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chapter 5 : a caged dove

Kaz Brekker didn't need a reason. That's what people whispered when they shrank in their place as an angled figure passed through the wrinkly streets of the Barrel, dark suit sharply tailored around every hooked limb of Dirtyhands' body, crow-headed cane guiding his way forward.

Kaz Brekker didn't need a reason. That's what the people said. But even despite what they said; Kaz Brekker always had a reason.

So when he smashed a glass of whisky against the wall of his office, paintings surrounding it shaking from impact, he'd say it was a justified, calculated decision— the liquor tasted awful anyway.

Only minutes ago, he had been sitting impatiently on the chair behind his desk, eying the pocket watch in his hands intently.

A scowl grew upon his features by the second as he looked at the tiny handles moving forward, turning in circles, time passing by.

He hated when people weren't on time. What he hated, even more, was when people didn't listen to him. So the fact that Liv had ignored his order of being in the Crow Club before seven bells, aggravated him greatly.

The smallest twitch of worry surged in his stomach, which he immediately shrugged off, placing the watch back in his pocket with a sigh.

The worry was justified, rational. One of his high-risk investments was currently unaccounted for. Kaz pushed a hand through his hair and picked up his glass, raising the whisky to his lips.

Noise came from his side, and the wooden door at his right opened. He looked over and expected his eyes to fall upon that milk-blonde hair he had grown so familiar with over the last year, but instead, he was met with the dark strands of Zemeni curls, accompanied by a very frantic-looking Jesper.

His dark, wide-set eyes made Kaz frown as he took in his tall figure, until he spotted a white, opened envelope clutched into his hands.

Anger bubbled inside of Kaz as he looked at the envelope, as it had clearly been addressed to him. He wanted to start talking but was cut off by Jesper,

"Boss, you need to see this."

And then he saw it, the franticness that was woven through Jesper's vowels made sense as the symbol of a peacock feather grew visible to Kaz's shark eyes.

If he wasn't already angry before, he was contemplating murdering somebody now, somebody by the name of Tante Heleen, as the clear symbol of the Menagerie came closer to the brunet, Jesper reaching over the envelope.

"Give it to me," Kaz spoke slowly, lifting himself from his seated position, wearing a mask of indifference before his eyes.

Jesper did as told without a word, and handed him the opened envelope, which he opened.

"I have your little Dove. Meet at 12 bells."

The mask fell as Kaz hurled the glass at the wall, directly in between two paintings, glass and liquor splashing over the dark wallpaper like a spider's web. Even Jesper flinched.

This was exactly what he knew would happen, that he was worried would happen. They had taken his Whisperer; his investment.

Liv had told Kaz before of how Tante Heleen had been after her ever since she was a child, her impossibly light hair and soft eyes a sight to behold for the inhabitants and tourists that attended the pleasure houses. He remembers clearly the terror present in every corner of her features and the horrified tone that held her vowels. The Menagerie was Liv's worst nightmare.

And now she's there, and for what.

Why was she there?

Kaz leaned forward over the desk, hands resting on the edges as he thought. Liv said there had been people following her now for weeks, and the note to Dirtyhands meant that Tante Heleen needed something from him. But what?

"Kaz, we're going to get her back, right?" Jesper questioned, his eyes still wide, half spooked by Kaz's sudden outburst, but there was something else present in his dark eyes; a burning fire that wanted nothing more than to burn the House of Exotics to the ground, Kaz supposed he didn't look too different from him.

Kaz frowned, tearing his gaze from the Zemeni boy to the window on his left, noticing the heavy rain that dared to enter the gaps between the opened window. He thought.

With an investment as valuable as his Whisperer, it would have been the logical decision to go to accept the invitation to the pleasure house. But even Kaz had to admit, although he could and would never out loud, that that was not the only reason he would go.

Kaz was in debt to the blonde for longer than he can remember, as she was in his. He thought back on all the times she had saved him from the clutches of the Stadwatch or a rival gang. The scrawny girl that hid her moon-stricken hair, making her look like a boy.

Ever since he had come crawling out of the darkest ditch of the Barrel, his youth and innocence washed away in Reaper's Barge, she had been the one light in his life, an angel that watched over his shoulders in times of peril.

Kaz let a frustrated sigh escape his lips, and he turned back to Jesper, who still looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"I wouldn't let the abduction of my employees go unpunished now, would I?"

—

Kaz's cane clanked against the cobblestone streets with a steady rhythm, forming the pace for their walk through the West Stave, thick droplets of rain streaming down the streets.

