Chapter 28: A Matter of Real and Counterfeit

                                    

                                          

At a non-descript bar in East Ravka... 

Inej Ghafa walked through the door, still in her blue garb, wearing her hood. Coming to the table where the distinct crow-headed cane owned by the enigmatic Kaz Brekker sat, she sat across from him. 
'No horses missing at the stables, so...' she said. 
'So?' Kaz asked, looking up at her, his voice cold and stern as he moved a coin through his fingers. 
'What?' 
'Are you going to tell me how the target got away?' Inej looked down, but she wasn't regretful that she'd done it. 
'I let her go.' 
'You were hired to do a job,' Kaz said, glaring at her. 
'Yes, the job was to pick up a fake for an easy million kruge,' she replied, leaning forward on the table, meeting Kaz's eyes. 'We found a living Saint who can summon the Sun.' 
'A good magician is a good con artist,' Kaz retorted. 'The trick... is to make it look real,' he added as he made the coin disappear in his gloved fingers. 
'This is different. You saw her summon with your own eyes,' Inej reasoned. 
'The best illusions are the most convincing,' Kaz said, leaning back in his chair and interlinking his fingers over the top of his crow-headed cane. 'That's the game.' 
'You can hide behind your cynicism, but I believe she's the real thing.' 
'I don't see you falling to your knees to meet every Heartrender or Squaller we meet,' he snapped back. 
'This is different. Her power is a miracle. I won't betray my faith.' 
'Pious as that may be, we cannot work effectively as a crew if you're making decisions based on religious zeal.' 
'Is that a threat to return me to Heleen?' she snapped. 
'Either we get the target or Heleen gets the Crow Club and Pekka gets whatever's left.' There was a moment of silence before the realisation dawned over Inej. 
'Wait. Why would Heleen get the Crow Club?' He stood up immediately at that question and left the bar. 'Kaz,' she called, but he didn't answer. She turned in her seat again, sighing. 'What did you do?' she muttered to herself. 
Much later... 

Jesper Fahey, the sharpshooter with the pearl-handled guns, walked inside the bar and sat down at the table. Kaz had since returned. Jesper placed a case onto the table. 
'The alarm trigger is set. Horses are ready and I've stashed the last of our gear.' 
'If we don't move soon, the Black General will be on top of us,' Kaz said. 'We can't waste anymore time looking for the girl.' Inej placed herself in the seat beside Jesper. 
'I just settled our tab with the last of our coin,' she spoke. 
'We're really gonna leave empty-handed, then?' Moments later, something blew outside, causing a massive explosion, creating commotion inside the bar. 
'What was that?' someone in the bar yelled. 
'Our alarm,' Jesper said, turning to his two companions.
'Split up,' Kaz said. 'Much easier to take a Grisha one-on-one than a whole squad of them.' Jesper and Inej stood, Jesper spinning his guns in his hands, readying for a fight. 'Rendezvous at the fountain.' The three exited the bar only to see three Grisha in front of them looking for a fight. One of them, an Inferni, happened to recognise Inej. 
'No!' she screamed, throwing several fireballs at Inej, but missing her by a mile as it accidentally hit one of the villagers, burning him badly. He was still on fire as the other two Crows ran away.

Kaz limped through the streets with the aid of his cane. Inej had been the victor of her battle against the Inferni, while walking away injured, and Jesper had been lucky enough to damage the kefta of Ivan the Heartrender and knock him out long enough to escape, not having the heart to kill the Grisha in front of a little boy who Ivan had put to sleep moments earlier. He came to a dark alleyway, and thought that his escape was just up ahead... until General Kirigan, dressed all in black, came out of the shadows, startling Kaz. 
'I know you kidnapped my Sun Summoner, and my sister,' he said, a murderous glare on his face as he walked forward. Kaz somehow sensed power radiating off the man and he took a few steps back slowly. 'And now you're going to tell me where you stashed them.' 
'We didn't take them. They fled on their own,' Kaz said, finally having stopped walking backwards. Kirigan ignored him. 
'Where are they? I won't ask you again.' The shadows at the back of the alley began to swirl and form. 
'I don't know. It was pretty clear they weren't interested in being captives anymore,' Kaz replied. 'They're probably halfway to Noyvi Zem by now.' Kirigan stepped forward, and now the danger was clear and all too present, for the shadows began to grow longer and darker as the General kept walking forwards, towards Kaz, all but surrounded by the inky black, swirling darkness. 
'You should have stayed in Ketterdam, Mr. Brekker,' General Kirigan spat. Secretly, Kaz retrieved a flash grenade from his messenger bag. When Kirigan got close enough, close enough to hurt him terribly with his shadow powers, he threw the grenade in front of him, making Kirigan flinch, banishing the dark and giving Kaz enough time to escape. 

The next day... 

The threat had passed... mostly. Jesper and Kaz were standing near a wall, not too far from where General Kirigan's carriage lay unattended, when Inej jumped down from a high wall. The landing wasn't so graceful as she stood, holding her bleeding side. 
'Inej,' Kaz said with worry in his eyes as she leaned against the wall. Jesper came over to steady her. 
'Hey,' Jesper said softly, holding her up. 
'The Inferni, she's dead,' Inej gasped. 
'Well, you can't manage a horse,' Kaz said. 
'Not even riding double,' Jesper shot back. 
'We'll have to come up with another plan.'
'Saints,' Inej gasped with pain again. 
'That's a pretty nice ride,' a female voice said. Not Inej's. The three turned. 
'What are you -?' Kaz began to say, but she cut him off. 
'Shh,' Adela Kirigan said. She was still wearing her black garments, but they were more dirty now. 'Would you like to steal the carriage?' she said with a playful smile. 
'What's in it for you?' 
'Nothing. All I want is to leave. My brother's obsessed with finding Alina and myself. The sooner I can get out of here, and with you, the better. Take it or leave it.' 
'Why should we trust you?' Jesper asked. 
'Because I'm just as strong as my brother, if not stronger. And my powers can protect you. Look, I'm not in it for anything. I wanted freedom as much as Alina did. And I didn't know what he wanted or what he was up to. If you want me along, just say so. If you don't, I'll be on my own, and that's fine. I've been on my own for the better part of a few hundred years, thanks to General Kirigan's resurrection skills with merzost and the King's isolation of me.' 
'Come along, then,' Kaz said impatiently, and began to stalk off with his cane as Adela followed close behind, Jesper supporting Inej long enough to get to the carriage. Jesper opened up the carriage to see a Fabrikator sitting in the seat, reading a book. 
'Oh, hello,' Jesper greeted playfully. Startled, the young man threw the book at Jesper, to which he was chased out the other side and hit across the head by Kaz, effectively knocking him out. Jesper jumped out the other side, greeting Adela and Kaz. Jesper picked up the book. 'He threw a book at me,' Jesper said, making the Shadow Summoner next to Kaz giggle.