#he is the one who deals with chemicals and chemistry- not kaz or any of the others

[crowsmybeloveds]

Shadow and Bone Series: Chapter 13

Show Me Who You Are

Pairing: Jesper Fahey x Reader.

Summary: The Crows attend the Winter Fete and attempt to kidnap the Sun Summoner.

Word Count: 6.2K

Warnings: Past (physical, emotional, sexual) abuse; Drug use; canon typical violence; roofies; Pekka Rollins; the Menagerie; it gets a lil frisky

A/N: sorry for the wait on this one, it’s the end of the first quarter at school and things are crazy rn! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! Please reblog and comment, it would mean a lot to me! ❤️❤️

Masterlist

If that man looks at her like that one more time I am going to start shooting people.

Apparently, dealing with the ride to the Little Palace was going to be just as grueling as the rest of the trip. The circus troupe had somehow found it in themselves to create a hierarchical seating chart of the inside of their ride, which, of course, left Inej and Jesper at the back of the wagon. They had originally placed Y/N back there as well, but she had quickly moved to the front with Marko to go over the chemicals she needed for the group’s performances. Arken was at the front as well, as he had apparently made good friends with Marko in a short time. Kaz had assured them that he would be riding with them, but they didn’t have a clue how.

Next to Y/N, a man was looking her up and down while he smoked.

Jesper Fahey fiddled with his guns and glared across the circus wagon, all while half paying attention to his conversation with Inej.

“You know,” Inej sighed, giving him a glare. “I know you’re not listening to me, Jesper.”

He scoffed. “That’s rude. I am.”

“Okay, then tell me what I was talking - “

“He shouldn’t be looking at her like that, don’t you think?” Jesper interrupted her, proving her point. He was looking back at Y/N.

Inej followed his line of sight. “Who, Marko? I think he’s just looking at her notes, Jes.”

“No, the other man,” Jesper nodded his head toward the man on the other side of Y/N, with dark eyes and light, wavy hair. “He’s practically undressing her with his eyes as we speak.”

Inej looked back and forth from Jesper and the man he was speaking of, a small smirk on her face. “No, I can’t say I noticed. Jealous, much?”

“No.” He said with an odd laugh, not very convincingly, “No, he’s just gross, is all. I don’t have to worry about that kind of…”

Y/N made eye contact with Jesper across the wagon, giving him a small smile and a wave. He immediately settled a bit, leaning back against the wagon. “Sorry, Inej, for not listening. I just want to get there already.”

On the other side of the wagon, Y/N looked away from Jesper, and back to the equations in front of her. She had a bit of trouble making her chemical reactions seem like they occurred naturally, instead of with Grisha power. She hadn’t expected so much trouble, but Marko had proved himself more knowledgeable about chemistry than she had assumed. At this point, she was making up chemical equations on the fly, and it was draining what little was left of her energy.

She was snapped out of her daze when the man next to her nudged her leg. She looked at him, eyebrows raised.

“Want a hit?” He was holding out some rolled jurda he was smoking, a smirk on his face.

Her hands shook a bit, and her insides begged her to say yes. Just take some, you’ve been so exhausted lately. It’s not even the hard kind. She knew she couldn’t bring herself to say no, so she didn’t say anything at all.

The man didn’t seem fazed. “My names Erik,” he said, reaching out again. “It’s straight from Novyi Zem, none of that weak Kerch shit.”

She shook her head, finally sparing him a look. “It’s okay man, I’m off it.”

“Strange. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of anyone having to quit this stuff.”

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Yeah, well, what I was taking was much harder than that.” He reached out again, teasing. “Really, I don’t want any.”

“Your loss,” he said, grabbing the jurda with his other hand and taking another hit. He placed his newly free hand on her knee.

Y/N swore she heard the faint sound of a gun cocking. She crossed her legs to remove her contact with him. Marko was still looking through her notebook, a confused look on his face.

