[ after returning from shu han, inej focused on her studies. it involved more trips back and forth from ravka, more time spent rearranging schedules for her and kaz. but for the first time in an incredibly long time, inej felt happy. blissfully happy, really. it was hard to imagine how life could be better than being free and in love and able to do as she pleased.
heleen's case was still fighting it's way through the court system on appeal, but inej had been kept out of it, for the most part. no one on heleen's employ was allowed to talk to her, and heleen herself had been told in no-uncertain terms by the judge that if she contacted inej, she would be headed straight to prison on contempt. so far, heleen (and her minions) had respected the court's wishes, although barely. there had been an incident where inej had walked home from her internship at the kerch human trafficking office one week and had been followed home by someone she vaguely recognized as a bouncer at the menagerie.
after that, kaz had insisted on picking her up (which felt silly, given his leg and the cold and the fact that she could walk), and she felt safer, after that. she stopped seeing the man lingering around once kaz brought her to and from the office. she suspects the man doubted he could take them both, rather than just inej (who could certainly defend herself, but was tiny).
for the most part, heleen was in the back of her mind. her time in school was coming to an end, and inej was working on solid next steps. she had an idea - an organization, outside of the government (which was often corrupt and part of the problem), to advocate and assist people like her. she had applied for funding for this organization and assembled a team of fellow students who were willing to help. kaz had really been the one to put together the grant applications for her, for which inej was eternally grateful.
after some weeks, a letter manifested itself from one of the bigger funders - enough to not only open inej's organization, but fund it for at least a full year. but it felt wrong to open it without him. and opening it felt . . . final. what if it was a denial?
so when kaz comes home, he will find inej sitting on their couch with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the (unopened) envelope on the table. but at the sound of the door, she tilts her head back a little with a warm smile. ]
I already ordered dinner.
[ mildly enough.
( she had a feeling he would be coming home late. ) ]
explorations.
heleen's case was still fighting it's way through the court system on appeal, but inej had been kept out of it, for the most part. no one on heleen's employ was allowed to talk to her, and heleen herself had been told in no-uncertain terms by the judge that if she contacted inej, she would be headed straight to prison on contempt. so far, heleen (and her minions) had respected the court's wishes, although barely. there had been an incident where inej had walked home from her internship at the kerch human trafficking office one week and had been followed home by someone she vaguely recognized as a bouncer at the menagerie.
after that, kaz had insisted on picking her up (which felt silly, given his leg and the cold and the fact that she could walk), and she felt safer, after that. she stopped seeing the man lingering around once kaz brought her to and from the office. she suspects the man doubted he could take them both, rather than just inej (who could certainly defend herself, but was tiny).
for the most part, heleen was in the back of her mind. her time in school was coming to an end, and inej was working on solid next steps. she had an idea - an organization, outside of the government (which was often corrupt and part of the problem), to advocate and assist people like her. she had applied for funding for this organization and assembled a team of fellow students who were willing to help. kaz had really been the one to put together the grant applications for her, for which inej was eternally grateful.
after some weeks, a letter manifested itself from one of the bigger funders - enough to not only open inej's organization, but fund it for at least a full year. but it felt wrong to open it without him. and opening it felt . . . final. what if it was a denial?
so when kaz comes home, he will find inej sitting on their couch with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the (unopened) envelope on the table. but at the sound of the door, she tilts her head back a little with a warm smile. ]
I already ordered dinner.
[ mildly enough.
( she had a feeling he would be coming home late. ) ]