Six Of Crows Leigh Bardugo

Read Six Of Crows Online Read Free Novel - Read Light Novel,onlinereadfreenovel.com. Onlinereadfreenovel.com Menu Home. Leigh Bardugo » Six of Crows ←. Six of Crows is a heist book, and the plot is quite straightforward. Everything, in the beginning, leads up to this spectacular, impossible heist. I found it so incredible because Leigh Bardugo herself obviously had to come up with this. Mar 30, 2021 With the premiere of one of the best fantasy shows of the year – yes, Shadow and Bone is THAT good – so close, it’s time to catch up on Leigh Bardugo ‘s books. Rules of Wolves, which is set in the. Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Start by marking “Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)” as Want to Read.

Six of Crows
AuthorLeigh Bardugo
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesSix of Crows duology
GenreFantasy, Young Adult
PublishedSeptember 29, 2015
PublisherHenry Holt and Co.
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book
Pages465
ISBN978-1522609735
Followed byCrooked Kingdom

Six of Crows is a fantasy novel written by American author Leigh Bardugo published by Henry Holt and Co. in 2015.[1][2] The story follows a thieving crew and is primarily set in the city of Ketterdam, loosely inspired by Dutch Republic-era Amsterdam.[3][4] The plot is told from third-person viewpoints of seven different characters.

The novel is followed by Crooked Kingdom and is part of the Grishaverse.[5][6]

Plot[edit]

In Ketterdam, capital of island nation Kerch, Councilman Hoede tests a drug lethal to humans and addictive to Grisha called jurda parem on a Grisha Healer. The drug enhances her abilities more than expected, allowing her to control and manipulate human minds too easily. She escapes after paralyzing Hoede and some guards, but is found dead days later.

Wealthy merchant Jan Van Eck divulges the results of Hoede's experiment to 17-year-old criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker and tasks him with rescuing its inventor, Bo Yul-Bayur, from the Ice Court, a military stronghold in Fjerda never before infiltrated; and prevent the drug's existence from being exposed to the world. Kaz agrees for a hefty amount and starts recruiting a crew: Inej Ghafa, his right-hand spy he had saved from a pleasure house called the Menagerie two years before; Nina Zenik, a Grisha Heartrender, who joins upon learning of his intention to free and employ Matthias Helvar, a former Fjerdan drüskelle or Grisha-hunter detained at Hellgate Prison because of Nina; and Jesper Fahey, a Zemeni sharpshooter with a gambling addiction. Together, they break Matthias out of prison, who agrees to help in exchange for a pardon that would enable his reinstatement as a drüskelle. Kaz also enlists Wylan Van Eck, runaway son of Jan Van Eck, as a demolitions expert and leverage if Van Eck reneges on their deal. As they are about to sail from Ketterdam, the crew repel an ambush by rival gangs; and after torturing a gangster, Kaz learns that gang leader Pekka Rollins, the man responsible for his brother Jordie's death, is also after the scientist. Kaz explains his rescue plan to the crew, where they will enter the Ice Court as prisoners, cross to the embassy sector through the roof and disguise themselves as foreign dignitaries during a festival. After finding and freeing Yul-Bayur from the White Island, the inner ring, they will exit from the embassy sector.

Upon reaching Fjerda, two Grisha on jurda parem bearing a symbol of the Shu government attack the group. The crew prevail but Nina recognizes one of their assailants as an old friend who only begs for more of the drug before succumbing to his wounds. Troubled by their deaths and believing they would have survived were they not drastically weakened by the drug, Nina stays behind to bury them. Matthias assists, letting them finally talk about her betrayal. Nina was a Grisha soldier of the Ravkan Second Army captured by Matthias with his Fjerdan drüskelle party and put on a ship to Fjerda for trial and eventual execution. The ship sank during a storm, and only Matthias and Nina survived; they fell in love while aiding each other find civilization. When they arrived at a city, Nina was questioned by Grisha spies about her drüskelle companion. To save Matthias from her compatriots, Nina reported him as a slave trader to a Kerch citizen in the harbor, unaware that Matthias would be imprisoned in Hellgate immediately after reaching Ketterdam. Instead of returning to Ravka, Nina stayed in Ketterdam to try and free him. Matthias reconciles with Nina upon learning the truth and decides to help kill Yul-Bayur, both acknowledging that jurda parem is a threat to Grisha and Fjerdans alike.

