CHAPTER THREE
NINA ZENIK
[03]

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Freya returned to her room at the Little Palace after a fight with Fjerdans. What she needed was a warm bath, a change of clothes, and a good sleep.

She stopped and looked in the mirror. What she saw was a young woman, hair messy, face smeared with dirt and grime. Not a smile in sight. Today's events didn't phase her, but she wished it hadn't happened at all.

She needed a drink.

Toying with people's lives and whether their hearts should continue to beat or not was the equivalent of playing God.

Saints forgive me for my sins.

Freya abandoned her kefta in her room and made her way to the kitchen. It was late, so only a few workers were in there. She swiftly snuck past them, what else was her training for if not for stealing the king's liquor?

The jackpot celler was filled to the brim of exotic wines, whiskeys, rums, and other alcohols. Freya browsed around until she spotted the vodka.

They wouldn't notice if one bottle went missing, right?

"Hey, you!"

Freya's head spun around to the caller. It must've been one of the kitchen workers, a man who couldn't have been any older than her.

"What're you doing in the royal cellar?"

Freya put her hands behind her back and shrugged. "Just checking inventory." She got hold of his heart, slowly increasing his heartbeat and making him full of desire.

"Oh really?" He flirted. "What's a beautiful woman like you doing down here? What's your name?"

"Now where's the fun in that?" Freya tutted at him. She slowly walked towards him, swaying her hips a bit. "A big, strong guy like you wouldn't mind if I snatched a bottle, would you?"

"O-of course not. Take all you like."

At that, she hummed in satisfaction and grabbed a bottle of vodka. The man stood there dazed as Freya made her way back up the stairs to the kitchen. She stopped at the door and turned back one last time, "Perhaps you can join me for a drink next time."

He nodded eagerly but Freya had already closed the door.

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A horse drawn carriage was drawn on the small, bumpy road to an Inn where the Crows were meeting someone.

"I didn't hire you simply to get us across the fold." Kaz said to the Conductor. They'd be working with him, a man who had crossed the fold numerous times. "You're with us because you smuggle grisha out of the Little Palace and that's the location of our target."

"Sun summoner." Inej corrected.

"Alleged."

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

Jesper eyed his two friends, but he was used to this by now.

Kaz ignored Inej and turned back to the newest member in the carriage. "You said you have a contact who can get us inside. A heartrender."

The conductor nodded and gave a small smile.

"And how do I know we can trust her?"

"Nina grew up there." Arken answered.

"Most grisha grew up in the Little Palace. Very few would betray their general, and fewer still would help foreigners kidnap their most prized possession."

Now that Kaz was saying it, Jesper faith in this man and his contact had just plummeted.

"Nina's a radical, she thinks grisha should choose if they should serve the Crown. She despises involuntary service more than she does Fjerdans."

Kaz hummed, still weary. The carriage stayed silent until they arrived at the Inn.

"We're looking for Nina Zenik, could you point us to her room?" The Conductor asked the innkeeper at the front desk. The innkeeper set down the foreign money he was counting and pointed out the way.

When they entered her room, however, no one was inside waiting for them.

"She knew to expect us—"

"She isn't late, she's gone." Kaz knew not to trust them. And he was right. Now they didn't have a way into the Little Palace.

Jesper studied the room and found an unfinished breakfast at the bedside table. He picked up and ate the last bit of now-cold waffle.

"Yes but her things are all—"

The conductor stopped. At the same time, he and Kaz spotted something on the bed. A metal charm of a wolf's head.

"What is that?" Jesper asked.

"Drüskelle." Arken answered. He picked up the head. "Ruthless Grisha hunters."

"Explains the Fjerdan krydda the innkeeper was counting when we arrived. It's likely he ratted her out." Kaz shook his head.

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

Inej was by the window now, inspecting it. "They had a clear line of attack.

"Take a look. Make sure there aren't any more surprises." Kaz instructed her.

Inej left through the window, soundless and undetectable.

"We've lost our way into the Little Palace."

Jesper sighed. This impossible mission maybe was really impossible. It was going to be harder than they thought.

When the three left the inn, Inej swooped down next to them. "All clear."

"There seems like a reasonable juncture to abandon this whole sun summoner plan." Arken tried to get Kaz to give it up.

But he was not convinced. "Abandon? We're in this now. For a million kruge. Arken, you get us across the Fold and I'll figure the rest out on the other side."

Arken sighed and set down his bag. The conductor pulled out a small notepad and started making a list. "To cross, I'll need 20 pounds of alabaster coal, a peck of Majdaloun jurda— not the kind from Kerch. It's too weak. And uh..."

He looked Jesper up and down. "...a goat."

Jesper's face contorted in confusion. He looked towards Inej, who also looked confused, and Kaz, who didn't show anything at all.

"Now," The conductor continued in a whisper. "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." Kaz instructed. She nodded, understanding her order. "I'll get the goat. And Jesper..."

He walked towards him to emphasize  his instructions. "Just the coal, no detours."

Jesper chuckled and took the paper from Kaz. "I got it."

He in fact, did not get it. He did try though. Jesper asked a fruit booth seller where the alabaster coal was, but he didn't get far before the tempting shouts of a dealer caught his ear.

"Eleven! Dealer wins all!"

He stopped to look, but then resisted and started walking away.

Jesper didn't get far at all before another shout was his breaking point. "Who's feeling lucky?"

He walked up to the gambling table and pulled out the cash he got from Kaz to buy the coal. "Is this an open table?"

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Freya thought there was one peculiar girl in her class. She had light brown hair and green eyes— a heartrender like her. Nina Zenik was beautiful and the same age as her.

"Nina! Stop being so reckless." Their instructor scolded.

"I am not reckless." Nina snarled back. She blew a strand of hair from her eyes and faced back to the instructor.

"Yes you are. You're impulsive, you don't think before you act."

Nina's fists bunched up at her sides and she opened her mouth to bite back, but tightly closed it back up. She stormed away from the training field.

The instructor shook his head in disappointment and continued on.

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Later at dinner, Freya spotted the heartrender angrily picking at her food. She huffed and shoved her plate away.

"Hi, I'm Freya." She introduced herself.

"Nina Zenik." She looked up at her. Freya took the seat next to her.

"You're a heartrender like me, so I was hoping we could be friends."

Nina raised a brow. "You sure you want to be friends with someone reckless like me?"

"I don't think you're reckless. You're powerful, and as long as you have power you can do anything."

"Well—" Nina smiled. "I think we're going to be wonderful friends."

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i love nina with all my heart <3

not read throughh