XXXII | The Betrayer

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◢✥◣PREVIOUSLY

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PREVIOUSLY...
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Azura and Captain Vasio fought, Azura having to rely on her newfound flame powers, but Vasio used sygils to shield himself. In his confusion, Azura made her escape and in her exhaustion from using her magic, fell and shattered her arm. Azura relied on her senses, listening to a distant call and following it to a courtyard where she encountered heavy resistance from Sharlik soldiers. Escaping them, she stumbled into a room and came face to face with an old man.

༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛

Blood patters on the ground, a steady noise in the silence of the room. I stare at the old man who sits at a desk, withered and brittle like a twig in winter, clinging to what's left of its life.

I grip my side, my clothes soaked through with blood, uncertain about which of it is mine but aware it could be most of it. I don't have a lot of time left.

"Where's the emperor?" I manage through gritted teeth.

The old man gets to his feet, standing tall with his head held high. "I am the—"

I raise my hand, cutting off his words as I jab a finger at him and approach him. "Don't lie to me," I hiss with a curl of my lip, too tired to even think about playing these worthless games anymore.

He glowers at me, light blue eyes flickering with shadows from the candle on his desk. "Who are you?"

I step before him, putting us nose to nose, and swipe up the letter opener from his desk. I put the dull blade to his throat. "Where's the emperor?"

"You think you can threaten me, girl?" he sneers, leaning forward into the edge of the harmless blade that I'm certain I can make harmful.

I look over him, at his draping crimson robes, the glinting jewels on his fingers, the fine plait of his silvery hair, and I begin to believe that maybe this man isn't a liar. "Palmira sent me to kill you," I inform him, lifting my chin, but he doesn't baulk under my black gaze.

"With a letter opener?" he drawls and my teeth grind together.

"I guess so." I reel back and plunge the blade into his throat. But my eyes widen and my breath stills in my lungs as the steel crumples against his skin like it's nothing more than paper. "What?" I stumble away from him, touching the ruined steel. It's hard and unyielding, yet...

"I thought Palmira and I had moved past simple assassins," he continues, brushing his fingers against his throat like he's merely flicking away a fleck of lint.

I drop the letter opener, my breathing quickening.

I can't kill him. I can't assassinate the emperor. Did Palmira send me here just to die?

"Why do you look familiar?" the man is asking as he circles me, assessing me.

"Maybe because you've tormented me my whole life," I snarl but he just snorts and shakes his head.

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