Chapter four
Maya was taking a stroll through West Stave on the way to the slats that Kaz had rebuilt. The new slats were a lot better than the old ones; She had to stay there more than a few times waiting for the heat to die down. She didn't look much different than the people in Kerch though she resembled people from Ravka more. What made her stand out was her clothing.
Most girls were like the boys in some ways and didn't want to wave their feminity about unless it served them, but Maya wore clothes that accentuated her features. She learned to use makeup that changed her face and different palettes her eyes could be seen as more blue or green depending on the makeup she chose to wear.
Kaz rented Maya a bigger room than the tiny one she started with. Her clothes were tightly clustered, and she had to leave some of the ones she made at Jesper's place until she started bringing in the money, he was fair twenty-five percent of what they made went to the crow's club. As she started going with crews and making more money Kaz saw her worth and offered her a bigger place. It was across the street from the Slats, which is where she was headed now, carrying a bag with her clothing inside it.
The slats were hardly a quiet place, it hustled and bustled even now as the sun just rose and drunkards walked about. Some wore the komedie brute costumes other's had risen early to get to work.
She had never seen the Komedie brute plays, but she enjoyed the costumes. She observed all the characters mobile such as the Mister Crimson dressed in red and black, the scarab queen in a glittering green costume topped off with a veil for a mask, the madman in a cringe orange color costume with an eye-bulging mask, the lost bride in a blue and a white silk cape with a veil and a crown of flowers.
Maya found she couldn't turn her gaze from one person dressed as the gray imp wearing a gray tunic with a horned mask with bulbous eyes as much as she tried. Her eyes were fixated on him as she approached.
Her ribs burned as she felt someone kick her from behind her knees buckling making her fall hard to the ground, a cloth was stuck into her mouth, and she had a black hoodie pulled over her head a knee was placed on her back as her hands were tied. The bag she used to carry her clothes dropped in the middle of the streets.
Maya was pulled to her feet by both Imps one let her arm go once she got to her feet the other pulled her along as she stumbled about the loose graveled unpaved roads. She found her footing as she entered a building, In the distance she caught the sounds of a casino which grew feint as she was forced to go in the opposite direction of the noise and was forced through a long hallway with bright lights until she was forced into a large room and pushed into a chair. Her legs were tied to the chair after the Imps were told to leave by a voice that had belonged to Kaz Brekker.
"Scream and I'll put this back in," Kaz warned when he was sure the imps had gone. He wore his usual black suit and leather gloves. He pulled the cloth out of her mouth leaving it dry, but she used that moment to take in huge gulps of breath as it was hard to breathe through her nose.
She blinked several times, the room was scarcely lit, and the candles showed Kaz's face in half darkness. She didn't appreciate how scary Kaz was until the moment she faced him standing over her, his cane top which resembled a crow reflected in the firelight.
"What am I doing here?" Maya gasped; her sitting position made her ribs scream in pain. Already she fought the ropes to find a more comfortable sitting position, but they held fast. "I know you went against our gang to work with another to get a better position." Kaz rasped. The sound that she usually took as enduring now felt cold and unfeeling. How can he do this to her?
Kaz lifted the cane and pressed it to her already throbbing sides, the crow head digging into her fractured ribs. Trying to escape the pain she let out pitiful screams which echoed weekly off the walls.
"Are we in the cave where you allowed me to travel to Jesper's house?" Maya asked if she knew where she was, but she wanted Kaz to remember they were once friends or at least friendly. "Don't change the subject," Kaz said irritably this time hitting her side with more force as a reminder of who was in charge. "Tell me why were you working with the wild one's was a quarter of a million kruge not enough? Did you mean to sway Inej in your direction so she would feel compelled to allow you along?"
"Kaz I wouldn't do that." Her voice was becoming weaker and weaker every time he lifted his cane, Maya eyed it wearily, unable to look at Kaz. "I can't help but notice you're not sobbing even with all the abuse I'm doing to your ribs. No Inej here to bail you out." Kaz observed. She is a lovely woman to good for me but what do you do." He said with a shrug. "Kaz I never worked with another gang." This time when he hit her left side, he did it with such force as to crack several ribs causing the sound to echo within the underground layer.
The damn burst and Maya broke out in sobs tears flowing down her face. She had to stop herself from sobbing as it made her ribs hurt harder, so she resigned herself feeling the kohl run down her face. "Take a look at this," Kaz said rattling a pill bottle in her face. "Morphine the same pills the doctor offered when you got injured, luckily for you I took them figuring you're going to need them sooner or later."
"Please." She felt ashamed to beg. "Not until you tell me that I was right, and you conspired against me," Kaz demanded. "I didn't." Maya insisted.
"And you expect me to believe that you arrived just in time before I got shot by coincidence?" She watched as he lifted his cane once more, he tilted it back and she could almost feel the air as the cane about busted her ribs open…
"No Kaz please…"
Maya let out a choked sob pushing her head into her pillow letting the tears fall. She couldn't stop shaking for nearly an hour as she lay in bed confused. She closed her eyes once more, forcing her mind to calm as she replayed the scene in her head. Once a premonition came to her, she could recall the details, playing the scene over in her mind. Not of the torture that was inflicted on her, but what happened before.
