CHAPTER 6

In Tandem

     Mere moments before Brynn was pulled onto the streets of West Stave, Van Eck had his guards force her to be still, their meaty hands grabbing onto her arms and shoulders, one grabbing her head to open her mouth. She forced back the black spots in her vision. She would not tremble and fear over something that had no right being fearful.

As soon as the rusty powder touched her mouth, Brynn felt everything. She saw the dust in the air, the breaths of the people around her. The gruff words of the guards filled her vision, she could even see Van Eck's fancy tailoring in his black coat.

Brynn drew in a sharp breath, standing up straighter as she stared at everything around her in wonder, as if this was the first time she'd seen anything.

"How does it feel, Miss Adala?" Van Eck asked smugly.

"Like I could kill you all without lifting a finger." They all took a cautionary step away from her, the guards holding her drawing their pistols and holding her tighter. "You needn't worry, though. Your fates are not to die by my hand, though you all will suffer."

Van Eck raised an eyebrow and Brynn could practically feel the unease coming from him. "Is that so? You don't seem like the merciless type."

Brynn raised her gaze to meet his eyes. "Slap yourself." In an instant, he'd slapped himself. "Move away from me and turn your pistols on each other." Before the guards around her could react, they stepped away from her, guns aimed at each other. "Remember who has the power here, Van Eck. Relax."

She let them relax and stepped back, face calm and voice even more so. Brynn nodded to the door. "We should get going. Wouldn't want to keep Brekker waiting, would we?"

Brynn felt the anxiety in the guards around her the entire way to Goedmedbridge coming off of them in waves. The strength and control she had running through her was almost overwhelming. She knew she could take control at any moment, but then that would most likely ruin Kaz's plans. Brynn had been on the other side of Kaz's wrath too many times for her liking.

The crowds around Brynn were loud, and she could hear every one of their conversations. A group of Zemeni girls were giggling about a boy they'd passed earlier along the street as they shopped for clothes. A Shu couple spoke in soft tones about their anniversary plans. Two college students laughed about something funny that had happened in their class earlier that week. Brynn could have made them all stop with a single word, but she kept herself restrained.

Soon, they made it to Goedmedbridge. Brynn had been so focused on the conversations around her that she nearly stumbled and bumped into Van Eck in front of her when they stopped. She glanced over his shoulder to the other side of the bridge.

It had been cleared of people, except for two figures standing at the entrance of the bridge. Kaz Brekker stood with his head held high, cold eyes studying Van Eck's entourage with a gloved hand on the pregnant girl's shoulder next to him. Brynn figured she was Alys Van Eck, Jan Van Eck's pregnant wife.

Brynn's eyes locked onto Kaz's dark ones. She could hear the pounding of his heart in her ears, his breath catching for a split second. But when his breathing returned to normal, his heart thumped a fast rhythm. She noticed the deep circles under his eyes and how his limp seemed to be worse than she'd ever seen it. Or maybe now that she could see everything, it just looked worse to her.

Van Eck and Kaz exchanged curt nods. Brynn saw the strain in his hand that was on Alys' shoulder. A light breeze cut through the bridge, blowing her hair gently.

Van Eck signaled to his men and they grabbed into Brynn's arms, ushering her forward. Kaz and Alys made slow progress across the bridge, until both parties were about ten paces apart. Kaz's eyes flickered to Brynn's again, and he sucked in a breath when he took in her figure.

Brynn knew the exact moment Kaz was seriously considering ending Van Eck's life, right then and there. He knew what a Grisha on parem looked like, and Brynn was the outstanding example. Kaz's eyes narrowed on the mercher as Brynn was forced next to him.

He grinned, setting a hand on Brynn's shoulder. She might have flinched, if the drug hadn't scared away any flashbacks that would make her do so. But she didn't, keeping her steely gaze on Kaz instead.

"Brekker, this is what happens when you let a Grisha stay in my grasp for too long. She gets what she deserves." Brynn nearly made him slap himself, just for good measure, and to even out the pink on the one side of his face.

Kaz's stare hardened. "You gave her parem," he growled. His hand tightened on Alys' shoulder. "Why?"

Van Eck simply shrugged. "I wanted to know what it would do to a Healer and an Inferni."

"I'm wondering if you really want your wife back," Kaz said. "Or if you'd rather she give birth to your heir in the company of my Dregs—"

"That wasn't the deal, Brekker."

"Neither was this."

Brynn sighed. "Kaz. I'm fine."

"But you won't be, and Van Eck knows that," his raspy voice replied calmly, but Brynn could hear the tension in his voice.

"It seems Brekker would like you back," said Van Eck. "But just a moment. Alys, what are we naming the child?"

"Very good," Kaz said. "Seems an old dog can learn a new trick. Besides rolling over."

Van Eck ignored him. "Alys," he repeated, keeping his attention on his wife, "what name are we giving the child?"

"The baby?" replied Alys in confusion. "Jan if it's a boy. Plumje if it's a girl."

"We agreed Plumje is what you're naming your new parakeet."

Alys' lip jutted out. "I never agreed."

"Oh, I think Plumje is a lovely name for a girl," said Kaz. "Satisfied, merch?"

Van Eck pursed his lips, but nodded once. He ushered Alys forward and gave Brynn a nudge.

Before Alys reached them, Brynn glanced at the mercher. "Make no mistake, Van Eck. I had every opportunity to kill you and your guards, but I didn't. Be grateful for that and remember I was willing to give you mercy. I'm a little wicked, and you should watch out." She turned and took a step, before looking back over her shoulder at him. "If I die from this drug, I won't be able to stop Kaz Brekker from whatever he will do to you. And frankly, I'm not quite sure I will if I survive, either."

