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simpingcorner · 1 year

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Daughter of the Shadows ch. 3

Word Count: ~1.8k Warnings: mild violence (stabbing, mentions of gunshots, physical fighting), blood, alcohol, gambling,mention ofblood loss, mentio of attempted SA,not proofread, let me know if I forgot something.

Author's Note: Third chapter to my Grishaverse fanfic. Pretty much just a filler chapter. Sorry if it sucks. New chapter every Sunday and Wednesday. A reminder this is insipred by my SoC DR so it’ll follow both the books and the show plotlines, there will be changes to the canon characters and their storylines, it’s also a Kaz Brekker x OC. | English isn’t my first language so please bear with me and tell me if there’s something wrong. I hope you like it.

all rights to leigh bardugo, i only owny liith and her backstory (other ocs will be introduced later)

Ch. 1 - Ch. 2 - Ch. 4 - Ch. 5 - Ch. 6

CHAPTER 3

JESPER

Jesper wouldn't have known how to explain his arrival at the table, one moment he was guarding the south door, the next he was sitting at the table, surrounded by pigeons from Novyi Zem and Shu Han, "Jesper." Kaz's voice brought the boy back to reality, "Shouldn't you be guarding the door? " the boss’ hard face showed no emotion, Jesper had never seen emotions on Kaz's face, he had never seen him smiling, scared; his face, his voice, his eyes showed impassivity, never had he seen an expression other than the one he was wearing at that moment. "Right away, boss." He said before getting up from the table and heading for the door.

The line of tourists waiting to enter the Club stretched for a little over a block, it was no surprise the increase in customers during the autumn months, yet Jesper kept wondering how people like that, with enough money to cross the Fold or afford the best rooms in the best hotels of Ketterdam, could walk so calmly through the streets, not noticing the children and teens stealing their watches, wallets, jewellery, tie clips or whatever item could help them survive for at least another day.

It must be nice to have the security of eating and sleeping in a warm place.

The boy thought to himself, remembering the first months he had spent on the streets of the Barrel after dropping out of university, his father would not have been proud of him for being a gambler, whose only goal is to win enough to repay his debts. Debts his father was never supposed to know about.

The autumn night was humid and way too hot, the torpid air of the Barrel was now the only air Jesper could breathe, vaguely remembering the fresh air of his father's farm in Novyi Zem, a farm, a country, a life he had decided to abandon and forget, he had decided to start a new life at Ketterdam University, but that too, like everything Jesper started, had lasted little more than a few months. "When can we get in? We have been waiting since before the sun went down." Said the irritated voice of one of the tourists. "When you can come in I will let you in." Jesper replied as he went back to staring at the children running among the tourists, his hands steady on the handles of the guns, ready if needed, busy playing with them in such a way as to prevent accidents, his gaze shifted from the children to the tourists to the rooftops, he knew Lilith and Specht were busy with a job for Kaz and he knew they would have to return shortly.

Jesper knew that he would never have to contradict Kaz if he wanted to stay at the Slat, he knew Lilith was able to protect herself if needed, he knew she was probably one of the most dangerous and notorious people in the city, and maybe that was why part of him was agitated, although Lilith had never needed help part of him felt that she too had limits, that she too would need help sooner or later. The lights of the streetlamps flickered in the warm wind of the night, the voices of the Club's customers combined with the screams of the workers in the Pleasure District attracting new customers were now a constant in the boy's life, no matter what time it was Ketterdam was always alive, always awake, always brightly lit. "Oi Jesper, how is it today? How are the cards?" Specht asked him throwing his hat and mask into the room next to the door, "Same as always, lucky if you're rich." the Zemeni man replied shifting his gaze to his colleague, "In the next life I'll born grisha, those are the ones who enjoy life." said Specht laughing at Jesper before walking through the door, "Where's Lilith?" shouted Jesper to his colleague before he disappeared, "I think she's at Kaz's, she had to explain some things to him, she left me before dinner was over." replied Specht before disappearing into the crowd of the Club.

Something in Jesper's stomach twisted, he knew she wouldn't be coming through the front door, in his four years at Slat with her he had never seen her use the doors except to kick cheaters out or during guard shifts, which he had noticed were far inferior compared to the rest of the Crows, yet part of him felt that something was wrong, that something was going to happen.

He noticed her before she could even notice him, her blonde hair stood out among the dark colours of the clothes and the streets, the thirteen year old girl was making her way through the bodies of tourists lined up to enter. "Branwen." Jesper shouted at the blonde, her pitch black eyes met Jesper's, a worried and frightened expression on the little girl's face, "What happened?" the Zemeni asked as he knelt in front of her and squeezed her shoulder, "It's Lilith. We were talking and when I left I noticed three men approaching her." "Where?" she asked trying to keep her composure, "Around the corner two blocks from here." replied Branwen, "Okay, can you tell Big Bolliger if he can cover me while I go see what's going on with Lilith?" Jesper ran towards the alley before the blonde could answer.