“You know, you oughta make me some of that hard stuff, then,” Erik spoke again, putting an unwelcome arm over her shoulder, and leaning to whisper in her ear. “Or maybe you could show me how.“

Before she could respond, a knife wedged itself in the wall, right next to Erik’s head. They jumped apart, looking to see where the weapon came from.

Inej was on her feet, her arm still outstretched. She looked at her hand, as if shocked at herself for throwing the weapon.

Erik stood up. “What the hell?”

Marko looked between the two with a disapproving glare. However, before he could stand up and say anything, Jesper was on his feet, putting a hand on Inej’s shoulder and forcing her to sit down.

“She has a disorder,” he explained quickly. “Flashbacks and such. Sorry about that.”

Y/N looked at him with a shocked look on her face, noticing how his hands were on his guns and his eyes filled with anger. Inej had her head in her hands as she tried to make herself smaller at the back of the wagon. Y/N frowned. Had this man been bothering them as much as he was bothering her?

Marko shook his head. He knew that he should put them on the side of the road, but he also knew he needed Inej to be his star performer. Looking around the wagon, he tried to read the faces of his crew. They were uneasy about the new members. Maybe he should send the girl to the back again. He opened Y/N’s notebook once more, sitting down. “Girl, to the back again. Keep your friends under control.”

Y/N shot up quickly at the opportunity to be away from Erik, making her way to sit in between her friends in two strides.

She looked straight forward, wringing her hands with a hard expression on her face. Jesper was about to comment on her teary eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She didn’t lean on him, grab his hand, or make a joke like she normally would. Instead, her voice came out low and cold under her breath. “What the hell was that?”

Inej made a small sound into her hands, seemingly embarrassed . She didn’t respond because Y/N knew the answer. The man and the situation Y/N was in was all too familiar. She knew what it was like to be disgusted and scared yet still unable to do anything for yourself. In truth, Inej didn’t think about throwing the knife, it just happened.

Jesper, on the other hand, was confused. “Love, he was -“

“I don’t give a shit what he was doing. I had it under control.” Her voice was harsh. She didn’t even turn to look at him. “We are so close, we can't mess this up because we get a little upset.”

“I know,” he responded, a bit annoyed at her tone. “I’m not going to apologize for not sitting and watching a man who was all over you -“

“Please -“

“No, let me finish,” Jesper snapped. “He was all over you, not to mention offering you the damn drug you are trying to get off of. I'm glad Inej did what she did. I couldn’t give a damn about the job. I don’t care if the million kruge burst into flames. I’m not fucking around with your safety.”

Y/N looked away for a moment, her head shaking back and forth slightly as she moved a hand to her forehead. She knew he was right, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She just hated being such a liability. Not only did they feel like they had to save her all the time, but she got mad at them when they did.

Jesper is just trying to protect you. Not because he thinks you need it, because he wants you to be okay.

She reached down to grab his hand, leaning on his shoulder. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

He smudged a kiss on her forehead, taking a deep breath. “All’s forgiven, love.” He brushed a hair away from her face. “Now, are you okay?”

None of us are. “I’m tired.”

He leaned his head on top of hers. “Then get some rest. We’ll be there soon.”

She was jerked awake when the ride came to a halt, and she would have fallen on the ground if it wasn’t for Jesper catching her when she lurched forward. Marko ordered them out of the wagon. Apparently, they had arrived in Os Alta while she was asleep, and they were now at the gates of the Little Palace.

After blinking a few times to adjust to the light, her eyes widened at the sight before her. There were guards everywhere, not to mention decorations, animals, and people from all over the world. Also, the place itself was unlike anything she had ever seen. She could barely see the palace from where she was, but what little of the grounds she saw was magnificent. She couldn’t help but wonder what it might have been like to grow up there.

Jesper grabbed her hand, pulling her back toward the group. She had wandered a bit too far, and they were about to reach the guards at the gate.

They got back in place as Marko was handing the guard his papers. “That one is our invitation to perform, signed by the Queen.”

