Chapter Text
He’s Wylan Van Eck. He’s Jan Van Eck’s son.
The words turned over and over in Jesper’s brain, rattling against the walls and ringing like a gunshot.
Van Eck. Van Eck’s motherfucking son.
“What do you mean he's Van Eck's son?” he had asked when Inej found him in the gardens. He could still taste Wylan's kiss on his lips, the tingle of the bite on his neck.
“I mean that Van Eck is his father.”
“Well, obviously, but—”
“Jesper.” Inej stopped him and put her hands on his shoulders. She looked up at him with her soft, brown eyes, her brows worried. “I'm sorry, okay? But neither of us could have known.”
He was about to argue. He really wanted to. But he thought of the way Wylan whispered his name like a prayer, and wondered how a vile man like Van Eck could bear someone as beautiful as Wylan.
Say it again. Say my name.
“Wylan Van Eck,” he said, testing the name on his tongue.
How could Wylan be Van Eck's son?
Jesper was torn between laughing and crying. He doesn’t do either, because now he’s sitting in Kaz’s office with Inej and a Shu man. Jesper hadn't noticed when or how Inej had slipped away and pulled him along with them, the threat of a knife held to his back. The Shu man, who had a masquerade mask around his neck so he must've been at the party, had whimpered in fear but obliged, letting himself be taken to the Crow Club.
“Inej, you never struck me as the threaten-their-lives-until-they-obey type,” he'd noted in the back alley behind the Club, where they could enter discreetly. The same place, he realized, where he and Wylan had stumbled into, lips locked and bodies pressed together. “What do you need of him anyway?”
“You'll see,” she said simply, still wearing her mask. “Now open the door, will you?”
When they reached Kaz's office it was crowded. Nina and Matthias were sitting in the corner, already dressed out of their party clothes. With the five of them plus the Shu man, it was the most people there had ever been in the little room. It made Jesper itchy, suddenly fully aware of his clothes rubbing against his skin.
“Kuwei Yul-Bo.” Kaz's voice cut through the air. He turned ominously from where he was facing the wall. Dramatic bastard, Jesper thought.
A small whimper escaped the Shu man, Kuwei's, throat. “Dirtyhands.” Inej finally released him from the press of her knife, and Jesper swore he could hear him release a long, shaky breath. “I see I'm on your hit list.”
Kaz blinked, his lips twitching. “Hardly. Unless you tip your toe over the wrong side of the line.”
Kuwei gulped.
“Sit down, will you? I wouldn't like anyone passing out in my office.”
With shaking knees, Kuwei sat.
“So, would either of you like to explain why you dragged in a wet cat?” Nina asked, echoing Jesper's thoughts.
“Wet cat?” Kuwei cried.
“He may just be the key to overthrowing Van Eck.” Kaz leaned on his desk, looking Kuwei in the eyes. “Why don't you start by telling us all just exactly how you got on his good side?”
Kuwei seemed to shrink into himself. “He made me— I'm his son's suitor.”
Jesper choked on air. “I'm sorry?”
“He made a deal with me, to marry his son.” His golden eyes flitted to him for a brief second. “He promised me money.”
“How much?” asked Kaz.
His eyes darted around the room, to the floor, the ceiling, anywhere he didn't have to look into Kaz's cold eyes. “Seven hundred thousand kruge.”
Jesper whistled as everyone in the room sucked in a breath. That was a lot of money (maybe not for a merchant— that was just pocket change to them). But...
“Why?” Jesper asked. He thought of Wylan's eyes reflecting in the moonlight, the perfect o of his lips. Call him selfish, but Jesper wanted to keep that for himself. He wanted to be Wylan's, wanted Wylan to be his. “How exactly did you end up getting arranged to Van Eck's son?” How did Kuwei get arranged to marry Wylan?
“Van Eck—” Kuwei opened his mouth to speak, but something betrayed him. He looked like a fish out of water.
“Go on,” said Kaz. “We'd all like to know.”
“He— Van Eck first came to me almost two months ago,” he stuttered out. Jesper could see his hands shaking. “Took me out for a drink and asked me about Shu Han. Asked about my father.”
Kaz’s deadly gaze didn’t leave him. He continued, “My father’s dead. I told him as much and said that I took over his job. He was a chemist.” Kuwei’s hands curled in and out. “Van Eck said I was a good young man. And then yesterday he reached out to me— well,” he glanced at the clock in the office, “two days ago, really, he found me again and asked me to marry his son.”
“But why?” Jesper repeated.
“I’m not— if anyone finds out why it—” Kuwei went silent. Then, something like horror passed over his face and he said, “You knew.”
“Of course he knew,” Inej said with a small, sly smile.
Kuwei swore in Shu. “That’s why you brought me here. And you…” He looked at Jesper with something like fear. “You’re a Fahey.”
