Crooked Kingdom (32 page)

“I don't know what the
parem
did to me. I have to believe the effects will wear off in time.”

“And if they don't?”

“They have to,” she said, brow furrowed. “I can't live like this. It's like … being only half of myself. Although…”

“Although?” he urged.

“The craving isn't quite so bad right now,” she said as if realizing it herself. “In fact, I've barely thought of
parem
since the fight at the tavern.”

“Using this new power helped?”

“Maybe,” she said cautiously. “And—” She frowned. Matthias heard a low, curling growl.

“Was that your
stomach
?”

“It was.” Nina's face split in a dazzling grin. “Matthias, I'm famished.”

Could she truly be healing at last? Or had what she'd done at the tavern returned her appetite to her? He didn't care. He was just glad she was smiling that way. He picked her up and spun her in the air.

“You're going to strain something if you keep doing that,” she said with another radiant smile.

“You're light as a feather.”

“I do not want to see that bird. Now let's go get me a stack of waffles twice as tall as you. I—”

She broke off, the color draining from her face. “Oh, Saints.”

Matthias followed her gaze over his shoulder and found himself looking into his own eyes. A poster had been plastered to the wall, emblazoned with a scarily accurate sketch of his face. Above and beside the illustration, written in several different languages, was a single word:
WANTED
.

Nina snatched the poster from the wall. “You were supposed to be dead.”

“Someone must have asked to see Muzzen's body before it was burned.” Maybe the Fjerdans. Maybe just someone at the prison. There were more words printed at the bottom in Kerch that Matthias couldn't read, but he understood his own name and the number well enough. “Fifty thousand
kruge
. They're offering a reward for my capture.”

“No,” Nina said. She pointed to the text beneath the large number and translated, “
Wanted: Matthias Helvar. Dead or alive.
They've put a price on your head.”

 

16

J
ESPER

When Nina and Matthias came charging into the tomb, Jesper wanted to leap up from the table and waltz with them both. He'd spent the last hour trying to explain to Kuwei how they would reach the embassy, and he was starting to get the distinct impression the kid was playing dumb—possibly because he was enjoying the ridiculous gestures Jesper was making.

“Could you repeat the last part?” Kuwei said now, leaning in a little too close.

“Nina,” Jesper said. “Can you help facilitate this exchange?”

“Thank the Saints,” said Inej, leaving off her work at the table with Wylan and Kaz. They were assembling the mass of wires and gear Kaz had stolen from the Cirkus Zirkoa. Wylan had spent the last two hours making modifications to ensure Inej's safety at the silos, attaching magnetized clamps that would grip their metal sides.

“Why do you keep staring at him?” Kuwei said. “I look just like him. You could look at me.”

“I'm not staring at him,” protested Jesper. “I'm … overseeing their work.” The sooner Kuwei got on that boat, the better. The tomb was starting to feel crowded.

“Did you manage to contact the refugees?” Inej asked, waving Nina over to the table and clearing a place for her to sit.

“Everything went smoothly,” said Nina. “Aside from breaking a few windows and nearly getting shot.”

Kaz looked up from the table, his interest secured.

“Big trouble in Little Ravka?” asked Jesper.

“Nothing we couldn't handle,” Nina said. “Please tell me there's something to eat.”

“You're hungry?” said Inej.

They all goggled at Nina. She curtsied. “Yes, yes, Nina Zenik is hungry. Now will someone feed me before I'm forced to cook one of you?”

“Don't be ridiculous,” said Jesper. “You don't know how to cook.”

Inej was already digging through what remained of their stockpile of food, placing the meager offerings of salt cod, dried meat, and stale crackers before Nina.

“What happened at the tavern?” asked Kaz.

“The refugees are in hiding at the embassy,” said Matthias. “We met—”

“Their leader,” said Nina. “They'll be waiting for word from us.” She shoved two crackers into her mouth. “These are awful.”

“Slow down,” said Matthias. “You're going to choke.”

“Worth it,” Nina said, struggling to swallow.

“For crackers?”

“I'm pretending they're pie. When does the boat leave?”

