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Raimie, Rhylix   Raimie “—hope!” My shout was drowned out by the howl of the wind. Shivering, I hugged my chest as icy knives of rain drove through my uniform to beat against my skin. A gust of wind swooped into the city’s center, and pinwheeling my arms, ...

Middle   Even though it was only halfway through the morning, I was drained, and there was still a long day ahead. Of course, I was always tired, had been since Aramar had dumped his spymaster responsibilities on me thirteen years ago, but this was a bone-de...

Middle   I found Eledis on the other side of the palace, but the old man wasn’t alone. Gistrick and Marcuset were in the study with him. I could hear the three of them shouting from the end of the hall, but when I slipped into the room, the argument, whateve...

Middle “Ring!” I hissed. I glanced back as the door to her bedroom thumped closed behind us. “What are you doing?” I continued. “We can’t-” Shoving me onto her mussed bed, Ring sternly pointed a finger at me. “Stay.” With that, Ring fled behind the scr...

Middle   Taking fistfuls of Little’s jacket, I pulled him uncomfortably close to me. “You were supposed to keep him safe!” I growled. My adopted son wouldn’t lift his gaze from the floor, and at his miserable expression, I almost stopped scolding him. I al...

I've done my best to include as many content warnings as I can here, but I can't guarantee that I've caught all of them. As always when reading a novel that covers heavier topics, please keep your mental health in mind! Throughout: dissociation, eugenics, lac...

During yearly lesson rotations, my stints with Vaessa, the House in charge of maintaining Ibis, had always been my least favorite. Mom and dad disliked Zan for reasons they wouldn’t explain. Feena couldn’t stand Drav for keeping Lutov’s population low, and for...

I didn’t know if leaving the kalasa’s care this early was wise, but I wouldn’t keep my sister away from her mission any longer than I must. In an ii hunt, timing was essential, hence my rush with the translator insertion itself. As I followed the scientist’s ...

Ostiu was fucking cold. I’d known this from multiple people’s warnings on the subject, but there was a difference between knowing something and experiencing it for oneself. I rather liked it. It brought a sharp clarity to thought, heightening every sense so l...

As soon as the door had slid closed, I dove into my array, requesting Feena’s location. She’d last been reported in the mountains to the west of us, close to where the Upheaval’s origin lay. I chose to believe that her proximity to that tech-disrupting phenome...

Eventually, an alert chimed from the console while our speed slowed to a stop, and tapping into the feeds of the transport’s recorders, I lifted my hand, projecting what they’d captured above it. Craggy mountain peaks and an abundance of pine trees lay below ...

“-haven’t seen someone show such promise in ages, Talira. He’ll work well. Start the process.” Why did that… voice sound-? “We can discuss it after you get home.” Oo, she was… tense… I- “In the meantime, get my grandchildren to Zoln. Alive, please.” “Yes,...

With my back pressed to crumbling concrete, I counted my breaths, loosely holding my rifle in front of me. When I reached thirty-seven, I had my array activate the mine that I’d left behind. The roar of its explosion rang in my ears as I spun to where I could ...

I met Fyester when I was fifteen years old during a House Kirst rotation. We’d immediately hit it off with our shared love of pranks getting us in more trouble than I cared to admit. Before long, mutual attraction had led to a deepening of our relationship and...

With our guide gone, Fyester looked a little lost, so I flounced onto the bed, hoping to distract him. “Well,” I said, “that was strange.” “Mm,” was all Fyester would say. I wasn’t sure how to continue. Did he want more small talk from me? Could I skip that...

Islae didn’t want me to leave. She wasn’t being clingy, to my relief. I’d never been sure of how to handle her when she got like that. If I was right, she was just worried that we’d never see one another again. It had been nearly a week since I’d come to Xyge...

I’d been left alone with House Kolb’s shukusen, a situation that should and would have had my stomach roiling half an hour ago, but I’d fully disengaged from my emotions again. Finally. Was this where she confronted me about eavesdropping on her? If so, what ...

As I got dressed, I considered how best to ask the question on my mind. In the end, I decided to just say it. “What the fuck, Feena?” I growled. “This couldn’t wait until morning?” Her soft laughter floated in the air between us. “Nope.” The pop on that ‘P...

A waking state came to me slowly with a gradual diminishment of vivid dreams leaving me blinking at a cloudy sky, framed by towers. Why could I see the sky-? Last night’s activities popped into my head, and I shot upright, frantically taking in the park aroun...

Once we were in the outer layer, the Lokke Vitras angled us toward one end of it, moving into an office behind its wall. One that belonged to this place’s manager, I thought. When he stepped inside, he never checked whether I’d followed him, and I was so dist...