Crooked Kingdom (15 page)

“Yes, love,” said Jesper gently, “and you're the star.”

They'd tucked her into a warm coat, then shepherded her out of the house and into the waiting boat. She'd been so docile that Nina had become concerned. “Maybe she's not getting enough blood to her brain?” she'd murmured to Matthias.

Matthias hadn't been sure how to account for Alys' demeanor. He remembered his mother muddling the simplest things when she was pregnant with his baby sister. She'd walked all the way down to the village from their little house before she'd realized she was wearing her boots on the wrong feet.

But halfway back to the city, when Nina had bound Alys' hands and tied a blindfold over her eyes, securing it tightly to the neat braids coiled atop her head, the reality of her situation must have started to sink in. She'd begun to sniffle, wiping her running nose on her velvet sleeve. The sniffling became a kind of wobbly deep breathing, and by the time they'd gotten Alys settled comfortably at the tomb and even found a little cushion for her feet, she'd let out a long wail.

“I want to go hooooooome,” she'd cried. “I want my dog.”

From then on, the crying hadn't stopped. Kaz had eventually thrown his hands up in frustration, and they'd all stepped outside the tomb to try to find some quiet.

“Are pregnant women always like this?” Nina had moaned.

Matthias glanced inside the stone hull. “Only the kidnapped ones.”

“I can't hear myself think,” she said.

“Maybe if we took the blindfold off?” Wylan suggested. “We could wear our Komedie Brute masks.”

Kaz shook his head. “We can't risk her leading Van Eck back here.”

“She's going to make herself ill,” said Matthias.

“We're in the middle of a job,” Kaz said. “There's a lot that has to happen before the exchange tomorrow. Someone find a way to shut her up, or I will.”

“She's a frightened girl—” Wylan protested.

“I didn't ask for a description.”

But Wylan kept on. “Kaz, promise me you won't—”

“Before you finish that sentence, I want you to think about what a promise from me costs and what you're willing to pay for it.”

“It's not her fault her parents shoved her into a marriage with my father.”

“Alys isn't here because she did something wrong. She's here because she's leverage.”

“She's just a pregnant girl—”

“Getting pregnant isn't actually a special talent. Ask any luckless girl in the Barrel.”

“Inej wouldn't want—”

In the space of a breath, Kaz had shoved Wylan against the tomb wall with his forearm, the crow head of his cane wedged beneath Wylan's jaw. “Tell me my business again.” Wylan swallowed, parted his lips. “Do it,” said Kaz. “And I'll cut the tongue from your head and feed it to the first stray cat I find.”

“Kaz—” Jesper said cautiously. Kaz ignored him.

Wylan's lips flattened to a thin, stubborn line. The boy really didn't know what was good for him. Matthias wondered if he'd have to try to intercede on Wylan's behalf, but Kaz had released him. “Someone stick a cork in that girl before I get back,” he said, and strode off into the graveyard.

Matthias rolled his eyes heavenward. These lunatics all needed a solid six months in boot camp and possibly a sound beating.

“Best not to mention Inej,” Jesper said as Wylan dusted himself off. “You know, if you feel like continuing to live.”

Wylan shook his head. “But isn't this all about Inej?”

“No, it's all about the
grand plan
, remember?” Nina said with a snort. “Getting Inej away from Van Eck is just the first phase.”

They headed back into the tomb. In the lantern light, Matthias could see that Nina's color was good. Maybe the distraction of the break-in at the lake house had been a positive thing, though he couldn't ignore the fact that a guard had died during a mission that wasn't meant to have a body count.

Alys had quieted and was sitting with her hands folded on her belly, releasing small, unhappy hiccups. She made a lackluster attempt at removing her blindfold, but Nina had been clever with the knots. Matthias glanced at Kuwei, who was perched across from her at the table. The Shu boy just shrugged.

Nina sat down next to Alys. “Would you um … like some tea?”

“With honey?” Alys asked.

“I, uh … I think we have sugar?”

“I only like tea with honey and lemon.”

Nina looked like she might tell Alys exactly where she could put her honey and lemon, so Matthias said hurriedly, “How would you like a chocolate biscuit?”

“Oh, I
love
chocolate!”

Nina's eyes narrowed. “I don't remember saying you could give away my biscuits.”

