friendless,penniless,andfarfromhome.She’dspentthefirstweekintheKerchlawcourts,dealing withthechargesagainstMatthias.Butoncehertestimonywascomplete,she’dbeenunceremoniously dumpedatFirstHarbourwithjustenoughmoneytobookpassagebacktoRavka.Desperateasshe’d beentoreturntohercountry,she’dknownshecouldn’tleaveMatthiastolanguishinHellgate.
Shehadnoideawhattodo,butitseemedrumoursofanewGrishaCorporalnikinKetterdamhad alreadycirculatedthroughthecity.PekkaRollins’menhadbeenwaitingforherattheharbourwith the promise of safety and a place to stay. They’d taken her to the Emerald Palace, where Pekka himselfhadleanedheavilyonNinatojointheDimeLionsandhadofferedtosetherupinbusinessat the Sweet Shop. She’d been close to saying yes, desperate for cash and terrified of the slavers who patrolled the streets. But that night, Inej had crawled through her window on the top floor of the EmeraldPalacewithaproposalfromKazBrekkerinhand.
NinanevercouldfigureouthowInejhadmanagedtoscalesixrain-slickstoreysofstoneinthe middleofthenight,buttheDregs’termswerefarmorefavourablethanthoseofferedbyPekkaand theDimeLions.Itwasacontractthatshemightactuallypayoffinayearortwoifshewassmartwith her money. And Kaz had sent the right person to argue his case – a Suli girl just a few months youngerthanNinawhohadgrownupinRavkaandwhohadspentaveryuglyyearindenturedatthe Menagerie.
“WhatcanyoutellmeaboutPerHaskell?”Ninahadaskedthatnight.
“Notmuch,”Inejhadadmitted.“He’snobetterorworsethanmostofthebossesintheBarrel.”
“AndKazBrekker?”
“Aliar,athief,andutterlywithoutconscience.Buthe’llkeeptoanydealyoustrikewithhim.”
Ninahadheardtheconvictioninhervoice.“HefreedyoufromtheMenagerie?”
“ThereisnofreedomintheBarrel,onlygoodterms.TanteHeleen’sgirlsneverearnoutoftheir contracts.Shemakessuretheydon’t.She—”Inejhadbrokenoffthen,andNinahadsensedthevibrant angercoursingthroughher.“KazconvincedPerHaskelltopayoffmyindenture.Iwouldhavediedat theMenagerie.”
“YoumaystilldieintheDregs.”
Inej’sdarkeyeshadglinted.“Imay.ButI’lldieonmyfeetwithaknifeinmyhand.”
The next morning, Inej had helped Nina sneak out of the Emerald Palace. They’d met with Kaz Brekker,anddespitehiscoldwaysandthosestrangeleathergloves,she’dagreedtojointheDregs andworkoutoftheWhiteRose.Lessthantwodayslater,agirldiedattheSweetShop,strangledin herbedbyacustomerdressedasMisterCrimsonwhowasneverfound.
NinahadtrustedInej,andshehadn’tbeensorryforit,thoughrightnowshejustfeltfuriouswith everyone.ShewatchedagroupofDimeLionsprodthedesertlizardwithlongspears.Apparently,the monster was sated after its meal; it allowed itself to be herded back to the tunnel, its thick body movingsidetosideinalazy,sinuousroll.
Thecrowdcontinuedtobooasguardsenteredthearenatoremovetheprisoner ’sremains,tendrils ofsmokestillcurlingfromhisruinedflesh.
“Whyaretheycomplaining?”Ninaaskedangrily.“Isn’tthiswhattheycameherefor?”
“Theywantedafight,”saidKaz.“Theywereexpectinghimtolastlonger.”
“Thisisdisgusting.”
Kazshrugged.“OnlydisgustingthingaboutitisthatIdidn’tthinkofitfirst.”
“Thesemenaren’tslaves,Kaz.They’reprisoners.”
“They’remurderersandrapists.”
“Andthievesandconartists. Your people.”
“Nina,sweet,theyaren’tforcedtofight.Theylineupforthechance.Theyearnbetterfood,private cells,liquor, jurda ,conjugalswithgirlsfromWestStave.”
Muzzencrackedhisknuckles.“SoundsbetterthanwegotitattheSlat.”
Ninalookedatthepeoplescreamingandshouting,thebarkerswalkingtheaislestakingbets.The prisonersofHellgatemightlineuptofight,butPekkaRollinsmadetherealmoney.
“Helvardoesn’t…Helvardoesn’tfightinthearena,doeshe?”
“Wearen’therefortheambience,”Kazsaid.
