IN RAVKA, SVETLANA never had to worry about transport. It was always at her disposal thanks to her position in the Palace with the King and the Grisha Triumvirate. 

But in Ketterdam, after she lost her position to Barrel skivs, it was becoming much harder to find the ship she's been assigned to find. She sent a few of her non-Grisha friends working and living in Phoenix Bay to dig around the harbors to buy a ship with the few thousand kruge she's given them while she worked with Viktor to falsify some prison papers.

Sophia stood over their shoulders, watching intensely as she gave him a few details to perfect the forged papers and commented when something seemed wrong, just to help him redo it correctly.

It was hours before he finished all six papers, and her messengers came back with grins across their faces. "We found a ship."

"Two ships actually."

"Would you like to keep them both, or just one?"

Svetlana smiled at them. And because she was also forged by the Barrel, because she had also seen horrors that cannot be spoken, she knew exactly what Kaz Brekker would do.

"Keep them both. Come with me, I need to get some things from here to put on the ships."

The trek to the Ice Court will be a long and cold one, and they were used to Ketterdam's heat and humidity. They were going to need coats, gloves, goggles, and layers of heavy clothing if they wanted to even make it two days on the ground of Fjerda. 

Svetlana was thankful she had the brilliant idea to create a shop that sells everything. She gathered what she needed, then gave them to one of the boys who bought the ships. "Put them on the ship, we'll need them." The boy nodded and carried the items off her hands as Sophia emerged from behind the curtain of the shop with her cloak.

"You're heading out?"

Svetlana almost felt bad for not sharing with her what she was going to do, but the less she knew the better, that way she can keep Sophia safe and guarantee that she herself will be safe to leave as well. She pressed her lips together. "Yes. I need to speak to Brekker."

Sophia held out the cloak for her to wear, and Svetlana complied. "Don't get attached. They call him Dirtyhands for a reason."

"Don't worry, I've seen worse."

Sophia sighed as Svetlana hooked her cloak together and pulled the hood over her head. She chewed on her lips as Vikot came out with a bag of hers and the papers. Sophia held onto her forearms and gently squeezed, "Come back, and bring her home."

Svetlana nodded, "I will, I promise." Her arms wrapped around the raven-headed woman and hugged her tightly. "It'll be alright, everything will be alright," she whispered. As she pulled back, she took her items from Viktor and hugged him, "If I see anything worth something in Fjerda, I'll bring it for you."

The tall Zemini boy laughed, tears in his eyes. "That would be lovely, just stay safe."

Knowing that she will most likely return with a missing limp, if ever, she only smiled and nodded. "I'll try my best." Then she was out of the shop and to the dark streets of Ketterdam.

Goodbyes were never Svetlana's strong suit, but she's come to get used to them in time. She preferred getting to say goodbye to her loved ones rather than seeing them part or her die without being able to. Life taught her some valuable lessons over the years, like how she always has two options, but she only gets to choose one without the other. She's managed to balance it so far.

Just like how many people from the Staves disliked going to Little Ravka, Svetlana disliked going to the Staves. But she knew the streets now, and she rounded the corners to the alleys she knew were going to be empty- part for the running rats and buzzing flys.

Ketterdam was nothing more than a maze, once she figured out which way leads to where Svetlana was a master at navigating its streets. She found herself standing outside the Crow Club in no time.

She ignored the bruiser at the door and made a beeline to the stairs. She knew Kaz's office was going to be on the top floor of the Club so that's where she went. For once, she was glad she knew the way gang bosses thought.

She knocked on the door and waited for a response. Minutes passed, the longcase clock down the hall ticked as seconds passed, then a muffled, sharp "What?" made it through the wood of the door.

"Open the door, Brekker."

There was some shuffling, then the door to Kaz's office swung open, the man himself peering at her from the other side. He looked disheveled; his black shirt untucked from his pants, crinkled and abused, his hair stuck out in every angle but it looked like he'd tried to run his hands through it in attempts to tame it if just for his reputation's sake. His face carried the same sharp handsomeness it did from earlier; furrowed brows, high cheekbones, sharp nose, and snake eyes. He was without his cane.