Two men in Komedie brute costumes one short the one that kicked her in the back of her knee. She had a feeling they were waiting for her, so it didn't matter if she left later than she did in her dream, but she was going to use the warning and confront Kaz because of the unpredictability of her abilities and didn't know if she would get another chance.
She always had visions of the future, not always when she slept but when she was awake too.
She carefully made her way up the second stairs and into their room; The door quietly opened as she had hoped it would. She stared silently into the room the heavy draped windows keeping the early light out of their room. She looked at Jesper and Wylan's sleeping forms, Wylan's head was on Jesper's chest, Jesper's arm around Wylan the comforter twisted slightly around them.
Although she made a living from sneaking in and out of areas where she wasn't supposed to be, she had never done it with the occupants in the house and slept soundly. Never when they were friends of hers. She felt odd looking in on a private moment, feeling she crossed a boundary that even Kaz wouldn't cross with Jesper. Then she remembered why she had to intrude, and it hardened her resolve.
She silently crept hoping the floorboards wouldn't creek under her feet as she made her way to the table forcing herself to look away from the sleeping couple and made her way to the end table on the left side. She held her breath relieved to see Jesper's guns. Carefully picked one up and almost jumped as the floor made a small creaking sound, Jesper stirred slightly.
She stood still, her heart thumping as she expected to hear either Wylan or Jesper demanding to know why she was stealing from them despite their hospitality, but no sounds came and she carefully made her way out, not quite shutting the door behind them.
Kaz must have had eyes on her when she left Jesper's and Wylan's house. decided she wanted to get over with it once and for all.
Guilt laced Maya, having stolen from Jesper who nothing was but kind to her and taught her how to write in Kerch despite her slow progress it took months to teach her the basic lettering and she was still grasping to write the more complicated words. She could read thanks to him. She got dressed quickly and took her bag out.
"Maya." She jumped, hearing Jesper say her name. "Jesper." She had the bag in her hand that she placed his gun into intending to layer it with her clothes. "Why did you take my gun?" Jesper asked. His expression was as cold as his voice. "I…" She thought quickly, unable to think of an explanation. He walked towards her holding out his hand.
"You have to let me take this… please I'm begging you. I have to." Her voice shook. "You haven't started gambling, have you?" Jesper's voice lost its coldness and replaced it with the tenderness he had shown her when she couldn't read the most basic words in the books, he supplied her with.
"I can't explain it. Something terrible is going to happen to me. I need to protect myself." "From whom?" Jesper asked, confused. "How do I know you're not in on it." She held the bag protectively against herself, Jesper lowered his hand genuinely confused.
"Like you didn't know Kaz was planning to kidnap me and interrogate me." Maya stepped back from Jesper until her back was to the wall staring at Jesper. "He has two goons waiting now for me to step into his territory and..." She gulped.
"You're shaking like a leaf," Jesper said with concern seeing the bag in Maya's hand shaking. "I haven't a clue what's going on right now but if you're in trouble I want to know what it is and help you." Maya slumped against the wall and held out the bag for Jesper to take.
She extended her arm as long as she could. "Don't get too close this could just be a ploy by you." She warned. Jesper gently took the bag and set down on the desk furthest away from Maya.
"Jesper?" Wylan asked entering the room. "I was looking all over for you, we don't have to be up for another couple of hours." Wylan noticed Jesper's stiff demeanor, he made out her features by the dawn early light and noticed her face was drained of color
"What's going on?" He asked, looking at Jesper confused. "I don't know but I need to find out," Jesper said quietly to Wylan. "Give me a moment to talk to Maya," Jesper asked, placing his hands together as if in prayer. "Are you going to be, okay?" Wylan asked concerned. "Yeah, it's her I'm worried about."
Maya was now sitting against the wall, her hands pressed over her face silently crying. "Is it okay if I approach you?" Jesper asked Maya after Wylan left. "Slowly." She answered shakily.
Jesper did so and sat opposite Maya careful to give her personal space. "You're a Grisha aren't you," Jesper stated. "What? No, I can't conjure wind or fire or anything cool like that." Maya responded. "You don't need those specific powers to be considered Grisha." Jesper pointed out.
"I can see the future." Maya finally said after a long pause.
"That sounds…" Jesper paused to think of what to say when Maya cut in.
"Painful." Maya finished for him before he could say extraordinary.
"so, tell me what happened," Jesper said. Maya explained what happened in her vision.
"You saw and felt all that?" Jesper asked as tears continued to fall down her face.
"You don't need to confront Kaz, I will." Jesper decided. "You may not of known of that I can see the future but Jesper after what happened how can I trust any of you?"
"Can you stand?" Jesper asked getting up himself. Maya stood using one hand to wipe the tears off her face.
"Come with me to confront Kaz," Jesper said. "If anyone see you coming they will alert Kaz." Maya pointed out.
"I know when the shift changes happen. No matter how good your security is one thing remains true, shift changes is when a business is most vulnerable." Jesper spoke with confidence.