Shardless

by Stephanie Fisher

  Skye remained quiet for a long moment as he considered the two pistols laid side-by-side on the benchtop. “You know what would make this even better?” He paused, waiting for her to look at him. “The cartridge needs an air crystal. There’s more than enough room for one, and that would decrease the load on the fire crystal. You’re going to have a problem with heat buildup inside the frame. The way this is constructed right now—I bet you’re going to get some kickback.”

  Taly stood up from the bench and stretched. “Yeah, I thought of that. But most shadow mages for hire can’t make fire and air crystals work together in perfect harmony. Not like some people.” She half-heartedly punched his shoulder, glancing at the sheathed sword that sat on the table behind them. “Plus, that would’ve been way more expensive. I spent three months eating sludge just to save enough money to get the metal for the cartridges. Don’t ask me how much it cost to have them made.”

  “Yeah. There’s so little surface area on the cartridge—if you had used anything cheaper than viridian, you wouldn’t get nearly enough aether to the focusing crystal. Why didn’t you ask me? I could’ve made these for you, or at least given you the metals.”

  Taly shrugged, looking away. “We didn’t exactly part on good terms the last time we spoke. Plus, you probably would’ve lectured me.”

  “Yes. Yes, I would have,” Skye snapped. “Granted, this is kind of amazing, but hyaline mining is regulated by both the Genesis Council and the Dawn Court. There are some heavy penalties for illegal mining. How did you even get enough dead crystal to make these?”

  Taly bounced in place. “I… found it,” she said with a secretive smile.

  Skye looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead, he held up his hands in surrender and turned back to the bench. “So why didn’t you want to show me the guns last night?”

  “Because you already looked like you wanted to lecture me about—well, knowing you—everything. I could see it in your eyes,” Taly replied, waggling her finger. “Plus, they’re my new toys, and I wanted to spend some alone time with them before I let you manhandle them.”

  “You are so weird,” Skye chuckled, his irritation seeming to evaporate. “I hope you know that.” Holding one hand over the parchment and dagger that had been pushed to the side of the table, he said, “Well, my work here is done. Zephyr should be good as new in about an hour. Are you sure you don’t want a better dagger? Maybe even a short sword?” He jerked his head towards the door to the armory at the far side of the room. “Ivain and I have stuff in there that we literally haven’t touched in years. You can take your pick.”

  Taly smiled and shook her head. “Nope. I like Zephyr.”

  “Okay.” Skye stood and started heading towards the door of the workshop. “What do you want to do while we wait?”

  Taly followed him out into the training yard. The sun had chased away some of the chill, and the smell of early morning dew saturated the air.

  Taly leaned against the wall of the workshop. “Do you have everything you need for the trip to the Aion Gate?”

  “You act like this is my first time outside of the city, Tink.” Skye’s voice carried just a hint of derision, but mirth colored his expression.

  “Okay, okay,” Taly acquiesced easily. Pushing herself away from the door, she rounded on him, pretending to inspect him carefully. “We could spar. We used to do that all the time when we got bored.”

  “Or Sarina just wanted us out the house,” Skye added with a laugh. His good humor was short-lived, though, and a look of pain flitted across his expression. “I don’t feel like sparring.”

  Taly snorted indelicately. “Since when? You’ve never turned down an opportunity to kick my ass.”

  “Just… I said no.” Grabbing a dagger from the rack on the wall, he stepped over to one of the training dummies.

  “Oh, come on.”

  “No, Taly. The last time we sparred, I hurt you, and then you left.” His eyes were hard as he swung the dagger in a practiced motion.

  Way to ruin the mood, Caro. She knew Skye still blamed himself for what happened during their sparring match that day, but it wasn’t his fault. After all, it wasn’t the first time he had discharged a dagger while she was holding it. There was no reason it should’ve hurt her the way it did, and no way they could’ve known that it would. Really, it was what happened after that was the real problem. Just after she’d dropped to her knees screaming in pain, her vision had clouded with gold, and she had started seeing things that hadn’t happened yet.

  I need to fix this, she thought. It was one thing to push him away. It was another, entirely, to let him think it was his fault.

  Well, Skye had exploited her weaknesses to get what he wanted. Turnabout was fair play.

  Dirt crunched underneath her boots as she entered the training yard, circling him thoughtfully. When he lowered his dagger, she sauntered towards him, trying to muster some bravado. “I get it. You’re scared.” She punctuated the statement with an arrogant smile.

  Skye frowned. “Scared of hurting you, yes.” He grabbed her hand and held it up between them. “Here’s the evidence, right here.” His thumb grazed the small scar centered at the base of her palm. “You’re too fragile, Tink.” When Taly arched a brow in response, he said, “Don’t give me that look. You know exactly what I mean. You’re human, I’m fey. I could kill you without even trying.”

