Novels by Ti'i

The rain fell harder, turning the courtyard paths into slick ribbons of mud. Every breath tasted of wet earth and copper, and lightning flickered somewhere beyond the palace rooftops, throwing brief, jagged shadows across the hedges.Basra scrambled after Levi through the tangle of thorns, his sleeve catching and tearing on a bramble. Their boots tore up the turf with every desperate stride, each footfall sending up a spray of muddy water.The baying of the hounds grew louder behind them, joined now by shouted orders and the clatter of steel. The distance between the hunters and the hunted was closing fast."They have our scent locked," Basra panted, his chest heaving painfully with every breath. "We won't outrun them across these open lawns.""We aren't running across the lawn," Levi shot back over his shoulder, not slowing his pace. "Keep your head down and move."The soldier veered sharply toward the high stone perimeter wall, cutting through a stand of dripping rosebushes that cla

The sharp, metallic clatter above them dissolved into a chorus of harsh, barking orders. Palace guards were swarming the upper balustrades with lanterns in hand.Basra felt his heart hammer against his ribs like a trapped bird. The cold rain did nothing to cool the feverish heat burning inside his veins.Levi grabbed Basra by the upper arm with a grip like iron. The soldier pulled him sideways into the suffocating shelter of a overgrown boxwood hedge.Watch your footing, Levi whispered, his breath pluming white in the freezing night air. They're dropping the hounds into the lower lawn.A deep, resonant baying echoed across the wet stone courtyard. The sound sent an immediate, icy shiver straight down the center of Basra's spine.Those aren't ordinary guard dogs, Basra muttered, wincing as a sharp thorn scraped across his freshly bruised jawline. Those things are bred for tracking military targets.They use modified scent-tracking filters, Levi replied, not breaking his intense stare t

The rain-soaked turf rushed up to meet them with the force of a physical blow. Basra hit the muddy ground of the rose garden and immediately tucked his shoulder.His bruised ribs flared with white-hot agony as he rolled through the mud. Thorn-heavy rose stems whipped across his face, tearing shallow lines into his skin.He came to a shuddering halt against the thick base of a stone fountain. Mud soaked instantly through his canvas jacket, freezing his skin to the bone.Levi landed barely a yard away with a heavy, muted thud. The soldier dropped into a low crouch, his eyes darting through the swirling evening fog.Get up, Levi hissed, his voice cutting through the patter of rain. We don't have time to bleed.Basra forced his trembling legs to push him upright. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest against the sudden, violent exertion.A sharp, metallic clatter echoed from the upper balcony above them. Shouts rang out through the mist, urgent and sharp as breaking ice.They’ve sp

The brass fire iron caught the edge of the stained glass window with a brutal, echoing crash. Shards of colored glass exploded outward into the damp night air.Moonlight poured through the jagged opening like water rushing through a broken dam. The sweet, cloying smell of the coal gas retreated instantly from the sudden draft.Basra coughed violently, his chest burning as he pulled fresh air into his lungs. He scrambled across the wooden floorboards toward the shattered frame.Levi grabbed Basra by the back of his canvas jacket. The soldier hauled him back from the drop before he could tumble out blindly.Wait for the drop to clear, Levi muttered through a clenched jaw. His voice was a harsh, low scrape of gravel.Basra nodded, gripping the rough wooden sill with both hands. He looked down into the murky blackness below the archive room window.The drop was terrifyingly steep. The manicured rose garden of the High Ward waited two long stories straight down.A second wave of guards sho

The heavy oak door of the archive room clicked shut with a sharp, final mechanical sound. The lock turned from the outside with a heavy, echoing thud.Basra scrambled backward from beneath the desk. His boots slipped slightly against the dusty floorboards in his haste.Levi rose to his feet in a single, fluid motion. The soldier’s eyes scanned the high, shadowy corners of the vast room.A faint hiss began to emanate from the bronze vents near the ceiling. Wisps of heavy, grey-black vapor drifted lazily down into the warm air.The coal gas smelled sickeningly sweet and terribly sharp. It burned the back of Basra's throat instantly as he took a shallow breath.The trap had sprung with terrifying precision. They were locked inside a sealed vault filling rapidly with toxic poison.Levi crossed the room in long, silent strides. His heavy boots barely made a sound against the polished wood.He reached the heavy mahogany desk and kicked it aside. The desk slid violently across the floor, cra

The amber glyphs flared brighter behind Basra’s eyelids. They pulsed with a rhythmic, hostile urgency that made his stomach twist.A sharp line of text materialized across his vision. It burned with a pale, toxic luminescence against the dark.[Warning: Data packet interception detected.]The synthetic voice echoed inside his skull. It was cold, mechanical, and entirely divorced from human emotion.Basra gasped quietly, his fingers digging into the dusty floorboards. The sudden rush of data felt like liquid fire pouring through his veins.Levi noticed the sudden tension in Basra's frame. The soldier's hand clamped down hard on Basra's shoulder to steady him.Levi’s face remained shadowed beneath the heavy wooden desk. His eyes searched the dark space for the source of the sudden disruption.The scratching quill across the room abruptly stopped. The silence that followed was absolute, heavy, and suffocating.The auditor’s chair scraped loudly against the floorboards. Heavy footsteps be