Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  “I finally understand how you unsettled her so,” she recalled how I’d made Líann so uncomfortable once before.

  “That was actually before we really became involved,” I smiled as I remembered how flustered Líann had been when she’d seen me wearing the dress she’d left in my closet.

  Nadiel’s knowing grin told me that she didn’t quite believe me, but she let the matter go as she spoke to me once more.

  “I did not come here empty-handed,” Nadiel’s voice dropped to a bare hint of a whisper. “The books you requested are with Talína.”

  “Thank you,” I replied sincerely. Despite our extensive searches, the tomes Talína had told me about were the only ones we’d ever managed to locate regarding the Sintári. With any luck, they would provide me with some additional insight—not only about myself but my Tári as well.

  “You’ve done so much for my people, Empress,” Nadiel replied, invoking my title not in a formal manner, but in a quite friendly way; one that I appreciated very much.

  “The lands of the continent have already grown safer for us,” she explained. “The old attitudes are far from gone, but I can see them beginning to wither away as your influence grows.”

  Nadiel had obviously not intended it, but her comment stirred up memories of poor Seera and Tási as well. Recalling Seera’s tortured end and how Tási had felt the need to hide herself from those who might seek to abuse her stoked the fire of my rage. But the heat of my fury was immediately quenched when Dalona, who was not only Nadiel’s ambassador to my Empire but also Seera’s mother and Tási’s aunt, came to stand next to the halfling Queen.

  Word of the debacle in Laska had preceded our arrival back home, and Dalona was aware that I’d lost Tási when I came to speak to her shortly after we returned. It had been an extremely painful conversation for the both of us, made even more so by the fact that I’d had the power to bring Tási back, but had chosen not to. We’d spoken very little since that difficult discussion, and I wasn’t quite certain how Dalona felt about my union with Líann. With her Queen present, it was not her place to speak, but Dalona’s genuine smile and subtle nod of approval told me everything I needed to know.

  The only other meeting that stood out in my mind was my introduction to the King of Laska, for obvious reasons. Broda had overseen his installation while I was still… incapacitated, so this was the first time I’d met the ruler of the Realm that had taken Tási from me.

  King Odryn had been chosen from among the few lesser nobles left alive after my complete slaughter of the Laskan forces. His tentative approach when it came his turn to speak to me made his nervousness obvious, and I tried my best to put him at ease.

  “There’s no need for your apprehension, Odryn; the conflict between us is over,” I greeted the King. “I hold no ill-will towards you or your people for the actions of your predecessor.”

  While that was at least technically true, I doubted that I would ever visit those lands again—the pain I’d endured there was indelibly inscribed on my soul. Even so, I also had no intention of punishing innocent people for the misdeeds of others.

  “Was it that obvious?” Odryn replied sheepishly.

  “Just a little,” I smiled at his genuine sense of chagrin.

  Our conversation after that was brief—it was all we had time for, considering the many other dignitaries still waiting to offer me their best wishes, but I did learn that Odryn had practically raced to get here once he’d received word of the wedding—many other leaders and representatives had as well. None of them wanted to miss the occasion, especially Odryn, who’d been concerned that his absence might have been construed as some slight or intentional affront. I made sure that he understood that was not the case, and he was clearly relieved when I finally convinced him that neither he nor his Realm were in my disfavor.

  Despite the fact that the festivities went on for several more hours, the rest of the evening flew by, and before I knew it, Líann and I were on our way back towards the Palace. There had been a carriage ready to take us there, but we wanted to savor every last moment of that evening, so we made our way home slowly, walking arm in arm down the winding paths. It might have been quite a romantic stroll, but being surrounded by two score of heavily armed guards robbed it of much of the emotion.

  “This is going to sound strange, especially coming from me,” Líann stopped me in the antechamber outside out rooms. “But can we spend tonight with Bane?”

  I had expected her to want us to spend the night alone; in fact, I’d even planned something very special for her, so Líann’s request certainly was surprising to me. Yet, I also understood her desire to share that special night with him. Our union wasn’t only between the two of us—Bane was a part of it as well.

  I felt his presence nearby as he settled into his own chamber and sent him a quick thought to let him know that we’d be joining him shortly. Although Bane did not reply with words, I sensed the mixture of curiosity and confusion in his mind; obviously, he hadn’t expected us to join him that night either.

  After helping each other out of our gowns, Líann hung them up, wistfully running her hands over the fabric for a few moments while I changed into my sleeping outfit. She’d waited a very long time for this day to come, never knowing who she’d be sharing it with, and the powerful emotions of it obviously still lingered within her. I took hold of her hand, diverting her attention from the dresses, before gently pulling her along towards Bane’s chamber.

  He was waiting for us when we arrived, coiled in a near circle with only a small gap leading to a bundle of blankets in the center. Líann and I made our way to the warm nest he’d made, and Bane tightened his coils around us, wrapping us up snugly in his embrace.

  When Líann rested her head against the warm scales of Bane’s massive body, I put my arm around her, placing the other on Bane’s powerful foreleg. With one hand on each of my beloved lifetime companions, I channeled my undying affection into both of them.

