71 Results in the "A Weave of Ambition" category
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Chapter
Chapter 58 – Fading Illusions
She sat astride him, his manhood deep inside her, her hands braced on his chest, and when she looked down into his face, she still caught herself thinking about how her life had actually come to this point. "Say it," Faustus gasped beneath her. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her deeper onto him. "Say you're sorry." Valentina bit her lip and tried to concentrate on her role. The scent ofviolets mingled with the smell of sex and sweat as she moved up and down on him. "I'm... I'm sorry," she…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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When Valentina arrived at the dining room the next morning,students stoodin small groups, their heads together, nervously whispering. "Val!" Crispin rushed towards her, his face pale with excitement. "They've found it!" "What do you mean?" Valentina forced herself to calm down as her heart skipped a beat. What had happened now? "Do you remember the break-in in the Essence storage last year, when we all thought nothing was stolen?" His voice almost cracked. "Well, something was stolen! When the…
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374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 45 – The First Blow
By midday, one of the auditoriums on the first floor, normally a place of lively debate about Essence Theory, had been transformed into what everyone assumed to be basically a torture chamber. The Emberwardens had pushed the benches and tables against the walls and turned the room into a makeshift interrogation room. Heavy curtains had been drawn in front of the high windows, allowing only a few strips of light to penetrate. The smell of incense and a bitter herb that was supposed to ward off demonic…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 46 – Loose Ends
News of the room searches quickly spread through the university like wildfire. Valentina heard the first rumors at lunch – students whispering about Emberwardens ransacking rooms, slashing mattresses, confiscating books and destroying personal belongings. "They took all of Oleanne's correspondence with her betrothed," a third-year student hissed, over her soup plate. "Private letters! Imagine what a scandal it could be if they read them." Valentina exchanged a worried glance with Innogen. "Are they…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 47 – A Pious Virgin
On the seventh day after Eastwald's arrival, Valentina found a parchment note on the outside of her door. With cool precision, the formal handwriting informed her that she was to report to the questioning room atnoon. No explanation, no polite phrases – just a direct instruction, sealed with the stylized flame symbol of the Illumination. "Ah, the time has finally come," Vyxara whispered. "It was bound to happen sooner or later." Valentina stared at the parchment, her heartbeat quickening. Despite…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 48 – Winter’s Grip
Icy sleet drove the students into the buildings, where they huddled around fireplaces and stoves, freezing. "Appropriate weather for these gloomy times," Vyxara murmured in Valentina's mind. Valentina pulled her coat tighter around her as she hurried through the cold corridors. Everywhere, students huddled in small groups, seeking warmth in the community. Their muffled conversations echoed off the stone walls. "Did you hear that?" a student whispered to her friend. "Twenty people died of the fever…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 49 – Death’s Hand
The following days blurred into a repetitive cycle of care, short breaks and constant worry. Valentina and Innogen shared the tasks –while one rested, the other watched over Crispin. Valentina used all her knowledge from Dusktown. She had recreated the sterilizing effect of the modified Greystone Cascade on a smaller scale, a fine mesh of Essence patterns that purified the air and surfaces in the room. It cost her and Innogen much of their precious supply of Distilled Essence to keep it going, but it…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 5 – Old Friends
Chapter 5 – Old Friends Netta made her way through the crowd, one hand placed protectively on her pregnant belly. In the morning light streaming through the narrow windows of the Flametower, Valentina could see the freckles on her former best friend's nose –just like when they used to run across the fields together and confide their most secret dreams to each other. "What a contrast," said Vyxara. "The poor peasant girl who stayed at home while you went out into the big wide world." "Val,"…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 50 – Old Acquaintance
Valentina turned the precious vials in her hands. The Essence shimmered in them like liquid moonlight. Two vials – that might get her through the next two weeks if she used them sparingly. But then what? "A worryingly low supply," Vyxara remarked. "Especially given the fact that your usual sources have dried up." "I know," Valentina thought grimly. Barnaby was in the Illumination's dungeons, and even if he was still free – after their last encounter, she wouldn't have visited his store anyway.…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 51 – Possibilities
Valentina stood outside an elegant townhouse in one of Bridgewater's better neighborhoods. The Violet Delights was very different from the usual brothels in the city – there were no glaring lanterns, no drunken men standing around outside the door or lurking in the shadows. Instead, the three-story building made of solid brick exuded a refined, discreet elegance. Well-craftedEssence patterns shimmered in the high windows, carefully woven defensive patterns that Valentina looked at with professional…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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