❝ 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... ◥✥◤
Lilja and Suri had left for Wymler, leaving Azura and Ari behind. Azura was distressed, questioning whether the sygil on her wrist that showed her if Suri were alive or not would actually work. But then Palmira made a crushing revelation; Suri had perished on her journey to Wymler, forcing Lilja to continue on to the walled city alone. Azura vowed to watch the Empire burn and finally revealed to Ari that she was in the Order only to assassinate the emperor.
༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛
Ari stares at me, a crease forming between his dark brows, seemingly trying to understand my words. They're out now, I can't take them back even if I wanted to, but it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
The words continue spilling forth, "Palmira only took me in because she wants me to assassinate Emperor Ulric. I refused recently, but now..." I look down at my bag. "I'm going to the Empire. I know I won't survive, but if I do then I'm leaving."
"When were you going to tell me any of this?" he demands, an edge of anger to his tone.
"The moment I learnt that you're a prince, I wasn't going to tell you."
He gapes at me as I meet his gaze. "Why?"
"Because I didn't want to involve you. Because you need to unite your people, and you can't do that being hunted by the Empire beside me."
Ari turns away with a low growl in his throat, reminding me of the wolf that lurks just beneath his skin. "That's not your choice to make."
"Well, I made it." I let out a sigh, my anger fading, my sorrow dulling to a deep ache. It's then I realise how tired I am and I rub my grainy eyes.
Ari has a duty to keep and I won't stand in the way of that. I won't see him dragged into my mess, even if I have to turn my back on him to do that. I won't stand in the way of his duty because of my selfish fears of being alone. I can't do that to him, can't make him decide between his people and me. Because it will never be me, it can never be me. I won't let it.
"I'm sorry, Ari."
"I care about you, you know?" he blurts out, facing me again, sparks of pain igniting in his eyes. "I don't know what it is about you, but I care about you. Don't do this."
"I have to."
Ari approaches me and cradles my hands in his. "No, you don't. We can leave, go to Wymler, see if what Palmira claims is true."
"She has no reason to lie."
Ari narrows his eyes. "She has every reason to lie."
"Ari, not this again." I try to pull away from him but he holds fast.