  The thread I sent to Bane coursed through him, laying bare my deep love for him in the clearest way possible. At the same time, the tendril I let flow into Líann opened my heart to her as well, flooding my Táriel with my adoration. I only intended to share my feelings with them individually, but with Líann resting against Bane’s scales, the strands of emotion I sent out combined into one long thread, spanning not just across their bodies, but entwining itself around the three of us.

  The sensation was much like the orb I’d once shared with Venna and Tási, only magnified by the everlasting bond I had with not only my Táriel but also Bane. Our love for each other resonated with the intensity of our profound connection—I thought I’d known how much each of them cared for me, but experiencing their love in the perfect clarity that the circling tendril provided left me nearly stricken with awe.

  “We are one; you and I and our Tári,” Líann spoke first when the power of my thread finally waned. “But the three of us are also one, separate from the bonds we share with them.”

  Despite my far greater powers, Líann was frequently much more insightful than I was. But the subtlety of her statement was not lost on me—our Tári were a part of our lives, a very important part, but we shared an even more profound connection with Bane.

  Bane said nothing, only gazing at me with one giant golden eye—he didn’t need to speak. I’d felt him clearly enough through my tendril. He knew the three of us were bound together, and he had come to love Líann as much as I did. While the bond I shared with Bane was much deeper, his dedication to her was nearly as powerful as it was to me.

  My union with Líann had not been the only link to be consecrated that day—the eternal connection between the three of us had also been cast as strongly as any bond that had ever been forged. With Bane’s heat to warm us and Líann in my arms, I slept peacefully that night, but with the war against the Dark Lands looming ahead of us, I feared there would be very few nights like it in my future.

  Wake, my Sintári, Bane nudged
me gently as his words filled my head the next morning. You have a visitor.

  As I slowly pried my eyes open, the vague shape of someone standing nearby gradually came into focus.

  “Good morning, Mother,” I greeted Nentai when I was finally able to recognize her face.

  “I would have come sooner, but I did not wish to intrude upon your celebration, Daughter,” she replied as I slowly unwound myself from Líann’s arms, leaving her still sleeping beside Bane as I joined the Goddess.

  I didn’t stop as I drew closer, and folded my arms around Nentai, holding her in a soft embrace. She may have been the Goddess of Vengeance, feared by all who might incur her wrath, but with each passing day I found it more difficult to think of her as anything other than my mother. Nentai returned the simple gesture, and we shared a silent moment together—not as Goddess and Sintári, but as mother and daughter.

  “You’ll be leaving soon,” Nentai spoke as we came apart. “Once you begin your war against the forces of the Dark Lands, I may not be able to visit you—the restrictions we’ve placed on ourselves prevent us from venturing into areas of active combat, and you will be engaged almost constantly once your invasion begins.”

  “I… I have given you all I can,” the Goddess hesitated uncharacteristically. “Yet I still fear for your safety. I have begged my father to lift the limits that hold back my aid, but he has refused me.”

  Nentai paused for a moment before wiping away the single tear that had fallen from her eye, the first I had ever seen her shed.

  “I have felt love before, Daughter,” her voice wavered as she spoke again. “But never like this. I cannot lose you—my heart will not survive the pain of it.”

  She clearly intended to say more but was struggling to find the words. Nentai’s expression of her feelings mirrored my own. She was the mother I’d never known, and now that we had each other, I never wanted to be without her.

  “I will not die, Mother,” I promised her.

  “See that you don’t.”

  My sense of resolve seemed to help Nentai regain her composure. Yet as her form shimmered, I caught a glimpse of the pained expression returning to her face in the instant before she vanished.

  Líann had remained sleeping throughout our entire exchange. Only Bane had witnessed it, although he’d sent me no thoughts during that time. Once Nentai was gone, however, Bane finally commented on what had happened.

  The effect you have on others is not limited to just people and dragons, my Sintári, his words came to me with a soft reverence. You even inspire powerful feelings in the Gods themselves.

  ‘No, Bane,’ I replied to him. ‘Among the Gods, only my mother feels so strongly about me.’

  You say that as if it were some small thing, his amused response filled my mind.

  Okay, he kind of had me there.

  I walked back to where Bane lay and gently rested my forehead against his, wrapping my arms around his massive head as I did. We stayed just like that for a moment, each relishing our contact with the other before I let him go. Bane’s deep golden eyes held mine as I stepped away, until I turned towards Líann to wake her from her slumber.

  Her eyes slowly opened, and she smiled at me as I helped her up out of the jumbled pile of covers. After the previous night’s exchange of emotions, neither of us felt any need for words, and we dressed in silence before leaving my—our chambers.

  Karina and a dwarven guard named Breckh were keeping watch in the antechamber when we arrived, and as soon as we entered the chamber, Breckh strode purposely out the door—presumably to get us something to eat now that we were up. The door opened again more quickly than I thought, but it wasn’t Breckh returning with our food; instead, Talína entered, holding a small bundle in her arms.

  “Good morning, Empress, Your Majesty,” Talína greeted first me, then Líann in turn.

