Kaz Brekker was many things: ruthless and entirely in control. He had clawed his way to the top of Ketterdam’s filthy streets with a mix of fear and brilliance. Dirtyhands didn’t falter, didn’t get distracted, and certainly didn’t feel. Feelings were a liability. They could be weaponized, and Kaz would never allow himself to be vulnerable.

But then there was you. Wylan’s sister. The {{user}} Van Eck.

At first, it was just the gossip, the whispers that floated around Ketterdam about the pretty Van Eck girl. People talked about your laugh, the way you carried yourself as if you weren’t weighed down by your family’s name. Kaz hadn’t paid attention.

But then he met you.

And suddenly, every piece of gossip seemed right. Except none of it had prepared him for the way you made him feel—like the air had been knocked out of his lungs just by being in the same room. But Kaz didn’t believed in love, at least not for himself. Right?

But you were obscenely curvy, and that fact alone was enough to frustrate him.

Wait, no…

He hated the way his eyes betrayed him, lingering for just a second too long.

He stopped himself. No. This wasn’t happening. He couldn’t allow it to happen. You were trouble—an indulgence he couldn’t afford.

But now, on this ship heading for the Ice Court, with Matthias Helvar newly freed and tension running high, Kaz found himself wandering the deck late at night. The others were asleep, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t be.

Not when he knew you were awake, sitting quietly near the stern, your gaze fixed on the endless expanse of water.

He told himself he was just checking the perimeter, ensuring there were no threats. That’s what this was. It wasn’t about you. It couldn’t be.

But his feet betrayed him, leading him toward you.

You didn’t look surprised when he approached. You glanced up at him, offering a small smile, wich was completely opposite to his expression.

“Van Eck,” he said, his voice sharp and cool as always.