╔═══════Six Of Crows═══════╗
Here is my review/reaction and “Spoilers” of the book ‘Six of Crows’
Orange = Names
Green = Cities
Blue = Places
Purple = Gangs
Red = countries
Six of crows is a book that is divided into 6 parts
- 1: Shadow business
- 2: Servant and Lever
- 3: Heartsick
- 4: The Trick to Falling
- 5: The ice does not forgive
- 6: Proper Thieves
In this post I will be discussing the first three and I will make another part talking about the other three
PART 1 ꧂
Chapter 1 ⸻ ꧂
Here we take the POV of Joost which is a solider in Kerch, Ketterdam. There was an incident in which the ambassador was assassinated so now more guards have been sent to guard Hoede a renounced merchant. This world has those used by merchant seen as slaves and valuable assets called Grisha, these Grishas have powers either to control the wind, textile and others can heal people by controlling blood flow and speed or reduce the speed of heartbeats. Joost kept visiting this Grisha he has a crush on called Anya, only this particular night she was not in the place she works in neither is her supervisor ‘Yuri’. Instead Retvenko was there and he informed him that Yuri disappeared while Anya has been taken by Hoede. Later he witness Anya being in a room located inside the Boathouse, while they performed a drug experiment on her, he witnessed her controlling their minds and saved the child that was in the room being experimented on with her. Before the chapter ended she asked the kid to close his eyes despite what he would hear and asked Hoede to grab a knife.
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The chapter left at a sort of a cliffhanger and it left more questions than answers, which is to be expected from a first chapter. Is Joost the main character?
❀ What was that drug?
❀ What happened to Hoede and the guards? Did they die?
❀ Was she able to control minds from before or was that the effect of the drug?
Chapter 2 ⸻ ꧂
Inej POV. A shipment of Jurda that was supposed to come to the Fifth harbor owned by The Dregs was stolen. Per Haskell which is the leader of the Dregs sent Kaz to deal with this and he agreed to meet Geels from the Black tip gang in a neutral ground monitored by two soldiers to make sure it stays neutral. Each of them were asked to bring two gang members with them to the meeting place Kaz choose Jesper and Big Bolliger. While Geels brought Elzinger and Oomen. Each of those two were supposed to check the other team if they brought any weapons thus breaking the neutral ground rules in which both teams found non. During the meeting it was established that the guards were bribed by Geels and that Big Bolliger had betrayed the Dregs and Geels did indeed have a weapon on him. Through sheer luck, Kaz anticipated all of that and one of the soldiers shot Big Bolliger who had betrayed The Dregs while Inej intercepted the other guard and Geels was threatened enough not to shoot Kaz. At the end Kaz asked them to bring the shipment back and that he will take it with added interest for raising a gun on him and for breaking the neutral ground rules.
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This chapter shows you exactly how resourceful Kaz is and explains why Per Haskell thought he would be up for the job. As well as a small introduction towards the gangs that resides in the Barrels in Ketterdam (Wanted to attach a map of Ketterdam but could not find a clear one). None of the old questions were answered yet.. some new characters were introduced. Yet the stolen Jurda made me wonder, in the first chapter Anya which is the girl that they experimented the drug on, said that it tasted like Jurda so..
❀ Were The Black Tip working with the merchants?
❀ Did they steal the Jurda to help make more of the drug?
❀ How did Kaz manage to find all the information?
Chapter 3 ⸻ ꧂
In Kaz’s POV, he decided to go walking on his own to show that he is not scared of the Black Tip. But instead he got snatched by a person who can turn into shadow, that injected him with a syringe that put him under, when he woke up he was tied in a room that was far too luxurious to belong to the Black Tip, soon realizing that the manor belonged to merchant Hoede, and the person that kidnapped him was another merchant called Van Eck who wanted to hire Kaz to retrieve a man named Bo Yul-Bayur who he told him is the guy that created the drug Jurda Parem that was mentioned in the first chapter. According to the public the house of Hoede was under quarantine due to a plague that infested the area, when Kaz tried to cover his face Van Eck told him that whatever illness they caught cannot be transferred to them.
