Years post Crooked Kingdom, Kaz and Inej are married. One day, Inej brings up the possibility of children. Instead of immediately shutting her down like she expected, Kaz agrees. But instead of having kids biologically, he has another plan.
That night they walk the streets of Ketterdam, and they find the children that have lost parents, that are sleeping in the streets, that spend their days searching for work so they can survive.
They offer the children a hot meal, somewhere safe to sleep. Inej can take them away on her ship if they want, back to their home country, or wherever else they want to go. Or, if they don't have anywhere, they can stay.
Kaz teaches those who stay how to pick locks, and how to find good paying (if less than honest) work. Inej teaches them how to climb and where to walk in the city to stay safe from slavers. Together they teach the children to fight.
They spend weeks on The Wraith all together, freeing the enslaved and travelling the world. There are mass sleepovers at the Van Eck mansion, where Uncle Jesper tells stories of the time their parents broke into the ice court, when they took down the biggest Barrel boss (before the biggest boss was Dad, of course) and Uncle Wylan teaches them how to play music.
They travel to Ravka, where they meet the King, who they can't quite believe once struck a deal with their father. They train with Aunt Nina, who tells them about the fjerdan soldier who gave his life to save her, and shows them her unique power.
Then one day, when their oldest children come to Kaz and ask why they were adopted. He'll tell the story of Uncle Jordie, and how Kaz knew he couldn't watch from the sidelines as the same thing happened to other children, now that he had the power to help.
jbbartram-illu
ellievsbear
jacobvanloon
dailybridgerton
