«sankta lissa»

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LISSA BREKKER stared at the little chest attached to the back of the carriage, she could hear the sounds from inside it, she had always been sensitive to noises — always hearing things she wasn't supposed to, she could hear a small sizzling and sure enough, after a while the lock popped out and as she straightened up, the chest opened — a young girl's head peeking out from it. They made eye contact and now, now that the girl wasn't covered with all that glamor, all that shine, all that gold, Lissa could see who she truly was — someone like her, someone who hadn't asked for this, no, no one ever asked for this, she looked small, and scared — as if she wasn't sure of her fate. Lissa waved, a small smirk on her face, and she could see that the girl had noticed the revolvers present in Jesper's holsters.

All of them looked at her, Inej with admiration, Kaz with greed, Jesper with mischief, and Lissa with curiosity. Alina, too, looked at them, her eyes moving from one person to another, scanning them all — they didn't seem to be any older than her.

Alina jumped out of the chest, her hands cautiously raised as Jesper said, "We don't want any trouble." Lissa and Kaz looked at each other, whether they wanted trouble or not, it would always be there. Waiting for them.

"Neither do I," Alina said, her hands still raised — Lissa realized that it wasn't as a form of surrender, no, it was so at any given moment, if it was so required, Alina could use her powers, "So, I'll just be on my way." Jesper's hands were still wrapped around his revolver as Kaz's cane whipped to the side of the carriage, his glare unrelenting as always.

"Yeah, nope, that's not happening." Lissa said and with her hands behind her back she summoned wind — enough to make sure Alina's hair covered her face, the summoner was yet to be revealed properly to the general public, but they weren't here to take chances, it was all going to be one calculated plan.

"Clearly, you want out of East Ravka," Jesper said, taking a different approach than the Brekker siblings, and Inej just stood silently, as if she was ashamed of standing in front of a saint under these circumstances, "But we can help you, we have a secure route, through the fold."

"I prefer to travel alone."

"Don't be rash," Jesper tried to reason yet again, but Lissa could see this approach wasn't going to work with Alina, she was a smart girl, "You stick with us, everybody gets what they want."

"I'm not being anyone's captive ever again." said Alina, and Lissa started to feel a pang of sympathy worming it's way into her heart — clearly, something had gone wrong at the Little Palace, something that had made Alina — the sun summoner — walk away from all of that, to risk her life and to be on the run, "So, step aside and let me pass."

"I'm afraid we can't let that happen," Kaz and Lissa stepped forward at once, they seemed to do that a lot — mirror each other's moves, always ready to back each other up, no matter what it took, each of them ready to kill and die for the other. Lissa then saw Alina move her hands around and soon enough, ducked down, taking cover as a blinding light shined in front of them, Kaz hands snapped up to grab Lizza on instinct, but there was another instinct in his body, one that would not betray him and that was to avoid touch at any cost, Lissa still reached for him, clutching his coat in her hands.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Lissa being right in front of Alina had taken the hit harder than the others, "Oh, donkey's asshole, I can't see anything!" she rubbed her eyes, Jesper immediately got in front of her, his hands placed on the sides of cheek.

"Hey, hey, don't rub them, it'll be fine!" Jesper said reassuringly, Lissa nodded as her eyes were still shut tightly. She opened her eyes after a few moments, Jesper right in front of her and Kaz behind him, she saw Kaz first, she would always see him first.

"Are you ok?" Kaz asked.

Lissa nodded.

She blinked rapidly as the black spots started disappearing, well, that was proof enough of Alina's powers, she guesses. Kaz nodded back.

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THE FOUR OF THEM WERE FRUSTRATED. The little saint had managed to be quite hard to captured, turns out, she was pretty intent on following her whole 'I'm not being anyone's captive ever again' thing, Lissa could understand, but it was a deal of a lifetime, I mean, come on, she could pay off Maya's indentures with those, she could get her out of that demented place and that demented claw of Tante Heleen that seemed to grab any possible thing in sight greedily, Lissa knew Inej would be taken care of — she knew Kaz would figure it out, but Maya...she had no one but Lissa, and Lissa would do anything to help her out, without Maya, Lissa may not have been able to walk around, fight, scheme and laugh the way she does.