Brynn shuffled back towards Kaz, her shackles clanging together. He watched her carefully, a lockpick barely visible between his fingers. Ten feet. Five feet. Two feet. Then she was before him.

Kaz took out an oyster knife to see to the ropes around her wrists, but Brynn shook her head. "I got this. Get my feet." He nodded and kneeled down to take the shackles off her feet. Brynn centered her breathing, summoning a small bit of fire to burn the ropes off. They singed and crumpled to the ground, merely a pile of ashes.

"Let's get out of here," said Kaz as he was almost finished with her shackles.

"Mister Brekker," Van Eck shouted from the other side of the bridge. Brynn could hear the excitement in his voice. She figured he'd plan something else. "You gave me your words, Kaz Brekker!" Everyone within earshot turned to stare. "You swore you would return my wife and son to me! Where are you keeping Wylan?"

A tide of purple moved toward the bridge from Van Eck's side, stadwatch flooding onto the Stave, rifles raised, cudgels drawn. "Seal off the bridge!" one of them shouted. Behind them, another group of stadwatch officers blocked their retreat.

The merch was finally making this interesting.

~~~

Van Eck grinned. "Shall we play for real now, Mister Bekker? The might of my city against your band of thugs?"

Kaz shoved Brynn's shoulder as an officer approached. Her eyes widened slightly, irises dilated. She took in a deep breath and Kaz heard a thump of a body behind him. He whirled around to see one stadwatch officer down, his own cudgel protruding from between his eyes, and more purple uniforms rushing toward them from all directions. Kaz didn't bother asking how Brynn got the cudgel from the officer to stab him with it.

He raised his cane to signal Jesper. "West side flower boat," he told Brynn. She gave him a small nod, then leapt onto the railing of the bridge and vanished over the side, light as a feather. Kaz didn't spend time wondering how much easier it was for her than it would have been before.

The first set of fireworks exploded overhead, pale color in the noon light. The plan was in motion.

Kaz yanked a loop climbing line from inside his pocket and hooked it to the rail. He snagged the head of his cane on the railing beside it, hauled himself up, and vaulted over the side, his momentum carrying him out above the canal. The cord snapped taut, and he arced back toward the bridge like a pendulum, dropping onto the deck of the flower barge beside Brynn.

Brynn watched with wonder as a series of booms sounded, bursts of pink and green exploding in the sky above the Stave. Tourists cheered at the spectacle, but they didn't seem to notice that two of the explosions had come from the canal and had blown holes in the prow of one of the stadwatch boats moving their way. Nicely done, Wylan and Sasha. Kaz knew Brynn's sister would have a purpose in his plans, he just wasn't sure how soon she would be able to fit into them.

Kaz heaved a flat of wild geraniums into the canal over the protests of the flower seller and grabbed the clothes Matthias had stashed there earlier that morning. He swept the red cloak around Brynn's shoulders in a rain of petals and blossoms, her smile like one of a child's seeing the colorful world for the first time.

"Thank you," she whispered to him as he tossed her a Mister Crimson mask that matched his own.

"For what?"

She put it on quickly, but her gaze didn't stray from his. "For saving me."

"Good to have you back, Adala"

"Good to be back, Kaz." Brynn let out a shuddering breath, wrapping the cloak tighter around her shoulders. "Ready?"

Kaz paused. "Wait," he said, listening. In a moment, he heard the sound he'd been waiting for, the musical tinkle of coins hitting the pavement, followed by shrieks of delight from the crowd. "Now."

They grabbed onto the cord and Kaz gave it a sharp tug. With a high-pitched whir, the chord retracted, yanking them upward in a burst of speed. They were back on the bridge in moments, but the scene awaiting them was much different from the one they'd escaped less than two minutes before.

West Stave was in chaos. Mister Crimsons were everywhere, fifty, sixty, seventy of them in red masks and cloaks, tossing coins into the air as tourists and locals alike pushed and shoved, laughing and shouting, crawling on hands and knees, completely oblivious to the stadwatch officers trying to get past them. Brynn's eyes searched the crowds, the light reflecting off of her hair despite her hood.

"Clear the way!" shouted the captain of the guard, shoving people aside.

Kaz and Brynn plunged into the swirl of red capes and people scrambling for coins. To his left, Kaz heard Brynn laugh behind her mask, wild and giddy. He'd never heard her laugh like that before. If he could have bottled it up and listened to it on repeat every day, he would have done almost anything to do so.

Suddenly, a deep, thunderous boom shook the Stave. People toppled, grabbing at one another, at walls, at whatever was closest. Kaz almost lost his footing, then righted himself with his cane.

When he looked up, it was like trying to peer through a thick veil. Smoke hung heavy in the air. Kaz's ears were ringing. As if from a great distance, he heard frightened screams, cries of terror. People ran past them, face and hair coated in dust and plaster like ghosts. A gaping hole had been blown in the facade of the House of the White Rose.

He saw Brynn lift her mask and step forward to try to help, and he pulled it back down over her face, keeping her back. He shook his head. Something was wrong. He'd planned a friendly riot, not a mass disaster, and Wylan wasn't the type to miscalculate so gravely. Now Sasha, he wasn't so sure, but she'd be kept in check by Wylan. This was someone else's doing.

All Kaz knew was that he'd invested a lot of time and money in getting Brynn back. And there was no way he was going to lose her again.

He touched Brynn's shoulder briefly and, as if she'd read his thoughts, she raced with him to the nearest alleyway. Her breathing was controlled, far more controlled with the parem in her system. Kaz knew she could have outpaced him easily, but they ran in tandem, matching each other step for step.

a/n— Sooo, parem. What do you think will happen to Brynn? What do you want to happen to Brynn? Tell me your thoughts!