Beyond slappable. “Are you aware that I could waggle my fingers and make you wet your trousers?”
“Easy,Heartrender.Ilikethesetrousers.Andifyoustartmessingwithmyvitalorgans,Matthias
Shehadnoideawhattodo,butitseemedrumoursofanewGrishaCorporalnikinKetterdamhad alreadycirculatedthroughthecity.PekkaRollins’menhadbeenwaitingforherattheharbourwith the promise of safety and a place to stay. They’d taken her to the Emerald Palace, where Pekka himselfhadleanedheavilyonNinatojointheDimeLionsandhadofferedtosetherupinbusinessat the Sweet Shop. She’d been close to saying yes, desperate for cash and terrified of the slavers who patrolled the streets. But that night, Inej had crawled through her window on the top floor of the EmeraldPalacewithaproposalfromKazBrekkerinhand.
NinanevercouldfigureouthowInejhadmanagedtoscalesixrain-slickstoreysofstoneinthe middleofthenight,buttheDregs’termswerefarmorefavourablethanthoseofferedbyPekkaand theDimeLions.Itwasacontractthatshemightactuallypayoffinayearortwoifshewassmartwith her money. And Kaz had sent the right person to argue his case – a Suli girl just a few months youngerthanNinawhohadgrownupinRavkaandwhohadspentaveryuglyyearindenturedatthe Menagerie.
“WhatcanyoutellmeaboutPerHaskell?”Ninahadaskedthatnight.
“Notmuch,”Inejhadadmitted.“He’snobetterorworsethanmostofthebossesintheBarrel.”
“AndKazBrekker?”
“Aliar,athief,andutterlywithoutconscience.Buthe’llkeeptoanydealyoustrikewithhim.”
Ninahadheardtheconvictioninhervoice.“HefreedyoufromtheMenagerie?”
“ThereisnofreedomintheBarrel,onlygoodterms.TanteHeleen’sgirlsneverearnoutoftheir contracts.Shemakessuretheydon’t.She—”Inejhadbrokenoffthen,andNinahadsensedthevibrant angercoursingthroughher.“KazconvincedPerHaskelltopayoffmyindenture.Iwouldhavediedat theMenagerie.”
“YoumaystilldieintheDregs.”
Inej’sdarkeyeshadglinted.“Imay.ButI’lldieonmyfeetwithaknifeinmyhand.”
The next morning, Inej had helped Nina sneak out of the Emerald Palace. They’d met with Kaz Brekker,anddespitehiscoldwaysandthosestrangeleathergloves,she’dagreedtojointheDregs andworkoutoftheWhiteRose.Lessthantwodayslater,agirldiedattheSweetShop,strangledin herbedbyacustomerdressedasMisterCrimsonwhowasneverfound.
NinahadtrustedInej,andshehadn’tbeensorryforit,thoughrightnowshejustfeltfuriouswith everyone.ShewatchedagroupofDimeLionsprodthedesertlizardwithlongspears.Apparently,the monster was sated after its meal; it allowed itself to be herded back to the tunnel, its thick body movingsidetosideinalazy,sinuousroll.
Thecrowdcontinuedtobooasguardsenteredthearenatoremovetheprisoner ’sremains,tendrils ofsmokestillcurlingfromhisruinedflesh.
“Whyaretheycomplaining?”Ninaaskedangrily.“Isn’tthiswhattheycameherefor?”
“Theywantedafight,”saidKaz.“Theywereexpectinghimtolastlonger.”
“Thisisdisgusting.”
Kazshrugged.“OnlydisgustingthingaboutitisthatIdidn’tthinkofitfirst.”
“Thesemenaren’tslaves,Kaz.They’reprisoners.”
“They’remurderersandrapists.”
“Andthievesandconartists. Your people.”
“Nina,sweet,theyaren’tforcedtofight.Theylineupforthechance.Theyearnbetterfood,private cells,liquor, jurda ,conjugalswithgirlsfromWestStave.”
Muzzencrackedhisknuckles.“SoundsbetterthanwegotitattheSlat.”
Ninalookedatthepeoplescreamingandshouting,thebarkerswalkingtheaislestakingbets.The prisonersofHellgatemightlineuptofight,butPekkaRollinsmadetherealmoney.
“Helvardoesn’t…Helvardoesn’tfightinthearena,doeshe?”
“Wearen’therefortheambience,”Kazsaid.
Beyond slappable. “Are you aware that I could waggle my fingers and make you wet your trousers?”
“Easy,Heartrender.Ilikethesetrousers.Andifyoustartmessingwithmyvitalorgans,Matthias
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