—𝐓𝐡𝐞 Conductor stared up at Kaz with a frightened look on his face. His breathing uneven, fearing the worst. Kaz looked down at the man with piercing eyes, studying his character, trying to break down the way he acts, so he can expose his worst fear.

"Get us to the Little Palace." The Conductor does nothing but nod, fear coursing through his veins. "Good. Inej untie him. I will be waiting outside." Kaz turns and leaves the room, not looking behind him to know his saving grace is on his heels.

"At least he's alive." Anya says. Looking up at Kaz, she notices that he has bags under his eyes. "You have to sleep."

"Nope. Not on the agenda."

"Yes it is. I will force you to sleep, you know that right?" Kaz nods, knowing that Anya would eventually drug him so he would sleep. Kaz found nothing wrong with his sleeping schedules. Being able to sleep with a gift, as his nights were plagued with memories of him. His brother. Forcing him to wake up in a fright, not allowing his body to sleep again for a few days. "I'll lay with you if you want. Even if it is for a few moments."

"I'd like that." Kaz whispers. Jesper had listened to an order, a miraculous event. He was standing, paying attention, or so it seemed. "Jesper." Kaz spoke and Jesper jumped a foot in the air. Anya snickered beside Kaz.

"Saints, boss, nearly killed me." Jesper laid a hand over his heart.

"Well, you are clearly living." Kaz raises an eyebrow, unimpressed with Jesper at the moment. "Inej will be out in a moment with our, guest. Then we go back to the Crow Club and get ready to leave." Inej walked out not a minute to soon, the Conductor on her heels. Kaz walked off with Anya on his side, the rest of his crew following behind.

"What are you going to do about Inej?" Anya questions Kaz. He looks over at her for a moment.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." Anya raises a singular brow in response. Being fed up with his short answers, Anya grabs his hat off of his head and walks off. "Hey! That's mine." Kaz yells at her.

"Too bad, Kazoo. It's mine now." Anya keeps walking, throwing a wink over he shoulder. She knows the name riles him up, but she basks in his attention, even if it is a negative one. Kaz huffs in response, a small smile playing on his lips, shaking his head at her childish ways.

"How come she gets to do to do that and we can't?" Jesper questions.

Inej looks over to Jesper with a dumbfounded face. "Are you really asking that?"

"Yes, I wanna know why she gets to be all cuddly with Kazy Bear and not get wacked with a cane."

"Because, she's Anya. His Anya. You're lucky you're pretty." Inej says.

"So you think I'm pretty?"

"Kazy Bear?" Kaz questions, wacking Jesper with his cane. Jesper lets out an ow. "Don't tell Anya about that name, I'll never hear then end of it. And if you call me that again Jesper, I'll remove your kneecaps." Kaz turns around and walks away, but not before he can see the disturbed look on Jesper's face.

"He wouldn't? Would he?" Jesper asks Inej.

"It's Kaz, he would." Inej just smiles sympathitcally at Jesper, walking off with the conductor.

🃑🃑🃑

Anya had put on one of Kaz's shirts, awaiting his return. She still had his hat, fiddling with it in her hands. Anya sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, drifting off into dreamland. She doesn't notice Kaz walk in the door, nor does she notice the double take he does. Kaz leaned against the door to his room, trying to control his heartbeat. This was something that was normal for Kaz, seeing as anything she did was effortlessly beautiful in his eyes. Kaz noticed she was off in dream land.

His eyes scanned over her body, noticing his hat, and taking into account the way she looked in his shirt. That damn shirt, Kaz thinks. His shirt lays on her upper thighs, showing off her legs, littered with some scars. The white raised skin, healed over, carving a map on her delicate skin. Bringing his gaze upwards, he notices that he can see her brassiere, due to the top buttons being undone. He shifts uncomfortable against the wall, accidentally knocking his cane against the wall, startling Anya. A knife embeds itself into the wall next to him, causing Kaz to break out of his daydream.

"That's the second time today a knife has been thrown at me." Kaz takes the knife out of the wall. "I'm starting to think knives hold a personal grudge against me."

"Sorry." Anya winces. "Bad experience from last time." Kaz nods in understands, walking over and placing the knife on his bedside table. "Where did you go?"

Kaz takes off his jacket, "I paid Tante Heleen a visit." Anya's eyes grow big in response.

"What? Why?" Anya gets off his bed, walking over to him. Standing in front of Kaz, she realized how short she actually is. He towers over her 5'4 body at 6' feet. She angles her head, staring up at him with determination. Anya has no idea how hard it is for Kaz to look at her when she's wearing his shirt. "Tell me."

"I put up my shares of the crow club as collateral." Anya lets out a gasp of shock, not understaning, but understanding all the same. He would do anything for his crows.

"Inej?" Anya questions softly.

"Yes. I couldn't let her stay here and let's face it. She is the one who pulls all together. Jesper likes anything that breathes, and us. Well, we like to plan out everything and then hope for the best when everything goes to shit."

"True. We like to go out with bang or murder." Anya breathes out through a laugh.

"See. Match made in hell." Anya just smiles up in response. "Come on, I want to try to sleep."

"Okay."

Anya lays down on the bed, wrapping his bed sheets around her body, creating a cacoon. She watches as Kaz slips off his shoes, taking off his shirt and gloves. He climbs into bed next to her, wondering if he should keep his distance or move closer. Kaz notices Anya shiver, so he pushes all his inner struggles out of his mind and moves closer to his girl.

Every problem seems to slip away when she looks up at him. He motions her with his head to come closer. Anya sends him a look, asking if he's sure, Kaz nods. Anya moves closer, basking in the warmth his body sends to hers. Shivers run up her spine, when his bare hands reach out a pull her closer. Anya tucks her head into his neck, pressing a kiss to it before shutting her eyes. Kaz presses a kiss to her head, shutting his eyes, dreaming about his brown-haired, bloodstained girl.

