❝ Pain was my fuel, until the fire began bleeding from my veins. ❞
The girl without a name.
The black-haired fiend devoid of fear.
The sharp-tongued scoundrel always ready with a trick up her sleeve.
Thief and street rat Azura knows how to hustle a...
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◢✥◣ PREVIOUSLY... ◥✥◤
After being introduced to her new eccentric guide—Suri—Azura was shown a garden that she recognised from stories told to her. She realised her deceased brother was once part of the Order but kept it from her. Unsure why, she instead focused on her need for answers about herself and her revenge against Jile.
༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛
The room Suri leads me to is far too nice for me to set foot in with its soft carpet of deep mauve and furniture of dark wood.
"And here I thought the rebellion was struggling," I murmur. I glance around the place, observing the intricate carvings on the wood panelling to the balcony doors, the thick drapes that pool on the ground like blood, the lavish furniture, and crackling fireplace.
"A farce to throw off our enemies."
I twist around at the light voice, my hand reacting before my mind can register what it's doing. I come face to face with the person who spoke, her green eyes narrowed as she stares at the silver candelabra in my fist. I glance at it too, blinking to see it there. My gaze darts to Suri who stands in the doorway, watching with wide eyes. Wax drips onto my glove and the patter of it on the carpet breaks me from the moment.
I clear my throat and set the candelabra back on the table beside the door. "And it works?" I ask as I wipe the wax from my gloves onto my trousers.
The girl before me shrugs. "I suppose," she replies. She bends to pick up the extinguished candle on the ground between us, rolling it between her bronzed fingers. "If scaring away possible recruits is the goal." The girl's gaze is cold as she looks me up and down, studying me with wariness I know too well. Her tanned face is set in a stern expression, guarded and judgemental. "Lilja, Suri's sister. We come as a package deal."
My jaw works as I look between these two girls, their features similar with their light brown and freckled skin and green gazes. Once again I remind myself that this is the best place to hide while I wait for Jile to skulk back into the light.
"Well, this is all happening very fast," Lilja mutters, taking a seat on the edge of one of the beds pushed against the wall. She crosses her arms over her chest and pins me with her gaze. But the strength within them is a facade, I can see that now. It's merely something she adorns, not something she truly feels within. I saw many street rats walk into the warehouse with such a look in their eyes before Jile whittled them down piece by fragile piece. Something he could never do to me, no matter how hard he tried. It's why he cut my throat.
I reach up and touch the clothed skin at the hollow of my throat. There's nothing you can do that hasn't already been done, Jile.
I drop my hand and press my lips together as I hear my own words for the lie that they were.