“We found a shipment of molasses headed for Os Kervo leaving at eleven bells,” said Inej. “Specht is working on the documents now.”

“Good,” said Nina, uncrumpling a piece of paper from her pocket and smoothing it onto the table. A sketch of Matthias looked back at them. “We need to get out of town as soon as possible.”

“Damn it,” Jesper said. “Kaz and Wylan are still in the lead.” He gestured to where they'd pasted up the rest of the wanted posters: Jesper, Kaz, and Inej were all there. Van Eck hadn't yet dared to plaster Kuwei Yul-Bo's face over every surface in Ketterdam, but he'd had to maintain the pretense of searching for his son, so there was also a poster offering a reward for Wylan Van Eck's safe return. It showed his old features, but Jesper didn't think it was much of a likeness. Only Nina was missing. She'd never met Van Eck, and though she had connections to the Dregs, it was possible he didn't know of her involvement.

Matthias examined the posters. “One hundred thousand
kruge
!” He shot a disbelieving glower at Kaz. “You're hardly worth that.”

The hint of a smile tugged at Kaz's lips. “As the market wills it.”

“Tell me about it,” said Jesper. “They're only offering thirty thousand for me.”

“Your lives are at stake,” said Wylan. “How can you act like this is a competition?”

“We're stuck in a tomb, merchling. You take the action where you find it.”

“Maybe we should
all
go to Ravka,” said Nina, tapping Inej's wanted poster. “It isn't safe for you to remain here.”

“It's not a bad idea,” said Kaz.

Inej cast him a swift glance. “You'd go to Ravka?”

“Not a chance. I'll lie low here. I want to see Van Eck's life come apart when the hammer falls.”

“But you could come,” Nina said to Inej. “Jesper? We could bring Colm too.”

Jesper thought of his father, stuck in some lavish suite at the Geldrenner, probably wearing the carpet down to the floorboards with his pacing. Just two days had passed since he'd watched his father's broad back disappear between the graves as Rotty shepherded him off Black Veil, but it felt like far longer. Since then, Jesper had nearly been killed by Grisha hunters and had a price placed on his head. But if they could just get this job done tonight, his father wouldn't have to know any of that.

“No way,” said Jesper. “I want Da to get his money as fast as possible and then get back to Novyi Zem. I'm not going to sleep easy until he's safe on the farm. We'll hide out at his hotel until Van Eck has been discredited and the sugar market goes crazy.”

“Inej?” said Nina.

They all looked to the Wraith—except Jesper. He watched Kaz, curious to see how he would react to the prospect of Inej leaving town. But Kaz's expression was impassive, as if waiting to hear what time dinner might be served.

Inej shook her head. “When I go to Ravka, it will be on my own ship, piloted by my own crew.”

Jesper's brows shot up. “Since when are you a seafarer? And what sane person would want to spend more time on a boat?”

Inej smiled. “I've heard this city drives people mad.”

Kaz drew his watch from his waistcoat. “We're coming up on eight bells. Van Eck is gathering the Merchant Council at his house for a meeting tonight.”

“Do you think they'll devote more resources to the search for Wylan?” asked Nina.

“Probably. It's not our concern anymore. The noise and people coming and going will provide good cover for Wylan and me to get the seal out of the safe. Nina and Inej will hit Sweet Reef at the same time. The guards patrol the silos' perimeter constantly, and it takes about twelve minutes for them to make it around the fence. They always leave someone to watch the gate, so be smart about the approach.” He placed a tiny stoppered bottle on the table. “This is coffee extract. Kuwei, Nina, Jesper, I want you all wearing plenty of it. If those Shu soldiers really can scent Grisha, this might throw them off.”

“Coffee?” asked Kuwei, popping the cork and taking a tentative sniff.

“Clever,” said Jesper. “We used to pack illegal shipments of
jurda
and spices in coffee grounds to throw off the
stadwatch
dogs. Confuses their noses.”

Nina took the bottle and dabbed a generous amount of the extract behind her ears and at her wrists. “Let's hope the Kherguud work the same way.”

