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★。＼｜／。★
˚ ₊ ♡ ❰  DEADLY GHOSTS ❱
*✧ ─── ❝ ❪ RAVEN EYES! ❫ ❞
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˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ACT ONE ── no mourners 🪶 ⁺⑅

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SIX OF CROWS ⋆ 🪦.
♯ ❝ MIRIAM DARLING ❞
CHAPTER FIVE ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
˚ ₊ ♡ book one ─── age 17
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THE STREETS ARE SHROUDED IN DARKNESS, AND IT WAS ALWAYS DARK IN KETTERDAM WHERE THE  MONSTERS ROAMED LIKE PHANTOMS DRIFITING THROUGH THE MIST. THE WIND CUT THROUGH HER clothes like icy knives but Miriam was not bothered by the cold. She had survived far worse than this. There was a bounce in her step, and she too, drifted like the monsters in the dark, cutting through alleyways as if it was an elaborated dance. A dance with death.

"Who are we looking for Dara?" Jesper voiced from behind her, "A secret lover of yours perhaps?"

A raven crowed above them, a hauntingly hollow sound.

Her face twisted in displeasure, her pretty face cloaked by the furrow of her brow and the stretch of her lips in a thin line. "I don't mix pleasure with business Fahey." She quipped, a surprisingly jesting lilt in her voice. But her eyes are not focused on the boy, or even the street up ahead, instead they gaze up at the sky. Where the stars litter the sky upon a canvas of ink. The streetlights barely bright enough to show the roofs of houses.

"Haven't we been here already?" Wylan stammered out, reddish-blonde curls bouncing, and blocking his eyes partly. The merchling jumps at every sound like a startled little baby bird.

"We have." She echoes lightly, taking an abrupt turn to her left, her coat flutter behind her.

"Do you even know where to find this person?" Jesper inquired with a raised brow.

"I will not find him." she spoke mysteriously, eyes focused up at the sky with a smirk.

"What?"

The streets ahead were less crowded, barely a person in sight, and only the half-dead and drunk lingered here. The raven crowed once more, ­closer and in a swift move landed on Miriam's shoulder as if it was an ordinary house pet.

"Uhm you a have a little—" Jesper pointed at her shoulder, but jumped back at the raven looked at him with glass white eyes—dead eyes. "Holy shit!"

Miriam smirked devilishly, "he will find us dear Jesper."

"What the actual fuck is that thing?" Jesper shrieked, drawing his pistols, but suddenly the raven's eyes rolled back, and turned normal before it took off in the sky.

"I feel very much insulted." A voice echoed from a building, "Miriam darling, is this the company you keep these days? They are very uncivilised."

Miriam pivoted on her feet, her own smug grin erupting when her eyes landed on the dark haired boy that stepped out of the darkness, a dim light from a window illuminating his features. "Jesper, this is Willem Hoff." She introduced smugly, as the dark skinned sharpshooter blinked surprised at the newcomer. "He is a mapmaker."

"A mapmaker?" Wylan echoed unsurely, "What do we need a mapmaker for?"

Willem, glaring, stepped closer to the merchling, tall figure towering and confidence in his stride, "I am a very special mapmaker boy."

"You are scaring him Hoff." Miriam scolded, gripping the back of Wylan's collar to pull him back towards her.

Willem's dark eyes flickered towards her own, warm flames dance in hers as she regards him, and silence surround the group--a standstill. The man turns his gaze over her shoulder, where Kaz Brekker stood with his cane and leather gloves clasped around the crow head. A sly smirk creeped its way on his face. He stepped closer to Miriam, the space between their bodies limited but he did not look at her. "What's the deal dirtyhands?"

"I have heard whispers about you." Kaz started, hitting his cane on the cobblestone street with a clink resounding in the night.

"Your Wraith is good at her job." Willem replied, eyes fluttering upwards where he stares at the dark—where Inej hid, Miriam is sure of it.

"Raven Eyes." Kaz muttered almost mockingly, as he tightened his grip on his cane before walking closer to stand next to Miriam. "That's what they call you, that is was Dara calls you."

"Does she now?" Willem grinned, looking down at the dark haired girl, "She has called me many, many names, in very pleasant situations too."

"They have never been of the pleasant kind." Miriam jutted her chin up to stare up at him.

"Miriam darling, have you come to make deal?" Willem whispered as he leaned down to speak in her ear.

She stepped around him in a single quick motion before he could get closer. "We have come to you for help yes." She hated to admit such things to him. especially in the company of her companions—who to their credit had only grown more confused at the interaction happening around them. At least Wylan and Jesper did. Kaz did not look surprised. He never did. "We could use your expertise." She added.

"What is in it for me?"

"The glorious feeling of helping." Miriam shrugged before drawing the dagger from the sheath beneath her coat, "or your life perhaps?" The sharp edge poked against his spine and she could feel him stiffen under her touch.

But he relaxed quickly, a lazy grin on his face as he looked over his shoulder at her. "A knife Dara? Are you flirting with me?"

Kaz raised a leather glove-covered hand in the air, a silent signal and Miriam stepped back, twirling the intricate designed dagger between her nimble fingers. "You are sucking all the fun out of it Brekker." She chastised with humour laced in her voice, but she said no more and decided to stand next to a nervous looking Wylan.

"What's the deal Dirtyhands." Willem repeated once more, more serious this time when he looked upon Kaz Brekker.

"Breaking into the most well-guarded fortress in Fjerda to retrieve a very popular shu-scientist." Kaz offered casually.

Willem tilted his head in curiosity, a delighted, devilish glimmer in his eyes at the mere idea of breaking into the Ice Court. "Ice Court you say? Sounds delightfully impossible and surely suicidal." He hummed. "Sounds like fun. What is in it for me?" he paused, eyes settling on the leather gloves, "what about a peak beneath those ghastly things? I have heard rumours about you too Dirtyhands."

