Nina
Nina clung tightly to Inej, needing the reassurance of someone loving her enough to trust her even after what she had done to Matthias. She had vowed never to tell anyone except those who could get him out, but keeping it inside had done her no good, besides possibly fueling a few emotional scenes on the stage. She would give up her acting abilities in a heartbeat to get Matthias out. There was so much she needed to say to him.
“So you’re sure you don’t hate me?” Nina pulled away from Inej with a slight chuckle, trying to add some much-needed humor to the situation.
“Duh, silly. I’ve told you a million times.” Inej smiled and Nina felt reassured.
“Okay. Then I have a proposition to make.” She crossed the fingers of her left hand behind her back. Please say yes.
“Go ahead.” Inej tilted her head in the inviting way she always did when Nina had an idea to share. This was the exact face she had made just before Nina had suggested they prank the asshole drama teacher by pretending Inej was a ghost in the rafters. Her ability to be so silent had made that possible and it would make this possible, too.
“I don’t think I can trust Kaz.” Inej snorted, as if to say duh, stupid. “But I still need to get Matthias out of Hellgate. What do you say to a little adventure? You snoop from above to find out where he is and I put the guards to sleep and break him out.”
Inej’s face was twisted in deep thought. “I don’t know Nina,” she said, the caution evident in her voice. “What if I get caught? This isn’t a heist planned by a professional criminal like Kaz Brekker. We’re barely seventeen and have no experience with this sort of thing. I’m not completely opposed, but I just have so much at risk. If I get stuck in Hellgate, there’s no way that I’ll ever see my family again. You know how important that is.”
“No one knows that better than me. Ravka is not just my home, it’s my heart.” She took Inej’s hand and squeezed it. “If you don’t want to try, it’s okay. I won’t be mad. I knew it was a long shot.”
“Nina, I want to help you. I really do. Let me think about it. A little bit of sleep always makes things much better.”
“Okay. I understand. Thank you for at least considering it. It means a lot.” Nina put on a brave face. If Inej didn’t want to do this, she would just have to convince Kaz in any way possible. She would do anything. Matthias had saved her.
“Saints!” Inej exclaimed, yanking Nina from her contemplation. “It’s nearly curfew. I need to go. I wish I could stay, but you know what Tante Heleen will do to me if I don’t make it.”
“Of course! Get your ass out of here!” Nina punched Inej’s arm playfully, waving her hands to usher her out of the Crow Cafe. The dancer slipped out. It struck Nina that she was so stealthy that once she had left the door, she could no longer see her in the waning evening light.
Nina tapped her fingers on the table, a nagging feeling that she was missing something troubling her. Shit! She had completely forgotten about her chemistry. Nina had enough problems, she couldn’t add failing school to the list. Plus, if she got below a C overall, they would kick her out of the play. She had a completely awful voice, so she never did the school musicals, but she shone in the plays. It was a moment when she could step out of her life. Her problems didn’t belong to her anymore. Nina was a far off character, someone she could barely remember. She had only felt like that doing one other thing: Kaz’s job. That was different though, more powerful. Dangerous, if she let it get out of control. Acting was the best escape.
Thinking of Kaz’s job reminded her of something. There had been a skinny boy about her age making the bombs. Wylan. If anyone could explain chemistry to her it would be him! Nina scrolled through her phone records, finally finding the call she had made during the job to an unfamiliar number. Wylan probably wouldn’t remember her and it would be awkward, but there was almost nothing Nina was better at than diffusing an awkward situation.
She shifted and crossed her legs as the phone rang, trying to shake off the heaviness of her conversation with Inej. Wylan answered after only two rings, before she was ready.
“Hi? Who is this?” He was, understandably, confused.
“Hey! Wylan! This is Nina. We met on Kaz’s job a few weeks back.” She made a point to sound as lively as possible so he would reflect her energy back to her. Instead, he seemed a bit intimidated.
Shyly, he said, “I’m sorry, what role did you play? There were just so many people… I was more focused on not blowing the wrong things up than learning names.” Duh, Nina.
“I was the heartrender,” she whispered. Being Grisha was dangerous around Ketterdam. She didn’t want anyone… unnecessary to find out.
“Oh! I remember you. Totally. You wore the red… dress…” Wylan trailed off at the end, seemingly embarrassed. Nina stifled her laughter.
“I’m calling because I need a favor. I know we don’t know each other, but I don’t know anyone else who can help me.”
“Is it dangerous?” This time Nina did laugh. Leave to Kaz Brekker to make a kid think that every favor asked in Ketterdam would be something risky.
“Not at all. I just need some help with chemistry. And you’re a chemist! I couldn’t think of anyone else, and trust me, it’s very urgent.”
“Look, Nina. Not to be overly cautious or anything, but this isn’t one of Brekker’s traps, right? I know him. Dirtyhands will do anything for a job.” Kaz really had shown Wylan the worst of Ketterdam. Of course, his reputation preceded him, but his reputation was also correct. Nina never thought of Kaz as Dirtyhands, but she knew that he had earned every rumor in blood.
“If I promise, will you believe me?”
“Probably not. Where are you?”
“The Crow Cafe. I’ll order you a cookie if you come.”
“I’ll be there in ten. And I want chocolate chip.” Nina smiled and hung up. Maybe she would pass chemistry and make a new friend.