Maya felt like Lissa's redemption.

For once Lissa's actions had brought her a gift instead of a curse, and it was in the form of a tiny girl, her head peeking out of the window as she waved at Lissa, her tight silk clothes contrasting Lissa's cotton shirt that seemed too big for her body, her skirt way too short and Lissa's pants way too long, she had to fold them up, and her hair done in a neat updo with gold accessories wrapped around — Lissa's was a mess, sticking up in different directions, but for some reason, both of them twisted in a thousand different directions, managed to tangle up together.

Lissa Brekker has loved Maya Agroha ever since that day, spent every moment she could exploring her powers with her, eating popsicles, fruits and anything and everything she could sneak to the girl. It had been a joke to Maya first, when Lissa said she would free her one day, bring her out of this place, but now...Lissa could sense it, Maya was hopeful, and as much as Lissa wanted to warn her that hope would poison her mind, just like Kaz had told her it did, Lissa didn't. She wanted Maya to believe in her, to believe she would get her out.

Lissa and Kaz along with Inej and Jesper were roaming around the market when they noticed people with keftas walking around, wow, she really must have been being held as a captive if she didn't even have the choice to decide whether she wants to stay there or not.

"I think...I think we might've taken on more than we can handle," Jesper said, "I mean, all of these people, looking for her — people with powers, with a twist of their hands we could be burnt to the ground."

"We should take a break," Lissa said and Kaz looked at her, upset that she was ready to give up so quickly, "What? I'm not saying I want to give up, I just want to rest for a little — it was a long ride from the palace and we've been walking around for hours now."

"She's right, boss," Jesper added and all of them coincidentally managed to stumble across an inn, "I'll look around for a bit, but I think you and Lissa should get some rest." Kaz's weight had been on his leg for too long, everyone knew it, they noticed it, but Lissa was the only one who did something about it, she understood her brother was wary of showing emotions, that he always felt this need to put up a tough exterior, and she would let him, if that's what made him feel better, she would let him.

Soon, Lissa and Kaz sat down at a table, a cup of coffee in front of them, Lissa winced at the taste yet again, but felt a little refreshed, for a while they sat in silence, she could feel his disappointment, his rage, his...fear, "I'm sorry, I couldn't do much, if anything, I slowed you down, if I hadn't gotten hurt—"

"We can't change the past now, no need dwelling in it," Kaz said sharply, he would not let her take the blame for yet another incident, he knew how her mistakes haunted her, to this day he sees Lissa reminiscing the time her mistake had cost him his leg, but he was never mad at her — how could he be? She had been so young, like him, only she had never done things like that before, it was her first time with Kaz going out, "What I need from you isn't an apology, I need you to not believe, Lissa."

"What?" Lissa asked, her brows furrowed, "What do you mean 'not believe'?"

Kaz straightened up a little, his gloved fingers tracing the rims of the glass, "I understand what I ask of you, the things I want you to hide..." he looked at her, the same coffee colored eyes stared at each other, "And I understand that you must feel like after this alleged sun summoner, things might change, but they won't, so I need you to not hope, hope is the one thing that'll ruin you, Lissa."

"Oh." Lissa said, "I— I never hoped, maybe for a second, but I understand why you do these things, Kaz, I mean, these people call her a saint and yet they're looking for her as if she's a murderer, I don't want that life— I don't want any part of that, I just...I just want you, and the dregs."

Kaz nodded.

Lissa passed him a tight lipped smile.

Kaz was the first one to notice Inej walking into a pub, she headed towards the table and sat down wordlessly, looking tired as she said her next words, "No horses missing in the stables, so..."

"So?" Kaz said, his eyes never leaving the cup of coffee laid out on the table in front of him, Lissa felt awkward, as if she was interfering in something, she seemed to feel that a lot when she was around them, or with Jesper and his guns, maybe one day he might actually find someone, who knows, Lissa holds out hope so he stops annoying them and turns his attention to his partner instead.