A cold gust of wind hit his angled frame, but he continued unbothered, ignoring the aching in his leg that seemed to be getting worse by the minute.

Next to him, Jesper fiddled with his guns, twirling them around his hands with a franticness only the Zemeni boy seemed to possess. His gaze darted around their surroundings, changing with every slight movement that appeared in his vision.

"I'm going to tear that old hag apart." Jesper muttered as he continued to twirl the revolver around his hands.

Kaz did not reply. He continued to look forward as they closed in on the house of exotics. He always hated the place. Indentured girls and boys carted off to please the Barrel rats and merchlings that came tumbling down the streets in nauseating masses, foaming at the mouth to receive some pleasure from a Suli 'Lynx' or Fjerdan 'Wolf'. Even Dirtyhands himself did not dabble in the trade of bodies; it was a rotten business. It was not a profitable one to him anyways.

Kaz's gloved hand tightened around the crow's head of his cane as he moved forward. He hated not knowing what he was walking into. He had picked up no information about any new job or treasure that had made its way to the harbours of Ketterdam. It put him in a situation of uncertainty, a bad place to be in as a businessman because now he has to make a bet. A bet that he would not be walking into a trap, of which the chance was annoyingly realistic.

Especially with the likes of Jesper on his side, having to bet on something usually meant bad luck, as the Zemeni boy always seemed to lose more money than he made.

His shark gaze trailed the many darkened windows they passed and eyed the many alleyways that surrounded them, calculating any possible escape routes in case things were to go awry. He had to expect it.

"Kaz, I don't like this." Jesper spoke again from his left, who now had placed his guns back in their holsters at his hips, but now was tapping his fingers along their sides with a tempo that was faster than his heartbeat, "What if something happened to Liv? She doesn't have a tattoo of the Dregs. Tante Heleen could already have claimed her and-"

Kaz could not stand his words, "Shut up, Jesper. Let me think."

Jesper frowned, but closed his mouth, eyes darting over every flicker of movement again until the Menagerie came into view.

The grand building was an abomination of extravagance. The multistory building was made to look like a golden, tiered cage; golden bars on every window. It almost looked like a zoo.

As they approached, they could already spot several boys and girls, the tattoo of a peacock feather branded on their upper arms, and dressed in clothes corresponding to their countries of origin as they swooned over the pigeons that gawked at them.

A Shu boy approached them, golden eyes decorated with red dye and dark lines, his shoulders, arms and robes adorned with red scales to symbolise the serpent he played the part as.

The dark-haired boy moved over to put a hand on Kaz's shoulder, and the brief touch made him want to double over and hurl. His cane quickly met the boy's hand as he pushed him off, "Back off if you want to keep your hands."

The boy looked unfazed as he retracted his hand, like Kaz's threat was the most normal occurrence, he just let his gaze wander to Jesper, who winked back at him.

"Hello, handsome."

The Shu smiled, and moved closer to the Zemeni boy, but once again, Kaz' cane stopped him, his golden gaze met that of his own,

"We need to speak with Tante Heleen."

It was almost like something cracked in the boy's gaze at the mention of her name, a mask that faltered slightly, until it was gone, and the boy bowed slightly.

"Follow me."

And then he moved and disappeared in the mass of people, drunken tourists in costumes of the Komedie Brute blurring the path with their vibrant shades of red and blue.

Kaz took a short breath before moving to follow the boy that slithered through the establishment, spotting him once they were inside on a marble staircase that spiralled to the higher levels of the pleasure house.

Every touch to his shoulders and thighs caused by moving bodies was a nightmare to Kaz, as that was the only thing he felt, bodies. Cold decaying bodies sloshing through cold water.

His breath slowly became uneven as he moved on, but he refused to falter, too focused on the task at hand; retrieving his Whisperer.

He forced himself to look around as he ascended the stairs, the pain in his leg excruciating; looking for escape routes.

Turning around, he found Jesper's wandering gaze as he waved slowly at a giggling Kaelish girl, red hair hidden behind a cloak.

Kaz had to restrain a roll of his eyes before he reached out with his cane once more, tugging the Zemeni boy along the staircase. It was truly a mystery to him how he could be so easily distracted by pretty things.

A lower feeling nibbed at his stomach, a darker one. One of envy and spite that yearned for the way he communicated and flirted with other people. But Dirtyhands would not allow such a feeling.

He moved on, up the stairs until the Shu boy turned to the right at the top of the staircase, before turning to Kaz and Jesper.

