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Alice   The hush of Parliament Grounds had different effects on everyone. For some, it came off as reverential, honoring the incomprehensible workings of an Empire, housed in one place. For others, it epitomized discomfort, leaving them needing sound to fill...

Alice When Alice burst into the apartment, Ana flinched on her stool, which left a streak of errant paint spoiling an otherwise gorgeous landscape. Wincing, Alice said, "Sorry, love." Never looking her way, Ana cocked her head at the painting. "Don't be,...

“You think that Alan would surrender to those from beyond the stars?” I said, staring at Damari. “Really?” On the other side of my bed, my friend shrugged. “Normally, I’d say no but…” they drawled, “Soefi’s involved this time, and everyone knows that Alan wo...

When I entered Laylah-Feena and Rylan’s private cubicle, Damari was doing a good job of maintaining a calm demeanor. Well. A good job for them. They were tapping their fingers on their bouncing knee, but that was their only concession to their persistent restl...

I ran into Laylah-Feena near our cubicle. “There you are!” she said. “Where did you go? I couldn’t find you.” Hooray… time to play our parts again, all under the assumption that someone would be watching us. In Lutov, someone was almost always watching. Thr...

For what seemed like the thousandth time, I read the fifth line of this process again, somehow keeping my eyes from crossing. Pressure was pounding behind my skull’s frontal bone, growing more intense with every moment, and my muscles were so cramped that I wa...

After Feena had left, I wrote up my daily report for Talira, like I’d told her I would. I hadn’t been lying about that. As the months had worn on, doing this had grown tiresome, but every time I’d suggested that they were a waste of my time, Talira had repeate...

The state I was in concerned me. I wasn’t fuzzy, and this evening’s events had continued in a sequential manner, not in snapshots like they did sometimes, so I wasn’t in shock. Instead, I felt… detached from myself. I knew what I should be feeling right now, ...

I watched Leski leave the library, and once she was gone, my hand fell away from Korix as swiftly as expression did from me. Even this many years later, an empty face was still my most natural state. Not that smiles and laughter felt unnatural! But I could onl...

When I reached House Kolb’s headquarters, I entered as if I belonged, even with my status declaring me a member of Cerullis. Not many people would be here, so changing to my ‘true’ affiliation seemed like too much work, much like sneaking through the place wou...

When I reached Feena’s apartment, I entered it without announcing my presence. “Get dressed, dear sister,” I called. “We have places to be.” With a snort, Feena lifted herself out of her bed’s sheets, but when her bleary eyes focused on me, she groaned, bury...

Harvel just would not make this easy for me. I had to give him credit. He’d most definitely been prepared for House Kolb to come after him, which was less common than one would think. A surprising number of fugitives thought they’d get away with their crimes....

Once we were inside Drav’s headquarters, we headed for a receptionist, sitting behind a welcome desk. Guests from other Houses announced their presences there, getting the passes they’d need to access their destinations. When I visited these places, I usually ...

So, now you’ve met one of the few people I’d sacrifice everything for. My child. By now, you’ll have figured out where this story is going, although if you haven’t, that’s fine too. As with the beginning of the Ancients Crisis, I’ll skip a few years, twenty-f...

I wasn’t going to make it. My blasted P.I.G. had given out too far from rescue, succumbing to the damage that my latest target had caused it, and as I stumbled forward, my vision kept blinking in and out of focus. If that weren’t enough, the fact that blood wa...

Korix had been right, as usual. Jak truly was a decent cook. After enjoying a last bite of my meal, I leaned back in my seat with a satisfied smile, watching Damari tell an animated story while my family looked on. I didn’t pay much attention to the tale’s pa...

I led the way through my home, wondering why my sister was keeping quiet. Usually, she’d be chatting my ear off about her job or dating life by now, but she was silent today, holding herself in a way that made me reluctant to start a conversation. I did not li...

Somehow, I made it into the house before I completely lost it. I sprinted for an enclosed space, one with no windows, and when I reached it, I slammed the door, engaging its locks. I couldn’t help but feel like someone was after me right now. I knew that wasn...

After I’d reached my study, Feena waited in a corner while I made the room secure. She only relaxed from her tensed state once I’d poured her favorite drink, offering it to her. “So?” I asked, taking a seat behind my desk. Unlike my sister, I didn’t indulge ...

I found Baely first. Sitting in a hall, she was leaning against the wall across from Leski’s studio, and when I stopped in front of her, she smiled up at me. Thank all that was holy for that. If she’d looked at me with anything else, I’d probably have lost it ...