The guard just glared at him, causing him to wither. He looked back at Y/N and Jesper, who nodded at him reassuringly.

“This writ allows you access to the grounds, the main ballroom and nowhere else.” The guard began, giving the papers back to Marko and moving through the group. “You are being employed by the Queen. You are not her guests. You are to stay together as a group, at all times. No guns, no knives, no weapons of any kind.” Jesper, Inej, and Y/N had to collectively hold back a laugh. “Punishment for violation of these rules ranges from being fired to being fired upon. Now, do we all understand these rules?”

Before anyone could respond, a man trying to sneak into the fete was caught by a guard, but he was putting up a fight.

“No!” He yelled as he pushed a guard off of him.

“Oh, for Saints’ sake.” The guard sighed.

“The Sun Summoner! I just want to see her!” The man begged, a hysterical look in his eyes.

A swarm of guards appeared around him, and Y/N’s eyes widened when she recognized one of them. How the hell did Kaz even get the outfit?

“All right, that’s enough.” The guard ordered. “Do we really need the entire corps for one man? Come on. The rest of you, post up now.”

When they had finally made it past all of the guards and into the grounds of the Little Palace, there wasn’t much time to dawdle. Jesper went with Inej to help her set up and practice her routine and Y/N went with Marko to work on setting up the Sun Summoner routine.

She dropped a few drops of an iridescent liquid into the fire that Marko’s crew had created, and watched the orange flames turn different shades of pale yellows, blues, and purples as an imitation of pure sunlight. She smiled as it lit up her face, using a ribbon to tie back the rest of her hair. When Marko was satisfied with her work she snuck away from the stage, to where she had watched Inej and Jesper disappear previously.

From across the grounds, Jesper could see her coming toward him, and smirked as she waved to him. However, when she got close, she was stopped by a stable boy, who seemed to think he knew who she was.

“Hey, you’re Raisa, right?” He asked, giving her an excited smile. “It’s Dima, from school?”

Y/N shook her head. “I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong girl. My name’s Y/N.”

“Oh, well that’s a shame.” He still smiled at her. “You look just like her. Maybe you should change your name.”

Y/N giggled at his joke, appreciating interacting with a man outside her group that was not either cruel or disgusting.

Jesper watched the pair interact, feeling annoyance creep up within him. What did he say that was so funny?

“Does this look right?” Inej called from behind him. She was dressed in her performance outfit, hanging in the air as a part of her dance. “I haven’t done this routine since I was 14.”

Jesper either didn’t listen or didn’t hear her at all, continuing to stare down the stable boy.

Inej sighed. “Jesper, you’re not even paying attention, are you?”

He blinked, turning toward her, as she was now on the ground beside him. “Sorry. What now?”

“I said, you’re not paying attention.”

“Oh. I do vaguely remember you being airborne. Was that recently?” He asked, a sarcastic tone in his voice.

“Aren’t you supposed to be scouting our way out?” Inej asked accusingly.

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“I think you’re glaring at Y/N and that stable hand.”

At that moment, Y/N had finally made her way up to them. “What about the stable hand?” She asked, having only caught the end of Inej’s sentence.

“What stable… Oh, him.” Jesper said.

“Yeah, he’s sweet.” Y/N said, before nudging him. “Kinda cute, too.”

Jesper made a confused expression. “I suppose he’s moderately attractive, but I hadn’t really noticed.”

“No, Jes, I think he’s into you, look!” The group looked back over at Dima and noticed him looking Jesper up and down. Playing along with him, Y/N waved and Jesper winked. “See?”

“This is going to be a lot less amusing when the carriage you find isn’t fast enough.” Inej interjected.

“Oh. So now you’re an acrobat and a carriage expert?” Jesper asked. “Tell me, what makes one carriage faster than another? Wheels? Weight? The year it was built? Don’t answer, trick question. The right answer is there is no right answer. The carriage doesn’t matter. It’s the horse that makes the difference. The horse determines how far, how fast. And that determines whether you get caught or not.”