“Your refugees had better be ready,” said Kaz. “How many are there?”

“Fewer than we thought. Fifteen and um … some of the people from the embassy too. A total of seventeen.”

“Plus you, Matthias, Wylan, and Kuwei. Twenty-one. Specht will forge the letter accordingly.”

“I'm not going,” said Wylan.

Jesper clasped his fingers together to make them stay still. “No?”

“I'm not letting my father run me out of this city again.”

“Why is everyone so determined to stay in this miserable town?” Nina grumbled.

Jesper tipped his chair back, studying Kaz. He'd shown no surprise that Wylan wanted to remain in Ketterdam. “You knew,” he said, putting the pieces together. “You knew Wylan's mother was alive.”

“Wylan's mother is alive?” said Nina.

“Why do you think I let you two go to Olendaal?” Kaz said.

Wylan blinked. “And you knew I was lying about the quarry.”

Jesper felt a spike of rage. It was one thing for Kaz to mess with him, but Wylan wasn't like the rest of them. Despite the bad hand he'd drawn with his father, Wylan hadn't let his circumstances or this city knock the goodness out of him. He still believed people could do right. Jesper pointed a finger at Kaz. “You shouldn't have sent him to Saint Hilde blind like that. It was cruel.”

“It was necessary.”

Wylan's fists were clenched. “Why?”

“Because you still didn't understand what your father really is.”

“You could have told me.”

“You were angry. Angry wears off. I needed you righteous.”

Wylan crossed his arms. “Well, you've got me.”

Kaz folded his hands over his cane. “It's getting late, so everybody put away your
Poor Wylan
hankies and set your minds to the task at hand. Matthias, Jesper, and Kuwei will leave for the embassy at half past nine bells. You approach from the canal. Jesper, you're tall, brown, and conspicuous—”

“All synonyms for delightful.”

“And that means you'll have to be twice as careful.”

“There's always a price to be paid for greatness.”

“Try to take this seriously,” said Kaz, voice like a rusty blade. Was that actual concern? Jesper tried not to wonder if it was for him or the job. “Move quickly and get everyone to the docks no sooner than ten. I don't want all of you hanging around attracting attention. We meet at Third Harbor, berth fifteen. The ship is called the
Verrhader
. It sails the route from Kerch to Ravka several times a year.” He rose. “Stay smart and stay quiet. None of this works if Van Eck gets wise.”

“And stay safe,” added Inej. “I want to celebrate with all of you when that boat leaves the harbor.”

Jesper wanted that too. He wanted to see them all safe on the other side of this night. He raised his hand. “Will there be champagne?”

Nina finished the last of the crackers, licking her fingers. “
I'll
be there, and I'm effervescent.”

After that, there was nothing to do but finish packing up their gear. There would be no grand goodbye.

Jesper shuffled over to the table where Wylan was packing his satchel and pretended to search for something he needed in the pile of maps and documents.

He hesitated, then said, “You could stay with me and Da. If you want. At the hotel. If you need a place to wait everything out.”

“Really?”

“Sure,” Jesper said with a shrug that didn't feel right on his shoulders. “Inej and Kaz too. We can't all scatter before the comeuppance is delivered.”

“And after that? When your father's loan is paid, will you go back to Novyi Zem?”

“I should.”

Wylan waited. Jesper didn't have an answer for him. If he went back to the farm, he'd be away from the temptations of Ketterdam and the Barrel. But he might just find some new kind of trouble to get into. And there would be so much money. Even after the loan was paid, there would still be more than three million
kruge
. He shrugged again. “Kaz is the planner.”

“Sure,” said Wylan, but Jesper could see the disappointment in his face.

“I suppose you've got your future all figured out?”

“No. I just know I'm going to get my mother out of that place and try to build some kind of life for us.” Wylan nodded to the posters on the wall. “Is this really what you want? To be a criminal? To keep bouncing from the next score to the next fight to the next near miss?”

“Honestly?” Jesper knew Wylan probably wasn't going to like what he said next.

“It's time,” Kaz said from the doorway.