Path of the Extra

Azriel’s eyes went as wide as they could, a whirl of emotions flooding his heart before washing away entirely as his feet moved without a single conscious thought. He walked, then broke into a run, closing the distance toward Jasmine.

He knelt before her at once, concern dancing openly in his eyes.

”How are you feeling? Are you all right? Are you hurt? I know Pollux was behind this. Did he do something to you?” The questions spilled out so quickly that Jasmine looked briefly startled, before her expression softened into a warm smile. Celestina knelt beside Azriel a moment later, worry written across her face so plainly that she looked on the verge of tears, though she held them back.

”Are you in pain, Jasmine?” Celestina asked. ”Do I need to heal you? I still have a health potion, if my healing is not enough. Are you cold? I can find you warmer clothes.”

Jasmine’s smile turned faintly wry as she looked between the two of them, clearly exasperated.

”Seriously, you two. Come here.”

Before either of them could react, Jasmine leaned forward and wrapped her arms around them both, pulling them into a tight embrace. She felt their bodies stiffen instantly beneath her hold.

”J-Jasmine?” Azriel stammered.

Celestina’s mouth opened, but no sound came out at all.

Azriel heard Jasmine let out a soft chuckle beside him, and she did not let go, not even as his body slowly began to relax against her, the rigidity easing out of him bit by bit.

”I am fine. Thank you for worrying about me so much,” Jasmine said, her voice warm with affection.

Hearing those words, Azriel closed his eyes and felt every last reserve of energy drain out of him at once, his head tilting forward to rest against her shoulder.

’Thank anything but the gods,’ he thought.

”Hey...” Jasmine leaned back just enough to hold his head gently between her hands, looking at him with a smile that carried both relief and worry in equal measure.

”If anyone here needs a change of clothes, it should be Azriel. Do you not agree, Celestina?”

”Huh?” Celestina, freed from the embrace, glanced over at Azriel, confusion flickering across her face for a few seconds as she took him in properly. Then realization struck.

”Oh... I... I do,” she said, stumbling slightly over her own words before quickly averting her gaze.

Azriel frowned and looked down at himself.

’Huh. I am basically half naked.’

The upper half of his robes appeared to have abandoned him entirely some time ago, leaving only the lower half standing between him and complete humiliation.

’Ah. My scars.’

He looked up toward Jasmine and found her already watching him with an expression that made it perfectly clear she knew exactly what he was about to attempt, some excuse, some deflection meant to shield the scars the mana core syndrome had carved into him.

Seeing that look on her face, Azriel lost whatever will he had left to even try. He simply lowered his gaze, shame and guilt settling heavily over him, knowing that with a single glance, Jasmine had already understood that he had been lying to her the entire time.

”We really do have a great deal to discuss, brother,” she said, and there was not a trace of anger in her voice.

”But that can wait for now. I am just glad.” She glanced toward Celestina as well. ”I am glad the both of you are alive.”

She released him and rose to her feet at once, Celestina following suit a moment later. Jasmine extended a hand toward Azriel, who hesitated only briefly before taking it, allowing her to pull him upright.

”Here. Cover yourself with this.”

Jasmine handed him a black, fur-lined cloak. Azriel looked at it for a moment before accepting it gratefully and wrapping it around his shoulders.

’It is warm,’ he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips as Jasmine reached forward and tied the front of it properly for him.

She then turned to look at Lioren, but before she could get a single word out, a voice thick with disgust cut through the chamber from the entrance.

”Oh good. The whore is awake.”

Azriel’s eyes narrowed and cooled at once as Pierre entered the room, followed closely by Corven and then the Plague.

’What did he just call Jasmine?’

”Pierre.” Jasmine’s gaze turned instantly cold, every trace of the warmth she had carried only moments ago vanishing entirely, replaced by a frozen mask worthy of some ice empress.

Pierre’s lips twitched.

Yelena slowly drew Lumine closer as the two of them made their way toward Azriel, Celestina, and Jasmine.

Corven turned toward Lioren. Even blindfolded, he recognized the greatest threat standing in the room.

”If we remain here any longer, the Monarch will find us, given the sheer amount of mana this room is leaking,” Corven said, his tone entirely calm.

”You came all this way back to us just to offer a deal? It had better be a good one.” Jasmine spoke before Lioren could, who seemed entirely unbothered by being spoken over. Despite having only just woken, she already carried herself with complete command of the situation, requiring no one to bring her up to speed, grasping the severity of it all with total clarity.

’She is not showing even the faintest glimmer of surprise at hearing a Monarch is hunting us. Heh.’ Azriel felt a swell of pride at his sister’s composure.

”Your Highness.” Corven turned to Jasmine and offered her something he had not extended even to Lioren: he brought his fist to his chest and bowed low, the formal salute reserved for royalty of the great clans.

”You must be Master Corven.”

”I am,” Corven said, straightening once more, his tone polite.

”So?” Jasmine looked at the three of them standing lined up together, ignoring entirely the look Pierre was giving her, one that treated her as though she were nothing more than filth. She was not even surprised to learn he was a Master.

”What exactly are you proposing, Master Corven?”

Again, Azriel felt that same swell of pride rise in his chest, and he tried to hold back a smile.

He failed.

Corven’s attention shifted to Azriel without warning.

”Give us your brother. In exchange, we let the rest of you go. No one else has to die. Everyone gets what they want.”

’Except for me,’ Azriel thought, though he pinched his chin regardless, considering it seriously. ’It is not actually a bad deal, if I am honest. The odds of mortality fighting all of them together are extremely high, and we are working against a clock as it is. Handing me over pleases the kings, guarantees the revolutionaries their win, and lets Lioren strike his deal at the summit immediately, having already complied by surrendering me. Everyone else here would be able to escape safely.’

Azriel began working through it in earnest. The two brothers would want him dead eventually, though perhaps not right away. Perhaps surrendering himself was the smarter play here, and he might even manage to strike a deal of his own with the two broth-

”Absolutely not.”

”No.”

”We refuse.”