𝑨𝑪𝑻 𝑶𝑵𝑬 ━ 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹  𝑻𝑾𝑶

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 through the open window sent chills down Leila's spine, she was currently at her small desk that had a mirror on it. She was dressing up one of the wounds she'd gotten from her little encounter with the assassin of the Hertzel family. He is dead now, of course, but their little dancing sequence left her with a few bruises and cuts.

Every movement sent waves and waves of throbbing pain through her arms and back, but Leila had dealt with far worse pain before. Her eyes that were once watery due to a punch to her face, was now stained with dry tears and blood.

The throbbing never stopped, and Leila learnt to enjoy it, Anefa would get mad at her every time she'd come back with bruises and injuries. 

Leila didn't want to bother her right now. Anefa had worked all day and it was almost 9 o'clock at night. Maybe tomorrow, she'd go see her but right now, she didn't feel the need to go see her. 

Leila grinned softly and turned away from her window, noting that Inej was present. She greeted with a smile the latter, "Hello, Inej."

Leila turned to face Inej, her face bloody and covered in a combination of sweat and dry tears. "Oh, Leila...," she murmured. Inej detested seeing her best friend in this situation, and Leila felt the same way about Inej suffering harm.

As she approached Leila to assist her with bandaging and the bruises, she demanded, "What happened?"

Leila stopped what she was doing, she got up carefully and walked over to her bed so that Inej and her could be more comfortable. The Wraith followed her, her brows furrowed but her expression soft, she knew Leila would tell her eventually.

Leila pulled a few pillows from her wooden headboard and placed them carefully on her bed for the two to sit on. Leila chuckled and declined Inej's help, but she still came over and helped her with sitting down.

"What happened? Who hired you?" asked Inej taking the bandages and ointment from Leila.

Leila hissed at the stinging pain she felt from the ointment on some of her cuts and wounds as she replied "Nothing really happened. You'll find it shocking to learn who attempted to hire me, though."

"Who was that? Another—"

Leila exclaimed, "Surprisingly not another wannabe merchant." 

As she gently started putting the bandage up Leila's arm, Inej chuckled lowly. "Was it someone important?"

"I did hear that officer from the Ravkan Embassy's son came dangerously close to being murdered, although, I don't know who was sent?"

"Yeah him, but you won't believe who sent that person," said Leila as she turned around to face Inej who looked at her in anticipation, waiting for her to answer.

"Pekka Rollins."

"Pekka Rollins... really, why would he have anything to do with the Grieg family?"

"Hertzel denied him some sort of authorization, and" explained Leila as she got up and walked towards her desk where she picked up a few papers she'd looked for. "Apparently it was for something important, a big job, you've probably heard about it."

"Does he know..." murmured Inej.

"Hmm?" questioned Leila having not heard what she'd say, looking back at Inej who was now walking up to her.

Inej declared "Leila... I've got to tell you something."

"Of course, you can tell me anything love," replied Leila who now concerned, put down the papers and turned directly to Inej.

Inej started out, uncertain of how Leila would respond, "Kaz..." The Viper merely nodded for her to continue. 

"He wants to meet with you sooner or later."

"Why?" asked Leila.

"Leila, there's this job, a million kruge! and he wants you in it, we would need your help," replied Inej trying to convince her of at least meeting Kaz.

Leila became increasingly curious and asked, "A million kruge?" She knew this would help her with many things, which includes improved accommodation and perhaps even helping the orphanage.

Leila had made an oath to some of the children she'd been visiting at the Orphanage. Whenever she was able to go and help them out, she would, even sometimes getting information through them.

As they ran around, the kids would hear a lot of things due to their insatiable thirst for knowledge. While the adults thought the kids were harmless, Leila thought they were dangerous. If they wanted to, they could leave with a lot.

Leila questioned, "What kind of work are we talking about?" Knowing that her friend was even the slightest bit intrigued, Inej grinned. Although Leila wouldn't instantly agree, Inej could persuade her. 

Leila grinned and chuckled "Yes, rich merchant, ugly beard, and smells shitty."

"Yes him. He's looking for a crew willing to cross the Fold into East Ravka and bring back something." continued Inej.