He took Kaz to the boathouse and the experiment chamber where Anya was and everyone else, all the soldiers were standing there, waiting and one of them ‘Joost’ dropped dead, the soldiers were waiting ever since the accident because Anya while controlling their mind asked them to wait so that is what they have been doing ever since. As for Anya she escaped and managed to board a ship but then tried to come back swimming but died before she could reach shore, she wanted to come back because the Jurda Parem drug is too addictive and she needed a second dose. The merchant explained that if Bo Yul-Bayur formula became public this will start a war, and that they must capture him and make sure he does not give the formula to anyone else, he also said that this experiment was made on two other Grishas the one that can pass through walls and ‘Yuri’ the fabricator, in her case she can turn led into gold, that he gave to Kaz for him to inspect.
By the end he told Kaz that Bo Yul-Bayur is in the Ice court in Fjerda. This explained why they offered a lot of money since the Ice Court has never been breached before, still Kaz asked for 30 million Kruge. He thought this would be enough to pay the debt even after paying 20% to Per Haskell.
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This chapter made me wonder is the money worth being exposed to that drug? Or facing people with that drug? This mission is suicide, and Van Eck probably does not trust Kaz as much as he led on, my assumption as of now is that he hired every guild leader or strong member to see who will be able to bring Bo Yul-Bayur back but doing so will mean more people are exposed to this particular news. thus, more rumors which will mean more people that will know about the drug, this seems like a chaos in the making. Another possibility is that he hired two of the strongest clans? Still doesn’t explain why Geels stole Jurda.
This chapter has also answered a lot of the old questions that were raised on the first chapter, as to what happened to Hoede and Joost and whether Anya could control minds or was it the effect of the Jurda Parem.
❀ why choose The Dregs for the job ?
❀ Van Eck said someone broke into his safe house before so why not look for that specific person, unless it is Kaz?
❀ why not just kill Bo Yul-Bayur ? Or do they want him alive as a proof it is him before killing him themselves?
❀ If Bo Yul-Bayur is against using the drug why distribute it in different countries ?
Chapter 5 ⸻ ꧂
Kaz spoke to Inej and Per Haskell and told them about the big mission that pays a lot of money, after that he went to the White Rose to meet Nina, and he told her about the Jurda Parem drug and how dangerous it is since she is a Healing Grisha, he also informed her that he will be breaking Matthias out of hellgate since he knows the layout of the Ice court. She got fussy about her begging him for months to get Matt out but he refused yet now that he needs Matthias he is going to do it.
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This chapter introduced two more characters that we barely know anything about I wonder if they’ll ever explain any of them, also paints Kaz as someone who would not do something without knowing for sure that he absolutely needs to or would benefit from this said action.
❀ Why is Nina in the white rose which is a pleasure house if she deals with mentality and peoples emotions?
❀ What makes Matthias so special? Would Kaz trust him so easily or is it another mind game?
Chapter 6 ⸻ ꧂
Nina, Kaz, Inej, Jesper and Muzzen went to Hellsgate to break Matthias out, they snuck in disguised as people who are interested in the brawls that happen between the prisoners and the monsters that the merchants capture and bring to the prison. Matthias was participating and at the time he was to fight against three wolves which Nina was visibly against saying that to Druskelle (drüskelle, one of the Fjerdan witchhunters tasked with hunting down Grisha to face trial and execution) wolves are sacred, this also showed in his performance and because of his reluctance he was injured badly. Kaz and the rest reached Matthias’s room as soon as the guards and healer left his room then proceeded to tell Nina that she should heal Matthias enough so he can walk and she should injure Muzzen in a way where they would not recognize that it is not Matthias in that cell. Then they tried to rouse Matthias only for him to lunge for Nina and try to strangle her.
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Wow Matthias’s introduction is amazing, he seems like a misunderstood person who’s way too loyal.
❀ What did Nina mean when she said “You made sure he can never be healed?” Did she hurt him when they were together before?
❀ I wonder what the history between these two are, to the point that he wants to kill her so badly
❀ Is it love turned hate? Betrayal? Or where they always enemies ?
