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Kaz Brekker had only one problem at the moment, and his name is Jesper.
Okay, that was a lie. At any given moment, Kaz had at least five problems, but Jesper accidentally giving them cookies with an unknown potion as its secret ingredient seemed like a reasonable explanation for his sudden acquisition of another problem. They’d secured the Club for the night and sat around the bar, waiting to see when the effects would kick in, if they ever would. Anika left, having been sent to bed with an extra paycheck since she’d miss her shift tonight. Wylan was fidgeting restlessly, biting his lip and looking guilty since it was his potion, despite the fact that it was Jesper’s fault for making cookies while drunk and then feeding them to the Crows after sobering up.
“I can’t swim.” Wylan suddenly blurted. “And I can play the piano, even though I say I can only play the flute.”
“Wylan, what-” Jesper suddenly swallowed. “I used to have a brother, but he died.”
“Saints.” Wylan paled. “Saints.”
“What? What?” Inej snapped.
“Verum bibere. It’s Latin. It means-”
“To drink the truth.” Kaz said. “It’s a truth serum, makes you really wanna tell people things. You can fight it, but it makes your bones creak. And it wears off once you’ve told your deepest secret.”
Inej and Nina groaned in unison, the former banging her head on the bar table. “Now I know why my legs feel like jelly, I suppose.”
“This sucks. We can really only tell the truth?”
“Yeah.” Wylan squirmed. “I was making it to help us, I didn’t know Jes would give it to us. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Wy. It’s mine.” Jesper said in earnest. Kaz bit his tongue.
“I guess we’re staying here until it wears off, can’t have any one of us going around unable to lie.” Nina babbled. Kaz bit harder and tasted blood.
“My leg hurts.” Kaz blurted despite trying to swallow it down. “It always does. I say the cane is mostly for effect, but I’m genuinely always in a lot of pain and oh my god I need to stop-” Kaz slapped a gloved hand over his mouth and continued to ramble, but it came out muffled and unintelligible.
“If we tell our deepest secret, it’ll stop?” Matthias asked. Kaz nodded, not trusting his voice. “Okay. I’m in love with Nina Zenik.” He paused. “And my hair is blue, oh, it worked, bye-” Matthias hurried off, ignoring the startled expression everyone gave him and locking the Crow Club behind himself.
“Honestly, I’m not surprised.” Nina shrugged.
“I’m d-” Wylan whined, trying to cut off his next word. “I’m dyslexic, that’s why my father disowned me.” He froze, shrugging. “And my hair is blue, oh Saints it worked.”
Wylan slumped against Jesper, but they both turned to Nina when she made a wordless noise of frustration. “I fought for the Second Army.”
Inej gasped. “You did?”
“Yeah, and my hair is blue. Thank the Saints.” Nina sighed. “It’s better to get it over with, Inej. Just do it.”
Inej gulped. “Heleen…” She hesitated. “Heleen r#aped me.”
Kaz growled, snapping his hand away from his mouth. “I’m going to kill her.” It wasn’t a lie, which made it even scarier. “She will never see the light of day again, Inej, I can assure you that.”
“My hair is blue.” Inej muttered, cuddling up next to Nina. “Jesper, it really is easier to just say it.”
“I’m a Grisha Fabricator and I’ve never told anyone because my brother was killed for it and my dad hated me for it and my mother died using her Grisha powers to save a little girl.” Jesper rushed out, chest heaving restricted breaths by the end.
“Okay.” Kaz said. Jesper looked up, about to say something, but Kaz cut him off. “I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what you are, Jesper. You are my best friend, you were my first friend, so you will always hold a dear place in my heart. The same goes for e-” Kaz couldn’t bite back the words. “For all of you. I care deeply about all of you. Anybody who messes with you will speak to me, and by speaking I mean I will kill them.”
“Kaz-” Jesper choked. “You’re my best friend too.” He whispered. “Oh, and my hair is blue.” He grinned.
“My hair is bl- rown , Saints!”
“Blasphemy.” Nina uttered.
“C’mon Kaz, you can trust us.” Wylan said.
“No, I can’t ! The last time I trusted someone he stole my entire life from me!” Kaz’s raspy voice cracked. “He stole my money, my home, my clothes, my health, my brother. He took my ability to be able to stand skin on skin touch, and he stole my childhood.”
“Kaz-” Kaz didn’t let Jesper finish.
“He knew what would happen and he left me to float with the dead bodies in the Reaper’s Barge. He let the men take me and Jordie and put us in the water even though I was alive, even though I can’t swim.” Tears welled in his eyes. “He scammed my brother, and Jordie died because of it. All our money was gone and he still doesn’t even recognize me just because I changed my last name. For Saint’s Sake, I’m still called Kaz and he knows Jordie died and he doesn’t care! We spent weeks together and he knew Jordie and I would die from the Queen Lady’s Plague and-and he didn’t care!” Kaz cut off with sobs.
“Who, Kaz? That’s the secret, isn’t it?” Inej spoke softly. “Who killed Jordie?”
“Pekka Rollins. Pekka Rollins killed my brother and he doesn’t even remember me.” Kaz sniffled, grabbing his cane and hobbling away.