Y/N sputtered out a laugh and clapped at his little speech. Jesper gave a dramatic bow.

Inej shook her head. “No human being should ever be as proud as you are right now.”

“Me?” Jesper asked, slightly offended. “What about your Sun Summoner? I’m not the one who invited half the world to see me do a party trick.”

“You think that’s what it is? Just a trick?” Inej said defensively.

Y/N tried to be kind. “That’s not what he’s saying, Inej.”

Jesper disagreed. “Kaz thinks it’s a trick. He’s not usually wrong.”

“I know what Kaz thinks.” Inej replied. “I’m asking what you think.”

“Hey,” Jesper said, his voice calmer than before. “I think that as long as we get paid…I don’t care if she’s real or not.”

Inej scoffed and looked away for a moment before she moved back to her silks, climbing in and continuing her dance.

Y/N looked at Jesper, who was still staring at the carriages that went by. “What’s got you all moody, hm?”

“I’m not.” He replied, keeping his arms crossed.

“Oh?” She asked, not believing him. She took a few steps away from him, calling over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go talk with that man from the circus troupe, then.”

“Who?”

“Erik.”

“Why?”

“Better company,” she teased, giving a shrug and continuing to walk away.

He scoffed. “That’s doubtful. You’re just trying to make me jealous.”

She spun on her heel, pointing at him accusingly. “That’s what it is! You’re jealous.”

“I’m not.”

“Who was it,” she asked, moving in front of him. “Erik or the stable boy?”

He looked away, shaking his head. “I’m not jealous.”

Her eyes lit up, a fake pout forming on her face as she put her arms on his shoulders. “Oh, it was both, wasn’t it?”

He stared at her, his eyes flickering down to her lips as his hands moved to her waist. “So what if I was jealous? Am I not allowed?”

“You can,” she grinned. “It’s just a tad bit embarrassing. Especially because that stable boy was definitely into you, not me.”

“Well -“

Y/N gasped as the clock struck and ten bells rang throughout the palace grounds. She pulled away, straightening herself out and going to grab her suitcase. “Shit, I’ve got to go,” she said, gathering her things. “Gotta poison lunch!”

Before she could get too far from him, Jesper grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back into him, giving her a kiss that knocked the air out of her lungs. When they pulled apart, he cradled her face, staring into her eyes.

“Promise me you’ll be safe, love,” he asked, his voice just above a mumble.

She smiled, kissing him softly before whispering, “Promise .”

The people in the kitchens of the Little Palace were far too busy working on the food for the upcoming party to notice Y/N dissolving small pills into every bottle and canister filled with different alcohols, flavoured drinks, and clean water. This way, everyone who took a drink that night (which would include anyone who got thirsty over the course of the eight-hour party) would be susceptible to her manipulation. She could make them woozy, unconscious, or even dead. If she did nothing, then their body would be rid of the substance within the week. She just had to hope that her formula was subtle enough and none of the Little Palace Fabrikators would pick up on it.

When she was done, she met the rest of her group in a wagon on the palace grounds. Apparently, Jesper had discovered something about the Sun Summoner.

“You’re sure it was her?” Kaz asked, slightly distrusting his friend’s intel.

“I’m telling you, she’s part Shu.” Jesper insisted from beside Y/N.

“When exactly did you see her?”

Jesper looked at him. “Just after midday.”

Inej looked up from the notes she was taking on the copy of the Little Palace blueprints. “What’s in this room?”

“Fitting room. It’s where she’ll go to change for dinner.” Kaz informed. “And that’s where we’ll grab her.”

Jesper nodded. “Out of the way, clean lines of sight, easily controlled space. I like it.”

“I’d like it, too, if it had a door.” Kaz said, leaning back in his chair.

“Sorry?” Y/N asked.

Inej turned to him. “It doesn’t have a door?”

