Nina was already wading across the lake toward her, nightdress billowing behind her. The water was cold and Inej could feel it soaking into her clothes, plastering them to her body. She started to swim to Nina, the weight of sodden fabric slowing her pace immensely.
They reached each other and Nina pulled her into a hug. They were still too deep for Inej to be able to place her feet on the pebbles that coated the bottom of the lake, so she was forced to tread water as Nina held her. As she let go, Inej heard a loud splash behind them, and turned to see Jesper wading toward them.
     Of course he'd be tall enough to just walk, Inej thought with mock bitterness. 
"Jes!" Nina called, waving excitedly. He picked up his pace, as behind him, Wylan landed in the water with a clumsy plop. 
Inej continued watching the airship as Nina hugged first Jesper, then Wylan. She wouldn't deny that she was looking for Kaz, or that with each passing minute, she had begun to worry.
"Did Brekker not come with you?" Nina's voice was startlingly close. 
"He came."
"Did he? Seems rather out of character for Kaz Brekker to want to attend the Ravkan royal wedding."
Inej smiled. "Not if you consider all the wonderful heirlooms just waiting to be stolen.
Nina nodded. "True enough," she said, before wading back toward shore. Judging by the exaggerated splashing sounds and high peals of laughter, Jesper and Wylan were following suit.
Just as Inej was beginning to truly worry, and preparing herself to climb back inside the airship, she saw a dark shadow slip from the water, and suddenly, Kaz was beside her.
"Where were you?"
"There's a second door on the other side of the airship," Kaz replied, gesturing vaguely.
Inej frowned. "The side that's entirely underwater?'
Kaz shrugged. "Easier on the leg."
"Not that that's ever bothered you before."
"I suppose I'm just aging."
Inej laughed and for a moment, it seemed as if a small smile had spread across Kaz's face at the sound. Then he turned around and began to slowly wade across the lake. "Try and save your laughter for when we're on the shore, Wraith."
She swam forward to catch up with him, not bothering to point out that he had been the one to make her laugh. Ahead of them, Nina and Wylan were standing patiently on the shore, while Jesper was pacing in aggravating circles. It was hard to tell in the dark, but Inej thought she saw a rather suggestive smirk pass across Nina's face as she and Kaz hauled themselves out of the water.
Kaz ran a gloved hand through his dripping hair, before extending it to Nina. "Zenik."
"Brekker," she replied, "I'm still surprised you came."
Moonlight glinted off of the head of Kaz's cane as he twirled it between his fingers. "I'm actually quite fond of Nikolai."
Nina frowned. "How would you-"
"Though he has terrible taste in women."
At some point, Jesper had stopped pacing and was now standing beside Wylan, arms crossed. "I don't suppose you know what counts as good taste," he said, raising his eyebrows and giving Inej a pointed stare. She silently vowed to steal his revolvers sometime during their stay. It wasn't as if he'd need them anyway.
Kaz waved the comment off, much to Inej's relief. "Would you marry Zoya Nazyalensky?"
"Of course not! What sort of monster do you think I am?"
Inej could tell from one glance at Kaz that he had quite a few responses to that, but he chose to keep them to himself.
"She's really not that bad," Nina said, glaring at Kaz. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
"Do you know if there are rooms prepared for us yet?" Wylan asked, changing the subject. Inej shot him a grateful smile. She found she wasn't all that interested in standing around sopping wet, arguing over Zoya Nazyalensky. 
"I'd assume so," Nina said in response to Wylan, "But I couldn't tell you where they are."
"At this point, does it really matter if the rooms were prepared for us in particular?" Jesper asked. "Considering, you know, the wedding's in less than three days."
"You'd be surprised," Nina said.
"If nothing else," Inej said. "We might as well go inside to dry off."
"Fair," Nina said, and Wylan and Kaz nodded their assent. Weighed down by their still dripping clothes, they began to slowly walk towards the Little Palace, their feet making odd squelching sounds as they trudged through the grass.
"Wait," Jesper called out from somewhere behind them, and as one they turned around to face him. He was still standing on the lakeshore, his tall figure silhouetted in the moonlight.
"What about the airship?" Jesper asked.
"What do you mean?" Kaz called back, irritation clear in his voice. Inej took a step toward him.
"Are we just leaving it here?"
Wylan let out an exasperated sigh and Nina and Kaz both turned around and continued walking.  
"Easier that way," Inej called out to Jesper, and with that he shrugged and followed them inside.