chapter one, a new road.

MIDNIGHT WAS A TIME WHEN BUSINESS WAS HIGHEST. Gambling dens were making the most bets, taverns were packed to the limit and the bustling streets were buzzing with nothing but pure bliss. Briar Aldrich had declared that it was the best time and place for anyone to be.

It was a time where some were too occupied with the idea of winning to realize they had been dealt a set of cards that stated otherwise. And it was a place where where others got high off of adrenaline, too caught up on that to realize their wallets had gone missing from their now empty pockets.

It had been barely two bells afterwards when Briar had come home, she had let herself come back earlier that night, walking into her flat with over a dozen wallets stashed in various places under her coat, she'd call it a quieter night than most. She had noticed that the regulars from the Black Tips that occupied Club Cumulus were still nowhere to be seen and the Dregs had still seemed to be too cheerful when she made her way past the Crow Club.

She guessed the result of the Dregs successful parley had continued to make an effect even days afterwards.

Of course she was above petty crimes such as pick pocketing, it was almost a mockery of child's play to her. Though, given the success she had in managing to swindle, Kevan Devall, one of the wealthiest business men on The Geldstraat to the point where he's now filed for bankruptcy, ( while also making sure any pleas he made for financial help were declined ) she felt the need to give herself a cheat day.

Time had passed on since then, now halfway towards seven bells, Briar stood in front of her office window, watching as the sun make its way over the horizon. Noting how it was just barely skimming over the surrounding buildings while she poured herself a cup of coffee. She enjoyed watching it, she in fact made it a goal to watch it rise every morning. It gave her a sense of comfort. Another day was to begin and it was yet another day towards the moment she'd find herself at the top of the Barrel chain.

That was always something to make time for.

But of course, nothing good lasted.

Briar's attention was turned away from it when a knock came at the door. It was faint as it came from the front door downstairs but Briar heard it nonetheless. She let Selene get it as she was far closer anyways.

Selene's muffled exchange with the person at the door wasn't long, Briar hearing her trek her way up the stairs only moments later. "Briar!" Came Selene Morelle's voice, Briar fully turned towards the door as she heard her near. Opening the door she continued, "Someone's here for you."

"Bring them in." Briar replied simply, turning right back around to continue watching the sun make its way closer to her. She let herself wonder who it was but didn't think on it too hard once she heard it, a sound that made her straighten up quicker than she'd admit.

The thump of a cane.

With her back still turned to the door she felt him approach, something in the office seemed to have shifted once he passed through the doorway, but the bastard always had that effect.

"Fine morning isn't it, Brekker?" Briar asked him once she heard Selene shut the door.

"Just as grey as the last," He had spoke back bluntly, his rasp still as rocky as Briar remembered from their last encounter. "But I presume adding another name to your list of successful schemes makes the sun glimmer extra bright for you, Aldrich."

"List of those who had karma come earlier than expected," Briar corrected him, "But close enough." She turned around and leaned back slightly, her free hand placing itself onto the window seal as she held her coffee in the other, crossing ankle over the other. Seeing the infamous Dirtyhands stand before her was a sight, for a boy who was the same age as her he carried himself in a way that made it seem as though he wasn't. "I'd think with how chipper your Dregs still are after the parley it'd be just as shiny to you, Brekker."

"And what do you know about my crew?" He questioned, even though he already knew the answer.

Briar knew all. Dregs, Razorgulls and Black Tips alike, all of the Ketterdam gangs were just pawns that laid ahead of her path to the top, just obstacles she'd tackle, one by one. And leverage was just the thing to remove those pawns from the chess board for good. Briar didn't answer with that of course, though she knew he'd get the message. She knew he could figure her out. Briar Aldrich dressed up and played pretend more than any little girl in Kerch, it's to the point where she's gotten more used to hearing her alias's rather than her own name. Yet, Kaz Brekker could read her like a book he had known his whole life, one he had remembered and could recite by his cold, black heart. He seemed to be the only one who could. It aggravated her.

"That they're too cheery to be a part of your gang." Briar gave him a sarcastic smile, she uncrossed her legs and pushed herself up from the ledge. She began to make her way towards her desk, her boots clacking as she pulled out her chair to sit. "Now, I have about a half cup of coffee left so if you're actually here for business, I suggest you start talking."

His gloved hands had clasped over the head of his crow cane, "What do you know of jurda parem?"

"About as much as whoever jumped you and let you know of it,"

Briar had never seen him go that pale. She smiled at it. "Your steps are rough as though you've been injured, you're putting more weight on your cane for stability therefore a harder and louder sound when it hits the ground, you're also gripping your cane too hard for a man who seems to be unbothered. Plus if by fate, when we meet it's by accident, we find one another. You came."

"Ever the observant, Whisper." It was Kaz's turn to smile at Briar's sour reaction. Whisper, was a name Ketterdam had come up with, Kaz was the one to make it mocking. Briar Aldrich had committed many crimes in her days and no one ever caught wind of it. Only ever hearing when it was over, hearing what bystanders told the stadwatch: She was Zemini, no could've been Suli, she was tall, no she was far shorter than that, there was never a true trace of her there. She was simply a Whisper.

