Chapter six

A year prior.

one evening Kaz showed up unexpectedly with Maya in tow. "She doesn't speak Kerch, but she knows Ravkan." Wylan and Jesper were a bit tipsy that night much to Kaz's amusement both with wine glasses in hand. "Which of you is Wylan?" Maya asked.

"That would be me." Wylan said in Ravkan and giggled. Jesper got up and took her hand and kissed it. "Darling, I don't know where you came from, but you can stay." Maya gave him a blank look and Kaz had to remind Jesper she didn't speak Kerch.

"Always with the blonds with you, maybe I should dye my hair blond." Wylan protested by this time Kaz was leaning on his cane with an irritated look. "Can you tell her that I'll pay for her fair to go on a ship to Ravka?" Kaz growled. Wylan translated for Kaz sounding drunk but was comprehensible. "Then she can stay here?" He asked Jesper.

"She'll be fine with us." Jesper said, pulling her by the waist onto the couch. "Here drink this." Jesper gave her his wine. She took the wine in hand but stood up instead and poured it over his head. Kaz broke out in laughter.

Jesper laughed too and took the empty wine glass from her. "She's a keeper don't bother coming for the return." Wylan complained to Kaz who just informed him that he had nowhere else to keep her and he simply walked off leaving Wylan infuriated.

Jesper looped an arm around her, in response she used her finger up his side causing him to giggle and let go of her. "Those tickles." He said pulling his arm away.

Wylan looked at her seeing that Kaz has left. "He's very ticklish." Wylan said in Ravkan. "I thought you were drunk." Maya exclaimed. "I'm tipsy, I don't trust the man who just left I didn't expect him to just leave you!"

"Do you want me to leave?" She asked anxiously looking to see if she can see Kaz. "Forget it he's gone. We have a spare room; you can leave tomorrow." Maya stared at him intently as he didn't look very happy. "Your angry with me and I haven't done anything wrong" Wylan looked up at her with blue wide blue eyes.
Tears welled up in Maya's eyes. "You are an idiot." She exclaimed. Jesper was blearily watching them careful not to touch Maya. "Wylan, are you making her cry?" Wylan looked at Jesper. "You should go upstairs and take a bath you smell like wine."

"You would smell like wine too if it got poured all over you." Jesper mumbled but he made his way upstairs anyways. Wylan turned around as she stood silently crying. "I am an idiot especially when I'm tipsy please don't cry." Wylan said in Ravka.

"Are you hungry? Want something to drink?" She silently shook her head. "I got jealous okay Jesper was flirting with you." Maya looked stunned. "You two are a couple?" Wylan had to shake his head to stop a snarky reply. "Yes." He said instead. Maya stopped crying and actually smiled at him.

"I am only astonished because in my country men don't date each other, I'm sorry it's such a culture shock. I had no idea he was hitting on me. I've never been hit on before not alone in another language."

"You're so beautiful." Wylan burst out. "How can you never of had one interested guy?" "Maybe plenty would have been interested if they would risk losing their right hand. My stepfather was very protective and powerful."

"I know the feeling." Wylan was busy trying to survive his father than to actually think of another person and never met people his own age until he was almost killed. "I grew up in a house not much different than your own, I'm guessing you have servants?" She questioned.

"Yes, two actually their asleep." Wylan replied. "They live with you?" She asked. "Yes, on the top floor is their accommodations." "If you grew up wealthy than why did you leave it all behind?" Wylan asked. "I was too be married; I didn't even know the man I wasn't allowed to meet him until the wedding date."

"They didn't talk him up?" Wylan asked thinking of Alys wondering if she met Jan before they got married. "I didn't want to marry for wealth, so I left to seek my own fortune. No offense your partner holds no interest to me. Now tell me why you don't trust Kaz? I came with two companions, and I have no idea what happened to them." She inquired. "You're worried about your companions? I'm sure their…."
"Their loud obnoxious sons of whores the only good thing they did was teach me Ravkan, I'm not worried about them I just want to know if Kaz may of disposed of them?" Wylan stared at her. "He gives off the vibes that he is capable just tell me if I'm on the mark." "What did they do to you?" Wylan asked. "Nothing." She said defensively. "Our journey was much delayed because they stopped many times to go to whorehouses and drained me dry of my money." She explained.

"They spoke of stopping at Ketterdam to visit friends and gamble, they said they had to try to win money back only this time they had not returned so I'm guessing their dead. I didn't want to spend time with a killer I didn't know; so I'm glad he let me stay here."

"So, you just followed a killer?" Wylan questioned. "And introduced me to you. I'm no idiot I knew I needed at least one friend in a country I do not know but answer my question." She demanded. "Kaz is a leader of a gang called The Dregs. If you companions did go to gamble his den is three time larger than the average one so Kaz was involved, they may be dead."

"Good the world is better without them. Why would Kaz get me personally though?" Maya asked. "My only guess would be that they meant to sell you." Wylan would normally not be so loosed tongued, but he was tipsy. "You mean slavery?" She asked aghast. "They would of made you sign an indenture, but many places of the sort was closed but yeah it was possible they tried."
He was afraid she was going to cry again but she had not. "I am tired you said you have a spare room?" She asked. Wylan got up and escorted her to the spare room and navigated her the bathroom as well. "We will figure something out in the morning." Wylan said.