The crew intercept a cart of prisoners being taken to the Ice Court and take the place of six of them. Kaz loses consciousness due to claustrophobia, and more of his past is revealed. After he and his brother were conned by Pekka Rollins, a plague swept through Ketterdam, killing many of its residents, including Jordie. Kaz fell ill and recovered but was mistakenly thought dead and tossed in the Reaper's Barge with the bodies for burning. He was only able to survive by swimming to shore using the dead body of his brother as a buoy. The experience created an intense aversion to any sort of physical contact with human skin, prompting him to wear gloves constantly. He wakes up as they enter the Ice Court. The crew is split as men and women are taken to different wards. Jesper, revealed to be a Grisha Fabrikator, fashions lock picks from the cell bars. Kaz frees Nina and Inej from their cells while Matthias and Jesper gather as much rope as they can find. Kaz goes with Nina to search the other holding cells for Yul-Bayur and while split up, Kaz deviates from the plan and finds Pekka Rollins in a cell. Nina is spotted by guards, who manage to raise the alarm before she can kill them. She hurries to the basement where Inej has scaled a six-story incinerator shaft to the roof, securing an escape route for the rest of the crew. With the prison alarm triggered, their plan is ruined so they improvise to get to the center of the Ice Court. Inej and Nina get in by taking the place of two Menagerie girls but only Nina gets through the guards; Inej is held back. Matthias and Kaz get in through a secret bridge known only to drüskelle. Jesper and Wylan move to destroy the ringwall gate and trigger the Ice Court's alarm.

While trying to coax information from a Fjerdan official, Nina is surprised to see Jarl Brum, commander of the ship she was held captive in. Brum beguiles Nina into touring prison cells specifically constructed to detain Grisha and locks her in a cell. Matthias shows up, appearing to have betrayed her but turns against his old commander and frees Nina, making a sacred drüskelle vow to keep her safe until he dies. They look for Bo Yul-Bayur, but learn of his death. His son, Kuwei Yul-Bo, is alive and is being forced to replicate his father's research. Matthias and Nina forgo killing him as he is only fifteen and a Grisha. They take the boy and leave, blowing up the lab as they go. They meet up with Kaz, and escape through a waterfall unearthed by Kaz after destroying the tree at the center of the White Island. Meanwhile, Inej is spotted by the leader of the Menagerie, her former employer Heleen van Houden, who informs the guards of Inej's true identity. Jesper and Wylan rescue her and hijack a Fjerdan tank and use it to ram through the walls and escape, eventually rejoining their allies and emerging outside the Ice Court. They head toward the dock where they are supposed to rendezvous with their ship, but find a large Fjerdan party waiting for them, a Heartrender using parem at the fore. With no other choice, Nina takes jurda parem and subdues the army. Brum and a team of drüskelle arrive, but before she can kill them, Matthias intervenes and begs her to let them live so Nina relents.

The crew safely reaches Ketterdam, with Nina already suffering from withdrawals. They leave her with Wylan, while the rest of the crew take Kuwei to Jan Van Eck. Van Eck, however, reveals that he only wanted the formula for jurda parem to profit from the fallout of its release to the world. He sinks the crew's ship despite Kaz's warning that Wylan is aboard. Van Eck deems his son unfit to inherit his business empire as Wylan is illiterate. Kaz, however reveals that the boy Van Eck thinks is Kuwei Yul-Bo is actually Wylan, tailored by Nina to look exactly like the scientist's son. Furious, Van Eck kidnaps Inej with the help of Grisha under the influence of jurda parem and gives them seven days to bring him the real Kuwei. Unwilling to endanger Inej, Kaz lets the merchant go. Kaz and his remaining crew go to Pekka Rollins, revealed to have been set free by Kaz at the Ice Court, now back in Ketterdam. Kaz sells his shares in the Crow Club and the Fifth Harbour to raise the money he needs. He then hatches a plan to rescue Inej and redeem the money they were promised.