"You are dancing with your own death Willem Hoff." Miriam stated and the tall boy only smiled brightly at her, as if he knew not what Kaz Brekker was capable off.

"That's the fun of it Dara." He winked at her.

"Four million Kruge." Kaz spoke up stiffly.

"That sounds nice." Willem replied in a bored tone, "Are there any others who can do what I can do? I believe not Dirtyhands. I believe I want more. Demand and supply and all that. You know how it is." He shrugged before letting his eyes settle on the dagger in Miriam's hand and smirked. "I'd like to have that shiny sharp little dagger in your hand Dara."

Miriam clenched her jaw, fingers tightening around the hilt of the weapon but she said nothing in return. "You know I like shiny things Miriam darling."

Anger courses through her body, sweet poison ready to burst from her tongue. But she knows that despite the value she places upon the weapon, the value it has for her heart she does not need this more than she needs her vengeance.

"The deal is the deal."

ᵒ .༄ ࿐ ࿔* 🥀🪦🏚

⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆

"DID A CHILD DRAW THIS MAP? HOW HORRENDOUS." WILLEM HOFF FROWNED AT THE PARCHEMT PLACED ON THE TABLE INSIDE THE CROW'S CLUB. "ABSOLUTELY DREADFUL." The words spoken by the boy had certainly put Helvar in a far sour mood than he was before as the towering Fjerda glowered at the newcomer from his seat in the corner. Upon their return to the Crow's Club Nina had greeted them, and told them about the map Matthias had drawn as he had promised. Clearly, Willem did not think much of it upon first glance and if Inej hadn't been quick on her feet he would have lit the thing on fire with the help of a candle placed on the table.

"We need you to make sure this map is accurate." Brekker cut to the chase, as he tapped his cane on the polished hardwood floor. "A bird's eye view will be exceptionally helpful."

"Do you not trust you friend Kaz Brekker?" Willem taunted and Miriam watched with bathed breath as the scene unfolded inside the parlour room. When he did not say anything, Willem tutted, before rolling up the parchment and sticking it inside his coat pocket.

"Well what do you say Drüskelle?" Willem turned to look at Matthias sulking the corner. "care to enlighten us on the inner workings of your home?"

Matthias glared, but with one look from Nina, despite their earlier animosity he sighed and stood up

He took a deep breath and began, "The Ice Court is on a cliff overlooking the harbour at Djerholm. It's built in concentric circles, like the rings of a tree." The words came slowly, as if speaking each one was causing him pain. "First, the ringwall, then the outer circle. It's divided into three sectors. Beyond that is the ice moat, then at the centre of everything, the White Island. The whole thing is built on a rise."

The tall Fjerdan stopped, closing his eyes as if hoping to wake up from this nightmare, but Kaz held no patience inside his body and gestured for him to continue.

"The cliffs are unscalable, and the northern road is the only way in or out. You'll have to get through a guarded checkpoint before you even reach the ringwall."

"Two checkpoints," Wylan interrupted and everyone's gaze was on the young boy. "When I was there, there were two."

"There you have it," Kaz said to Jesper. "Marketable skills. Wylan is watching you, Helvar."

"Why two checkpoints?" Inej asked.

"It's harder to bribe two sets of guards. The security at the Court is always built with multiple fail-safes. If you make it that far—"

"We, Helvar. If we make it that far," corrected Kaz.

The Fjerdan gave the barest shrug. "If we make it that far, the outer circle is split into three sectors: the prison, the drüskelle facilities, and the embassy, each with its own gate in the ringwall. The prison gate is always functioning, but it's kept under constant armed surveillance. Of the two others, only one is ever operational at any given time."

"What determines which gate is used?" asked Jesper.

"The schedule changes each week, and guards are only given their postings the night before."

"Maybe that's a good thing," said Jesper. "If we can figure out which gate isn't running, it won't be manned or guarded—"

"There are always at least four guards on duty even when the gate isn't in use."

"I can manage killing a couple guards." Miriam spoke up, "who knows they might like to go for a nice little dive...off of the guard post?"

Matthias shook his head. "The gates weigh thousands of pounds and can only be operated from within the guardhouses. And even if you could raise one of them, opening a gate that isn't scheduled for use would trigger Black Protocol. The entire Court would go on lockdown, and you'd give away your location."

A ripple of unease passed through the room.

"Helvar, I expect you to describe the mechanics of the alarm system to Wylan and Willem later."

Matthias frowned. "I don't really know how it works. It's some kind of series of cables and bells."

"Tell them all you know. Where will they be keeping Bo Yul-Bayur?"

Slowly, Matthias rose. "The prison sector. The high-security cells are on the topmost floor. It's where they keep the most dangerous criminals. Assassins, terrorists—"

"Grisha?" Nina asked.

Miriam's expression hardened.

"Exactly," he replied grimly.

"Bo Yul-Bayur isn't dangerous," he said thoughtfully. "At least not in that way. I don't think they'll keep him locked up with the rabble."

"I think they'll keep him in a grave," said Matthias. "Operate on the assumption that he isn't dead. He's a valued prisoner, one they don't want falling into the wrong hands before he stands trial. The buildings of the outer circle surround the ice moat, and at the moat's centre is the White Island, where the treasury and the Royal Palace are. It's the most secure place in the Ice Court."

"Then that's where Bo Yul-Bayur will be," said Kaz.

Matthias smiled. Actually, it was less a smile than a baring of teeth. He learned that grin at Hellgate, Miriam knew that for sure, for she saw it every day when she looked in the mirror.