He looked her over in return. He could never understand how she managed to always look so put-together. The hood of her cloak was down, revealing her curls as she had them pinned down the back of her head, but a few strands managed to escape to frame her face. Her blue cloak covered most of her clothing, but he could tell she didn't change from the black pants and off-white tunic from earlier.

"I've got the papers, and the ships."

A brow of his jerked upwards, "Ships?"

She grinned at him devilishly, "I've got a plan."

          HER IDEA WAS brilliant. It truly was, Kaz just wouldn't admit it. Her original idea was to keep one in case Van Eck decided to cross them, they'd be able to trick him with it, but Kaz's eyes squinted as he stared back and forth between the drawing of the Ice Court made by Wylan, to the papers she set on his desk, then he spoke. "No, we use it now, as a precaution."

She tilted her head at him and furrowed her brows. "From other competing gangs?"

He nodded, "I know the Dime Linos would want a head start on this job. We set one of the ships in broad daylight on the harbor, and keep the other one hidden. Just in case."

Svetlana nodded, "Well, then I'd have to ask to have our items aboard the fake Ferolind to be moved to the other Ferolind."

He raised a questioning brow again, and she rolled her eyes. "We need some warm clothes to cross across Fjerda, no? I had them put on the ship. And I've got a Healer ready to sail."

Kaz only nodded, thinking through the plan from her added bonuses, then leaned back in his chair. "Working with you is a lot easier than I anticipated." he admitted and she smiled, "Don't settle just yet Brekker. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

Thanks to Kaz's overthinking and precautionary plan, Svetlana was already aboard the real Ferolind by the time the fake one turned up in flames. She gritted her teeth as she awaited for the rest of the crew to make it, as Rotty and two other members of the Dregs who are supposed to sail the ship were with her, along with her Healer.

The scenery before her reminded her too much of a war that died long ago; guns blazed, shots fired from every corner, screaming of the injured, and shouts of command ringing through the air. She was familiar with this scene.

She remembers years ago when she was in the Little Palace alongside Alina, Zoya, Nikolai, and the others. She remembers how Alina and Nikolai were celebrating their purely-political engagement and how Nikolai's older brother's foolish antics revealed their location to the Darkling. That night looked something similar to this but with no nichevo'ya in sight.

Jesper and Wylan were the first aboard the Farolind, Rotty and Specht greeted them and helped them aboard. Jesper grabbed a rifle from Wylan's trembling hands, "I need to get to high ground. Keep them back and distracted as long as you can."

Svetlana gave him a nod and held a protesting Wylan back, "No one gets past you. If they take down this schooner, we're done for."

"Don't worry Sharpshooter, we've got it from here. Go."

Svetlana carried a gun she burrowed from Rotty and shot two bullets through the air aimed at the men leading the charge down the dock. She heard another shot come from behind her and watched as both of the men fell. She turned to Jesper and flashed him a smile that he returned, then turned back to the oncoming attack.

Svetlana signaled for her Corporalki and allowed him to put down man after man while she, Jesper, and Rotty worked together to shoot them down.

Wylan's eyes closed shut tightly as he released a deep breath before reaching into his bag. Svetlana caught his eyes as her revolver's bullet chamber rang empty. She crouched down beside him and pinned him down with questioning eyes. Wylan pulled out a bomb and a match, "Close your eyes." He said.

"What for?"

"It's a flash bomb. Close your eyes." then he turned to where Jesper was, "Jesper!"

The tall Zemini boy ignored him. Wylan and Svetlana met each other's eyes then called out his name again, and a breeze carried their voices up to him.

"What do you want?" Jesper shouted back, and Wylan grinned. "Close your eyes!"

"You can't kiss me from down there, Wylan."

If there weren't bullets raining down on them, Svetlana would've cackled, but she shouted, "Close your fucking eyes!"

"This better be good!"

Quickly, Wylan lit up his match and held it up to the fuse of the bomb, then he threw the bomb off the ship.

A whistling sound echoed around the dock, then the familiar shriek of the bomb going off, and through Svetlana's closed lids, a bright light flashed.

She opened her eyes, then realized she can't see anyone around her. "Levlik!" she called out for her Corporalki friend, "Lev!"

"I'm over here, Karina." his calm voice came from somewhere on deck.