It wasn't the worst thing he had ever seen or the worst situation Lilith had been in and yet Jesper froze for a second at the scene in front of him, three men were pinning the girl down, their hands were trying to travel over her body, the veil of the costume was on the ground, broken, a symbol of innocence lost. Jesper pulled the trigger without noticing the action he had just performed, one of the three men fell to the ground groaning, the boy's gaze stopped on Lilith, but her eyes travelled from his hand to the man in front of him, the second man fell groaning, her hands were trying to stop the loss of blood, but the wound left by the girl's dagger would not heal. Jesper sprinted towards Lilith, catching her in time to prevent her from falling. Her body laid motionless in Jesper's arms, blood oozed from her side, the cut on her right forearm had reopened during the fight, her closed eyes and almost non-existent breathing forced Jesper to run through the streets, making space for himself by shouting and pushing tourists and workers, Big Bolliger noticed Lilith unconscious in his arms before he even noticed Jesper shouting and trying to get into the Crows Club, the line of people waiting to enter protested at the sight of the scene, "I've been here for three hours." "I've been waiting my turn since before the sun went down," were some of the comments Jesper could hear before turning towards the pigeons, "And she’s dying. If you want I'll shoot you too so you can come in," the boy replied before entering the club.

Inej was the first to notice Jesper, she stood beside him studying the girl's wounds, her gaze and expression impassive, by now used to such scenes, "Take her to her room, I'll go get Kaz." "No.... Don’t… Call him..." said Lilith between sighs, before losing consciousness again. Jesper and Inej knew not to go against the girl's wishes, but they needed Kaz to heal her, he was the only one who could find a healer and hire him before the worst happened, "Lil, we have to, he's the only one who can help you." Jesper's voice was gentle and concerned, "Milana... Work... At the Orchid..." Lilith's laboured breathing grew quicker and more erratic as Jesper propped her up on the mattress. "Specht send someone for Milana, Rotty get me some bandages or something to stop the bleeding, Anika go back to the counter and don't say anything." Ordered Inej to the rest of the Dregs around her, Jesper was kneeling beside the brunette, one hand clasped in his while with the other he stroked her hair, something that would have ensured his death at any other time, "Don't try to abandon me. We need to call Kaz, you need help," he told Inej, "No....I don't.... Need.... Of anyone..." said Lilith breathing heavily, "We all need someone." retorted Jesper with a half smile, Lilith tried to return it before losing consciousness again.

The Zemeni walked the streets of Ketterdam insulting himself for having, once again, lost what little savings he had left, the night was giving way to the warm spring sun, his chocolate-coloured face glistened from sweat under the dim light of the street lamps and the spring sun, his hands rested on the handles of his pistols, his gaze studied the pleasure district around him, his brain finally making up its mind to accept yet another night spent on the streets. "I can help you." The sudden voice startled him, he turned in search of the owner of the voice, but found himself alone in the alley, "I can help your father." the voice added, but still no one else besides him could be seen, leaving him to wonder if he was, in fact, imagining. Why would anyone help me? How could anyone know about my father? I don't need anyone. He thought as he continued walking in the shadows of the alley.

"We all need someone." Said the voice as if reading his mind. "Why would you want to help me?" He finally asked as the shadows seemed to retreat, giving way to the light of dawn. "Because I need you as much as you need me." His eyes finally saw the owner of the voice, a young girl, her curly brown hair trying to break free from the two braids at the nape of her neck, a white scar on her right cheek gave her already intimidating image, an even more frightening aura, her brown eyes were dark, studying him, a story behind them, pain, loss and revenge were the only things that could be seen in them. Two daggers carved from bones in her hands, ready to attack. Jesper looked at her, it felt like looking in a mirror, the purple bags under the girl's eyes were the same as his own, the quivering now part of him could be seen in the girl's hands. "Why do you need me?" He asked suddenly, "Because you have skills I don't and I bet you'd rather sleep on a real bed instead of the streets of the Pleasure District." Her voice was firm, affecting, too adult for the girl. "I guess sleeping on a real bed wouldn't be too bad." Said the boy with a smile, his hands left the grips of the guns, before reaching forward, the girl copied the action, her hand hidden by a leather glove squeezed the boy's, "I'm..." "Jesper Fahey." the girl interrupted him before turning on her heels and walking towards the Crow Club.

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