Characters[edit]

  • Kaz Brekker, also known as Dirtyhands, is seventeen and a master thief with a reputation for doing anything for the right price. He has a personal vendetta against Pekka Rollins, who swindled Kaz and his older brother Jordie out of all their money when they first arrived in Ketterdam. He is a lieutenant of the Dregs, and as the mastermind of the group, the de facto leader of the Crows. He is severely haphephobic due to a traumatizing incident in his childhood, and thus always wears black leather gloves. He has a limp in his right leg from an improperly healed break. He is described as very pale, with dark hair and dark brown eyes. He uses a cane with a crow's head top as a mobility aid and occasionally, as a weapon.
  • Inej Ghafa is a sixteen-year-old Suli girl known as the Wraith. She is a spy for the Dregs, and considered the best in Ketterdam. Her family were travelling performers and her act was the tightrope, so she is extremely agile and lightfooted. She is rather superstitious, and, with the exception of Matthias, the most religious out of the Crows. Her preferred weapons are knives, and she always carries her six favourites with her. She was kidnapped by slavers and tricked into working in a brothel called the Menagerie until Kaz bought her ‘indenture’. Since then, she has proven invaluable to Kaz and the Dregs, working as their spy to pay off her indenture and be free to travel or return home. She's described as short, with 'burnt caramel' skin and black hair, worn in a braid.
  • Wylan Van Eck is sixteen, a merchant's son with some talent for demolition, whom Kaz takes on as a member of the crew in the hopes of using him as leverage against his father, Jan Van Eck. He is dyslexic but is an excellent mathematician and musician. He is described to have curly red-blonde hair and pale skin.
  • Matthias Helvar is eighteen, a former drüskelle (witchhunter) from Fjerda. A year before the story, he and his fellow drüskelle kidnapped Nina and other Grisha, but were shipwrecked on their way back to Fjerda. He washed ashore with Nina and they were forced to work together to avoid freezing to death, eventually coming to trust one another and pursue something of a romantic relationship. However, Nina then accused him of being a slaver and he was incarcerated in Hellgate prison in Ketterdam. He is conflicted because of his hatred for Grisha and his feelings for Nina. Kaz frees Matthias from Hellgate because of his knowledge of the Ice Court and bribes him into working with the Crows in exchange for a pardon, which would allow him to return to Fjerda. He is the oldest, tallest and most muscular of the group with pale skin, shaved blond hair and blue eyes.
  • Nina Zenik is seventeen, a powerful Grisha Heartrender and former soldier of the Ravkan Second Army — until she was captured by Matthias. She betrayed his trust to protect him from Grisha spies, choosing to stay in Ketterdam in the hope of finding a way to free him from Hellgate. She was initially recruited to join the Dime Lions, but after meeting Inej, who brought a counteroffer from Kaz, decided to join the Dregs instead. She works at The White Rose brothel, specialising in altering clients’ moods. She has fair skin, thick brown hair and green eyes, and is described as round and voluptuous.
  • Jesper Fahey is seventeen, a Zemeni sharpshooter with a gambling problem. His father believes that he is studying in a university at Ketterdam, his occupation until he discovered gambling and found himself deep in debt. He is described as being tall and lanky, with dark skin and grey eyes. Like his late mother, he is a Grisha, but hides it to avoid being kidnapped or killed. He is almost never seen without his weapons of choice, twin pearl-handled revolvers.
  • Jan Van Eck is a rich man and a prominent merchant who sits on Ketterdam's Merchant Council. He makes a deal with Kaz Brekker to retrieve the creator of jurda parem from the Ice Court. He is Wylan's father, but because of his son's dyslexia, does not love him.
  • Pekka Rollins is the leader of the Dime Lions gang and Kaz's main adversary. When Kaz and his brother first arrived in Ketterdam, Rollins used the name Jakob Hertzoon and conned Kaz and Jordie out of all their money, eventually resulting in Jordie's death. Through Rollins, the Dime Lions own several gambling halls and pleasure houses.