"Are you alright?" She called out.

The ginger-headed man nodded, then sighed when he realized he can't see her and she certainly can't see him. "Yes, I'm alright."

Svetlana nodded and got up from her spot, she glanced up to see if Jesper could see her, but she can't see him. She was in the middle of man-made fog. She grinned and flexed her fingers, her arms and hands moved in sync and fluidity as fire from the fake Farolind climbed out of the ship's wreckage and onto the dock to eat the men up alive, burning their flesh and melting them from existence. 

Screams and screeches sang in her ears, and it reminded her too much of the Fold. Somewhere in the fog, Svetlana spotted Nina and her giant Fjerdan.

"I need more ammo!" She shouted, and the scatter of bullets reached her feet. She grabbed them and stuffed them into the chamber of her gun, then shot a round to help the ex-lovers onto the ship.

Svetlana held onto Nina's forearm, "Haven you seen Kaz?" her fellow Ravkan, wide-eyed and panicked, stuttered then shook her head. Svetlana sighed and let her go.

She turned to Specht and Rotty, "Get this thing working, get us out of here."

They shared a glance, "What about the boss?"

As soon as he finished talking, Kaz came on board with an injured Inej in his arms. Svetlana's lips pressed together, thank the Saints for Lev.

"Get us out of here!" He shouted, limping across the schooner, barely holding on to Inej.

Rotty disappeared, and Kaz's eyes shot up with fire at the way Specht's crew shuffled around the deck. "Specht!" he shouted, his skin burning. "Get your crew in shape before I start cracking skulls."

Specht paled, then disappeared in the crowd.

"The Healer is below deck seeing to the wounded, let me get her there." Svetlana's hands reached out for Inej, but Kaz jerked away from her, "Get out of my way." He barked, sweat beads making their way down his face, his leg burning, his limp more present than ever.

She followed behind him, watching as he snapped at Wylan to leave the room. Nina stood aside, watching as Levlik got to quick work on Inej without asking questions.

"Saints, what happened?" Nina asked.

"Knife wound," said Kaz.

Levlik pulled back the ripped fabric and exposed her wound, "That's a lot of blood," breathed Nina, worrying for her friend. Svetlana patted her arms comfortingly, "She's going to be alright. Lev is good at what he does."

As if to show them, Levlik worked quickly to repair her skin. He started from within, repairing the ripped tissue of her body, then slowly pulling her skin back together.

He stepped back, "She's lost a lot of blood, I'm going to help with her blood flow and circulation. She's going to be okay."

Nina let out a sigh of relief, meeting Svetlana's eyes thankfully, and got a gentle smile in return. Kaz's face lightened, but there was murder in his eyes still. He turned and climbed back the way he came.

With a sigh, Svetlana turned around and made her way above deck. She furrowed her brows at the sight before her; Matthias and Jesper holding a strange, bleeding man with a bulging belly over the rail with both of his hands bound.

"Stand him up."

Svetlana watched as Matthias easily pulled the man to his feet. He was grinning, blood tainting his yellowing and rotting teeth. He carried the look of a prey thinking he was the predator, it's almost laughable.

"Why don't you tell me what brought so many Black Tips out in force tonight?" Kaz said. His voice was low and dangerous, the tone of a man who's been messed with, a force that's been reckoned with.

"We owed you." the man said, still grinning. He doesn't feel the car of danger aiming straight at him.

"A public brawl with guns out and thirty men packing? I don't think so."

He laughed, a voice coming from deep in his throat and spurting out of his nose. "Geels doesn't like being bested."

This is why Svetlana hated Barrel gangs, someone hitting out on someone and something coming back to bite you in the arse. She folded her arms.

"I could feel Geels' brains in the toe of my boot, and Big Bolliger was his only source inside the Dregs."

She almost snickered.

"Maybe he—"

Kaz interrupted him, "I want you to think real careful now, Oomen. Geels probably thinks you're dead, so there are no rules of barter here. I can do what I want with you."

Svetlana wondered for a split moment why he hasn't slit his throat yet. She watched as the realization dawned on Oomen's face, then fury burn within him. Angrily, he spat in Kaz's face.

Her brows jerked upwards, and her lips pressed together. That was stupid.

