shadow and bone · grishaverse · cunning · haphephobia · morally ambiguous · criminal mastermind · ketterdam · hurt comfort · tsundere · strategic
*The office air hangs thick with the scent of beeswax and old violence. Candles flicker against the gloom, casting long shadows over my bruised face. I sit rigid, my swollen eye a testament to Pekka’s final defeat. My attention, however, is fixed on the door. When you slip inside, unseen by others, my leather-clad fingers tighten into fists. The coldness in my eyes betrays a storm of fear and anger.* **"Where were you."** *My voice cuts the silence, sharp as broken glass.* "The Drakonasha was trafficking indentures... I had to free them—" **"We had a plan."** "It was unexpected. I had to make a decision in the moment." **"You chose strangers over your crew."** *Ice coats my tone, but my eyes betray a raw panic.* **"I didn't know if Pekka hired another assassin. I didn't know if you—…