“It's for a good cause,” Matthias said, retrieving the tin. He'd purchased the biscuits in the hope of getting Nina to eat more. “Besides, you've barely touched them.”

“I'm saving them for later,” said Nina with a sniff. “And you should not cross me when it comes to sweets.”

Jesper nodded. “She's like a dessert-hoarding dragon.”

Alys' head had swiveled right and left behind her blindfold. “You all sound so young,” she said. “Where are your parents?” Wylan and Jesper burst out laughing. “Why is that funny?”

“It's not,” Nina said reassuringly. “They're just being idiots.”

“Hey, now,” said Jesper. “We're not the ones dipping into your cookie stash.”

“I don't let just anyone into my cookie stash,” Nina said with a wink.

“She certainly doesn't,” Matthias grumped, somewhere between delighted to see Nina back to herself and jealous that Jesper was the one making her smile. He needed to dunk his head in a bucket. He was behaving like a besotted ninny.

“So,” Jesper said, throwing an arm around Alys' shoulder. “Tell us about your stepson.”

“Why?” Alys asked. “Are you going to kidnap him too?”

Jesper scoffed, “I doubt it. I hear he's twelve kinds of trouble to keep around.”

Wylan crossed his arms. “I hear he's talented and misunderstood.”

Alys frowned. “I can understand him perfectly well. He doesn't mumble or anything. In fact, he sounds a bit like you.” Wylan flinched as Jesper doubled over with laughter. “And yes, he's very talented. He's studying music in Belendt.”

“But what is he
like
?” Jesper asked. “Any secret fears he confided? Bad habits? Ill-conceived infatuations?”

Wylan shoved the tin of biscuits at Alys. “Have another cookie.”

“She's had three!” protested Nina.

“Wylan was always nice to my birds. I miss my birds. And Rufus. I want to go hoooooome.” And then she was blubbering again.

Nina had plunked her head down on the table in defeat. “Well done. I thought we might actually get a moment of silence. I've sacrificed my biscuits for nothing.”

“Have none of you people ever encountered a pregnant woman before?” Matthias grumbled. He remembered his mother's discomfort and moods well, though he suspected Alys' behavior might owe nothing to the child she was carrying. He tore a strip from one of the ragged blankets in the corner. “Here,” he said to Jesper. “Dip this in water so we can make a cool compress.” He squatted down and said to Alys, “I'm going to take off your shoes.”

“Why?” she said.

“Because your feet are swollen, and it will soothe you to have them rubbed.”

“Oh, now
this
is interesting,” Nina said.

“Don't get any ideas.”

“Too late,” she said, wiggling her toes.

Matthias slid off Alys' shoes and said, “You haven't been kidnapped. You're just being held for a brief time. By tomorrow afternoon you'll be home with your dog and your birds. You know that no one is going to hurt you, yes?”

“I'm not sure.”

“Well, you can't see me, but I'm the biggest person here, and I promise that no one will hurt you.” Even as he spoke the words, Matthias knew he might be lying. Alys was currently having her feet rubbed and a cool towel placed on her forehead in a pit full of some of the deadliest vipers slithering the streets of this misbegotten city. “Now,” he said, “it's very important that you stay calm so that you don't make yourself ill. What helps to cheer you?”

“I … I like to go for walks by the lake.”

“All right, maybe we can go for a walk later. What else?”

“I like doing my hair.”

Matthias gave Nina a meaningful look.

She scowled. “Why do you assume I know how to arrange hair?”

“Because yours always looks so nice.”

“Wait,” said Jesper. “Is he being charming?” He peered at Matthias. “How do we know this isn't an impostor?”

“Perhaps
someone
could do your hair,” said Nina grudgingly.

“Anything else?” asked Matthias.

“I like singing,” said Alys.

Wylan shook his head frantically, mouthing,
No, no, no.

“Shall I sing?” Alys asked hopefully. “Bajan says that I'm good enough to be on the stage.”

“Maybe we save that for later—” suggested Jesper.

Alys' lower lip began to wobble like a plate about to break.

“Sing,” Matthias blurted, “by all means, sing.”

And then the real nightmare began.

It wasn't that Alys was so bad, she just never stopped. She sang between bites of food. She sang while she was walking through the graves. She sang from behind a bush when she needed to relieve herself. When she finally dozed off, she hummed
in her sleep
.

