You, Kaz, and the rest of the Crows had somehow managed to pull off the biggest heist Ketterdam had ever seen. Now in the aftermath of it, the Crows were going their separate ways. You included. You’d paid off your indenture to Kaz and were now setting off to take down slaver ships in the waters between Ketterdam and Ravka. A noble cause, you must say.

Kaz had used a favor from Sturmhond—also known as Nikolai Lantsov, the second in line for the Ravkan throne, but that story is for another time. He had Sturmhond scout your parents for you, who you hadn’t seen in an incredibly long time. So here you stood in Fifth Harbour on the docks with Kaz, waiting for your parents to arrive.

You watched as they walked off the ship, as graceful as any Suli acrobat, and you started forward before turning to look at Kaz. “Come with me.” You said. “Come meet them.”

Kaz nodded as if steeling himself, flexed his fingers once more.

“Wait,” he said. The burn of his voice was rougher than usual. “Is my tie straight?”

You laughed, your hood falling back from your hair.

“That’s the laugh,” he murmured, but you were already setting off down the quay, your feet barely touching the ground.