East Ravka, that was surprising to Leila. What was in East Ravka that important? Leila thought of any reason she had heard of the past week for Dreesen to want to go to East Ravka. Nothing special coming to her mind.

"Kaz thinks it's a good idea which I don't really know much about." said Inej. "You would be an amazing crow, think about it, you would get so much more protection from the dregs and—"

Leila cut her off in mid-sentence and said, "Inej, I've been able to survive on my own for years upon years and how would Brekker give me any protection from the bastards of Ketterdam?"

Inej hesitated for a moment, allowing her thoughts wander back to what Leila had said earlier. She had run into one of Pekka's men, killed him, and interfered with his business dealings, which means she would need protection from Pekka Rollins. But this had happened before, Inej had been alerted by Anefa one day of the disaster.

Pekka Rollins was a monster, an annoying gross human being, the only person Leila was even slightly frightened of. Considering all the things she was capable of; he had wanted her to join his crew for an extremely long time. Leila declined at first. Pekka did not take that well.

To make her pay for his embarrassment while offering her one last opportunity to join him, he sent his men after her, searching and stalking to bring her back to him. A horrible attempt that ended with multiple of his men dead and left her bleeding from her stomach if it wasn't for Anefa she would have died.

Leila knew that after she had just killed another one of his men, she would be on his list of people to go after, and that did not sound very fun.

Leila looks at Inej as she thought about the proposal, though she is not the biggest fan of the Bastard of the Barrel, she knew that he was one of Pekka's biggest rivals. Perhaps she ought to give some consideration to what Kaz Brekker has to say to her if she wanted to avoid becoming Pekka's next victim. 

Leila groaned and scowled at Inej, finally stating, "Fine, I'll give him a chance, if he doesn't irritate me enough to bash him over the head with his own cane."

"Saints, that was easier than I thought it would be, did you really just agree to go see Kaz," said Inej in surprise.

"Don't think I won't turn down anything he asks of me, Inej."

Leila's night was going to be a long one, and she did not like it a bit. Kaz Brekker was not someone Leila would trust with her life. But her life would never be the same after this night.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃𝐄𝐃 as usual, the bar filled with drunk merchants and men, cards flying around as players argued, groups of people laughing as the alcohol took over their senses. The lights were shining, and the moon was glowing, the wind soft and chilly, the perfect weather conditions for planning a heist in the dreg's minds.

Leila Darya was regretting everything; it had been about almost 1 hour since Inej came by her place. 1 hour since she agreed to go see Kaz Brekker, 1 hour of constant overthinking.

Leila didn't know if she had taken the right decision, maybe she should stay on her own, maybe that was the better option. She had always been able to survive on her own.

Her life would be in the hands of the Bastard of the Barrel, Dirtyhands. She was doomed even she didn't go see him and she knew it. Pekka Rollins would kill her, mark her grave with her blood, he would kill her without a second thought.

Leila groaned in annoyance as she made her way to the crow club, her heart thumping and her mind running with thoughts. Perhaps she shouldn't go in. She hesitated as she approached the door with the inside light shining on her.

"Saints" she mumbled and with one swift movement she waltzed in, her head high and her knife close.

The crow club's sound was loud, the people chatting and laughing, the players shouting and arguing, the bartender working and the sharpshooter drinking at the bar. 

Jesper Fahey. He saw her the moment she walked in, her cloak hiding her face as she held her head high. If Jesper had to be honest she looked scary, and he found it intriguing.

Jesper was told by Kaz, that he should be expecting her. To be fair, he was surprised she even showed up, he thought she would ditch them and not take part of the heist. But Jesper knew that if she was a crow, they would be unstoppable.

He hopped off the bar stool and started walking closer to her. Leila saw him, she stood by the door and waited, knowing he was coming to tell her something, to question her or even just to say hello.

"Leila Darya, what a surprise!" exclaimed Jesper making sure that no one would notice the two. Kaz had asked him to make sure no one knew.

Leila remarked with a slight smile, "Jesper Fahey, you haven't changed from the last time I saw you."

"You still haven't told me how you knew my name." exclaimed Jesper, chuckling.

Leila grinned a little and said, "I told you, I have my sources," before turning to glance around the surroundings. "Where's your arse of a boss?"  

Jesper chuckled a little and noted, "Kaz, right, uh, he is waiting for you upstairs, sec—."