Reception[edit]

The New York Times recommends Six of Crows in the YA Crossover shortlist: 'There’s conflict between morality and amorality and an appetite for sometimes grimace-inducing violence that recalls the 'Game of Thrones' series. But for every bloody exchange there are pages of crackling dialogue and sumptuous description. Bardugo dives deep into this world, with full color and sound. If you’re not careful, it’ll steal all your time.'[7] It was also included in their '7 Great Fantasy Novels for Teenagers' list.[8]The Hollywood Reporter likened the duology to a blend of Ocean's 11 and Game of Thrones.'[9]

The Guardian opined the plot was 'bursting with action and overflowing with suspense right from the beginning...fast-paced...transitions between chapters and points of view were immaculate and really provided a sense of urgency and impact to the most significant scenes.'[10]

NPR books criticized the characters, claiming that the characters do not behave or think like adolescents, but rather display the wisdom and traits of much older people.[11]

According to The Times of India, different perspectives in the book each provide an in-depth view of each character's traits and backgrounds. It further says, 'Bardugo's language and her intelligent storytelling effectively makes The Six of Crows a white-knuckle page-turner.'[12]

Adaptations[edit]

In January 2019, Netflix greenlit an eight-episode series based on Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy Book 1) and Six of Crows with Eric Heisserer as showrunner. Bardugo is also serving as an executive producer on this series.[13] Production began in October 2019 with Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik, and Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar.[14] Wylan Van Eck is not set to appear in the first season. The first season will mostly follow the plot of Book 1 of Shadow and Bone and act as a prequel to Six of Crows, setting up a future adaptation of the novel.

References[edit]

  1. ^Wappler, Margaret (October 23, 2015). 'Y.A. Crossover'. The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  2. ^Nava4 (January 21, 2016). 'Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – review'. the Guardian. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  3. ^Press, Daily (January 25, 2016). 'Criminals attempt intricate heist in 'Six of Crows' - HRBooks review'. dailypress.com. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  4. ^Bardugo, Leigh (September 24, 2015). 'Leigh Bardugo reads from Six of Crows'. the Guardian. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  5. ^''Six of Crows' continues Leigh Bardugo's streak of smart fantasy novels'. Washington Post. November 16, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  6. ^'Leigh Bardugo Talks Six of Crows, Heist Movies and Skinny Dipping'. The Huffington Post. September 29, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  7. ^Wappler, Margaret (October 23, 2015). 'Y.A. Crossover (Published 2015)'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  8. ^Russo, Maria (January 6, 2020). '7 Great Fantasy Novels for Teenagers'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  9. ^'Shadow and Bone Author Gets Two-Book Deal With Henry Holt & Co'. The Hollywood Reporter. May 22, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  10. ^Nava4 (January 21, 2016). 'Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – review'. the Guardian. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  11. ^''Six Of Crows' Is A Well-Turned Heist Tale'. NPR.org. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  12. ^'Micro review: 'Six of Crows' moves beyond genres - Times of India'. The Times of India. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  13. ^Petski, Nellie Andreeva, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (January 10, 2019). 'Netflix Orders 'Shadow And Bone' Series Based On Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse Novels From Eric Heisserer & Shawn Levy'. Deadline. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  14. ^Harris, Latesha (October 2, 2019). 'TV News Roundup: Netflix Reveals Cast of New Series 'Shadow and Bone''. Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2019.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Six_of_Crows&oldid=1025217875'

