Page 96 of Crooked Kingdom (Dregs 2)
They walked down to the boathouse. But before Wylan entered, he bent and plucked a red tulip from its bed. They all followed suit and silently filed inside. One by one, they knelt by Nina and rested a flower upon Matthias’ chest, then stood, surrounding his body, as if now that it was too late, they might protect him.
Kuwei was the last. There were tears in his golden eyes, and Jesper was glad he’d joined their circle. Matthias was the reason Kuwei and Jesper had survived the ambush on Black Veil; he was one of the reasons Kuwei would have a chance to truly live as a Grisha in Ravka.
Nina turned her face to the water, looking out at the narrow houses that lined the Geldcanal. Jesper saw that the residents had filled their windows with candles, as if these small gestures might somehow push back the dark. “I’m pretending those lights are for him,” she said. She plucked a stray red petal from Matthias’ chest, sighed, and released his hand, rising slowly. “I know it’s time.”
Jesper put his arm around her. “He loved you so much, Nina. Loving you made him better.”
“Did it make a difference in the end?”
“Of course it did,” said Inej. “Matthias and I didn’t pray to the same god, but we knew there was something beyond this life. He went easier to the next world knowing he’d done good in this one.”
“Will you stay in Ravka?” asked Wylan.
“Only long enough to arrange transport to Fjerda. There are Grisha who can help me preserve his body for the journey. But I can’t go home, I can’t rest until he does. I’ll take him north. To the ice. I’ll bury him near the shore.” She turned to them then, as if seeing them for the first time. “What about all of you?”
“We’ll have to figure out a way to spend our money,” said Kaz.
“What money?” said Jesper. “It all got poured into the Shu coffers. Like they needed it.”
“Did it?”
Nina’s eyes narrowed and Jesper saw a bit of her spirit return. “Stop playing around, Brekker, or I’ll send my unholy army of the dead after you.”
Kaz shrugged. “I felt the Shu could manage with forty million.”
“The thirty million Van Eck owed us—” murmured Jesper.
“Four million kruge each. I’m giving Per Haskell’s share to Rotty and Specht. It will be laundered through one of the Dregs’ businesses before it passes back through the Gemensbank, but the funds should be in separate accounts for you by the end of the month.” He paused. “Matthias’ share will go to Nina. I know money doesn’t matter to—”
“It matters,” said Nina. “I’ll find a way to make it matter. What will you do with your shares?”
“Find a ship,” said Inej. “Put together a crew.”
“Help run an empire,” said Jesper.
“Try not to run it into the ground,” said Wylan.
“And you, Kaz?” Nina asked.
“Build something new,” he said with a shrug. “Watch it burn.”
Jesper braced himself and said, “Actually, you should put my share in my father’s name. I don’t think … I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of money just yet.”
Kaz watched him for a long moment. “That’s the right move, Jes.”
It was a little like forgiveness.
Jesper felt sorrow dragging at his heart. He was flush with funds for the first time in years. His father’s farm was safe. But none of it felt right.
“I thought being rich would make everything better,” he said.
Wylan glanced back at his father’s mansion. “I could have told you it doesn’t work that way.”
In the distance, bells began to chime. Jesper went to get his father from the garden. Colm stood near the steps of the house, crumpled hat in his hands.
“At least now we can afford to get you a new hat,” said Jesper.
“This one’s comfortable.”
“I’ll come home, Da. When the city is open again. After Wylan gets settled.”
“He’s a good lad.” Too good for me, thought Jesper. “I hope you really will come home to visit.” Colm looked down at his big hands. “You should meet your mother’s people. The girl your mother saved all those years ago … I’ve heard she’s very powerful.”
Jesper didn’t know what to say.
“I … I’d like that. I’m sorry for all of this. For getting you mixed up in it. For almost losing what you worked so hard to build. I … I guess what I mean is, this action will have no echo.”
“Pardon?”
“It sounds better in Suli. I’m going to try, Da.”
“You’re my son, Jesper. I can’t protect you. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried. But I will be there even when you falter. Every time.”
Jesper hugged his father tight. Remember this feeling, he told himself. Remember all you have to lose. He didn’t know if he was strong enough to keep to the promises he’d made tonight, but he could try to be.
They walked back down to the boathouse and joined the others.
Inej placed her hands on Nina’s shoulders. “We’ll see each other again.”
“Of course we will. You’ve saved my life. I’ve saved yours.”
“I think you’re ahead on that count.”
“No, I don’t mean in the big ways.” Nina’s eyes took them all in. “I mean the little rescues. Laughing at my jokes. Forgiving me when I was foolish. Never trying to make me feel small. It doesn’t matter if it’s next month, or next year, or ten years from now, those will be the things I remember when I see you again.”
Kaz offered his gloved hand to Nina. “Until then, Zenik.”
“Count on it, Brekker.” They shook.
Rotty climbed down into the sickboat. “Ready?”
Kuwei turned to Jesper. “You should visit me in Ravka. We could learn to use our powers together.”
“How about I push you in the canal and we see if you know how to swim?” Wylan said with a very passable imitation of Kaz’s glare.
Jesper shrugged. “I’ve heard he’s one of the richest men in Ketterdam. I wouldn’t cross him.”
Kuwei gave an affronted sniff and lowered himself onto the floor of the sickboat. He folded his arms neatly over his chest.
“No,” said Kaz. “No. The bodymen don’t bother to arrange them.”
Kuwei let his hands flop to his sides. Colm was next, and Jesper instantly wanted to forget the image of his father laid out like a corpse.
They used the blanket to lift Matthias onto the boat, then slid the fabric from beneath him. Nina took the clutch of tulips from his chest and scattered them on the water. She lay down beside him.
Rotty pushed the long wooden pole against the sandy bottom of the canal. The barge drifted away from the dock. In the dark, he looked like any other bodyman ferrying his grim cargo through the canals. Only the sickboats could pass freely through the city and out of the harbor, collecting the dead to take to the Reaper’s Barge for burning.
Rotty would bring them up through the manufacturing district, where the Grisha refugees had fled after the auction, after discarding the blue robes they’d worn to pretend to be the Council of Tides. Kaz had known there was no way to transport that many Grisha without attracting notice. So they’d taken the secret passage from the embassy to the tavern, and then paraded down the street in billowing blue robes, faces shrouded in mist, declaring their power instead of attempting to hide it. Jesper supposed there was a lesson there if he wanted to take it. There were only four real Tidemakers among them, but it had been enough. Of course, there had been the chance the real Council of Tides would show up at the auction, but based on their record, Kaz had thought it was worth the risk.
The Grisha and Sturmhond would be waiting to board the boat not far from Sweet Reef. Once they were all aboard, Rotty would pole them out past the harbor and then send up a flare where Sturmhond’s ship would come to meet them. It was the only way to get a group of refugee Grisha, a farmer who’d helped con the entire Merchant Council, and the body of a boy who had—until a few hours ago—
been the most wanted hostage in the world, out of the city.
“You’ll have to be still,” Inej murmured.
