Nina clasps her hands, her eyes dancing. “Perfect. Yes, show me everything. I want to fit in.” A leftover of her spy days, Nina is extremely adept at fitting into just about anywhere, but she’ll also always take any excuse to shop and have a guided tour. “And I think you’ll like it. I promise, it’s good.”
At the start, drawing people to him had been strategic. As a child Kaz had spent several years perfectly fine surviving on his own until he found Pekka Rollins again. He saw the might and muscle the man had at his beck and call, and realized he needed an army of his own to fight back. The next day he found the Dregs, joining them with the intention of whipping them into a shape he could wield against Rollins. Into a weapon, into an army at his disposal. He told himself that fixing up the Slat, providing food and housing and decent wages, was all done with a selfishness in his heart.
It was that, too. It was very much rooted in selfishness.
Not entirely, however.
Dirtyhands, leader of the Dregs, knows his worth and what he offers to make recruiting someone into his crew profitable for them.
Kaz Brekker, the man behind the myth, the one who put a knife in a traumatized girl’s hand and promised her she was dangerous… he’d forgotten that side of himself existed until Jesper, Inej, Nina, Piper, Wylan, and Matthias came into his life. Until they didn’t let him accept the excuses he made for why he did kind things in between the atrocities he committed. He doesn’t feel he deserves his new family, he doesn’t think it will truly last, but he will protect them with everything he has.
Even when he can’t protect himself from memories of the past. His skin itches beneath his gloves, and his lungs feel like they’re filling. He shoves the orange in his mouth to hide drawing in a deep breath. Ripping off the flesh with his teeth, he tosses the peel into the trash. He starts to head out of the room without a word, cane clacking on the floor.
Nina leans back in her seat. “Where are you going?”
“What’s it to you?” It’s a touch more snappish than playful. He evens his tone out. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Cookies should be close to ready when you get back. They don’t take long to bake. Let Jesper and Wylan know, too.” Nina isn’t going to apologize when she doesn’t know what she even did wrong, but it’s still a peace offering of sorts. Kaz gives a nod and leaves the room. Once he’s gone she blows out a breath. “He really is like a drawer full of bees. There’s sometimes honey but always stingers.”
no subject
At the start, drawing people to him had been strategic. As a child Kaz had spent several years perfectly fine surviving on his own until he found Pekka Rollins again. He saw the might and muscle the man had at his beck and call, and realized he needed an army of his own to fight back. The next day he found the Dregs, joining them with the intention of whipping them into a shape he could wield against Rollins. Into a weapon, into an army at his disposal. He told himself that fixing up the Slat, providing food and housing and decent wages, was all done with a selfishness in his heart.
It was that, too. It was very much rooted in selfishness.
Not entirely, however.
Dirtyhands, leader of the Dregs, knows his worth and what he offers to make recruiting someone into his crew profitable for them.
Kaz Brekker, the man behind the myth, the one who put a knife in a traumatized girl’s hand and promised her she was dangerous… he’d forgotten that side of himself existed until Jesper, Inej, Nina, Piper, Wylan, and Matthias came into his life. Until they didn’t let him accept the excuses he made for why he did kind things in between the atrocities he committed. He doesn’t feel he deserves his new family, he doesn’t think it will truly last, but he will protect them with everything he has.
Even when he can’t protect himself from memories of the past. His skin itches beneath his gloves, and his lungs feel like they’re filling. He shoves the orange in his mouth to hide drawing in a deep breath. Ripping off the flesh with his teeth, he tosses the peel into the trash. He starts to head out of the room without a word, cane clacking on the floor.
Nina leans back in her seat. “Where are you going?”
“What’s it to you?” It’s a touch more snappish than playful. He evens his tone out. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Cookies should be close to ready when you get back. They don’t take long to bake. Let Jesper and Wylan know, too.” Nina isn’t going to apologize when she doesn’t know what she even did wrong, but it’s still a peace offering of sorts. Kaz gives a nod and leaves the room. Once he’s gone she blows out a breath. “He really is like a drawer full of bees. There’s sometimes honey but always stingers.”