Six of Crows, p.1

Part #1 of Dregs series by Leigh Bardugo

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To Kayte—secret weapon, unexpected friend
PART ONE
SHADOW BUSINESS
1
JOOST
Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache.
He was supposed to be making his rounds at the Hoede house, but for the last fifteen minutes, he’d been hovering around the southeast wall of the gardens, trying to think of something clever and romantic to say to Anya.
If only Anya’s eyes were blue like the sea or green like an emerald. Instead, her eyes were brown—lovely, dreamy … melted chocolate brown? Rabbit fur brown?
“Just tell her she’s got skin like moonlight,” his friend Pieter had said. “Girls love that.”
A perfect solution, but the Ketterdam weather was not cooperating. There’d been no breeze off the harbor that day, and a gray milk fog had wreathed the city’s canals and crooked alleys in damp. Even here among the mansions of the Geldstraat, the air hung thick with the smell of fish and bilge water, and smoke from the refineries on the city’s outer islands had smeared the night sky in a briny haze. The full moon looked less like a jewel than a yellowy blister in need of lancing.
Maybe he could compliment Anya’s laugh? Except he’d never heard her laugh. He wasn’t very good with jokes.
Joost glanced at his reflection in one of the glass panels set into the double doors that led from the house to the side garden. His mother was right. Even in his new uniform, he still looked like a baby. Gently, he brushed his finger along his upper lip. If only his mustache would come in. It definitely felt thicker than yesterday.
He’d been a guard in the stadwatch less than six weeks, and it wasn’t nearly as exciting as he’d hoped. He thought he’d be running down thieves in the Barrel or patrolling the harbors, getting first look at cargo coming in on the docks. But ever since the assassination of that ambassador at the town hall, the Merchant Council had been grumbling about security, so where was he? Stuck walking in circles at some lucky mercher’s house. Not just any mercher, though. Councilman Hoede was about as high placed in Ketterdam government as a man could be. The kind of man who could make a career.
Joost adjusted the set of his coat and rifle, then patted the weighted baton at his hip. Maybe Hoede would take a liking to him. Sharp-eyed and quick with the cudgel, Hoede would say. That fellow deserves a promotion.
“Sergeant Joost Van Poel,” he whispered, savoring the sound of the words. “Captain Joost Van Poel.”
“Stop gawking at yourself.”
Joost whirled, cheeks going hot as Henk and Rutger strode into the side garden. They were both older, bigger, and broader of shoulder than Joost, and they were house guards, private servants of Councilman Hoede. That meant they wore his pale green livery, carried fancy rifles from Novyi Zem, and never let Joost forget he was a lowly grunt from the city watch.
“Petting that bit of fuzz isn’t going to make it grow any faster,” Rutger said with a loud laugh.
Joost tried to summon some dignity. “I need to finish my rounds.”
Rutger elbowed Henk. “That means he’s going to go stick his head in the Grisha workshop to get a look at his girl.”
“Oh, Anya, won’t you use your Grisha magic to make my mustache grow?” Henk mocked.
Joost turned on his heel, cheeks burning, and strode down the eastern side of the house. They’d been teasing him ever since he’d arrived. If it hadn’t been for Anya, he probably would have pleaded with his captain for a reassignment. He and Anya only ever exchanged a few words on his rounds, but she was always the best part of his night.
And he had to admit, he liked Hoede’s house, too, the few peeks he’d managed through the windows. Hoede had one of the grandest mansions on the Geldstraat—floors set with gleaming squares of black and white stone, shining dark wood walls lit by blown-glass chandeliers that floated like jellyfish near the coffered ceilings. Sometimes Joost liked to pretend that it was his house, that he was a rich mercher just out for a stroll through his fine garden.
Before he rounded the corner, Joost took a deep breath. Anya, your eyes are brown like … tree bark? He’d think of something. He was better off being spontaneous anyway.
He was surprised to see the glass-paneled doors to the Grisha workshop open. More than the hand-painted blue tiles in the kitchen or the mantels laden with potted tulips, this workshop was a testimony to Hoede’s wealth. Grisha indentures didn’t come cheap, and Hoede had three of them.
But Yuri wasn’t seated at the long worktable, and Anya was nowhere to be seen. Only Retvenko was there, sprawled out on a chair in dark blue robes, eyes shut, a book open on his chest.
Joost hovered in the doorway, then cleared his throat. “These doors should be shut and locked at night.”
“House is like furnace,” Retvenko drawled without opening his eyes, his Ravkan accent thick and rolling. “Tell Hoede I stop sweating, I close doors.”