“Not one that we can use. It’s some sort of Grisha lock. It took a Materialnik to open it.”

Jesper gestured with his hands “Is there no way to pick the lock?”

Lodestone. Y/N’s eyes widened. If I could just make -

“Actually, there is.” Arken spoke up. “ I can get through the door.”

“How?”

“The locking mechanisms are Fabrikator-designed.

Iron cogs that slide into place without a latch.” Arken explained.

Y/N shook her head. “Arken, to open it you would need a -“

“Lodestone.” He finished for her. “With a minimum 2,000 gauss external strength. Hard to find.”

“It’s not like we’re just walking around with one of those in our pockets.” Jesper said.

Arken sighed, pulling one out of his bag. Y/N’s eyes widened. How in the hell did he get that?

“You don’t want to keep it in your pocket for too long.” Arken laughed, holding the stone out to Jesper and Y/N. Y/N pushed Jesper back away from it, knowing of its harmful nature. “Not if you’re intending on having children someday.”

“All right.” Kaz nodded. “Arken grabs the target.”

Inej looked at him incredulously. “You want the new guy to grab the million-kruge package?”

“The new guy knows his way around Grisha locks.”

Y/N shrugged. “I’m sure I could -“

“And he has the stone.” Kaz interrupted, giving her a look. “Our futures depend on this. The rest of us will be setting up a lynx flush.”

“We are?” Inej asked, suspicious that Kaz, as usual, was not telling the whole truth.

Arken furrowed his brows. “What’s a lynx flush?”

Inej turned to him, an annoyed look on her face. “Lynx are pack hunters. Very smart. They’ll clear a path for the prey.

“Oh.” Arken said. “So, I grab the Summoner, and you clear the path?”

“That’s right.” Kaz said, rolling up the blueprint. “We do it before dinner. You grab. Inej and I clear, Y/N stands by for any complications, and Jesper, make sure there’s a fast way out.”

Jesper smirked at him as they filed out of the wagon. He grabbed Y/N’s hand, pulling her toward the stables. She laughed as they made their way over, pulling back on his hand.

“I have to look out for Kaz and Inej,” Y/N complained.

“That’s not until nightfall,” Jesper complained, leading her inside the stable. He turned around, putting a hand on her neck and whispering in her ear. “Please, stay. I’ll make it worth your while.”

She looked to the side. “I really should go…” her voice faded off in a sigh as he started kissing down her neck, leaving small love marks behind. His hand gripped her waist under her coat as he pushed her back against the wall. She moaned softly. “Shit, Jes. Maybe I could be convinced.”

HE laughed as he moved back up to her lips, kissing her hard and relishing in the gasp that left her lips. “Just trying to finish what we started during the heist.”

His hands slipped under her shirt, their heat burning against her cold skin. He groaned as she pressed harder into him, trailing kisses across his jaw, whispering his praises between each one.

He pushed her further against the wall, her whimpers filling the room as he took control.

“That’s it, darling,” he cooed as she leaned back, closing her eyes and sighing.

Suddenly, a small crack sounded and she paused for a moment, pulling away slightly and looking to the side. He started to speak up, but she shushed him, listening closely to something.

“I hear footsteps.” She whispered, her eyes still wide in fear.

Jesper groaned. “Ignore it,” he mumbled as he kissed her again.

“No, I think they’re coming in here, love.” She protested, moving to the side quickly, causing him to practically collapse into the wall.

“Why do we always get interrupted?” He whined as she pulled him into the closest stall. She closed the door and covered his mouth, shaking her head as they listened to a man enter the stable.

“Hello?” The man called out. Y/N recognized his voice.

“Oh, it’s Dima,” She whispered, her voice barely perceptible.

Jesper pulled her hand off his mouth. “Oh, you two are on a first name basis now?”

Dima must have heard him. “Can I help you?” He said, his voice much closer than before.

