i am very tasty and unfortunately the mosquitoes know it

Wraith Wrath - Chapter I

Inej could see the outlines of the city on the horizon. Ketterdam. She was almost home. 

After two years at sea, she missed this place deeply. Soon, the smell of salted air, rotten wood, and rust will be replaced by the one of coal smoke, malt liquor, and sweat. But she will welcome it back into her lungs, relieved to have finally made it here. 

As she approached Fifth Harbor, the clear sky started to disappear into a fog. The light from the watchtowers gave away to the streetlights around the harbor to lead them safely. 

She was eager to get her feet on solid ground, eat a warm dinner, and rest in a somewhat comfortable bed. During these two years hunting slavers, she has been able to make only a few stopovers here and there. But every second passed on that ship has been worth it. Purpose was her compass. Duty was her guide. Faith was her companion. 

As soon as the boat was docked and her crew was instructed to follow Specht’s orders until further notice, her feet were in motion. By the Saints, her entire body was. Roaming the roofs of Ketterdam. A few strands of her hair danced in the harbor breeze. 

From the looks of it, the city didn’t seem changed at all. The harbors and canals were still full of commercial ships of all sizes. The streets were still packed with tourists, migrants, and workers. Yet, she hoped, some things haven’t gotten back to the way they were. One blink and you’ll miss it, she thought. Ketterdam will always be Ketterdam. 

She reached all of her favorite corners of the city, admiring the view each time. Listened, sparsely yet attentively, to snatches of conversations on the street, the taverns, the shops, and the clubs. 

Certain things indeed had changed. The Dregs had taken over most of the Dime Lion's territory. Some were still reluctant to let it slip away but without Pekka Rollins to command the ship and everything that went down after the auction of Kuwei Yul-Bo, those Lions were easy to tame. A few even switched their allegiance toward the Dregs even though they didn’t wear their tattoo and probably never will. But Inej assumed that, for now, those renegades were a means to an end for Kaz Brekker. Of course, they were. How could they not be? He was the King of the Barrel now. And we’re talking about Kaz. Keeping potential assets in his sleeves was perfectly on brand for him. 

She lunged herself on another rooftop. Her body was agile, her eyes focused. She was climbing, jumping, and running at every edge of the town with a metallic taste in her mouth. All this time passed at sea somewhat impacted her stamina. Her legs started to feel stiff and heavy like they were weighed down and her arms tight and tense as if under pressure. She knew that she needed to let her body adjust back to the stability of the land. Beads of sweat began to trickle down her neck. She leaped and leaped again. 

Then, there she was. Right in front of the window. Kaz’s window. At the top floor of the Slat. A powerful attraction led her here. She didn’t even realize it. She wasn’t even sure how she got there. It was almost like all the streets, and alleys were leading to this place. As if it was the heart of the city. 

She hissed herself on the edges of it and waited, sharing the crumbs of the loaf of dark bread that was still in her pocket with a crow. She had been missing for too long, most of them had stopped waiting for her to feed them by now. 

She knew it was only a matter of time. Kaz had surely been warned the moment The Wraith entered the harbor. Yet, at the thought, a part of her suddenly wanted to leave. To jump from roof to roof, and get the furthest away from here. The anguish of seeing him again was overwhelming. She didn’t know if she was ready for it. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to temper her heart that decided to beat at its own hectic pace. She paused and wondered. How many times has she stopped herself from imagining how their reunion would be? But she remembered the excitement that rose inside of her the moment she knew that a halt at Ketterdam was in order. 

Her body was gracefully balancing itself on the windowsill, her head resting on the wall behind her. Only the crease between her eyebrows was a revelation of the battle that was going on inside of her, between her head and her heart. How she struggled between staying and running away. How torn and uncertain she was. 

Time moved slowly, too slowly perhaps. Every minute was tougher than the other. But she stayed. Persuaded that she still belonged there. She had to.  

It was when she heard the footsteps backed with the distinctive sound of a cane from the staircase that her eyes opened wide. You can still leave. A jump and it’s like you were never there. 

She closed her eyes again, fighting that urge inside of her. 

The door creaked open, and the steps on the wooden floor became heavier. 

Her heart began to beat furiously again and her breath was short but she didn’t move. She heard the steps getting closer, a pause, and then they suddenly changed direction, away from her. She allowed herself a look. He was right there. In front of the tiny sink. Removing his gloves while the water runs. 

“Hello, Inej.”

His raspy voice seemed to echo in the room or maybe it was just in her head, like a giant bell that kept ringing. At that moment, she couldn’t hear anything else. She opened the window wider and slipped herself into the room. His acknowledgment of her presence was enough of an invitation. Not that she ever needed one. 

Everything was the same. She could easily walk blindfolded without bumping into anything. Only the office seemed out of place, empty. She knew Kaz had chosen to do business in Per Haskell’s old office on the ground floor. However, the sight of his desk reminded her of so many times spent scheming or just watching him work that she couldn’t stop a little wave of nostalgia from emerging. 

He looked at her through the mirror before him, his eyes almost black. She entered the room skillfully as always. When she walked, her feet were like feathers and didn’t make a single plank of the hardwood floor creak. 

Their gaze met and they could easily understand each other’s trouble and torment. They both anticipated this moment. And here they were. Together again. Like so many times before. Their shoulders started to relax and a smirk painted their faces slightly as if they were mirroring each other perfectly. 

“Hello, Kaz”, she said with a faint voice filled with warmth. She was back.