Kaz Brekker was not scared. He hadn't gotten scared since Inej had been injured... no, he hadn't been scared then, either.
He was not scared when Van Eck walked towards him, a grin splitting across his face.
He was not scared when Van Eck reached him, and stared down at Kaz, him forced on his knees and chained to a chair in a warehouse.
He was not scared.
Why would he be?
"Good evening," Van Eck hissed, a smirk on his lips.
Kaz only glared at him.
"Tell me, Dirtyhands, where are the rest of the Dregs? I'll bet they've yet to realize you're gone," he continued.
Kaz made no reply, although he began to think of a plan to escape.
Van Eck grabbed him by his neck and rammed him against the wall, causing black dots to cross Kaz's vision for a moment.
"Tell me Kaz," Van Eck growled, getting close enough to his face for him to feel his breath against his face, "what do you fear most?"
Kaz thought of many things, but the thought that crossed his mind over all the others was, losing Inej.
He loathed himself for it, but he also used it as a last shred of hope. Yes, Inej would see he was gone. And she will tell the others, they will find him if he cannot save himself.
As Van Eck stripped him down and dropped him to the floor, as he called his men, as they began ghosting touches across his skin, as he slipped into the past and amongst Jordie's rotting corpse, one thing kept him anchored to reality.
Inej. Her voice, her skills as the Wraith, her beautiful hair, and oh, her laugh.
Dirtyhands was no man of steel. He felt pain as much as any other did. He had his own nightmares. But he tried to have something no one else did. He succeeded, somewhat. He had his Wraith, his beautiful, smart Wraith. Even though she could not save him from his demons, she could help him so that he didn't lose every last shard of himself.
A/N~ Hi everyone! I'm not dead! :p Please review this, it's my first SOC/CK fanfic.