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CHAPTER THREE
the sun summoner

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"I really appreciate the new business, but you've only paid for an hour of my time, and I have to be back at the Orchid in an hour." The Heartrender, Milana, stated from behind Celestine and Kaz who walked side by side.

"The Orchid isn't safe tonight," Kaz warned, "You're life's in danger with this job, you should make yourself scarce for a few days afterwards."

"Mr. Brekker, are you threatening me, really?" Milana questioned and Celestine rolled her eyes, "Hardly."

They hadn't been with the blonde for more than fifteen minutes and Celestine already wanted to get rid of her as quick as possible.

The Heartrender huffed, "Even if I'm nice, my boss will call the stadwatch on you."

Celestine stopped abruptly, spinning round to face the blonde, reaching her breaking point, "It's not us you're in danger with, Milana, it's Pekka Rollins— I assume you know who he is, yes?"

Milana gave a small nod in confirmation, but gave the Soulbearer a look of confidence, "My boss will call the stadwatch on him as well."

Celestine scoffed, turning back around, "And that's why he's already dead."

"Who are you lot?" A man called from the other side of the estate gates, as Kaz held out a gloved hand for Celestine to drop the small pouch of coins into, "We're here to see Dreesen."

"You're not in Pekka's Crew." The man pointed out as Kaz started towards the gates, "And you're not in Pekka's pocket anymore if you don't owe him." Kaz threw the little bag through the bars of the gate for the man to catch.

The next thing they know, the Crows and their Heartrender are waltzing through, the man preoccupied with his small bag of money.

"Hey," Jesper wedged himself between Kaz and Celestine, "Where'd you get that coin?"

Kaz gave him a smirk, just as the man let out a yell, making them all whirl around, "Hey! One of these has a hole in it!"

Jesper looked to Celestine in disbelief, "Saints."

The brunette laughed, just as Kaz was ushering them all into the estate.

"One look and I can tell— criminals," Dreesen pointed a finger at the group walking through his office doors, Kaz and Celestine upfront with Jesper, Inej and Milana behind them, "I'm not meeting anyone until midnight."

"We heard you needed a Heartrender." Celestine told him, taking a quick glance at Milana who gave a small smile and wave at the wealthy merchant.

Dreesen hummed in response, standing from his desk, hands leaning on top, "Alright, she stays, the rest of you— out."

Milana took a single step forward when Kaz nudged Celestine with his cane, jutting his head softly to the side at the blonde.

Celestine grasped the fabric of her sleeve, keeping her in place as Kaz spoke, "She stays, and we have an exclusive on this job."

"Mr. Brekker—" Celestine let go of the Heartrender's clothing, letting her step back as Dreesen rounded the table, leaning against it, "No business man worth their salt hires their first applicant."

"No, I understand," Kaz assured, sharing a brief glance with the girl beside him, "Of course, however, my Sparrow here will have to report you to the guild, for kidnapping and harbouring a prisoner without chain of title."

From behind the merchant, one of his men brush his coat to the side, revealing a gun holstered to his hip in attempt to intimidate the group so they'd back down, but Jesper copied the man's actions, putting his own holstered gun on display.

Dreesen's gaze flitted from Kaz to Celesine, "She wouldn't."

"Oh, but she would." Celestine quipped, arching an eyebrow, challenging him.

"'No businessman worth his salt' bargain for what they can take." Kaz snarled, using Dreesen's words against him.

The merchant stood, sauntering forwards to stand in front of the two.

It's subtle, and Dreesen doesn't even notice, but Kaz held his cane against Celestine's shins, forcing her to take a small step backwards.

Both Dreesen and Kaz stare each other down until the Heartrender raised her hand, "I have to be back in an hour."

"Alright, come on." The older man walked through the group and out of the doors to his office.

Kaz nodded at Celestine, gesturing for her to go first before he followed on.

Dreesen guided them down to a basement filled with wine racks and someone restrained to a chair in the middle of the room, their back hunched and a bag over their heads.

"Who's this?" Kaz questioned as Dreesen looked down at his prisoner, "So you don't know everything aft—"

"I think I have a guess as to who that may be," Celestine cut in, "Two weeks ago, according to Tarasov's Viperidae, a man crossed through the fold, on foot... alone— I'm guessing that this is that man, no?"

Dreesen seemed impressed, "Hmm, you seem to live up to your reputation, Miss Allaire— nothing seems to get past you," He yanked the bag off of the prisoner's head, "But she is quite right, this is Alexei Stepanov."

Alexei's face is littered with cuts and blood and dirt and his bright blue eyes looked liked they'd seen a ghost.

"How?" Inej asked, looking at Celestine first who shrugged, before turning to Dreesen who poured himself a drink, "Well, they're keeping it quiet, but allegedly, he was one of a few witnesses to... an event."