  Interesting. Addressing us both as ‘Empress’ could be quite confusing. To avoid that problem, Talína had simply referred to Líann by her former title, invoking the honorific for a Queen. It was quite deft of her, and it seemed that she’d solved a potential issue for us before we’d even realized that it existed. I smiled in appreciation as I gestured for Talína to have a seat, but she demurred.

  “This day is yours,” Talína replied to my unspoken invitation. “All matters of state will be handled for you—there’s nothing for either of you to do, and I don’t want to intrude any more than I have to. I’ve only come to deliver the items Queen Nadiel brought for you from Isouri.”

  With that said, Talína placed the package she’d been holding on the table beside me and then slowly limped away, retreating back to her offices with Karina following close on her heels.

  Breckh entered almost immediately after, carrying a large tray loaded with almost every breakfast item imaginable. Once she’d placed the heavily laden tray on the table between Líann and me, she too departed, leaving us alone to enjoy our meal together.

  I was quite anxious to read the books Talína had brought, but my appetite won out, so I ate first before picking them up. There was no telling what subtle clues I might find in their ancient, time-worn pages, and I didn’t want to miss anything because I was distracted by my hunger. So, even though the package sat waiting beside me, we shared a leisurely meal.

  After washing down a final bite with a cup of the strong tea that had been brought with our breakfast, I finally tugged on the knot that held the wrapping around the package together, revealing the two small tomes that were inside. One appeared to have been bound in rich, red leather, but the ravages of time rendered it a pale, dusky shade of what it had once been. The other was similarly worn; half of its cracked brown cover peeled away.

  I’d told Líann about the books, so she knew what the package was when Talína had brought it to me. Once I unfurled the covering, I took the faded red text and handed the brown one to Líann. While I hoped to uncover some of the secrets of my Sintári ancestors, the tomes also spoke of the Tári and might reveal something about them as well. Not only that, but I had to admit that Líann was often more observant than I was; picking up on certain subtleties that evaded me. Her vastly greater knowledge of this world also gave Líann a certain advantage as well, and I figured it would be best for each of us to go through the books. Hopefully, together, we could pull every last hint from their tattered pages.

  The books told of the many accomplishments of my ancestors. In one, a single Sintári showing up on the battlefield caused the other army to surrender without a fight. Others told of the Sintári defeating dreaded monsters, sometimes alone, and other times coming together to fight a particularly powerful foe. The tales did not all involve combat, however, as there were also stories of how the Sintári prevented conflict, using both their influence and negotiating skills. My people had done truly incredible things in their time, but not all of them were good.

  The book also included tales of the dark Sintári—renegades who used their powers for evil and selfish purposes. Although they’d been hunted relentlessly by the rest of the Sintári, my dark ancestors still managed to cause a great deal of harm. Entire nations had fallen due to their evil, ending the lives of thousands in the process. Some of the acts they committed seemed almost impossible, but after witnessing the unrestrained power of my own shadows in the battle at Kiva, I didn’t doubt any of it.

  The tales in the two small tomes were amazing, but sadly, not very enlightening. While I could see the appeal the stories held for Talína, there was little real information in them. The Tári were mentioned, as she had told me, and with enough detail to understand how important they were to the Sintári, but there was little else.

  After we finished reading them, I tucked the books into one of The Forest Cloak’s pockets, intending to deposit them in my private vault the next time I was there. Líann had asked me to let her put something in there as well, though she refused to tell me what it was. Considering that we had nothing else to do that day, I decided it was as good a time as a
ny to head down there.

  “I’m going to put these in the vault for safekeeping,” I told her. “Why don’t you grab whatever it is that you want to put in there, and we’ll head downstairs.”

  “I have them with me.” Líann smiled back at me as she stood up from her chair. “We can go right now.”

  With the constant threat of Deathless assassins, we’d taken to wearing almost full combat attire at all times, and I was a bit surprised that Líann had whatever these valuable items were with her. Her skin-tight green leather armor offered few hiding places, so I assumed that it was tucked into one of the belt pouches she wore. But when I glanced at her questioningly, she only raised her eyebrows, as if to say, ‘you’ll have to wait and see.’

  I let out a soft sigh of frustration in response—the mystery would have to wait just a while longer. Considering the relatively short trip down to the vaults, it really wouldn’t be too long anyway. Stepping outside our rooms, Saibra took her place at my side as Karina and my full detail of guards fell in beside us. Together, we marched down to the chambers below the Palace, where the heavily guarded vaults lay waiting for us.

  My guards halted a respectful distance away from the entrance to my personal vault as Líann and I approached. When I placed the Amulet in the slight depression on the vault’s massive door, it opened for me, and we ventured inside the large chamber.

  I’d placed very little in the vault, and its shelves were practically empty. While I put the two tomes down on one of the bare stone slabs, I watched Líann as she reached into her belt pouch to retrieve her secret treasure.

  I was stunned when Líann placed a platinum bar on the wide shelf, and even more so when she reached in her pouch and retrieved another—and didn’t stop until eight bars of solid platinum were sitting on the shelf in front of her. She glanced over at me and winked mischievously as she reached back into her pouch once more to pull out a handful of gold Talons. When Líann was finally finished, a huge pile of gold coins—a stunning fortune in itself—sat beside the platinum bars.