“Maybe this was Van Eck's plan all along,” Kaz said glumly when they'd assembled outside the tomb again.

“To drive us mad?” said Nina. “It's working.”

Jesper shut his eyes and groaned. “Diabolical.”

Kaz consulted his pocket watch. “Nina and Matthias should get going, anyway. If you get into position early, you can catch a few hours of sleep.” They had to be careful coming and going from the island, so they couldn't afford to wait until dawn to assume their posts.

“You'll find the masks and capes at the furrier,” Kaz continued. “Look for the golden badger on the sign. Get as close to the Lid as possible before you start handing them out and then head south. Don't stay in any one place too long. I don't want you drawing too much attention from the bosses.” Kaz met each of their gazes in turn. “Everyone needs to be in final position before noon. Wylan on the ground. Matthias on the roof of the Emporium Komedie. Jesper will be across from you on the roof of the Ammbers Hotel. Nina, you'll be on the hotel's third floor. The room has a balcony overlooking Goedmedbridge. Make sure your sight lines are clear. I want you with eyes on Van Eck from moment one. He'll be planning something, and we need to be ready.”

Matthias saw Nina cast a furtive glance at Jesper, but all she said was, “No mourners.”

“No funerals,” they replied.

Nina headed toward where the rowboat was moored. Kaz and Wylan stepped back into the tomb, but before Jesper could vanish inside, Matthias blocked his path.

“What happened at the lake house?”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw the look she just gave you.”

Jesper shifted uneasily. “Why don't you ask her?”

“Because Nina will claim she's fine until she's suffering too much to form the words.”

Jesper touched his hands to his revolvers. “All I'm going to say is be careful. She's not … quite herself.”

“What does that mean? What happened at the Hendriks house?”

“We ran into some trouble,” admitted Jesper.

“A man died.”

“Men die all the time in Ketterdam. Just stay alert. She may need backup.”

Jesper darted through the door, and Matthias released a growl of frustration. He hurried to catch up to Nina, turning Jesper's warning over in his mind, but said nothing as she stepped into the boat and he launched them into the canal.

The smartest thing he'd done since they'd returned from the Ice Court was to give Kaz the remaining
parem
. It hadn't been an easy decision. He was never sure how deep the well inside Kaz was, where to locate the limits of what he would or would not do. But Nina had no hold on Kaz, and when she'd crept into Matthias' bed the night of the Smeet job, he'd been certain he'd made the right choice because, Djel knew, Matthias had been ready to give her anything she wanted if she would just keep kissing him.

She'd woken him from the dream that had been plaguing him since the Ice Court. One moment he had been wandering in the cold, blind from the snow, wolves howling in the distance, and in the next, he'd been awake, Nina beside him, all warmth and softness. He thought again of what she'd said to him on the ship, when she'd been in the worst grips of the
parem. Can you even think for yourself? I'm just another cause for you to follow. First it was Jarl Brum, and now it's me. I don't want your cursed oath.

He didn't think she had meant it, but the words haunted him. As a
drüskelle
, he'd served a corrupt cause. He could see that now. But he'd had a path, a nation. He'd known who he was and what the world would ask of him. Now he was sure of nothing but his faith in Djel and the vow he'd made to Nina.
I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept from this oath.
Had he simply substituted one cause for another? Was he taking shelter in his feelings for Nina because he was afraid of choosing a future for himself?

Matthias put his mind to rowing. Their fates would not be settled this night, and they had much to do before dawn came. Besides, he liked the rhythm of the canals at night, the streetlamps reflected off the water, the silence, the feeling of passing unseen through the sleeping world, glimpsing a light in a window, someone rising restless from his bed to close a curtain or look out at the city. They tried to come and go from Black Veil as little as possible during the day, so this was the way he'd gotten to know Ketterdam. One night he'd glimpsed a woman in a bejeweled evening gown at her dressing table, unpinning her hair. A man—her husband, Matthias assumed—had stepped behind her and taken over the task, and she'd turned her face up to him and smiled. Matthias couldn't name the ache he felt in that moment. He was a soldier. So was Nina. They weren't meant for such domestic scenes. But he'd envied those people and their ease. Their comfortable home, their comfort with each other.