Retvenko was a Squaller, older than the other Grisha indentures, his hair shot through with silver. There were rumors he’d fought for the losing side in Ravka’s civil war and had fled to Kerch after the fighting.
“I’d be happy to present your complaints to Councilman Hoede,” Joost lied. The house was always overheated, as if Hoede were under obligation to burn coal, but Joost wasn’t going to be the one to mention it. “Until then—”
“You bring news of Yuri?” Retvenko interrupted, finally opening his heavily hooded eyes.
Joost glanced uneasily at the bowls of red grapes and heaps of burgundy velvet on the worktable. Yuri had been working on bleeding color from the fruit into curtains for Mistress Hoede, but he’d fallen badly ill a few days ago, and Joost hadn’t seen him since. Dust had begun to gather on the velvet, and the grapes were going bad.
“I haven’t heard anything.”
“Of course you hear nothing. Too busy strutting around in stupid purple uniform.”
What was wrong with his uniform? And why did Retvenko even have to be here? He was Hoede’s personal Squaller and often traveled with the merchant’s most precious cargos, guaranteeing favorable winds to bring the ships safely and quickly to harbor. Why couldn’t he be away at sea now?
“I think Yuri may be quarantined.”
“So helpful,” Retvenko said with a sneer. “You can stop craning neck like hopeful goose,” he added. “Anya is gone.”
Joost felt his face heat again. “Where is she?” he asked, trying to sound authoritative. “She should be in after dark.”
“One hour ago, Hoede takes her. Same as night he came for Yuri.”
“What do you mean, ‘he came for Yuri’? Yuri fell ill.”
“Hoede comes for Yuri, Yuri comes back sick. Two days later, Yuri vanishes for good. Now Anya.”
For good?
“Maybe there was an emergency. If someone needed to be healed—”
“First Yuri, now Anya. I will be next, and no one will notice except poor little Officer Joost. Go now
.”
“If Councilman Hoede—”
Retvenko raised an arm and a gust of air slammed Joost backward. Joost scrambled to keep his footing, grabbing for the doorframe.
“I said now.” Retvenko etched a circle in the air, and the door slammed shut. Joost let go just in time to avoid having his fingers smashed, and toppled into the side garden.
He got to his feet as quickly as he could, wiping muck from his uniform, shame squirming in his belly. One of the glass panes in the door had cracked from the force. Through it, he saw the Squaller smirking.
“That’s counting against your indenture,” Joost said, pointing to the ruined pane. He hated how small and petty his voice sounded.
Retvenko waved his hand, and the doors trembled on their hinges. Without meaning to, Joost took a step back.
“Go make your rounds, little watchdog,” Retvenko called.
“That went well,” snickered Rutger, leaning against the garden wall.
How long had he been standing there? “Don’t you have something better to do than follow me around?” Joost asked.
“All guards are to report to the boathouse. Even you. Or are you too busy making friends?”
“I was asking him to shut the door.”
Rutger shook his head. “You don’t ask. You tell. They’re servants. Not honored guests.”
Joost fell into step beside him, insides still churning with humiliation. The worst part was that Rutger was right. Retvenko had no business talking to him that way. But what was Joost supposed to do? Even if he’d had the courage to get into a fight with a Squaller, it would be like brawling with an expensive vase. The Grisha weren’t just servants; they were Hoede’s treasured possessions.
What had Retvenko meant about Yuri and Anya being taken, anyway? Had he been covering for Anya? Grisha indentures were kept to the house for good reason. To walk the streets without protection was to risk getting plucked up by a slaver and never seen again. Maybe she’s meeting someone, Joost speculated miserably.
His thoughts were interrupted by the blaze of light and activity down by the boathouse that faced the canal. Across the water he could see other fine mercher houses, tall and slender, the tidy gables of their rooftops making a dark silhouette against the night sky, their gardens and boathouses lit by glowing lanterns.
A few weeks before, Joost had been told that Hoede’s boathouse would be undergoing improvements and to strike it from his rounds. But when he and Rutger entered, he saw no paint or scaffolding. The gondels and oars had been pushed up against the walls. The other house guards were there in their sea-green livery, and Joost recognized two stadwatch guards in purple. But most of the interior was taken up by a huge box—a kind of freestanding cell that looked like it was made from reinforced steel, its seams thick with rivets, a huge window embedded in one of its walls. The glass had a wavy bent, and through it, Joost could see a girl seated at a table, clutching her red silks tight around her. Behind her, a stadwatch guard stood at attention.
Anya, Joost realized with a start. Her brown eyes were wide and frightened, her skin pale. The little boy sitting across from her looked doubly terrified. His hair was sleep-mussed, and his legs dangled from the chair, kicking nervously at the air.