Before he could even think about it, Y/N shoved Jesper out of the stall and hid behind a stack of hay. Jesper spun on his heel, looking at the stable boy and putting on a nonchalant look. “Ah! You are here. I…” he paused, trying to come up with a lie, “The ambassador has requested his horses.”

“What? Now?” A confused expression was on Dima’s face.

“Apparently so.” Jesper shrugged.

“You’re not going to stay for the Queen?”

He laughed. “Have you met the Queen? I mean, actually had a conversation with her?”

“Can’t say that I have, no.” Dima laughed in response, placing a saddle next to a nearby horse.

“Well, if you had, you’d understand why the ambassador wants his horses.” Jesper said.

“Which one, sir?”

“Uh, the pair of Percherons.”

“I mean which ambassador, sir.” Dima corrected.

“Oh. Uh, of course, um, Novyi Zem.”

The boys continued talking, and Y/N had to hold back an annoyed groan from behind her hay bale. Yes, she knew her boyfriend was unbearably charming. She fell for it every damn day. But it wasn’t pleasant for her when she wasn’t on the receiving end. She couldn’t blow their cover, however, so she stayed out.

“And what other wisdom have you learned on the road?” Dima said as she tuned back into the conversation. She rolled her eyes and pulled a small bottle out of her bag.

“That when there’s something you want… better to act without thinking than think without acting.” Jesper replied, causing her jaw to set.

“Weren’t you part of that players’ troupe earlier?” Dima asked, finally recognizing who he was.

“Oh, no, no, no… Not me, no. I’m a terrible actor.” Jesper denied. “But, uh… I’m not against the occasional light role-play.”

With that, the sound of glass shattering broke through the room, and Dima was passed out of the ground in seconds. Jesper covered his mouth as Y/N popped out from the stall she was in and handed him a vial to keep him from fainting.

After he swallowed it, he turned to her as she checked Dima’s pulse. “What was that? I had it under control.”

She stood up, rolling her eyes. “Sure you did.”

“What are we gonna do when he wakes up?” He asked, panicking.

She shrugged. “Hope we aren’t here to find out?”

He looked between her and the stable boy on the ground, his eyes flicking back and forth as he started panicking. “Saints, why did you do that?”

“It’ll be fine!”

“You didn’t have to!”

“I wanted to!”

“Why!” He shouted, his eyes wide as he focused his eyes on her. His head tilted as he took note of her pouty lips and crossed arms. She looked like a petulant child. Oh. He thought. It’s like looking in a mirror. “You were jealous!”

“Bullshit.”

“No, you made fun of me for being jealous not half a day ago and now you are jealous over the same man!” He laughed, as if this was the most wonderful news he’d received in a while.

“Fine,” she sighed, “I’m sorry. But your fake flirting was more than realistic enough and you -“

“I’m a good actor!” He said, a grin still on his lips. He stepped in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “No need to be so riled up.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “I have a job to do.”

“We had something good going here,” he complained. “Before he came in, we -“

“Jes, I’m not making out with you while the stable boy is passed out on the ground.” She chuckled at him. “I need to go check in with Kaz and Inej anyway. It’s getting dark.”

He sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to get her to stay. “Please be safe.”

“Of course,” she replied, cupping his jaw. “I’ll meet you out back with Kaz and Inej, yes?”

He nodded, giving her one last kiss before she slipped out of the room.

Y/N made her way to the hidden stairwell that Kaz described in his plans, where he would give Inej and Y/N the guard outfits they would need to go through the party unnoticed. As she made her way to the meeting point, she couldn’t help but wish she was in this building under different circumstances. Then I could take a tour, look at the labs, pick up a few Grisha theory books…

Instead she was putting on a guard uniform that barely fit while she waited for Kaz to tell her the next move.

Shortly after she was changed, Inej came quickly down the stairs, a red hood draped over her head. Kaz handed her the guard uniform.

“Is it my size?” She asked.

Kaz rolled his eyes. “You have to ask?”