"Thanks, Jesper, I know where his office is."

"How do you—" asked Jesper his eyebrows furrowed.

"I've got my sources remember," replied Leila as she made her way to the stairs. Jesper said nothing, watching as she walked away into the darkness, he instead walked back to his barstool and ordered another drink.

Leila Darya had been here before, she was curious at one point, who wouldn't, this was, Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, the Bastard of the Barrel. Of course, she had to.

It had been a few nights after they had 'first' met, the heist gone wrong. Leila was curious of the Bastard of the Barrel, so she did the normal thing. She followed him, well them.

Leila followed the Crows, Inej knew, she saw her, but Kaz Brekker was sceptical. He sensed someone, someone was following them, but why wouldn't Inej react, she would have sensed it a long time ago.

Inej had not reacted because she knew it was Leila, she knew that Leila would follow them until the crow club. She knew that Leila was going to look through Kaz's background, or just his office but that was enough for her.

Leila got through the window, the rain pouring outside, the sound of thunder felted like a melody against the shouts of the crow club. She was in Kaz's room, his place of work. The Darya girl made her way till she came to his sort of bedroom, which included a bed, a tiny table with a basin and a mirror, a small wardrobe, and a small bed.

Leila walked towards the closet setting her eyes on the small handle, what could the Bastard of the Barrel have in this.

She was expecting to find money and critical documents, but what she discovered was far funnier than that. Coats, this boy had a lot of black coats, for sure. Chuckling, she closed the closet and walked towards his desk, this was where the real fun began.

Leila strolled over to the Brekker boy's desk knowing that he was out, presumably getting into some gang trouble, it was going to be fun to say the least. 

Leila looked through his documents not really caring to put them back where they came from, she wanted him to know, but her amusement suddenly came to an end. She could hear voices, and since she couldn't hear any female voices, she assumed he was speaking to Jesper as he up the stairs.

Quickly, Leila put back everything she touched and walked towards the window, jumping down just in time as the Brekker boy walked through his door, immediately knowing someone was here.

That was her first time here, in Kaz Brekker's office, and here she was now, going to meet him, him offering her a job. Leila scowled at the idea. She hadn't given what she was doing any thought, blinded by her fear.

Leila was in front of his door, she hesitated, her thoughts from before coming back like a wave, she shouldn't be here. She could fend for herself. Right? She'd been doing so for years and years now. Bracing herself, she opened the door and stepped inside, closing it. 

"Hello, Leila." said Kaz, he was sat at his desk, looking at papers. He looked up at her and gestured for her to come closer ad sit down.

Leila scowled, and complied, her guard was up — she didn't trust him at all, Inej and Jesper maybe but Kaz Brekker wasn't on her trust list.

"Kaz Brekker, what does the Bastard of the Barrel want with me?" said Leila as she cautiously approaching him. "Inej told me you wanted to see me,"

"Well Viper, I wanted to talk to you myself," He replied and put the papers he was looking at down only to look back at her. "Would you want a crow tattoo, Viper?" 

"Tattoos aren't really my thing, Brekker," she walked closer to his desk and stood in front of him, her cloak still hiding her face enough so that he could see her.

Kaz barely chuckled dryly, "Has Inej told you about the reason that you are here?"

"Yes of course she did, heard you needed my help, dear Brekker," said Leila chuckling at his scowl. "I do not need your help Darya, but you sure do." replied Kaz getting up from his seat.

"I heard that you were on Pekka Rollins's death list." said Kaz. Leila's faced paled the tiniest bit, enough to go unnoticed by anyone but Kaz saw it, her eyes widen ever so slightly at the sound of Pekka's name. She was afraid of him. 

Kaz smirked lightly, this going unnoticed by Leila. "Killed many of his men, have you?"

"I would say that I am good at my job," replied Leila, her demeanour, her confidence spiked at the mention of her job.

"Most of Ketterdam have grudges againts the dime lions." added Leila.

"Hmm." hummed Kaz. "Pekka Rollins tried to recruit you, you denied, why?" 

Leila frowned and thought, how did he know this? Did Inej tell him?  Leila couldn't guess what the Brekker's next move would be. 

"Wouldn't it be a smart move, he wouldn't kill you if you were in the dime lions," added Kaz as he looked at her, examining her facial expression.