"What?" Inej asked.

"Are you going to tell me how the target got away?" Kaz asked, his voice calm, as always, he would never raise his voice at anyone ever, something he says about how a whisper is louder than a scream, if the words are right. He raised his eyes to look at her.

Lissa had to intervene, "Kaz, I'm sure she has nothing to do with her—"

"I let her get away," Inej said with a sigh, Lissa turned to look at her — betrayal painted on her face, she had never quite understood Inej like her brother did, but Lissa wasn't really happy with her right now, Maya's freedom was on the line, Inej's own freedom was on the line and she let it all go to shit, for what? For who? Some scared kid the people decided to name a saint?

"Right, right..." Lissa said, she was not going to say anything, she was simply going to walk out and let her anger calm down, she had a tendency of doing and saying things she doesn't mean when it comes down to her anger. It's like her heart takes control of her brain and she just blacks out, she's learned to control it over the years, but stepping away from the situation always seemed to work since then she would have no one to scream to but her own self in her mind.

The three inside the inn were discussing their plan when Lissa was out, just sitting on a random bench as she looked around at the people, suddenly an explosion went off — Kaz's eyes widened, he rushed out of the inn, as fast as his leg would allow him and saw Lissa sitting outside, she looked alarmed as well, but she also looked...upset, they couldn't afford to feel anything right now, time was passing, "Lissa, let's go."

One look around and Lissa knew they wouldn't be going away that easily.

Lissa's eyes fell upon that girl again, with the menacing blue eyes as she tightened her fists, all of them didn't look at each other, not wanting to show themselves as weak. Inej found the eyes of the woman who's brother had been her first kill.

"Move!" said the voice as soon as the woman let out a deadly shout, and all of them did so, Lissa scattered, running away as fast as she could, a burst of flame shot towards them, hitting Lissa's arm, she let out a hiss of shock and hurt.

"Wait!" said the girl with the stern look, she sent around the gust of wind to turn the big fire into small flames, "No, Polina! You can't burn it all down!"

Zoya Nazyalensky could feel a pull towards the girl, she could sense there was something different about her, and as much as Zoya would rather not waste her time, she went after her, Lissa still ran, tears springing in her eyes as her hand stung with pain from the burn, she didn't know what the girl wanted from her, frankly, she scared the hell out of her, I mean who even looks like that? She wishes that she would just leave her alone.

Wind knocked Lissa down to her knees, it felt like she was just punched in the gut, a choking sound came out of her mouth as she clutched her stomach, she looked up to see the girl staring down at her — truly, she was incredibly gorgeous, it felt like she'd been sculpted, "We could help you with your gifts, girl, is this the life you really want? To walk around, stealing, living in fear?"

"What can I say? I love the thrill of it all," Lissa said, her voice strained, "Are you trying to squeeze the air out of my lungs? I hate to admit, but it might be working," Lissa struggled to speak, but she knew what the girl was doing, she knew it was just to get her to admit it, to show herself, but Lissa wouldn't allow herself to, not when she knew what would become of her.

"You know what to do," said Zoya simply, looking unbothered at the girl in front of her, who was in agonizing pain, yet still there was no sign of defeat from her side.

"I'm not what you think I am."

"I know you are."

A low growl escaped her mouth, Lissa was getting restless now, it was harder to breathe and she felt like she would faint any second now, she had no other choice, with a look up to the sky as if she was asking Jordie and Kaz for permission, Lissa brought her hands together, and when she pushed everything in the entire area around them was knocked down, including the girl with the blue eyes, it bought Lissa enough time to escape, but Zoya's eyes never left her. She had never seen a talent so great in someone who was untrained, perhaps it was because she was too tired and too unbothered to chase after the girl, or the fact that the girl loved her life enough to fight for it to remain the same, Zoya let her go. Lissa Brekker was free for now.

look who finally remembered about this story hahaha i'm sorry for being so late but here it is, an update!!! if anyone's still reading leave comment reactions please, i love seeing the reactions!