"Only the Bastard."

Kaz nodded and sent Jesper a glance, to which Jesper glared, opening his mouth to protest. But the look from Kaz's side was enough to send Jesper into movement, an aggravated sigh leaving his lips and he moved down the stairs again.

The Shu boy turned around again and continued walking down the hallway until they reached a golden door, decorated to the brim with peacock details, from carvings to actual feathers.

Kaz almost admired the commitment to the theme.

Almost, because after the boy had knocked on the door before opening it, he came face to face with one of the worst people that happened to find themselves in this miserable city.

Heleen Van Houden looked as triumphant as ever as she sat beside her marble desk. Golden curls fell behind her shoulders, matching her vibrantly golden-coloured dress as she eyed him down with narrowed, feline eyes. Her sharp features made her look like the predator she was.

Her eyes darted to the side momentarily and Kaz followed the gaze and that's when he spotted her.

In the corner stood Liv. An absent look in her eyes as at first she looked past him, head held high and jaw clenched, but when their eyes met, Kaz noticed the flight flicker of terror that passed between her otherwise soft eyes.

Kaz halted in his place as he took her in. No longer was she dressed in her vested tunic and trousers, instead she was placed in a dress of white silk, revealing her pale arms and shoulders, only partially covered up by the white blonde hair that cascaded down her chest. Golden chains were placed around her wrists, hands ungloved, revealing the blossoming burn on the back of her hand.

"Do you like it, Brekker?" Tante Heleen mused, and Kaz snapped his gaze to the woman, a pit of rage opening up in his stomach as she walked over to take hold of Liv's chin, gripping it harshly and turning it in the direction of Kaz, forcing them to make eye contact once more, "The most beautiful attire for a little dove. A neat addition to my collection, don't you think?"

She was taunting him.

"It's rather extravagant," Kaz replied slowly, leaning onto his cane for support, "impractical really. Now tell me why you have dressed up my employee like one of your animals."

Tante Heleen tutted, tapping Liv's chin while she hovered over her, before looking back at him, "Your employee? I don't see a tattoo anywhere, darling. How could she be your employee when there's no proof to show? Besides, she was about to sign over an indenture to me, weren't you?"

Kaz could see the woman's claw-like nails digging into the side of Liv's face. To his surprise, she did not retort, only stared blankly at her. What had she done?

"What do you want, Zookeeper?"

A snarl on her lips at the name, "What I want, Bastard, is some respect. Wouldn't want your Whisperer to get hurt now would we?"

Movement. A man appeared from a separate room that was attached to Tante Heleen's salon, closing in on Liv and taking hold of the chain that held her wrists together. He yanked on the golden chains and Liv stumbled, falling into his hold as he placed a knife against her neck.

Kaz did not react; any movement was a weakness.

"What do you want?" He asked again, hiding any emotional tone shift from his vowels.

The woman in front of him nodded, "That's more like it, boy."

She took hold of a set of papers in her hands and gestured to him to move forward, and sit down on one of the leather chairs that were placed in the desk.

Kaz moved forward but did not sit down, eyeing the papers in front of him.

They were shipping papers, ordinary-looking shipping papers from Shu Han to Ketterdam.

"I need you for a job."

Kaz looked up and stared at Tante Heleen. How dare she ask something of him?

"I do not work for you."

The woman's painted lips curled into a nasty smile, "Not without the proper motivation, you won't. That's what little Liv is here for."

Kaz's insides were on fire. Weakness.

"If you do this job for me, I will let your little spy go. If you do not do your job well, I will take her as one of my girls, and consider the expense of the failings of your doing on her debt."

Kaz felt his grip on his cane tighten once more, as he thought the proposition over. He was inclined to say no, take his loss and move on. He'd find a new Whisperer. Because what troublesome task had the Witch of West Stave prepared for him that she had gone through the trouble of abducting his Whisperer?

But he knew he wouldn't do that. Dirtyhands would have, but Kaz couldn't. Kaz Brekker was in debt with Liv Leeflang, and it was his turn to pay up.

"What do you need done?"

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[A/N]

i have 2 things to say/ask. first: i went to an arctic monkeys concert a few days ago- which was awesome btw, but i listened a lot to 'sculptures of anything goes' while writing this chapter, so hearing that as the opening number of the concert when i had used that song for writing only a few hours before was really cool. second: what do you guys think so far? do you like Liv's character, do you like the story? i would love to hear what you guys think, even if it is criticism lol. ok anyways, ly guys