Exorior

Mercy is a weakness.

I press the blade to his neck, just under his left ear. He continues to plead.

“Mercy is a weakness. If you cannot kill the lamb for its meat, you will starve. If you cannot finish the job, you should be the one on the floor below you. If you look into the eyes of the one beneath you and feel nothing but pity, you have no strength within you. There is no pity in you. There is no feeling. Never leave your job unfinished.”

My masters words feed into my anger. I remember my hate for Simon. I remember all that he had said that made me feel as if I were lower than him, and I use that to kill him.

In the land of Lucitrea, Nuri Azimi--Trained to fight, injure, and kill--is the best at what she does--and what she has always done. Sold into slavery at a young age, she has endeavored hardships and suffered through traumatic wounds--both physically and emotionally. What else is there to do when you are so deeply scarred with a haunting, terrorizing past? To Nuri, it's kill or be killed, follow orders from her masters, and never remember the painful memories of her past. But, when things take an unexpected turn, she is forced to face her past and the very worst part of herself--that part she desperately keeps hidden in the palms of her blood-stained hands.