Kaz, eerily calm, pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his coat and wiped his face. Then, like a lynx, slowly walked up to his prey. "Hold him."

Oomen's eyes widened as Kaz flicked his sleeve and a knife appeared between his fingers. He stuttered and then screamed. Kaz had made a clean cut across his eye, then another. A perfect X on his ugly face.

Kaz wiped his knife clean, then put it back from where he grabbed it. Svetlana's hand flexed at his next move, she almost covered her mouth in shock, but she would've done the same.

Kaz plunged his gloved finger into the man's eye socket and tossed the eyeball somewhere behind him. It rolled across the deck and stopped beside Svetlana's feet. She stared down at it, and it stared back at her. She grimaced.

She looked up just as Kaz shoved the same handkerchief he used to clean his face into the now-empty socket. He grabbed Oomen's jaw, pushing the blood all over his face, then got up close with his single eye.

His movement was firm and precise. Svetlana didn't want to think of what it reminded her of. She was here, he was dead.

"Listen to me," Kaz hissed. "You have two choices. You tell me what I want to know, and we drop you at our next port with your pockets full of enough coin to get you sewn up and buy you passage back to Kerch—" Svetlana knew that was a lie. Kaz didn't seem to be the type to allow one of his crew members to get hurt and then let their assaulter walk free. At least she hoped he wasn't. "— or I take the other eye, and I repeat this conversation with a blind man."

Sophia was right. Dirtyhands was terrifying, but something about his actions brought a strange sense of comfort. This was her scene; blood, gore, torture. She's been around these things far too long to be able to find peace wearing silk dresses and eating warm food on a comfortable bed, living a lie, turning a blind eye to the horrors of the world that her people continue to live in and witness. 

Now, she's going to do something about it.

She was pulled back to reality when Oomen cried out a name. Its reaction reverberated through the crew enough for her to know who it was.

Pekka fucking Rollins.

"Is Rollins leading the crew himself?" Kaz asked.

"What crew?"

"To Fjerda."

"I don't know no crew," cried Oomen. "We were just supposed to stop you from getting out of the harbor!"

Kaz hummed, and when the one-eyed man begged for a medik, Kaz hoisted him against the railing. He whispered something in his ear before letting him go to fall into the mercy of a raging sea, the only thing returning to them was the man's cry as he drowned beneath the waves.

Wylan's face paled as he rushed to the railing, watching as Kaz's newest victim met his demise. "You... you said if he helped you—"

"Do you want to go over, too?" Kaz snapped and Svetlana stepped up, a hand held up to stop him from getting ideas. "That's enough violence for today. Wylan, hush."

But Wylan had a moral compass, and he knew what was right from what was wrong, so he took a deep breath and stuttered, "You won't throw me overboard. You need me."

Kaz's jaw flexed, "Maybe, but I'm not in a very rational mood."

"Exactly, go cool off." Svetlana said to Kaz, then turned to the auburn boy, "Wylan, come here."

Kaz barked some orders to Jesper, who pressed his lips together and left to do them. Svetlana leaned over the railing with Wylan beside her, both of them looking into the distance. 

She turned to see him, "Have you heard what people say about Kaz?"

The boy scoffed, "That he's got claws for hands? Or the one where his touch is lethal?"

"The one where he's named Dirtyhands," her voice was flat, her gaze serious. "You cannot mess with a man with a horrible reputation like Kaz. They're not merciful, they're not kind, and they do not have a conscience." The look on his face told her that she just crushed whatever remained of his innocence, but to be part of this crew and to go on this job, you have to give up all of your innocence and naivety. They cannot afford one of them to be kind to the enemy, they cannot afford one of them to lead with their moral compass if it meant putting the rest of them in harm's way.

She put a hand on his shoulder, "It's alright. It's frustrating and it's annoying and it makes you feel like shit, but it keeps you alive. And we need you alive. Be smart, don't cross Kaz." she said gently before leaving him at the deck.

Svetlana's chamber was located between Kaz's and Nina's. She lay wide awake on her bed, feeling the sway of the ship then realized that it was moving far too slow for them. She sighed and flexed her fingers, then the ship was pushed deeper into the True Sea with a gentle but determined force.