Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  “So, what exactly do you have there?” I asked her while she was still looking them over herself.

  “The wounds they cause become corrupted,” Saibra replied without taking her eyes off the pitch-black metal of her new swords. “The corruption spreads and cannot be healed by normal means. Only the most powerful healing crystals and magics can cure it, and the blades will grow even stronger after every kill I make with them.”

  “That’s pretty nasty,” I took an involuntary step away from the deadly weapons as I responded.

  “They suit me,” Saibra smirked as she sheathed the blades and placed them on the table beside us almost reverently.

  After such a momentous event, I thought it would be best to wait for a while before delving into Saibra, but it became clear that she felt otherwise. Once her blades were stowed, Saibra quickly shed her armor and kicked off her boots before removing her shirt and laying down on the bed across the room from me.

  I guess she was ready.

  I couldn’t help but smile as I rose and crossed the room to sit beside her, but when I placed my hand on Saibra’s chest, the rapid staccato of her beating heart belied the placid calm on her face. I couldn’t even consider beginning with her in that state, nor was I able to use my threads to send her a sense of calm, so I was left with only my words to ease Saibra’s discomfort.

  “I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” I pulled my hand from her chest and gently brushed Saibra’s hair from her face. “But I can’t even begin until you’re more relaxed.”

  Saibra nodded back at me, and her eyes closed as she took a series of slow, deep breaths. When she opened them again, she had a look of steely determination, and once I placed my hand over her heart, I felt only its slow and steady beating in her chest. Without waiting for anything to go wrong, I closed my own eyes and concentrated on the slow rhythm beneath my fingertips. After only a few moments, I could feel the echo of Saibra’s heartbeat in my own chest and slid myself inside her.

  As had happened on every prior occasion, I found myself immersed within the universe that was Saibra. Everything that represented her floated around me, suspended in the ether of whatever it was that held it all together. While it was an incredible sight to behold, I had a greater purpose than to simply gawk at my surroundings, as beautiful as they might be. As vast as it all was, Saibra’s core drew me towards itself right way, and I reached it quickly once I felt its pull.

  To say that seeing Saibra’s core for the first time was a shock would have been an incredible understatement. I’d seen the deep rift in Ella’s core and knew that Saibra’s would be even worse, but the completely shattered sphere that I discovered was well beyond anything I’d expected.

  While it looked to have once been a solid matte-black, the dozens of shards of Saibra’s core were mottled with a deep green. Thick green lacing stitched the many fragments together, barely holding the sphere in a somewhat circular form. As I moved even closer, I could see that the small green patches that dotted its surface emanated from the spots where the stitching perforated each of the black shards it held together. As I took it all in, it became all too apparent just what had happened.

  The black core was Insleí’s, and I was the one who had shattered it into so many pieces. Saibra emerged as those many fragments slowly reformed themselves into something new. The fact that it was stitches of thick green thread that held it all together was not lost on me—there was no mere coincidence in that color.

  There was simply no way that I could heal the vast amount of damage quickly. So, instead of even trying, I focused my energy on filling the gaps and fissures between the dozens of fragments. But there were far too many for me to even hope to deal with all of them, so I did what I could before I drained myself too much.

  I stopped before retreating out of her, and simply observed Saibra’s core for a while as it took to my healing. The few fragments I’d managed to join seemed to hold together, and nothing else had changed, making me feel certain that there’d been no unexpected complications like there had been with Ella before.

  But before I could pull back, I felt something reach out to me from deep within Saibra’s fractured core. I’d experienced a similar sensation once before, although I hadn’t recognized it at the time. It was Saibra, attempting to bond with me just as Tási had done, only it was different this time.

  Saibra had no elemental spirit within her, and it was a different sort of bond that she sought. She was trying to link with me as my Tári before fully becoming one herself. My first instinct was to pull away, to reject the premature forging of the bond between us. But I’d had a hand in Saibra’s creation, and something deep inside told me that I needed to reach back and accept her, that she needed me to accept her, so I did.

  The instant I connected with Saibra’s outstretched presence, I felt the sharp ‘click’ of our link being formed. Deep within Saibra, something shifted as we came together, and her very essence molded itself to mine in the split second it took for the bond between us to solidify into permanence. Something remarkable had happened in that short span of time, and as I began my slow retreat, I contemplated the meaning of it.

  Saibra had fundamentally altered herself to suit my needs. While I had no idea what her V’Ríel had been, if I had to guess, I would have said it was darkness, just like Líann. But when Saibra linked with me and made herself Tári, her V’Ríel shifted to what was quite possibly the most difficult of all for her—passion. It was not in her nature, but it was what I needed now that Tási was gone. Saibra had molded herself to fill the void in me, despite how contrary it was to her own being.

  Considering just how extraordinarily Saibra had altered herself, I wasn’t surprised to see her staring blankly at the ceiling as I came back to myself. Líann had been in a similar state when she’d become Táriel, so I didn’t panic at Saibra’s condition. Instead, I simply got myself ready for bed before lying down next to her to wait for Saibra to emerge from the fog she was in.