❀ How long would Muzzen be in that cell pretending to be someone he is not?
PART 2 ꧂
Chapter 7 ⸻ ꧂
They get Matthias out and he agrees to help them in exchange of giving him Nina to kill in which they all refused but Kaz gave him a better offer that he couldn’t refuse, He offered to make arrangement for Kerch to drop all charges against him and that his freedom meant that he can be a Druskelle again and go back to his previous life, before Nina ruined his life for him. He eagerly agreed but it was short lived since he was told about their objectives and the drug that can make Grishas even more powerful than they already are he planned to betray them and kill Bo Yul-Bayur as soon as they stop suspecting him, without anyone noticing in a way that would make it look like an accident. Kaz introduced him to everyone and told them about Wylen and how he is going to join them in their travels and this mission even tho all of them objected until Kaz informed them that Wylen is their insurance to get paid since his father is Van Eck.
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At this point it feels like everyone is planning to betray one another, I wonder if anyone is being honest or if this time they’ll blindsight Kaz or will he see it coming and plan for it. Wylen did not realize that Kaz even knew about his father but the Wraith knows everything and reports every detail she finds to Kaz since it is her job as a spy.
❀ How does he plan to get the pardon letter while betraying Kaz?
❀ will he give up one thing for another ?
❀ Which is stronger his hatred for Grishas or his need to be back amongst his people?
Chapter 9 ⸻ ꧂
Nina informed Kaz about a Druskelle celebration that will be held in which they will invite performers into Fjerdan land and that could be their way in but Kaz said that this will be too obvious and that the Fjerdan people will be to too focused on who will be coming in. So he created an entire plan that starts with them being captured by the ice court and be tossed in the prison, and plan a breakout when they’re too focused on who is going in, making everyone who comes out nearly invisible and inconsequential.
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More druskelle ? I already dislike Matthias imagine more of that insufferable wolf. The way Kaz thinks about things makes me wonder what else will he be doing in the next chapters !!! He avoids going in the way most people would, the way he keeps thinking outside of the box, looking for weak points that he can exploit for his own gain.
❀ Yet, isn’t being a prisoner there worse than being a mere performer in an impenetrable fortress?
❀ Nina is actually a Grisha, she got lucky the first time but would luck be on her side a second time too?
❀ What if because of the Druskelle event they escalate her trial and they end up trying to kill Nina? If so would Matthias allow that, or will he stand idly by as a form of revenge? What would Kaz do?
Chapter 10 ⸻ ꧂
Inej went to pick supplies after arguing with Kaz and him telling her that if she did not want to join them in the quest she is free to go and she is not the only spider available for him to hire , he made it very clear that he can easily replace her if the time comes. She went angry to buy the supplies that he asked her to and when she came back she found the bodies of the two men that were supposed to be on the ship so she yelled “KAZ!” To warn him but as soon as she did the ship the team was on exploded.
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Inej and Kaz have such a complex relationship. He told her she’s replaceable but from their past interactions he told her “it is a difficult mission if you don’t want to come or join us then don’t” and now he’s telling her that if she left he can find other spiders I am led to believe that he hopes she’d choose to stay back but still acknowledge the fact that he needs her so he cannot tell her head on that she should stay back. At least this is what I think.
❀ Did they die?
❀ Who caused the attack?
❀ Weren’t the Black Tip broke?
❀ is it rivals who want to reach Bo Yul-Bayur before them?
Chapter 11 ⸻ ꧂
Jasper was firing at enemies after he barely dodged the bomb and he helped Wylen when he saw him struggling and then gave him a gun, after awhile of them firing and cursing Kaz came up to them letting them know that this ship was a decoy and gave them the location of the actual ship, which they tried running to then saw Nina and Matthias working together with Nina freeing Matthias’s hands, gave him a gun and told him to defend himself while she stopped some mercenaries hearts with her powers. They reached the new ship and Jesper went up to the crow’s nest but he was shot before he could get up there, he ignored the injury and pain focusing on the attack and proceeded shooting anyone trying to get into the new ship despite them being very outnumbered. Yet at some point Wylen asked Jesper to close his eyes and then he proceeded to throw a light bomb that blinded everyone except for Jesper and that turned the tides in their favor.
