[ she supposes that's true, and her lips curve upward at the comment about sharks. part of her still hasn't really grasped the reality of the situation, but the numbers don't lie. and there's also the question of . . . now what? she had been striving for this moment for so long that it feels a little unreal. and honestly, she still isn't in a really great position now. sleeping on the couch of a relative stranger.

she sits quietly for a few minutes, letting lizabeta walk her way along her shoulders and ducking underneath her hair before the little bird walks back down her arm to settle on her fingers, stretching her wings.

but as the silence stretches on (still comfortable, inej not feeling the pressure to speak), the thought pops into her head again: ]

Why do you want to help me?

[ she asks, her eyes flickering toward kaz, her brow furrowing slightly. testing the waters, a bit. ]

Heleen is going to come for you, too, the minute she finds out this is more than paying off a debt.