"Are you a friend?" Maya asked him. Wylan nodded. "Yes." He assured her all jealousy left him after their long conversation.

Jesper thought of that as night as he gathered Inej and Wylan to hear what Maya had to say Wylan having filled him in on what happened after he had gone to take a bath. Wylan confessed he wished he hadn't told her about Kaz's gang especially after she told of her desire to join it.

Wylan Jesper and Inej had sat with Kaz and Maya and listened to what she had to say. Kaz was stoic as ever as she spoke and Jesper had the feeling she had conveyed this with Kaz before being invited along the job. After speaking Maya was silent waiting to see if anyone had any questions.

He stole a glance at Inej, but he noticed no one was looking at Maya. Wylan and Inej eyed Kaz down with a look of suspicion. Kaz shifted in his spot looking back at them. "I would like to know what Kaz did." Inej spoke.

"He had me kidnapped by two of his gang members." Maya confessed. "I already got the warning from my dream this was going to happen, so I was ready. I took them hostage and had them bring to Kaz after that we went up to his apartment where I told him what I'm telling you."

"I was going to scare her to leave Ketterdam I Thought she was a threat to my organization. I still don't know how your name got out." Kaz said. "I'm still trying to get my head around the fact you can see into the future." Jesper said. "Do you see many possibilities?"

Maya shook her head. "That would be too complicated, in the last six months I dedicated myself to see how they work. From what I can tell it is an action that has to be carried out not just a thought someone has to do something." Maya explained as best she could.

"Do you feel what is done in your visions?" Jesper asked. "Yes." Maya said looking uncomfortable as she shifted deliberately looking at her hands. Wylan who had once allowed himself to be kidnapped though the beating he took was of his own accord and could stop at any time Wylan had suffered nightmares. Jesper was with him through it all, but he had convinced himself it was a one-time deal and Kaz would never reduce his gang to torture under other circumstances.

"Kaz did you plan to torture her like Anika and Pim did to Wylan?" Inej looked furious when Kaz didn't deny it, Wylan got up and walked away as Inej followed suit soon after. Jesper wished he knew what to say to Maya as Kaz got up to try to talk to Inej. He tugged at her sweater playfully, but she still stared at her hands as though expecting them to turn to claws. "Do you want to tell me what Kaz did in your vision?" Jesper asked.

"He broke a set of my ribs." Maya confessed. Jesper swore realizing that since it was a vision, she felt her ribs being cracked. "We have to do the job, no offence but I'm finished with Ketterdam I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to jeopardize the job, my lack of sleep might interfere with it." Maya confessed.

"You're not a hindrance Maya." Jesper said he pulled her hand up from the table and made her look at him. "No matter what happens we'll finish the job, and you can go anywhere in the world you want." He hoped that would bring a smile to her face, but she had the same worn expression she came on the boat with.

"I'm worried about you Maya." Jesper told her. "I'm having nightmares." Maya confessed. "I wake up and I'm already on my feet it's scary. I tripped and ate carpet this morning." Jesper first thought of Inej but from the sounds of it Inej wouldn't be much help if Maya jumped out of bed unexpectedly. "I'm going to talk to Wylan really quickly, stay here?" Jesper asked Maya nodded curling her arms up on the table and sinking her head too tired to hold her head up anymore.

Jesper found Wylan and explained the whole situation to him. "You want me to be okay with you spooning Maya?" Wylan scoffed. "Protecting Maya, you know we'd be remiss if we don't use the ability of a psychic to help us on our journey and what good is a psychic if she can't sleep?" Jesper shot back. "The most Kaz has planned is going to O's Kervos and hoping to get a feel for the place."

Wylan sighed. "I can't help but be jealous of Maya, are you sure you are with the right person?" "Yes I am." Jesper said firmly. "I want to be with you, never doubt that. After this trip she plans to collect the million and leave Ketterdam for good. Even if I stay with her a few nights just to make sure she doesn't trip off the side of a boat it doesn't mean I am not going to stay with you forever."

"You think she might trip off the boat?" Wylan asked. "No, I felt something glass in her suitcase and opened it and found Jurda, she planned on staying up for as long as possible." Wylan pressed his lips to Jesper who kissed back. They walked back hand in hand to find Maya standing up and walking. "Hey, Maya." Wylan called out but she didn't respond.

"Maya." Jesper called when she started running. "Stop her!" Jesper called out to a sailor who was nearby as he sprinted after her. De Vries was closer ended up tackling Maya before she got the end of the boat. Maya was screaming as she thrashed De Vries, Jesper pulled her off of him. "Calm down." Jesper said.

Inej and Kaz ran up from below deck and Berend checked on De Vries. De Vries was short but muscular seemed fine. "This is your fault Kaz." Jesper said angrily as Maya clung to him for dear life trembling asking what happened. Jesper took Maya somewhere quiet comforting her as Wylan explained what happened to Inej and Kaz.