Disclaimer: I do not own any content recognisable as belonging to the Six of Crows series or the Grishaverse. All rights go to the respective owners.
…
It was raining, and Inej was trapped.
The sloping rooftops of Ketterdam were flooding its winding alleyways with hundreds of rapid flowing waterfalls and streams were passing from one street to the next and rendering Inej's usual escape route too unsafe for even her to attempt. Once this situation had been thoroughly observed (by climbing out of the only unbarred window at the end of the second-storey hallway onto the rooftop of the neighbouring building. It was only after almost losing her footing and falling three times that she allowed herself to be convinced to turn back), had she accepted it. There would be no escaping tonight.
Up in the garish silks draped from the ceiling of her room at the menagerie, Pauk shifted his position. She called to him softly but received no response. He was still upset about being dragged out in the rain in the middle of the night.
"Pauk," she tried again. "Pauk, I'm sorry. You know I am."
From her perch on the small window-seat she saw a black tail uncoil, dark against the cheaply dyed lavender drapings. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out half a honey wafer biscuit that one of the other girls had shared with her: a favour from a patron of the Menagerie, a rare treat.
"Come down Pauk, please." She could barely hear herself she was speaking so softly. He had been up there for a while, stretching at the bond they shared, and she knew that he was starting to hurt as well. Inej pressed her back to the cold glass of the window in an attempt to numb the dull waves of pain beginning to pulse from the nape of her neck and out through the rest of her body. She slowed her breath to match the pulse and felt her heart slowing, a technique her parents had taught her for stretching and performance: matching her breath to her movement. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Pauk's tail coiling and uncoiling with each breath she took. Inej closed her eyes and they stayed like that for a few minutes, the cool glass at her back keeping her grounded.
A gentle rustling broke the silence and Inej felt Pauk descending and crossing the room as he did so, closing the distance between them. As the pain receded, Inej found the strength to reopen her eyes. She held the biscuit still clutched in her hand out towards the spider monkey, who gripped the peace offering in his tiny paws and nibbled at it softly.
"Hello Pauk." She whispered, as the little monkey, having finished the wafer, clambered up into her arms and pressed his head into the side of her neck, tail curled gently around her wrist.
"I'm sorry." His meek tone was lacking its usual energy.
"I know," she responded. "I'm sorry as well."
After a minute or so, Inej spoke again. "I didn't want to be trapped here tonight." She admitted. "We only have a few nights left before everything is sorted out, and I wanted to be as far from here as possible."
A few more nights. A couple more nights and they would be spirited away from the Menagerie forever, tucked up in a tiny room at the Slat. Away from the West Stave, and most importantly, away from Tante Heleen and her opulent facades to cover the mistreatment of her indentures. Inej rubbed at her peacock feather tattoo.
Pauk made a soft noise of understanding but didn't speak. Neither of them slept that night.
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