“Oh, I am the Fahey,” Jesper responded with a wink. Kuwei’s cheeks flushed pink. But not as prettily as Wylan.
“This was a trick,” said Kuwei. “You’re going to use me for one of your schemes—” He shot out of the chair, but Inej had her knives out, Nina had her hands at the ready, Matthias was at the door, and Kaz’s cane was pressed into the center of his chest. Another strangled noise came from Kuwei’s mouth.
“If you know what’s good for you,” Kaz rasped, “you’ll sit back down and tell us what you know.”
Kuwei looked down at the crow head of Kaz’s cane. Then he averted his gaze back up. “I thought you already knew.”
“Enlighten those who don’t. Especially Fahey over here,” Kaz said with a nod in Jesper’s direction.
“Why him in particular?” asked Kuwei. “He’ll surely tell his father.”
“Is that really your concern when you’ve got Dirtyhand’s cane pointed at you?” Jesper countered.
Kuwei sighed and sunk back into the chair, but his posture stayed tense. “Why you in particular?”
Jesper’s brain wasn’t moving fast enough. Inej’s was, because she said, “He may or may not have kissed Van Eck’s son.”
“What?” Jesper cried. “Inej.”
She looked at him almost apologetically. “Sorry, Jes.”
“No you’re not.”
Nina looked at him, impressed. “I’m loving this gossip. I would love to know what your plan is, Brekker.”
“Nina, dear, this goes far past just simple gossip. This could be the future of Ketterdam,” said Kaz. Matthias glowered from the doorway. “Speak, Kuwei.”
“Well, for the record, I had no desire to associate with a man like Jan Van Eck,” Kuwei said with a curl of his lip. “He’s an awful man. I don’t know why I agreed at all.”
“You agreed because of money,” Jesper said.
Kuwei’s gaze swerved to him. Looked him up and down. “You kissed Wylan?”
Jesper was still reeling at the fact that Inej had just told everyone about his kiss with Wylan. Here he was, looking the fool like always. He was going to have to talk with her later. “Why, you jealous?”
“I don’t want to marry Wylan,” Kuwei said, firmly.
“Oooh,” Nina cooed. Kaz gave her a glare.
“Why not?”
“And remember,” Inej cut in before Kuwei could speak, “I will know if you lie.”
Kuwei visibly started to sweat when Inej laid a hand on one of her knives. “I know you already believe it, but Van Eck is a foul man. I’ve only been in Ketterdam for not even half a year, but he’s done terrible things. Tax evasion, political bribery, fraud, but this… This is the worst yet.” He turned to Nina and Matthias who had rejoined her. “What exactly do you know about Wylan Van Eck?”
Nina had to stop and think. “He hasn’t been in the public eye since he was eight.”
“His mother died around the same time,” Matthias added.
“He’s about our age now, isn’t he? And yet his father never let him out in public.”
“Wait,” said Jesper. “Then how come I met him in the Barrel a few months ago?”
Inej and Kaz stayed quiet. They knew.
Pieces seemed to be connecting in front of Kuwei’s eyes as well. “It’s true that Wylan was never seen after he was eight years old, but there was a time he lived in the Barrel.”
“I can’t believe we’d never seen him,” Inej said.
“He stayed very hidden, I assume,” Kuwei agreed, “but do you know how he ended up here?”
“Ran away?” suggested Jesper.
“Got a job?” asked Nina.
“Went to university?”
“I don’t get it,” said Matthias. “Why would a merchant’s son leave the most luxurious part of Ketterdam?”
“Because he didn’t leave.” Kaz answered for them.
Kuwei nodded grimly. “Van Eck tried to have him killed.”
The room turned cold. Jesper was speechless. Inej whispered prayers to her Saints.
“Part of me wants to say I’m surprised since Van Eck is such a dick but…” Nina’s brow creased with worry. “This is a whole other level.” Even Kaz looked horrified to some degree.“Why would he do that?” Jesper asked.
Kuwei stared into his lap guiltily. “I think that’s something I’ll let Wylan tell you.”
“But—”
Kaz tapped his cane on the desk, gathering all of their attention. “Kuwei, how would you say your skill is in sneaking around and breaking into vaults and files?”
“I've done it a couple of times,” Kuwei admitted. He eyed Kaz with suspicion. “Why do you ask?”
A faraway look creeped into Kaz's eyes.
Jesper made a soft gasp and a grin grew on his face. “Inej.”
“Scheming face,” she muttered fondly.
Kaz brought his gloved hands together. “You, Kuwei Yul-Bo, are going to help us overthrow Van Eck and topple his empire for good.”
“Oh, I do love a scheme,” Nina crooned from the corner.
Kuwei's eyes widened for a moment. He could’ve been thinking anything in that moment. He could’ve walked out, or ran back to Van Eck and warned the merchant, and get married to Wylan. But instead, Kuwei’s gaze steeled. “What do you need me to do?”