Crooked Kingdom (The Six of Crows Duology #2) - Leigh Bardugo Page 0,154

and kissed him.

Jesper’s mind emptied. He wasn’t thinking of what had happened before or what might happen next. There was only the reality of Wylan’s mouth, the press of his lips, then the fine bones of his neck, the silky feel of his curls as Jesper cupped his nape and drew him nearer. This was the kiss he’d been waiting for. It was a gunshot. It was prairie fire. It was the spin of Makker’s Wheel. Jesper felt the pounding of his heart—or was it Wylan’s?—like a stampede in his chest, and the only thought in his head was a happy, startled, Oh .

Slowly, inevitably, they broke apart.

“Wylan,” Jesper said, looking into the wide blue sky of his eyes, “I really hope we don’t die.”

N ina was furious to learn that Genya had tailored not only Wylan but Kaz as well, and she hadn’t gotten to watch.

He’d let the Tailor set his nose, reduce the swelling on his eye so that he could actually see, and deal with some of the worst damage he’d taken to his body. But that was all he’d permitted.

“Why?” said Nina. “She could have—”

“She didn’t know when to stop,” said Kaz.

Nina had a sudden suspicion that Genya had offered to heal Kaz’s bad leg. “Well, you look like the worst kind of Barrel thug,” Nina complained. “You should have at least let her clean up the rest of your bruising.”

“I am the worst kind of Barrel thug. And if I don’t look like I just trounced ten of the best toughs Per Haskell had to offer, then no one’s going to believe I did. Now let’s get to work. You can’t throw a party if nobody gets the invitation.”

Nina was not looking forward to this particular party, but the next morning, the announcement went in all the daily broadsheets, stuck to the columns at the east and west entries of the Exchange, and tacked to the front door of the Stadhall.

They’d kept it simple:

Kuwei Yul-Bo, son of Bo Yul-Bayur, Chief Chemist of Bhez Ju, makes available his service and will offer his indenture as the market and the hand of Ghezen commands. Those wishing to bid are invited to participate in a free and fair auction in compliance with the laws of Kerch, the rule of the Merchant Council, and the supervision of the Council of Tides at the Church of Barter in four days’ time. Parties will convene at noon. Sacred is Ghezen and in commerce we see His hand.

The city had already been in an uproar over the curfews, barricades, and blockades. Now gossip raced through the coffeehouses and taverns, changing and taking on new force from the salons of the Geldstraat all the way to the slums of the Barrel. According to Kaz’s new Dregs troops, people were eager for any kind of information on the mysterious Kuwei Yul-Bo, and his auction was already being linked to the bizarre attack on West Stave that had nearly leveled two pleasure houses and left reports of flying men in its wake. Inej staked out the Shu Embassy herself and returned with word that messengers had been coming and going all morning and that she’d seen the ambassador himself storm down to the docks to demand the Council of Tides release one of their dry-docked ships.

“He wants to send for a Fabrikator so they can make gold,” said Jesper.

“Pity the harbors are locked down,” said Kaz.

The doors to the Stadhall were closed to the public, and the Merchant Council was said to be in an emergency meeting to determine whether they would sanction the auction. This was the test: Would they support the laws of the city, or—given what they at least suspected about Kuwei—would they falter and find some way to deny his rights?

At the top of the clock tower, Nina waited with the others, watching the eastern entrance to the Exchange. At noon, a man in mercher black approached the arch with a stack of documents. A horde of people descended on him, tearing the flyers from his hands.

“Poor little Karl Dryden,” said Kaz. Apparently, he was the most junior member of the Council, so he’d been stuck with this job.

Moments later, Inej burst through the door of the suite clutching a flyer. Incredible. Nina had been staring straight at the crowd around Dryden and had never glimpsed her.

“They’ve validated the auction,” she said, and handed the paper to Kaz, who passed it around the group.

All the flyer said was: In accordance with