“Why all the guards?” asked Joost. There had to be more than ten of them crowded into the boathouse. Councilman Hoede was there, too, along with a merchant Joost didn’t know, both of them dressed in mercher black. Joost stood up straighter when he saw they were talking to the captain of the stadwatch. He hoped he’d gotten all the garden mud off of his uniform. “What is this?”
Rutger shrugged. “Who cares? It’s a break in the routine.”
Joost looked back through the glass. Anya was staring out at him, her gaze unfocused. The day he’d arrived at Hoede house, she’d healed a bruise on his cheek. It had been nothing, the yellow-green remnants of a crack he’d taken to the face during a training exercise, but apparently Hoede had caught sight of it and didn’t like his guards looking like thugs. Joost had been sent to the Grisha workshop, and Anya had sat him down in a bright square of late winter sunlight. Her cool fingers had passed over his skin, and though the itch had been terrible, bare seconds later it was as if the bruise had never been.
When Joost thanked her, Anya smiled and Joost was lost. He knew his cause was hopeless. Even if she’d had any interest in him, he could never afford to buy her indenture from Hoede, and she would never marry unless Hoede decreed it. But it hadn’t stopped him from dropping by to say hello or to bring her little gifts. She’d liked the map of Kerch best, a whimsical drawing of their island nation, surrounded by mermaids swimming in the True Sea and ships blown along by winds depicted as fat-cheeked men. It was a cheap souvenir, the kind tourists bought along East Stave, but it had seemed to please her.
Now he risked raising a hand in greeting. Anya showed no reaction.
“She can’t see you, moron,” laughed Rutger. “The glass is mirrored on the other side.”
Joost’s cheeks pinked. “How was I to know that?”
“Open your eyes and pay attention for once.”
First Yuri, now Anya. “Why do they need a Grisha Healer? Is that boy injured?”
“He looks fine to me.”
The captain and Hoede seemed to reach some kind of agreement.
Through the glass, Joost saw Hoede enter the cell and give the boy an encouraging pat. There must have been vents in the cell because he heard Hoede say, “Be a brave lad, and there’s a few kruge in it for you.” Then he grabbed Anya’s chin with a liver-spotted hand. She tensed, and Joost’s gut tightened. Hoede gave Anya’s head a little shake. “Do as you’re told, and this will soon be over, ja?”
She gave a small, tight smile. “Of course, Onkle.”
Hoede whispered a few words to the guard behind Anya, then stepped out. The door shut with a loud clang, and Hoede slid a heavy lock into place.
Hoede and the other merchant took positions almost directly in front of Joost and Rutger.
The merchant Joost didn’t know said, “You’re sure this is wise? This girl is a Corporalnik. After what happened to your Fabrikator—”
“If it was Retvenko, I’d be worried. But Anya has a sweet disposition. She’s a Healer. Not prone to aggression.”
“And you’ve lowered the dose?”Six
“Yes, but we’re agreed that if we have the same results as the Fabrikator, the Council will compensate me? I can’t be asked to bear that expense.”
When the merchant nodded, Hoede signaled to the captain. “Proceed.”
The same results as the Fabrikator. Retvenko claimed Yuri had vanished. Was that what he’d meant?
“Sergeant,” said the captain, “are you ready?”
The guard inside the cell replied, “Yes, sir.” He drew a knife.
Joost swallowed hard.
“First test,” said the captain.
The guard bent forward and told the boy to roll up his sleeve. The boy obeyed and stuck out his arm, popping the thumb of his other hand into his mouth. Too old for that, thought Joost. But the boy must be very scared. Joost had slept with a sock bear until he was nearly fourteen, a fact his older brothers had mocked mercilessly.
“This will sting just a bit,” said the guard.
The boy kept his thumb in his mouth and nodded, eyes round.
“This really isn’t necessary—” said Anya.
“Quiet, please,” said Hoede.
The guard gave the boy a pat then slashed a bright red cut across his forearm. The boy started crying immediately.
Anya tried to rise from her chair, but the guard placed a stern hand on her shoulder.
“It’s all right, sergeant,” said Hoede. “Let her heal him.”
Anya leaned forward, taking the boy’s hand gently. “Shhhh,” she said softly. “Let me help.”
“Will it hurt?” the boy gulped.
She smiled. “Not at all. Just a little itch. Try to hold still for me?”
Joost found himself leaning closer. He’d never actually seen Anya heal someone.
Anya removed a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped away the excess blood. Then her fingers brushed carefully over the boy’s wound. Joost watched in astonishment as the skin slowly seemed to re-form and knit together.
A few minutes later, the boy grinned and held out his arm. It looked a bit red, but was otherwise smooth and unmarked. “Was that magic?”
Anya tapped him on the nose. “Of a sort. The same magic your own body works when given time and a bit of bandage.”