“Do you remember what happened last time we did this?” Inej reminded him with a glare. She turned to Y/N, an annoyed look on her face. “Got me a man’s uniform.”

Y/N gasped. “The bastard.”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Kaz argued.

Inej turned back at him, giving him a pointed look as she took the clothes from his hands. “Just be happy I’m eager to get out of this.”

As she went up the stairs, Arken came down them. He grabbed the uniform and continued down the stairs. “See you at the meeting point.”

Kaz gave Arken a glare as he walked away. Y/N noticed.

“What was that?” Y/N asked.

“What was what?”

She pointed at his face. “You are scheming.”

“When am I not?” He replied. He then pulled out the small map of the building he had from his pocket and showed her the route she needed to clear so they could bring the package out of the building.

“That’s different from before.” She said, confused. “Does Arken know this?”

Kaz gave her a look. “He doesn’t need to.”

She nodded, her mouth forming an “o” as she stepped away from him and up the stairs. “I suppose I never liked him either. I’ll see you outside.”

As she made her way through the palace, she made sure not to draw attention to herself. Her job was simple. All she had to do was go through the corridors that Kaz and Inej would use to bring the Summoner out of the building and make sure there weren't any traps or extra guards. She shouldn’t get into a fight if didn’t need to. However, was it truly one of Kaz’s schemes if it didn’t go horribly wrong?

“Why aren’t you in the main hall?” A man’s voice called behind her.

She paused, cringing. She had almost cleared the entire path and was about to join Jesper outside. When it took her too long to respond, the man spoke up again.

“What, are you deaf?” He asked, his voice coming from much closer.

She turned toward him, and she had to keep a gasp from leaving her mouth. This was not just another guard or a partygoer. This was a Grisha. She took note of his blue kefta embroidered with flames. Oh fuck, I’m going to burn to death.

She decided she didn’t have time to make up a lie or distract him. It wasn’t safe, messing around with someone so powerful. And Jesper had begged her to be safe. She raised her hands, moving them in a specific pattern, searching for the chemicals necessary to make him pass out.

But they weren’t there.

Her eyes widened. How the hell has he not had a drink all day? The man struck his flint and gathered a flame in his hand.

“Who are you?” He bellowed, moving into a fighting stance.

Y/N didn’t know how she was meant to react. Really, she didn’t even care. Before she could even think about it, her feet were carrying her out of the room faster than they had ever moved before.

If she hadn’t been running for her life, she would have been so excited to be getting the tour of the Little Palace she had always dreamed of. Now, speeding through the darkened hallways, the place didn’t seem too different from the alleyways back home. Flamed brushed her feet, shoulders, and anything they could latch onto as she ran. It seemed no matter where she went, Death was always there to follow.

As she rounded a corner, she lunged into the first room she saw with an open door and hid. She could hear the Inferni’s footsteps as he hesitated, surely wondering where she had hidden. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her loud breaths. It must not have worked, as his footsteps drew nearer and within seconds he was right next to her, even if he didn’t realize.

Suddenly, another man’s voice rang through the hallway outside the door.

“Pavel!” He called. “What are you doing all the way back here?”

As he got closer, she noticed he was a heartrender. Her eyes widened, and she reached for a small bottle with a potion to slow her heart. Hopefully he won’t be able to hear it.

The Inferni, Pavel, apparently, turned to the Heartrender. “There was a -“

“We don’t have time for this.” The other grisha interrupted. “There’s been an attack attempt on the Sun Summoner. Back to the main ballroom, now.”

“But,” Pavel stuttered.

“Now.”

With that, the two men walked away. Y/N’s hands shook as she placed her hand on her heart, trying to rid her body of the chemical that was slowing it down. She groaned as she stood up, trying not to faint. I’m never taking that one again.

Once she was sure the two Grisha were long gone, she made her way outside to where they had agreed to meet. She had to hope that Kaz and Inej would be able to find their way out with the package without her help.

