Flower of the North [Kaz Brekker; Six of Crows]

Chapter 29

AN: Once again...sorry for this. And also, this is the last chapter of the arc. The last chapter of Six of Crows. We'll be moving on to Crooked Kingdom now! Merry Christmas and Happy Yule!

~

Since both situations had happened the day before, Cecilia had noticeably avoided both her brother and Kaz. She chose instead to stay by Jesper, who had taken to rambling on and on about everything and nothing in his impatience for action. She felt comforted by his words though.

Jesper didn't bother to give her an opening to talk. He could tell she didn't want to. Not that she wasn't listening. But he could see the tear stains on her cheeks, made more apparent by the wind staining her cheeks with a flushed pink. He saw the way she held her arms around her middle so tight, as if giving herself a big hug. So he did what he did best and just talked.

"And where is Wylan? Saints, you'd think he was avoiding me or something. Guess he doesn't wanna keep slumming it with us. Probably wants to run right on home when we get back," Jesper huffed.

This managed to pull a look of amusement from Cecilia, "You sound like a scorned lover, Jesper."

Jesper spluttered, his head whipping over to look at her, "Me? A scor-No, no, no! That is not what's going on here, miss flower girl. You take that back right now."

Cecilia shrugged, "I'm just telling you how I see it."

"Well...stop seeing it! Unsee it! Because your eyes were wrong, Lia. So, so wrong," Jesper attempted to convince her.

Cecilia nodded with a small smile, "Oh, of course. I apologize. I must have been hallucinating."

"Yes, exactly. You hallucinated it," Jesper agreed almost desperately, "Because I do not have any ounce of feelings for that...that..."

"Wylan?" Cecilia offered.

Jesper sighed, "Yeah."

"Mmhmm."

"Well, I don't know if you've been told. But we'll be going to Vellgeluk today to make the trade."

"Yes. I was made aware. I'll be going with you. Valan will remain here to help Wylan watch over Nina," Cecilia confirmed.

"Honestly, I was really hoping i'd get to shoot something," Jesper confessed.

"You might get your wish, Jesper. You never know," Cecilia said, her voice almost hinting.

"Oh I really hope so. And if anything happens, you'll get to heal us all up and better. Then we'll go on back home with lots of coin in our pockets. We'll be rich. What are you gonna do with your share?"

"You know...I never actually thought of it. But perhaps I would save the money. Use it for rainy days. Or maybe I could buy a house out in the country with a lot of land. It would give me plenty more space for my garden."

Jesper laughed, "What a responsible response. I expected nothing less of you, flower girl Cecilia."

Cecilia took only a moment to laugh with him. Genuine and true. Her laugh like the melody of a songbird. A laugh that Jesper would soon wish he had heard more of.

"You two comin or what?" Rotty called out to them.

Cecilia nodded, "Yes, sir."

Cecilia shared one last longing look at her brother. Valan just stared back at her, his expression tense before he stubbornly looked away.

Before Cecilia could step onto the boat, she tapped Inej on the arm, "Could I just have a moment?"

Kaz didn't dare to complain, instead just nodding and looking away. The guilt continued to eat at him for his blatant disrespect and rejection of her.