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The boy looked almost disappointed.
“Good, good,” Hoede said impatiently. “Now the parem.”
Joost frowned. He’d never heard that word.
The captain signaled to his sergeant. “Second sequence.”
“Put out your arm,” the sergeant said to the boy once again.
The boy shook his head. “I don’t like that part.”
“Do it.”Six
The boy’s lower lip quivered, but he put out his arm. The guard cut him once more. Then he placed a small wax paper envelope on the table in front of Anya.
“Swallow the contents of the packet,” Hoede instructed Anya.
“What is it?” she asked, voice trembling.
“That isn’t your concern.”
“What is it?” she repeated.
“It’s not going to kill you. We’re going to ask you to perform some simple tasks to judge the drug’s effects. The sergeant is there to make sure you do only what you’re told and no more, understood?”
Her jaw set, but she nodded.
“No one will harm you,” said Hoede. “But remember, if you hurt the sergeant, you have no way out of that cell. The doors are locked from the outside.”

Shadow And Bone

“What is that stuff?” whispered Joost.
“Don’t know,” said Rutger.

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“What do you know?” he muttered.
“Enough to keep my trap shut.”
Joost scowled.

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Six Of Crows Leigh Bardugo
With shaking hands, Anya lifted the little wax envelope and opened the flap.

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo / Fantasy / Young Adult have rating