She found Jesper hiding behind a carriage. She smiled, thanking the Saints that at least he was still okay. Sighing softly, she tapped him on the shoulder.

His neck snapped up at the sudden contact, and his eyes widened when he saw her. He got up and lunged at her, wrapping her in a bone crushing hug.

“I heard guards shouting about an attack and some people they had captured,” he mumbled into her neck. “Saints I was so worried.”

“I’m okay,” she reassured, gripping him even harder.

He took a deep breath, smelling her hair. “I’m sorry, do you smell like burnt bread?”

“Inferni.” She whispered, not wanting to let go.

He jumped away from her, putting his hands on his shoulders as he looked her up and down. He frowned as he noticed the scorch marks on her clothes. “Are you hurt?”

“No, just lightly toasted.” She smiled. “Like a marshmallow!”

He laughed, nodding his head and looking to the side. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Right back at ya.”

Shouts started ringing through the courtyard. He grabbed her a hand and pulled her down to the ground behind the carriage, hiding from the voices.he heard doors opening on the far side of the courtyard, and he knew they would be spotted by whoever was coming through. After a moment, he stood back up, dragging her along with him as he moved to hide behind a white statue instead.

Just as they made their way behind it, a girl came out. She rushed over to their carriage, and jumped into the trunk on the back of it. Jesper let out a disbelieving laugh. Y/N turned to him, trying to read the look on his face.

“Wait, Jes, was that -“

He nodded. “I think so.”

Her jaw dropped. “No way.”

Kaz and Inej came up behind them, causing them to turn around. Y/N looked at Inej with concern, noticing the tears forming in her eyes.

“What happened?” Jesper asked. “You okay?”

“She’s real, Jesper.” Inej replied, her voice breathless and her eyes wide. “She made the light sing.”

Kaz gave her a side eye. “We lost her.”

Jesper laughed. “Did we?”

“We don’t know where she is.” Kaz responded.

“Don’t we?” He smirked at Y/N, who rolled her eyes. “Just ask.”

Jesper and Kaz walked ahead, their conversation continuing. Y/N turned to Inej, who hadn’t moved from her spot.

“Inej, what’s wrong?” She asked, her voice soft as she looked at her friend.

Inej stared at the ground, her eyes blank. “There was an Inferni. He almost killed Kaz.” She took a deep, shaking breath. “I killed him.”

Y/N frowned. She knew it wouldn’t have been a big deal to anyone else in the group, but for Inej, this was a total betrayal to her faith. Her heart ached for her best friend. Not to mention, she felt guilty, as she was sure the Inferni must have been the one who had been chasing her. If I would have just dealt with him, Inej would not have had to.

She wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “It’s okay. You saved his life.”

Inej blinked, finally allowing tears to stream down her face. “What am I supposed to do now?”

Y/N shushed her, trying to calm her down as she led her to the carriage. She didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything at all.

They sat down behind Kaz and Jesper on the carriage.

“Just ask.” Jesper said to him once more.

“Fine.” Kaz glared at him. “Do we have a fix on where the target is?”

Jesper smirked, pulling on the reigns of the carriage and spurring on the horses. As they left the gates of the Little Palace, his words slipped out through his smirked lips. “She jumped in the back.”

Kaz gave him a disbelieving look, turning around toward Y/N to verify. She nodded, a small smile on her face. A smirk formed on his lipsticks , but it quickly disappeared when he saw Inej’s face. She closed her eyes as she leaned on Y/N’s shoulder. Her tears stained her face and the fabric of Y/N’s outfit. Kaz cleared his throat and turned to look forward.

He straightened his posture, his brows furrowing as he thought of the situation at hand. “She seriously jumped in there on her own?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @brekkersfeed @crying-shame @bloodorangesoup @inthegistoftime @abnoses @spoken-stardust @veesley @indiastar3 @navs-bhat

(Lemme know if i missed anyone, copy paste was giving me some trouble while I was doing this)