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Jesper is a funny character reminds me of Kenji from the shatter me series they have the same vibe and the fact that he’s a different person entirely during battle and he carried the battle for everyone yet if not for his shooting skills they all could’ve been killed decoy ship or not. Jesper did mention internally few times how disappointed he is that Kaz did not trust him with these details yet the wraith knows everything, despite her being the one giving Kaz the information he needs to come up with said plans.
❀ Though, what happened to Inej he mentioned not finding her anywhere? And we know she was there when the place exploded.
❀ will they find Inej or think she abandoned them and leave her as explosion collateral damage?
❀ Or maybe Kaz will think she actually left them, and decided not to show up?
Chapter 12⸻ ꧂
Inej was taking down mercenaries from the back finding out that some of them were Black Tip while others were from the Razorgulls. While she kept killing her way to the front she was stabbed by Oomen one of Geel’s second men who showed up, he wanted her alive so they weren’t shooting her when she climbed up the barrels and onto the second and third one yet she was stabbed and was struggling so when she felt like she couldn’t climb any more she decided that it is better to kill herself than be captured and used by the enemy but before she could stab her heart Kaz stopped her telling her not now Wraith and carried her to the ship telling her that he takes care of his investments (He bought her from a peacock lady).
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Kaz an investment? Seriously!? I like the way he thinks and all but calling someone an investment? By what she said he asked Per Haskell to buy Inej and said that she will benefit them. Inej was owned by a female with peacock feathers around her neck now Inej locks up whenever she sees her.
❀ How did Inej end up there?
❀ Why did Kaz choose to buy Inej from everyone else with the peacock lady?
❀ Kaz trained her which means she wasn’t athletic before hand.. so why ?
❀ how did Kaz find her on top of the barrels ?
Chapter 13 ⸻ ꧂
Kaz brought Inej onto the ship and took her under deck to Nina so she can heal, and when that was done Kaz went on deck asking them to bring Oomen for questioning who ended up telling them that they were hired by Pekka Rollins after getting the information out of him, Kaz killed Oomen and threw him off deck. Wylen was against it but Jesper stopped him and told him that “Maybe your tutors didn’t cover this lesson, but you do not argue with a man covered in blood and a knife up his sleeve.”
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Kaz going crazy because Inej’s hurt that he even asked Jesper to just leave so Nina can take care of Inej is adorable! Yet I know he won’t admit it, he even had no mercy on Oomen and just threw him overboard after interrogation. I wanna know why does knowing Pekka Rollins is behind the attack affected Kaz that much. Did Rollin hire the Black Tip to get the shipment of Jurda in order to create more of the drug? Does he not want the merchants to have Bo Yul-Bayur because he already has the formula. Kaz also kept wondering what did Inej want him to apologize for, he said which of the things I said hurt her so much that she requires my apology for it.
❀ What is the history with Pekka Rollins?
❀ What is actually between Kaz and Inej?
❀ Is that really the end of Oomen he did not kill him he just plucked his eye out and threw him overboard?
Chapter 14 ⸻ ꧂
This chapter talks about Nina’s struggle to heal Inej and her past with Matthias or part of it about how she was raised as a solider and not a healer and that she would kill to be able to study for even a week extra to learn how to heal. After that she went thinking about her past as a solider saying how they went around looking for Grishas to hire for the war as well as give them a safe place to stay in Ravka but then she was careless and entered a druskelle camp and was captured by Matthias, who then transferred her to a ship where she found other Grishas 15 to be exact all hand bound so they cannot use their powers.
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Nina spoke about how she had to speed up her learning because there was a shortage in warrior, During her training there were two routs to study they either learn how to destroy a body and stops a heart or to be a full on healer you cannot learn both. Yet, while trying to heal Inej she wishes she could learn more to know more to be better at healing Inej. It is funny how we want to change only when our life choices affect those close to us.
❀ Will she start learning healing from now?
❀ Will Nina at some point take the Jurda parem to heal one of them while knowing the risks?
