Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER TEN ▪▫▪▫▪
KAZ BREKKER DID NOT BELIEVE in Saints. They preached goodness and humility and most likely judged him for breathing. He believed only in himself—well, mostly.
For Kaz Brekker believed in a Saint. One single Saint, the only one he had ever relied on, the only one he would ever rely on.
She was stained crimson from the blood of her enemies. Plagued by death and chaos. As she faced death she laughed and conned her way out of it, most likely by charming Death itself. She was a rose, beautiful and gentle on the eyes, only when you came closer did you see her thorns, ready to spill blood and make men beg for their flimsy little lives.
Kira was his Saint. Her smile was etched in his soul from the moment he had first seen her face; her hair reminded Kaz of gold itself, and his greed yearned for it. She was everything. And Kaz Brekker needed to keep her at arm's length.
Now that all his questions were answered. Now that he knew why he couldn't refuse her (who could refuse a Saint?), or why he hadn't killed her the moment he saw her sitting at his desk unabashedly. Now that he knew who she was, Kaz couldn't look at her the same way.
He was furious, hurt, she hadn't trusted him but that wasn't the reason for the way he looked at her now. That was his mask of indifference, of coldness. He had to hide the way he only wanted to look. She was a Saint. His Saint and he had to keep that hidden from the prying eyes, lest people wanted to believe in her too.
"So...That went well," he heard Jesper say with a shrug as he neared the bar of the tavern.
Kira let out a laugh from his side, "Well? That was fucking awesome. Much better than my last time around," she said and Kaz could picture her grin even with her back turned to him.
"You shouldn't be cursing in public," the Conductor muttered. Jesper laughed. The Conductor ignored them as he looked down at something in his hands. "The Little Palace winter fete. There's just no way he can find a way to the Sun Summoner without Nina. Especially during this ridiculous party. The place will be crawling with Second Army."
"We're in luck," said Kaz as he neared the bar, leaning over on the counter next to Kira, but far away enough that she couldn't look into his soul. He didn't look at her.
"There's a good chance we can crack on. Now that we're three days' travel from the capital, the next play is finding a way inside the Little Palace." He met Kira's eyes and when Kira looked away, adamant not to use her knowledge to spite him (most likely) he continued. "It turns out the Kribirsk archives house the Little Palace blueprints. But... they're kept under lock and key... Far from the prying eyes of the masses."
Kaz's lips threatened to tug into a smirk and Jesper banged his hand on the table, a grin on his face. "Yes!"
"What does that mean?" asked the oblivious Conductor.
