Midnight Thoughts ~ Shadow & Bone

8

The Geldstraat was different from anywhere else in Ketterdam. It looked different. It smelled different. The air was different here. It wasn't close and stuffy and hard to breathe in. Everything was open, and you didn't have to worry about whether or not a rivaling gang member would find you in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But having Milana with us made everything that should have been beautiful insufferable.

"I really appreciate new business," she murmured as we walked, "but you've only paid for an hour of my time, and I have to be back at the Orchid." Kaz glanced back at her, and I could see the irritation growing on his face.

"The Orchid isn't safe tonight," he told her. "Your life's in danger with this job." She shot a glare in my direction, but I simply shrugged. "Make yourself scarce for a few days afterwards." She looked back up at him incredulously.

"Mr. Brekker, are you threatening me? Really? Even if I'm nice, my boss will call the stadwatch on you." He shook his head.

"It's not me you're in danger with. It's Pekka Rollins." She sighed, and the air of self-assurance and importance was almost enough to make me sick.

"My boss would call the stadwatch on him as well." I rolled my eyes.

"Which is why your boss is already dead," I told her. I turned back forward, watching as Kaz approached the gate.

"Who are you lot?" the guard inside asked. Kaz stood up a bit straighter.

"We're here to see Dreesen," he said simply.

"You're not with Pekka's crew." Kaz pulled a small bag out of his pocket, holding it up so the man could see it.

"And you're not in Pekka's pocket anymore if you don't owe him." He threw the bag through the bars of the gate (a/n: iT's NoT fUnNy AnYmOrE), and the man let us in without another word. Jesper ran up beside us and furrowed his brows.

"Hey," he said, "where did you get that coin?" Before Kaz could say a word, the guard yelled after us.

"Hey! One of these has a hole in it!" My eyes widened as I laughed, and Jesper sighed exasperatedly.

"Saints," he muttered. Kaz pushed me forward with his cane, nodding for the other three to get in the building quickly.

"Inside. Inside." The inside of the building was even cleaner than the outside. It wasn't the cleanest building I'd ever seen, but it was pretty close. We found Dreesen's office quickly and walked inside, making the man himself look up at us.

"One look and I can tell," he said sourly. "Criminals." He sighed and shook his head. "I'm not meeting anyone 'til midnight." Kaz smirked.

"We heard you needed a Heartrender." Milana raised a hand slowly, waving towards the men. Dreesen thought about it for a moment and hummed.

"All right, she stays, the rest of you, out." She went to step forward, but Kaz swung his cane out, stopping her in his tracks.

"She stays," he demanded. "And we have an exclusive on this job." Dreesen sighed.

"Mr. Brekker. No businessman worth his salt hires his first applicant." The boy glanced down, nodding, before speaking again.

"No. No, I understand." He shrugged. "Of course... I will have to report you to the guild for kidnapping and harboring a prisoner without chain of title." Dreesen tensed up, glancing between us before settling his gaze on Kaz.

"You wouldn't." Kaz's jaw clenched.

"No businessman worth his salt bargains for what he can take." Dreesen hesitated, and Milana raised a gentle hand.