Chapter 15 ⸻ ꧂
In this chapter they talk about Matthias giving information to Waylen in order for him to draw a map of the Ice Court, which was described as a tree trunk for the levels and to tell them everything else they need to know to escape that place and understand the layout better, they asked Matthias about what is contained within each prison level, to which he told them there was an incinerator at the bottom where Kaz informed them later that Inej would be the one to climb.
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Matthias feels that by giving up information he is betraying Fjerdan and all the teachings of the Druskelle. Which is fair knowing he was raised to protect and follow the ice court’s rules and traditions. I like how everyone is together but I wonder if at any point these differences in beliefs and traditions would cause the group to dispatch and turn into multiple different groups
❀ Will Matthias betray the group or will he find a reason or a purpose with them other than the pardon that he wants?
❀ Will Matthias give up the pardon and kill Bo Yul-Bayur or does he want the pardon badly enough to let him live?
PART 3 ꧂
Chapter 16 ⸻ ꧂
Inej woke up and she asked for Nina to not tell anyone about her getting up and spoke about how she has bad memories about a ship and that she needs her to stay beside her so they kept talking and keeping each other company. While Inej took us through the memory of her childhood and how she was kidnapped from the tent and was sold. She also asked Nina to sing for her and those two friends started singing together.
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Inej was captured as a child, did by any chance her and Kaz have a childhood memory that they’re not talking about, maybe Kaz knows that they met once upon a time while she doesn’t.
❀ why did she not want Kaz informed of her recovery?
❀ will she ever realize Kaz cares for her beyond the investment facade or will she keep thinking of herself as nothing more than an investment?
Chapter 17 ⸻ ꧂
Jesper spoke to Wylan who expressed his concern over the Ice court layout saying that the thin ice rests on water but it is atop a hill so where does the water come from!? Jesper also expressed that he goes to visit Inej every day. But this time she was actually awake which made him happy, and he helped Nina in putting her shoes on and helped her up and walking on the deck where she asked if Kaz has ever visited her and Jesper said never. He also told her that Kaz went crazy when Inej was injured.
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Wylan asked a very good question that they glossed over is this a form of foreshadowing ?? Jesper cares even though he hides everything behind jokes and he went on this job to pay his debt he told her that his father believes that he’s studying here and he put his father’s farm as collateral while he shouldn’t, so the money from this mission will help him pay back for his father’s farm and give back what he’s owed. He did mention that he has a gambling problem.
❀ Will Jesper be able to pay the debt if they kill Bo Yul-Bayur ?
❀ Everyone have a lot of stakes resting on this single mission, will Matthias really take that from everyone?
❀ Everyone treats Wylan like a child regardless of his viable concerns.
❀ Does Jesper have feelings for Kaz?
Chapter 18 ⸻ ꧂
After two days Kaz finally had the courage and made up whatever subject to talk to Inej, still he had a lot of internal dialogue colliding with his harsh and hard exterior, he wants to tell her and show her he cares but his pride is against him confessing anything he actually feels. He also told her about his brother and that Pekka Rollins killed him, though he did not disclose any other information
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Kaz has a lot of conflicting feelings, a part of him is killing him to tell her that he wants her and he needs her to be okay. Yet, his words are contradicting his own feelings, kaz is too used to being detached that he does not know how to deal with his feelings to Inej, it’s just something too foreign that he probably haven’t experienced before and the fact that even tho he is busy in his office he just feels her presence says a lot about his feelings. It’s like just her just existing and minding her own business is suffocating him because he doesn’t know what to do with all he is feeling.
❀ is he ever going to tell Inej what’s in his heart?
❀ Is he ever going to be able to let go and confide in her ?
❀ how long would it take for him to understand what those feelings mean?
Chapter 19 ⸻ ꧂
In Matthias POV they reached shore and they were freezing and wishing they could go back to the warm ship, while they were going on top a hill Matthias stoped them from going any further because of what he was looking at explaining that it was something they shouldn’t see, the thing was a Pyre which is what they used to do to Grishas, burn them alive, when they saw that he tried to explain to them that this is illegal now and that Grishas are taken to the Ice court for a fair trial, he even tried to explain to Nina directly when she strayed away from them but she simply asked “Then how come no Grisha was ever found innocent?” He then had the audacity to tell her “Did it ever occur to you that maybe you’re not supposed to exist?”
