Chapter Text
Inej stared out the window as dread formed in her chest. Van Eck had a triumphant smile on his face. Shouts and gunshots came from outside
"Of course, I still placed guards around the parameter. I wouldn't want to make it too easy." Inej thought about her words earlier.
"He won't trade me if I'm broken."
She'd said it in a panic.
"I'd be useless to him."
She had said so as a last resort. Though it felt like the truth. But here Kaz was, walking into Van Eck's trap. Had this merchant really done it? Had he outwitted Kaz?
"I've been waiting long, Ms. Ghafa and tonight your Mister Brekker is finally going to give me what I'm owed."
She doubted it. Kaz wouldn't tell Van Eck where Kuwei was no matter what.
"He won't tell you anything." Kaz won't. The merchant clicked his tongue, circling around her.
"I only wonder which will prove more effective." He stopped in front of her, leaning close. "Torturing Mister Brekker, or making him watch as I torture you."
The thought made a shiver run down her back. She didn't want to see Kaz being tortured, especially because she knew him enough to know he'd let himself pass from pain before speaking unless he was sure to get his money.
Van Eck leaned back. "I can tell you now, Wraith. The first thing I'll do is strip him of his gloves and break every last one of his thieving fingers."
Inej swallowed and she looked back at the window. She thought about Jesper. About Nina and Matthias. About Wylan who deserved so much better than this excuse of a father. About Kaz.
They'd risked their lives at the ice court. Would it really all be for nothing?
"Mister Brekker is.. an interesting man." Van Eck started. "Smart in the ways that matter." He trailed off.
"He won't tell you anything." She repeated, but she was as sure anymore.
Van Eck could beat Kaz unconscious over and over again and he wouldn't say anything, but if he took his gloves? She knew he hated skin on skin. She wasn't sure why, but she knew he passed out in that carriage.
"Oh, he'll talk, trust me, wraith." Something in his voice made her stomach churn. His eyes shone with a glint of cruel enjoyment. "Once I'm done with him, he'l be screaming."
He pulled away and turned, walking to the window. "Could you imagine that?" He asked. "Mister Brekker, down on his knees, begging?"
Inej felt her cheeks heat. She couldn't. Not really. She felt almost ashamed on Kaz's behalf. A certain urge to defend his name in his absence. It was stupid, really. Dirtyhands didn't need defending.
She couldn't imagine Kaz broken down. Couldn't see his ego break (no matter how annoying it was). Would she be forced to witniss that tonight? Tomorrow?
Van Eck leaned against the wall, mustering her. He looked amused.
"Could you imagine him crying?" He drawled.
"You think the bastard of the barrel can't take a beating?" Inej asked quietly. She wasn't interested in hearing him monologue about his fantasies.
He laughed. "Oh please, there was no talk of a beating. Not necessarily. You see, Wraith," he spit. "A lot of my men lost something to Brekker. A friend, an eye, their rank, their dignity. I'm sure they can get creative."
Inej stayed quiet.
"And if they can't, there's lots of enemies in the barrel that would be happy to take their place instead. Some would pay good money, even. Just to get free reign over Dirtyhands for an hour or two. Brekker made sure of that." There was a bitter sweet tone in his voice.
"You know that."
"I know that."
Inej shifted. Kaz had made a lot of enemies. She thought of Geels that night at the exchange.
"You'll get what's coming for you, Brekker"
Would Geels pay money to hurt Kaz? Would some of the Blacktips? Would other gangs? Tante Heleen? There were so many, weren't there?
All the threats and heists and cons.
"How would that make you feel?" Van Eck asked. "If I rented your little hero out.." He savoured the words on his tongue. "Rented him out.. like a whore?"
Inej felt sick.
"I'm sure some of his enemies would love to use him exactly like that."
"You're disgusting."
"Perhaps. But it could be a good business venture. He'd bring in a lot of profit, I'm sure."
"Shut up." The words left her mouth before she could think it through and the merchant chuckled hard.
"Does that make you uncomfortable? Can't imagine him on his chest, head buried in a pillow, hands clenched into a bedsheet, moaning-"
"You seem invested." Inej choked out. She would throw up if he continued talking. She could imagine that.
Van Eck shrugged. "I would like to get Kuwei quickly. I'm just going over the methods that could work the fastest."
"You could give us our money."
"So you can commit more crimes?" He laughed, pushing himself off the wall. "I can already envision all the plans Brekker has in his genius brain on just how to use his share of thirty million kruge."
Inej could too. At least she hoped she could. Van Eck's eyes found the window again. The commotion outside had started to quiet down.
"Seems their strength is starting to fail."
"You don't know that." Still, she followed his gaze to the window.
"Would you like to place a wager, then, Miss Ghafa?"
Inej looked back at him.
"How long will Brekker last under torture? An hour?"
"He won't tell you anything." She repeated. The corners of his lips turned up.
"At least someone in this city has faith in him. O suppose it's something." He sat down in a chair in the corner. "Perhaps you can pray to one of your saints for him. We will se if they listen."
Inej couldn’t get the conversation out of her head. Not once it was clear Van Eck had miscalculated. Not when she was on Goedmere‘s bridge. Not once she was finally ‚save‘.
She‘d heard Kaz being threatened before, of course. Countless times, but this felt different. It stuck. She was glad she was out, but still, she didn’t feel like herself just yet.
“He didn’t hurt you. Did he?“ Nina asked while sitting down in the seat next to her. Inej shook her head.
Nina didn’t look much better than when Inej had last seen her. She‘d lost weight, dark circles were under her eyes and her hair was knotted. Parem had taken much out of her.
There was a box of cookies in her hands.
“You seem distracted.“
Inej took a cookie. „I‘m thinking.“
“Tell me your thoughts, then.“
She shifted. „I‘m not sure.“
Nina nudged her shoulder. „Come on.“
“Van Eck talked about his plans.“ She managed. „What he wanted to do to Kaz if he caught him.“
“Ah.“ Nina took a small bite of her cookie. „That‘s it?“
Inej laughed. „Yes, that‘s pretty much it.“
Nina‘s brows furrowed. „Anything specific? I mean– I‘m just trying to understand what you‘re so shaken up about.“
A lot. Inej thought grimly. She couldn’t blame Nina. All of them had heard enemies say they‘d skin Kaz alive, drown him in a harbour, much worse things. Kaz himself had threatened worse things.
It was normal for Kaz to be threatened. It was a given part of any and all exchanges in the barrel. But in that time it had never been rape. It made sense in a way. She supposed.
Kaz- arrogant, cocky, untouchable, modest Kaz.
She should‘ve expected it perhaps. A child criminal prodigy in a place like Ketterdam. Maybe she was looking too far into this. It was possible it was just Van Eck, that he was an exception not the rule. Inej leaned against Nina and told her everything.