  As I lie there, I found myself absently tracing the thin tracks of the scars across her chest. None were quite so remarkable as the ones that covered her back, and they even seemed to form a sort of pattern that I found intriguing. Then, as I followed the path of one up to the hollow of Saibra’s collarbone, I felt her begin to move, and her eyes slowly came into focus. It took a moment for the world around her to resolve, but in that time, I caught my first brief glimpse of the Saibra that was to come.

  Instead of the coiled snake ready to strike, before me was only a woman; open, honest, and unguarded. There was a softness about her that was unfamiliar, so much so that I almost didn’t recognize the warm blue eyes that were staring back at me. But it was all gone in an instant. As Saibra regained herself, her brief disorientation passed, and she took a moment to gather herself before speaking to me.

  “What… happened?” Saibra asked shakily.

  “I did what I could, but it’s far worse than I expected,” I replied honestly. Some of the others I’d delved into had been able to observe what I’d done inside them, so I didn’t even consider trying to deceive her. Nor would I have, even if I’d known she hadn’t been able to follow me down to her core.

  “I’m sure we can fix it,” I assured Saibra. “It will just take a little bit longer than I thought.”

  Thankfully, that seemed to satisfy her, and I could feel Saibra relax as she lay her head on my shoulder. It was an unexpected gesture, but welcome nonetheless, and I wrapped her up in my arms reassuringly in return.

  We lay still for a while, drifting off together as the strain of the long day finally took its toll on us. Then, just as I was fading out, I felt Saibra’s lips brush against my neck, and I thought I heard her whisper something to me, but I couldn’t make out her words as I slipped into a deep sleep.

  6

  The next morning when I woke Saibra was already out of bed and fully dressed in her armor with her new swords slung over her shoulders; menacing and dangerous to behold, even when t
hey were sheathed behind her back.

  “I let you sleep, Empress,” Saibra greeted me bluntly. “But you’ll need to get ready now unless you want to be late for your meeting.”

  Saibra was obviously in full guardian mode. Whatever progress we’d made the night before seemed to be put on hold while she was on duty. I could understand that to a point, but we were alone in here, and there was no need for her show of detachment. Had our relationship been a bit farther along or if Saibra was more comfortable with me, I might have taken the opportunity to let her know just how much I disapproved of such formalities when we were in private, but she was far from ready for the sort of things that came into my mind just then. Instead, after a quick glare of disapproval that didn’t seem to affect her in the least, I did as she advised and got myself ready for my breakfast with Líann.

  The trek downstairs should have been both short and pleasant since I was looking forward to spending the morning with Líann, but the clattering of a dozen sets of full metal armor and the echoing footfalls of the expanded guard detail that accompanied me reminded me of the perils we faced. Since Zedd’s attack they’d followed me around incessantly, leaving me only rare moments of peace. While I knew that their protection was necessary—especially for my Tári—and I truly appreciated my guardians’ efforts, I resented the very need for it. Any Deathless that served the Dark Lands would suffer greatly for their crimes; the inconvenience they’d imposed on me was only the very least of the reasons for the price I would make them pay.

  My plot for vengeance was interrupted as we came to the entrance of Líann’s suite. All my dark thoughts were swept away as I strode inside, and I looked forward to spending at least a little time away from my troubles. Líann had a rather unique way of diverting my attention, and I was certainly in need of her distractions that morning. Unfortunately, yet again, it was not to be. I entered Líann’s bedroom expecting to see only her, and found Nentai sitting beside Líann as well.

  While Mother seemed quite at ease as she sat stirring her cup of tea, Líann was most definitely not. Her forest green robe was pulled tightly closed, a state I had no doubt it was not in when Mother had first appeared, and she looked to me almost helplessly, clearly not knowing what to do in the presence of the Goddess.

  “You’re in my chair, Mother,” I didn’t bother to hide my frustration as a huge sigh escaped me.

  “So good to see you too, Daughter,” she smiled back at me in return before innocently sipping on her tea.

  Nentai glanced at the chair beside her, and I reluctantly took the offered seat as she filled my cup.

  “I don’t know why you’re so surprised to see me, dear,” Nentai replied innocently. “I told you last night that I wasn’t quite finished.”

  The implication of her statement suddenly hit me—Mother wasn’t there just to visit. There was a reason for her presence there, a very special reason; one that I was definitely happy about. Realizing the true purpose of her intrusion, I quickly turned to her in excitement.

  “Don’t hold out on me, Mother,” I pleaded. “Show me what you have for her.”

  Nentai smiled and held out her hand to me, opening it to reveal a ring of Khelduin with a single diamond set in its center.

  “I took the liberty of pilfering the metal from your mines, Daughter,” she taunted me just a little. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  Hell no, I didn’t mind—but I also wanted to know just what I was looking at. And as I gingerly took the ring from the palm of Nentai’s hand, I learned just that.

  Band of Reflection – This ring uses its wearer’s Aura to create a protective barrier. Missiles targeting the wearer will be reflected back at whoever fired them. The barrier may be maintained indefinitely, but each time the power of the Band is invoked, the wearer’s Aura is partially depleted. When the wearer’s Aura is completely depleted, the barrier will collapse. This item will become Soul Bound to its rightful owner.