"I prefer working solo, it adds more to the fun of my job," said Leila adding the sarcastic comment trying to lower the atmosphere.

"I have a job offer for you, Viper, one that could give you the protection you need from Pekka Rollins," said Kaz finally dropping his question. Leila could almost laugh at his question, had he not just heard her. She loved working solos.

"You are one funny person, Brekker," said Leila chuckling lowly, "I just said that I don't work with others."

"I heard you, Darya." replied Kaz, "That doesn't mean you won't accept my offer."

And for the first time tonight, Leila Darya was speechless, no comments made, no jokes, no sarcasm. She thought that Kaz Brekker had an audacity to tell her that, he really thought she would accept his offer.

Leila laughed dryly and shook her head, "And why would I ever accept your offer or ever help you in any way?" Leila stepped back, ready to leave at any point.

"No, I know you will accept my offer because we both know that you have nowhere to go," said Kaz as he walked closer to Leila trying to intimidate her, "We both know that you will simply keep running from Pekka Rollins, he will hunt you down, his men will kill you without mercy."

Kaz stopped a few steps away from her and Leila stepped back, not because she was scared but because it was her instinct of stepping back to fight back. Leila's eyes dropped down to the floor, as she thought at what he said and what Inej said as well.

They were right, she couldn't keep running, she'd already been hiding from Pekka before and accepting the job that Hertzel Grieg gave her did not help her. She would be on his deat list, running from him would be more difficult.

Taking a deep breath, Leila looked away, and mumbled, "Saints."

"What do you want me for, Brekker?" said Leila as she looked back at him. Kaz looked smug, he knew he got her, he knew he had convinced her, he knew she would agree to him. "Well, Darya, there's this job, 1 million kruge job," said Kaz as he walked back to his desk. 

Seeing that Leila hadn't looked surprised, Kaz knew Inej had told her about it. "And you are going to be a useful asset to this job and every other job to come."

"What?" said Leila a confused expression on her face, why would she help him with jobs after? did he want her to join the crows?

Leila shook her head, "You want me to join your crew?" 

Kaz tilted his head, smirking lightly at her. "Good, you can keep up." 

Leila scowled and huffed, bored of his request— she got these almost every week or so but this one was different, and she knew it, "You're boring me, Brekker." and to that Kaz frowned lightly. "Will you accept the job?" he asked dismissing her comment.

Leila hesitated, she was going to through herself in a rabbit hole, and she couldn't get back out even if she wanted to. "Yes, I want to know everything about this million kruge job."

Kaz nodded, and Leila added, "But I am not getting any tattoos, do you understand, Brekker?"

Kaz did not respond, he only gestured for her to follow him, as he walked towards the door. Leila scoffed and walked behind him muttering, "Arse."

Kaz dismissed the comment, rolling his eyes at the girl's attitude. "Keep walking, Darya." 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 as full as when Leila walked in. As she walked down the stairs behind Kaz, she could see the people around the room. Most drinking and talking, Jesper was still at the bar. Inej had walked in. The crows were fatal, they were feared together but the Viper was feared alone, so with her, the crows had gotten themselves a new level.

Leila let Kaz guide her to where both Inej and Jesper sat, silently speaking to each other, sometimes chuckling. The sound of Kaz's cane hitting the ground alerted the two. 

Inej turned around and smiled widely, getting up from her seat she walked past the Brekker boy and went straight into the arms of Leila. 

"I still don't understand how you guys know each other?" said Jesper chuckling and downing his drink.

"You don't have to, Jesper," said the Darya girl amused by his question. "We just do." 

"Right, right, but one day I will get one of you to tell me." replied Jesper as he pointed at the two with his brows furrowed. Kaz looked unimpressed by everything going on and scoffed, this being dismissed by the trio.

"In your dreams Fahey," said Leila chuckling before turning to Inej who was laughing as well beside her and asked, "How have you been love?" 

And before the Suli girl could answer, Kaz interrupted and said, "Enough of the chit chat, you two can speak later, right now, we've got a job to get."

 "Is he always like that?" asked Leila as she leaned towards Jesper with a tilt of the head, nodding towards him. "Yeah, pretty much on a daily basis, like you said he's an arse of a boss." replied Jesper grinning.

