CHAPTER I2

Gravy

     The smell of gravy was really starting to annoy Sasha. Added to that was the bits of plaster on their hair and clothes and Sasha couldn't wait for a shower.

When they made it to the Geldrenner, Sasha wasn't sure where they were until Jesper's father answered the door. She'd met him in the tomb, before Kaz had gotten him a place at the Geldrenner, and he almost reminded her of her own father. But one difference was between the two Kaelish men—Sasha's da was dead.

Through the suite, Sasha could hear people talking. She followed Kaz, trusting he knew where he was going, until they reached a luxurious sitting room with plenty of plush chairs and sofas. Four familiar people sat in four of them, but Sasha only had her sights set on the one laying on the couch.

Brynn looked worse than before they'd left the tomb. She was covered in soot, her red hair nearly blackened. She was mostly just skin and bones, deep circles under her eyes and her clothes hanging from her frail figure. Her eyes fluttered open when they walked in, darting to every new person in the room and ending on Sasha. The faint trace of a smile passed over her features.

"Sasha," she breathed. "You're okay."

The others jumped up to embrace each other, glad everyone was still alive even though the entire city was after them. Sasha tiptoed around everyone else to kneel down next to her sister. She didn't hug Brynn, she'd seen how much it had hurt her just to do simple tasks.

"What happened?" Sasha asked.

"I'm not even completely sure," she answered, her voice raspier than Kaz's. "I blacked out halfway through Matthias' genius plan."

Nina's eyebrows raised. "Matthias had a genius plan?"

"You blacked out?" asked Inej.

"Yes, yes, I was being stupid and reckless. Moving on." Sasha could've sworn she saw Kaz's jaw clench. "Inej, you're bleeding."

Colm frowned. "Should I call a doctor?" he asked.

"No!" they all replied in unison.

"Of course not," said Colm. "Should I ring for coffee?"

"Yes, please," said Nina. Sasha didn't imagine the disgusted wrinkle in Brynn's nose at the mention of food.

Brynn met Sasha's eyes, taking in her appearance. "Is that... gravy?"

"It is," Sasha said, providing no more information. She'd fallen through Van Eck's floor and onto a feast with Kaz Brekker and Wylan Van Eck, she'd lost all decency by now. "But you're covered in soot. Talk about that."

Nina took Inej into the bathroom when she found a pair of shears to cut up bathroom towels to act as bandages, hopefully to get the girl fixed up. Soon after, the food arrived and Sasha couldn't have been more grateful. She'd never eaten half as good as this before, especially not in recent years. Even though there was plenty, Brynn still refused to eat, muttering things to herself about parem.

Eventually, Nina and Inej emerged from the bathroom. Inej had strips of towel tied around her shoulder, both of her forearms, her right thigh, and her left shin. Nina piled her plate high with everything she possibly could and plopped down next to Matthias.

"What exactly happened to you?" Jesper asked her, taking the words right out of Sasha's mouth.

"I made a new acquaintance," Inej replied as she perched in an armchair.

Sasha took a large bite out of a cake, spilling crumbs onto the purple carpets. Everything was purple in the suite, though muddied and dirtied with crumbs.

"So," Jesper said, adding sugar to his coffee. "Other than Inej making a new pal, what else happened out there?"

"Let's see," said Nina, her mouth full of waffle. "Inej fell twenty stories."

"We put a serious hole in my father's dining room ceiling," Wylan offered.

"Nina can raise the dead," said Inej.

Matthias' cup clattered against his saucer. It looked ridiculous in his huge hand. Sasha blinked, not sure if she'd heard correctly. Though with this crew, she was fairly certain anything was possible.

"I can't raise them. I mean, they get up, but it's not like they come back to life. I don't think. I'm not totally sure."

"Are you serious?" said Jesper.

Inej nodded. "I can't explain it, but I saw it."

"Is this what I have to look forward to if parem doesn't kill me?" murmured Brynn. "Bringing the dead back to the land of the living?"

Sasha sighed. "I surely hope not. It's not the best for first impressions."

~~~

Everything after that happened so fast. Figuring out that jurda parem had somehow twisted Nina's powers around. Watching the entire city, and its gangs, turn against them. Jesper and Kaz fighting each other on the clock tower. Kaz's scheming face and the hatching of a new plan. Sasha was still stuck on the fact that Brynn had tried to use her powers and passed out.

Now, the older girl laid on the sofa, chest rising and falling with every shallow breath that Sasha was afraid might've been her last. She stood in the doorway, watching Brynn, a half-eaten waffle in her hand.

"You know, she's not going to fly away."

Sasha glanced over at Jesper. He was in a shirt too big for him, a small grin on his face. He towered about a foot taller than her, but he was far from intimidating.

"I'm aware, Llewellyn," she joked, using his middle name.

Jesper groaned. "Please, don't. I know my father didn't mean to embarrass me, but that's all anyone is calling me now."

Sasha shrugged. "Think of it like a nickname. A ridiculously long and funny nickname, but a nickname nonetheless."

He raised an eyebrow. "I think I remember Brynn talking about a ridiculous nickname that only the two of you know. Care to share?"

"No, actually, I wouldn't," she replied. Sasha crossed her arms, looking back at her sister. If not for her breathing, she almost looked like a corpse.

"She's going to be okay."

"Everyone keeps on saying that, even myself," Sasha said to Jesper, not looking away from Brynn. "I'm not sure any of us really believes it."

Jesper placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Don't worry about it. No matter what happens, remember that she loves you. That's all that matters."

"That's awfully deep for you, Jesper." She smiled. "But thank you."

He nodded, giving her one last pat, before walking off down to another room. Behind him stood Wylan, just barely recognizable from Kuwei except for the angered expression that Kuwei never wore, his hands curling into fists. Wylan turned around, but Sasha hurried to stop him.

"Wylan!" she said. "Wylan, wait."

Ever since they got to Ketterdam, he'd been acting unnaturally cold towards her, and Sasha wanted to know why.

The boy turned around, finally facing Sasha. "What?" His tone was harsh and very un-Wylan-like.

Sasha blinked. "What's going on with you? I get that I'm younger than everyone else here—"

"It's not that," he interrupted. "Just... just forget it." Sasha caught his arm before he turned around again.

"Just tell me," she insisted.

"It's nothing."

"It's obviously not nothing if you look like you're getting ready to punch me."

Wylan rolled his eyes. Then a thought occurred to her. His face was flushed, and he'd only ever acted cold towards her after speaking to Jesper. Sasha almost grinned at the realization.

"Oh, Wylan, Jesper and I—"

"I don't want to hear it." The boy turned away from her.

Sasha frowned. "I was just trying to say that—"

"I told you, Sasha, I don't want to hear it. Your business is your business."

Then, she laughed. Wylan was taken aback as he just stared at her, doubling over with laughter. Sasha wiped the tears from her eyes.

"No, Wylan, you don't get it," she said, shuffling her feet. "Jesper's not my type."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What? Tall, handsome boys aren't your type?"

Sasha chuckled. "No, Wylan, boys aren't my type."

Immediately, Wylan's ears turned pink and his eyes widened. "Oh."

"Yeah." She grinned. "Well, now you know there isn't any competition for your man."

"I doubt that," he said sourly.

"I don't." Sasha raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms. "I may be dense sometimes, but I know Jesper's type. He teases to flirt. And he teases you like his life depends on it. He wants to be the one to make your cheeks turn pink, not Kuwei." She grinned. "So go tell him you feel the same way."

Wylan scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasha turned around to go back into the sitting room. "I think I do."