"Water." Alexei croaked, Inej taking upon herself to tend to him, glaring at Dreesen as she poured a glass of water, sauntering over to Alexei and helping him drink.

Kaz watched them closely, "What kind of event?"

"I know an expedition was swarmed by volcra— should've been a total loss, but something happened," Dreesen informed, sipping at the drink in his hand, "Some device detonated, obliterated the volcra, lit up the dark like a forest fire."

"I know it wasn't a fire or else no one would have survived, this was some invention no one had seen before— he knows," Dreesen jabbed a finger in Alexei's direction, setting his glass down, "But he doesn't seem to be able to articulate his account of events," The merchant sauntered close to Kaz's side, "Some form of... traumatic lapse."

With a nod from Celestine, Milana made her way to Alexei as Inej stepped away.

They all watched the Heartrender work her magic, uttering soothing words of comfort and slowly running the tips of her fingers from his palm to his wrist, slowing his heart rate.

"Tell me what happened in the Fold," Milana coaxed softly, "What saved you?"

"You won't believe me but... it was a Sun Summoner." Alexei confessed and a quiet gasp left Inej's lips from beside Celestine.

The Soulbearer looked towards the Suli girl who turned to her not a moment later.

She placed a hand to her chest, and hope filled Inej's eyes, making Celestine's lips curl up into a small smile at the sight.

Something jabbed at her boot so the brunette looked over to Kaz, who gave her a questioning look, his gaze shifting between Celestine's hand and her face.

She lifted her hand to him as he tapped the ink on her wrist— a crescent shaped moon with a sword through the middle, vines and roses curled around the blade and hilt, the symbol of the Soulbearers.

Celestine knew what he was referring to— could it be?

She shook her head, it couldn't be possible, every Soulbearer was dead, with the exception of Celestine, but she understood what Kaz was thinking.

A Soulbearer could obliterate anyone or anything standing in their way if they really wanted to, and Kaz knew that first hand.

When he had first encountered Celestine, she was alone and scared, blood-soaked and littered with cuts and grazes, limping through the alleyways of Ketterdam, clutching her ruby-hilted knife for dear life, praying to Sankta Aristeia that the Drüskelle wouldn't find her.

He wasn't one for charity, but when light emitted from the palm of her hand when she touched her chest, he knew she was something he couldn't lose.

Kaz doesn't know when that fine line between work and a friendship of sorts faded or how it happened, but it did— and he hated himself for it.

"Who was it?" Dreesen asked, crouching in front of Alexei, "If I tell you, you'll set me free?"

"You have my word," The merchant assured, "I'll set you free."

Celestine gaze faltered, falling on to the floor as she listened to the empty promises Dreesen made, "You're in Ketterdam now, Alexei, you can go anywhere in the world from here."

Alexei looked to Milana who nodded softly, her fingertips still gently pressed to his wrist.

"Her name is... Alina Starkov." He confessed.

Celestine lifted her head and found Alexei looking right at her, blue eyes swimming with fear.

"Show me the manifest." Dreesen ordered one of his men.

He brushed past Celestine but not once does she look behind her like the Crows do, instead she kept her eyes on Alexei.

She concentrated on his figure until she saw a soft, warm glow appear at his chest— his soul.

It wasn't tarnished or corrupted or dark, but it was light and shone brightly, a sign that he was good, that he didn't have a bad bone in his body, which made the next coming events harder to bare.

"Perfect." Dreesen's voice snapped Celestine from her concentration on Alexei, who looked behind her at the merchant, "You'll set me free now?"

"Thank you— of course." Dreesen whirled around and pulled the trigger on the gun in his hand.

The gunshot echoed throughout the room, along with Milana's horrified scream when the bullet embedded itself in Alexei's skull.

Jesper turned swiftly as Inej jumped in her place, startled at the loud sound.

Kaz doesn't move an inch and neither does Celestine, she watched the light of Alexei's soul dim until there's nothing but a dark, gaping hole where his life-force once was.

"We are now the only people west of the Fold with this information," Dreesen informed them all, "My ship sails for West Ravka at Dawn— if you can prove that you have a way through the Fold and back, I'll put you on that ship with an advance, if you don't, I'm giving this job to Pekka Rollins."

"Give me a day," Kaz reasoned, turning to watch Dreesen retreating figure, "I'll have a plan."

"You have until sunrise," Dreesen told him, turning to face Kaz, "Then your ship will have sailed, Mr. Brekker, the prize is ten million kruge— now bring me Alina Starkov."

Dreesen left, leaving the Crows and their Sparrow in the room alone.

Celestine glanced at Kaz who was already deep in thought, his brain already in overdrive.

She knew that if anyone could make a plan this quick, it would be Kaz Brekker.

...