The Apple of My Eye -Kaz Brekker (Complete)

Chapter Two

TIGER

Kaz called Laura 'Swan' a lot of times when they were young, but other people called her other names.

Besides her fame as an archer, she had gotten to be known for the way she would always play with her targets, appearing and disappearing – terrifying them so much that they were about to go crazy when they finally died; for the way she walked, slowly circling her victims until they begged for death, she received a name: Tigress.

She had everything the Shu animal was said to have. Confident, firm, rebellious, ambitious and passion. After she went away, people started wondering where she went and the rumours were many:

Laura had been kidnapped and killed by the Dime Lions. Laura was seen taking a ship back to Ravka. Laura started working on a brothel on the rural side of two towns away from Katterdam. Laura changed her name, got tailored and started to study in university. Laura passed away in a botched attempt of abortion.

Kaz didn't even need to work on those rumours, those came naturally, much to his satisfaction. People stopped asking soon enough, because soon the Wraith had taken over the streets and terrorized men left and right. The Tigress was forgotten, the Boog-Meisje was forgotten – she was seen as a far away tale from a long time ago. Kaz allowed her memory in town to die; it was safer like that and, soon enough, nobody even remembered her face and she was very happy to read that on his letter two months before Jordan turned one.

So, it's easy to imagine her surprise when she started to help Mister Hoult, Misses Hoult and Philip to get ready for the convention they'd go near Lij about horses (that Mister Hoult had insisted to take Philip, and Misses Hoult was going because, since she found out by an 'anonymous tip' that Mister Hoult had been cheating on her, she didn't trust him to be alone with her son) and left the house, but saw a stuffed tiger toy on her porch.

"Mama, I can't find my shoes!" screamed Philip from inside.

That brought her back to reality.

With a quick movement, she took the stuffed animal and hid it behind the bench of the porch, took the bag she had been carrying before and put it on the car they'd use to go.

Mister Hoult came out of the house, the last two bags with him. He watched Laura as she walked back to the porch. He looked a bit pale, but it was easy to understand – it was the first time Misses Hoult had spoken to him in months, and now he would travel with her and his son, who both were clearly very angry at him. The only person acting remotely normal to him had been Laura, the writer of the 'anonymous tip', but he didn't know that.

"Laura, be careful while you're in here," he said.

She forced a smile and put her hands on her dress pockets, hoping he couldn't see her hands shaking. She felt a chill once he accompanied her hands with his eyes, he looked right at the tiger behind the bench, seeing just its tail – he did not ask question.

Laura felt a punch on her stomach as she held her breath. Something was happening, and Mister Hoult knew something about it, even though he had told her nothing.

"I always am, Mister Hoult," she answered. "Besides, I killed before, I can do it again," she dismissed, forcefully calm.

He nodded at her, not waiting for his wife or son to help them up, he just climbed onto the carriage and waited.

Misses Hoult came out while helping Philip with his coat, insisting that he used it even though it wasn't that cold. Spring had just started and there was no way someone as energetic as Philip would be cold, even though Misses Hoult and Laura herself were.