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Yikes Matthias, like I understand people being barbaric and all and living by a code but just because you don’t understand something does not mean it shouldn’t exist. I would’ve slapped him, Nina has way more self control than I would’ve ever had. Matthias has so much growing up he needs to do, so much learning about Grishas too.
❀ will Matthias ever start considering Grishas as human beings?
❀ When will he realize that his own court have been gaslighting him into believing that just because someone is different doesn’t mean they should die?
Chapter 20 ⸻ ꧂
Matthias revealed to everyone that Nina betrayed him the story goes as follows “The ship sunk and she saved him to which they went to shore after and they survived three weeks together until they reached harbor and she went to a Kerch merchant and reported Matthias as a slaver he then was chained and taken to Hellsgate”. Soon after they were attacked by two Grishas that have taken Jurda parem and they ended up being Nina’s old friends, she tried to save one but he asked for another dose saying he did not need any help, he was too weak to survive. She said maybe The Shu are now using the Grishas for experiments on Jurda Parem and war which was unlike them. She insisted they bury the bodies in which Kaz refused and said they don’t have the time for it. So, Matthias stayed behind to help her, while doing so he spoke to her about actually killing Bo Yul-Bayur instead of taking him to the merchant and that it will be for both the Fjerdan and the Grishas benefit that the drug formula did not come out of get exposed to more people, and now they have a truce to betray Kaz. She also told Matthias that two Grishas wanted to take Matthias as a hostage and she had to get him out away from them as soon as possible and that the only way was for them to sail to Ketterdam, she also informed him that she tried to take back her words and free him but no one paid her any mind, which is why she turned to Kaz for help.
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There is so much to unpack here.. one what the fuck Nina seriously?? Jurda Parem is not similar to you having powers. Jurda Parem harms those who take it and make them uncontrollable, basically slaves to the drug itself and they cannot be freed, taking free will away from them. Yet, you having powers given to you by birth shouldn’t alienate you just cause they’re scared of you. The other part Matthew helps her burry her friends then tells her that she should help him kill Bo Yul-Bayur right after telling her The water remembers and the ice doesn’t forgive doesn’t give me a lot of faith in whatever he has planned. It feels like he’s setting her up to betray Kaz while he ends up taking the pardon anyway despite him saying it’s not important for him. I mean it’s fair game since she betrayed him first regardless of the fact that she did it to save him
❀ Is he trying to set her up and betray her the way she betrayed him??
❀ Did he really give up on the pardon? He attacked Kaz for it.
❀ Is this what he meant by the water remembers and the ice never forgets?
Review ꧂
Final review of the first three parts, I was very skeptical on whether or not I will find a book that will get me hooked to find out what happens next and get me too invested, this was the first book that I actually created a document for and I realized that there are a lot of hidden messages and sub plots, history and depth to each character. They showed us Jesper being hurt by Kaz hiding information and the way they typed it made it seem as if he has something for Kaz, to the point that regardless how much Kaz hides from him he still sticks around and carries the battlefield saving everyone.
On the other hand we have Kaz’s hidden feelings for Inej to the point that gets him to care so much, yet he cannot show them and he justifies going crazy in helping and protecting her by claiming she is an investments. Will his love for her blinds him to the fact that Nina and Matthias are planning to betray them? Or did he anticipate that and this is why he left both of them behind? What if what Wylan expressed is actually important and they end up being caught off guard by this fact?
Does Matthias actually plan to help Nina take off Bo Yul-Bayur or does he intent to shoulder her the blame as a form of revenge? Will he actually go on with it and get pardoned while leaving her at the mercy of what he described as a Demon despite the fact that he now knows why she did what she did by throwing him in the fire in hopes for him to avoid being tossed in molten lava? So many possibilities and so many things can go wrong but all will be revealed when they actually reach the Ice Court.
╚═══════Six Of Crows═══════╝