Kaz glared at them and walked towards the door. The three followed behind him, their heads high and their weapons ready. 

"We need to cross the Fold—" started Kaz before Leila halted in her steps, her breathing heavier than usual. "No one told me anything about crossing the Fold?!"

"Minor detail, I left out," replied Kaz nonchalantly, "Back to the point, we find the way, we get the money, simple enough."

"You've got to be kidding me, Saints." mumbled Leila, shaking her head.

No one responded to her, Inej only smiling at her and nodding towards the two others who walked forward leaving the girls behind. Leila scowled and started walking with Inej.

The Crows went to their first source, "Tell us how to safely cross the Fold." asked Kaz, only for the merchant to answer, "The Fold? If I knew safe passage through that, I'd be wealthier than the whole Merchant Council."

Next to went to someone Inej knew, Leila merely nodded to the woman, knowing her from a job she'd gotten.

"You told me you brought in girls from Os Alta. The other side." asked Inej, again getting another negative answer. "Yeah. The hard way. Lost a few to those damn volcra, too."

Kaz turned to Leila as they walked out of the woman's place. "Do you know anyone, who could cross the Fold?"

Leila thought for a second. She did know a few people but whose story sounded the truest was the question. The Kerch merchant or maybe Hertzel Grieg would know someone, he had to, right? The merchant had to know more than him, Grieg was too much of snob to cross the Fold.

Leila nodded toward Kaz who gestured for her to lead the way, she didn't know if it would be a good idea to go to the merchant's office right now, when Pekka Rollins wanted her blood. But nevertheless, the Suli girl marched forwards, looking at the guard who stood in front of the doors.

"I'm here for Radomer Litvin, get him for me." said Leila, the guard's eyes widen at the sight of the Viper and the Crows together. "Tell him, the Viper wants to talk to him."

The guard merely nodded and quickly walked inside, searching for his boss. Walking out a few minutes after, he said with a slightly trembling voice, "He's upstairs, told you to come up."

"Thank you, sweetheart," said Leila with a sickly smile. The guard's cheeks heat up at the comment and let them inside. She had an effect on people. They felt defenceless at the sight of her dark hair, her flushed cheeks, long lashes. 

"Radomer Litvin," exclaimed Leila as she busted through the doors, looking at the man who sat behind a desk. 

"The Viper, pleasure to have you back," he said before turning to the three people behind her and frowning. "With the Crows, I see."

"Yeah well, it's a surprise to me too," replied Leila chuckling, "I need your help, Litvin, do you know a way to cross the Fold?"

The Kerch merchant looked taken aback by the request. "The Fold?"

Leila only nodded, but the merchant shook his head, "Never again, lost almost half my crew on that trip!" 

Another dead end, Leila huffed out as her and the crows walked out of the merchant's office, it was now Jesper and Kaz's turn to try and find a way to cross the Fold.

"Nah, there's no trick to it except how it makes people disappear from time to time." said the man who sat in front of them, Jesper's lead.

"I heard you bragging of a way to make a path."

"I was taking kruge from a tourist. A little lie."

Kaz's lead was next. He walked up to the man, the others following close behind. "Just go around." said the man.

"It stretches all the way north to the Fjerdan border." retorted the Brekker boy.

"Ja. So go to Fjerda. March through the permafrost."

"How long would that take?" asked Kaz, leaning forward.

"From here? Four months. Maybe five." replied the man before standing up alongside Kaz.

"We don't have that kind of time." said Kaz annoyed.

"Either you take your time, or you take your chances." And with that he walked off to the fighting ring. Their night was going to be a long and cruel one...

━━━━━━
❪ ៸ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ━━━━━ ! ﹆◞ ❫
━━━━━
━━━━━ . . .
❪ . . . the 2nd chapter of THE PERFECT CRIME everyone, we won't talk about how this took me almost a week ❫
❪ . . . this is 4.3k but the next chapter is going to be shorter maybe longer maybe 3.1K or 5.2K so stay tuned for that ❫
❪ . . . PLEASE tell me how you guys feel about it ??❫
❪ . . .PLEASE don't be a ghost reader, comment and vote, I love to reply to everyone and interact with my readers, love all of you darlings <33 ❫