Briar huffed, the name ticked her off but she shook her head at him and looked into her coffee cup. She was almost out and she'd almost be done with him. "Ever the insufferable, Dirtyhands. Enhancing grisha abilities to a thousand percent is a feat many have tried, of course the whole addictive properties that eventually end in death isn't the best of endings but everything has their flaws. I mean, truly I have to give it to Bo Yul-Bayur -"

"If you're done swooning," Kaz scoffed, Briar noticed the slight movement on his bad leg.

"For Ghezen's sake, sit down." From under the desk she kicked the chair, it popped out closer to him. He was reluctant for the most part but after he felt another ache in his leg, he felt he had no choice but to sit down. His cane rested against her desk. Briar continued, "Word of jurda parem hasn't gotten out to the public yet, for good reason too, mass hysteria is the last thing that we need, so tell me Brekker, why do you know of it?"

"Bo Yul-Bayur is in the possession of the Fjerdans," Kaz practically ignored her question, "He's being kept in the Ice Court, supposedly awaiting trial." Briar knew there was more, there was always a catch.

"Is he expecting a congratulating muffin basket?" Briar snarked, she looked back into her cup, only a quarter left. "Get to the point Brekker, what does this have to do with me?"

"You're going to help us break him out."

Briar nearly spit out her coffee. "Are you fucking insane?"

"For the amount of kruge I'll be paid? Possibly."

Briar huffed, she knew Kaz Brekker was insane but this? He must've gone completely mad. "I sincerely hope you're joking."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."

The glare Briar sent could've killed him. The one he mockingly returned could've done the same. It was a silent moment before Briar tore away, shaking her head. "Why?" She prodded, "Why me? You have your Wraith, a sharpshooter, a heartrender and if I'm not mistaken Wylan Van Eck locked in some basement, even he's bound to be capable of something. So why come to me?"

"You can make yourself into any person you want, you can pull off any scheme you wished and you've done it more times that I can count. Adora Beaumont made Khristian Sonders and the business he spent his entire life building go under in a weeks time, Scott Avox was sent to hellgate for life by Drea Hawthorne and Rena Castro pulled the rug out from under Kevan Devall. You're a girl of many names, Aldrich, and a girl of many crimes. I figured this was one of your caliber." Kaz answered as a scowl grew across Briar's face. Of course he knew of those.

Briar then let out a laugh when she registered the last sentence. "Liar."

"You're a girl who has many connections, Rena Castro has one who holds the schematics to the Ice Court."

There it was.

"You're also good with staying hidden and given the amount of crimes you've committed, you must have some talent." Kaz added, far too pleased with the look on her face. "And, I've heard the stadwatch is getting antsy with all of the unanswered for crimes committed by the Whisper. It'd be quite the shame if a connection to you happened to pop up."

"Bastard."

"I've been told."

"I push you a chair and you blackmail me in return?" Briar scoffed at him, though she knew she should've expected it. "Here I was thinking of offering you coffee."

"If we pull off this job you can hire someone to offer me coffee." Kaz told her, to which she huffed and shook her head once more.

She couldn't believe it, Kaz Brekker had backed her into a corner with no escape in sight. She had spent years keeping her identity hidden and to lose that to him, to the bastard of the barrel over an impossible job, Briar thought she might as well do Kerch a favor and kill herself. If anyone learned of her being the Whisper, she'd be a dead girl. She'd be whisked off to hellgate for the rest of her days but not even that would last long, with the people she'd had the pleasure of causing their downfalls, they'd have her dead before she reached it. If Briar's name was known it'd all be over. Her rise to the top, all she had worked for would be gone. 

She'd suffer from yet another fall from grace.

And Briar Aldrich could not handle going through that again.

"It doesn't seem like you've given me the pleasure of saying no to you." Briar huffed, reluctance in her tone. 

"Pity," He simply said in return.

"If I die on the way to Fjerda I can assure you that I'll haunt you until the moment you join me in the afterlife."

"I'll be too busy bathing in my kruge to notice." His sardonic grin made Briar want to punch him in the face.

She contemplated doing so.

They stayed in the still silence for a moment before Briar let her curiosity get the best of her. If she was to do this, she'd at least get to know the one thing that mattered besides keeping herself alive. "How much?"

"Four million kruge."

"This would've been a much easier conversation if you had led with that." Briar acknowledged.

"It would have been as dull as a brick if I had," Kaz spoke, then standing up from the chair, grabbing his cane from the place it had been propped upon her desk. "The Crow Club, around this time tomorrow. I'd get those schematics soon if I were you."

"And I'd be happy to walk out of here alive if I were you." Briar smiled back at him. He began to walk away, only to be stopped by Briar's voice when his gloved hand reached the doorknob. "It's going to be one long trip to Fjerda, Brekker. Are you really sure you want me there?"

Kaz froze for a moment, he stayed silent. Briar wondered if he had actually become frozen in place. Until he turned around, his gaze met hers. "The Crow Club, tomorrow. Don't be late."

He was gone before Briar could blink. Avoidance. What was new?

With a huff, she looked back down into her coffee cup. It was all gone and so was any hope of laying low.

Fjerda here I come.

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g speaks!

GOODBYE THIS TOOK SO LONG I've been so swamped with school exams and we're getting rid of all this shit anyways I can see those both will be over really soon so expect more frequent updates I swear I'll get them to you faster

but literally this is so short like barely 2.3k words but it's just an intro and shit so just know chapters usually are longer

anyways hope you enjoyed <3