  It sounded as if the ring functioned like one of my traps. If I understood correctly, the ring would create a barrier around Líann, protecting her from arrows and other projectiles, but only as long as she had enough Aura to keep the barrier in place. Considering how low her Aura pool probably was, that might not protect her from too many attacks, but even one was far more than she was shielded from at the moment.

  “I told you I couldn’t give you anything else myself,” Nentai explained while I was still contemplating the ring. “But nothing prevents me from delivering gifts from others. This comes from a crafter who owed me a favor—he was most happy to offer his skills in return for his debt.”

  “Thank you, Mother,” I replied, knowing full well that the ‘offer’ she’d spoken of had likely been somewhat coerced.

  “Are you going to put it on her, or did you intend to keep it for yourself?” Nentai asked when I didn’t immediately hand over the ring to Líann.

  Her words caught me off guard, and I hurriedly took Líann’s hand and slid the ring on her finger. For some odd reason, Nentai smiled broadly as I did so, and then held out her other hand, this time towards Líann.

  I couldn’t see what was in her palm as she uncurled her fingers, but Líann’s eyes lit up as she stared into the Goddess’ outstretched palm.

  “Take it, Líann,” Nentai coaxed. “You know what to do with it.”

  Líann slowly nodded as she reached out to take the object from Nentai’s hand. She then turned towards me, and before I knew what was happening, Líann had placed a second ring on my finger.

  I stared in surprise at the Khelduin band, identical in every way to the one I’d slipped onto Líann’s finger just a moment before. The significance of what Mother had orchestrated wasn’t lost on me, and it took a moment for me to recover from the shock it.

  “Mother, I want to, but we can’t just yet,” I protested weakly.

  “I understand your concerns,” Nentai replied. “But I also wanted the two of you to have these, and to welcome Líann as my daughter’s intended.”

  “It was no accident that you became her Táriel,” Nentai spoke to Líann warmly. “You were made for her, Líann—not merely to serve her, but to serve beside her. Let this gift always remind you of that fact.”

  “Thank you, Goddess,” Líann replied, almost at a loss for words.

  “I have one last gift for you, Daughter, but it is not yet ready,” Nentai sighed as she stood. “But I hope to have it finished soon; in any case, long before your campaign against the Dark Lands begins.”

  It was only then that I noticed just how tired Mother appeared to be. Between my initial surprise at seeing her there and the rapid unfolding of events, I hadn’t noticed before. But as she rose from her chair, Nentai looked almost exhausted, a state that was difficult for me to comprehend, especially considering her divine nature.

  “Are you alright, Mother?” I inquired with concern. I’d been asking a lot of her, and I feared that my constant demands may have taxed even the Goddess’ reserves.

  “I’m fine, Daughter,” she smiled back reassuringly.

  I wasn’t buying it, so I took Nentai by the hand and pulled her a short distance away, where we could talk more discreetly.

  “Mother, I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but if I’m causing you harm—”

  “You’ve brought me nothing but joy, Daughter,” Nentai stopped me mid-sentence. “I will confess that creating this last gift for you has made me a bit weary, but it’s almost finished now.”

  “I thought you couldn’t make me anything else yourself?” I replied in confusion. Nentai had only just reminded me of that very fact a few moments before.

  “This… is different,” she smiled wryly.

  I was about to press her for more details, but she vanished before I could even open my mouth to ask.

  Typical.

  With Mother having escaped me, I returned to sit beside Líann and found her still admiring the ring on her finger. It may not have been a God-forged artifact, but it certainly did
offer Líann a great deal more protection than she’d had before. As I sat down, I realized that I hadn’t yet examined my own ring, so I took a moment to find out just what Mother had given me.

  Scryer’s Circle – This ring can block any attempt to remotely view its wearer. With an expenditure of 100 Aura, the wearer can defend against remote observations by most means. Only the most powerful of magics will be able to overcome the Circle, and the wearer will be aware when its protection has been breached. This item will become Soul Bound to its rightful owner.

  It was exactly what I needed, and I was tempted to activate the ring right then, but I didn’t want to give away the fact that I could block my enemy’s spying just yet. In fact, my plan relied on that continued observation for its success. There would come a time for me to blind the master of the Dark Lands, but that time had not yet arrived.

  “It was nice of her to get us our wedding bands,” Líann’s quiet whisper pulled me back from my thoughts.

  Shit—how was I going to deal with that? I’d told Líann I’d marry her someday, but someday was definitely not that day. Aside from the practical considerations, we both had far too much on our plates, and between assassins and the war that was brewing with the Dark Lands, my mind was not prepared for anything else.

  “I know the time is not right, Empress,” Líann saved me from having to answer, invoking my title as a subtle reminder that she was well aware of the demands of my position.

  “But I do have this,” she smiled as she wriggled her fingers, flashing the Khelduin band before my eyes. “To remind me of your promise.”

  “As if you’d forget,” I smirked back at her.