🃑🃑🃑

Kaz woke up first, not even bothering to open his eyes, he snuggles closer to Anya. Anya let out a sigh of content, burying his face deeper into her neck and pressing a small kiss on his neck. Kaz nudges her body, causing Anya to bring her face out his neck and look at him.

"What do you want, Kaz." Anya's voice is deep and scratchy with sleep.

"We have to leave."

"Ugh. But your bed and your body are so comfy and warm." Kaz chuckles at her antics.

"I'll give you a kiss if you get up." Anya snaps her head up. Kaz full on laughs, grinning like the devil. "I can see you like that idea." Anya nods and gets out of Kaz's bed. Walking to her drawer in his bedroom, Anya pulls on her clothes, turning back to see a fully dressed Kaz. She looks up to him expectantly. Kaz chuckles and leans down a leaves a kiss on her lips. "I said one kiss. Now, get rid of the pouty face." Anya removes the pout and pulls his face down. Kissing him harder for a moment, she pulls away, loving the blush on his cheeks.

"Let's go Crow Boy." Anya walks out of his room looking for Jesper. Spotting him she walks over. "You look like death."

Jesper sends her a glare. "Hot. Hot death."

"Sure Jes, sure." Jesper sticks his tongue out at her. Hearing the iconic cane of Kaz Brekker, he turns his head seeing him. "Mornin' boss." Kaz nods.

"Grab Inej and the Conductor, we have a ride to catch."

🃑🃑🃑

Getting into a stuffed carriage on the way to Novokribirsk, after 3 hours on a boat, Anya wants to die. Her hair wind-swept, her body smells like sea salt. Anya plaits her hair as she sits beside Kaz. There was no room between them, seeing as Kaz put room between him and Inej. The Bastard of the Barrel hated touch, but when it came to Anya he didn't mind. She brought comfort, seeing as she knew all of his dark sides, he knew deep down that he could trust her.

"I didn't hire you simply to get us across the Fold. You're with us because you smuggle Grisha out of the Little Palace, and that's the location of our target." Kaz says.

"Sun Summoner." Inej interjects.

"Alleged." Kaz and Ayna say, sending Inej a look.

"They wouldn't keep a fraud in the most secure place in all of Ravka."

"If it meant attention, they would." Anya says.

"You said you have a contact who can get us inside. A heartrender." Arken nods his head. "How do I know we can trust her?"

"Nina grew up there."

"Most Grisha grew up in the Little Palace." Anya says.

"Very few would betray their general, and fewer still would help foreigners kidnap their most prized possession." Kaz continues.

"Nina is a radical. Thinks Grisha should get to choose if they serve the Crown. She despises involuntary service more than she does Fjerdans." They pull up to the building where Nina should be. Walking inside they notice the Innkeeper counting Fjerdan krydda. The group gets to her room, seeing the door open, her room astray.

"She knew to expect us." Arken says. Jesper picks up a piece of bread on the plate and eats it. Anya sends him a look as she walks over next to Kaz.

"She isn't late. She's gone." Kaz says.

"Yes, but her things are all..." Kaz lifts the cover of her bag and a wolf symbol is beneath it.

"What is it?" Jesper questions, his mouth still full of food.

"Jesper close your mouth while chewing." Anya chatisizes.

"Drüskelle. They are ruthless Grisha hunters." Arken explains, picking up the pin.

"Explains the Fjerdan krydda the inkeeper was countain when he arrived." Inej walks over to the balcony, taking a look outside. "It's likely he ratted her out."

"She's probably captive on a ship to Fjerda by now."

"They had a clear line of attack." Kaz looks down at Inej.

"Take a look. Make sure there aren't anymore surprises." Inej jumps off the balcony.

"Well, that's that." Kaz and Anya look over at Arken with a confused look on their face. Though, Anya's is more presentable, seeing as Kaz only shows emotions through his eyes and eyebrows, while in public. "We've lost our way into the Little Palace." Walking out of the building, Inej leaps down from wherever she was.

"All clear."

"This seems like a reasonable juncture to abondon this whole Sun Summoner plan." Arken says.

Kaz turns around, eyes blazing. "Abandon?" Arken nods and Kaz steps closer. "We're in this now. And I know what a million kruge means to me. What does it mean to you?"

"Freedom."

"Fun. Like, at least a few months."

"Retirement."

"A goat."

"Right, so we press on. Get us across the Fold and I'll figure out the rest on the other side."

"Fine." Arken pulls out a pad a paper. "To cross, I'll need 20 pounds of alabaster coal. A peck of Mejdaloun jurda. Uh, not the kind from Kerch. It's too weak. And uh.." His gaves travels over to Jesper. "A goat." Jesper pulls a funny face, looking at Kaz expectantly.

"Yes! My wish granted." Anya does a little happy dance, stopping when she realizes everyone is watching her. "Sorry carry on."

"Now, we meet in the dead of night. There's a wreckage of a skiff northeast, on the edge of town. So, who gets what?"

"Inej, jurda. Anya and I will get the goat. And Jesper... just the coal, no detours." Jesper smirks in response, grabbing the list off of Kaz.

"You're asking too much." Anya says.

🃑🃑🃑

authors note: hi! how was your day or if it is morning, I hope your day is amazing! i have softball today, but i am hoping to get some writing in this weekend. fingers crossed. i may not post tomorrow because i want to work on the newest chapter for enamored, which i may put on hold while i write some prewritten chapters. seeing as the last 2 weeks of school i am going to be crazy busy. we have kaz gawking at anya in his shirt. i want one of his shirts. kaz and anya being soft babies. anya is just adorable all around, like ugh. ANYWAY, i hope you enjoyed!!