  He had a point there. Still...

  “This?” Taly squeaked, jerking her hand away. “This was just a fluke. You know that. I know that. But if it makes you feel any better, you could not use your magic. I hardly think it’ll be a fair fight, though.” She pursed her lips and shrugged in mock sympathy. “You always were a little slow when you weren’t using aether.”

  She knew the exact moment she had him. That narrowing of his eyes. That smirk. She had to consciously fight the urge to crow victoriously.

  He raked an appraising eye down the length of her body. “Okay, Caro. But first—terms.”

  “Oh, so you’re a betting man now?” she taunted, taking a few steps back as he started to round on her. “Name them.”

  “If I win…” He paused, making sure she wasn’t going to say anything cheeky. She gave him an innocent smile, so he continued, “If I win, you have to come to the manor once a week for dinner.”

  “No deal.”

  “Fine, once every two weeks.”

  “Skye,” she warned. “No.”

  “I’m not backing down on this. You’ve lost too much weight since you moved out.” Taly grimaced, but either Skye didn’t see it, or he chose to ignore it. “And you have to start using me for all of your weapon crafting and crystal maintenance. Exclusively—none of that overpriced back-alley shit anymore. Whoever inscribed your fire crystals ripped you off. You need to start using better vendors, which I happen to have access to.”

  Taly opened her mouth to speak, but Skye interrupted her. “And, you have to let me give you a better dagger.”

  Taly stared him down, quietly considering his terms. She knew that she shouldn’t take this bet. Skye was fey and a highborn. Even without magic, a highborn’s reflexes, strength, and speed were far superior to their lowborn brethren and orders of magnitude above what a mortal could manage. Taly had been sparring with Skye for almost ten years, but as a human, no amount of training would ever allow her to match his natural gifts. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t beat him. Not without help.

  Of course, she wasn’t completely without help, now was she? Taly smiled when she saw a gold aura materialize around Skye. His ghostly shadow peeled away from his body, walking one step ahead of him as he circled her. If she knew what he was going to do, where he was going to be, before he did, that skewed the odds in her favor. And while it was probably a little stupid to encourage this ability to manifest, she would really enjoy being able to beat Skye without having to wonder if he’d let her win. Just once—just to know what that felt like.

  She opened h
er mouth to speak, but not before pausing momentarily to make sure Skye was finished with his extensive list of demands. When he nodded his assent, Taly said, “Wow! You want a lot. You’re going to have to let me think about this a minute. Let’s see. What do I want? What would even be comparable?” She stopped, pretending to consider his potential punishment carefully.

  Oh, she thought excitedly. That would be fun. She had the perfect punishment for Skye. It was a little mean, but he’d probably done something to deserve it.

  While Ivain entertained the Bryer siblings every summer because they were family, Aimee had never hesitated to make her true intentions known. She planned to marry Skye in the hopes of becoming the future Duchess of Ghislain. However, throughout the years, her clumsy and aggressive attempts to woo the future duke had not gone quite according to plan. In fact, she had only been successful, so far, in making Skye dread her presence at the manor only slightly less than Taly did. In this particular case, Taly could use that to her advantage.

  With a snap of her fingers, Taly announced, “If I win, then you, Skylen Emrys, have to tell Aimee that you’re in love with her.”

  Skye stared at her with wide eyes for a long moment, his mouth slack. Just when she was starting to think that she had broken him, he doubled over, his body shaking with uncontrollable laughter. As much as she tried to remain serious, Taly felt herself start to smile. “That’s so mean,” he gasped, glancing up at her. “You know if I do that, she’ll never leave. She will be here forever. Forever. A resident, overzealous, annoying pest.”

  “Oh, I’m aware,” Taly said with a poorly suppressed chuckle. “But if I win, I won’t be here to witness that. I’ll just get to sleep soundly at night knowing that I was responsible for your future marital bliss.”

  “It’ll be a cold day in hell,” Skye replied with a grimace. He hesitated for a moment, running a hand along his chin as he considered her proposal. A slow smile emerged. “Okay, Caro. You’re on,” he said, already confident in his victory. “I take it the usual rules apply?”

  “No weapons and no magic. Three hits or a pin to win,” Taly agreed with a nod. She shrugged out of her coat and threw it off to the side. Then, pulling her old pistol from her boot, she tossed it onto the pile.

  Skye followed suit, depositing his dagger and greatcoat with her gear, before stepping back and eyeing her up and down. Taly did the same. Even if she could predict his attacks, she shouldn’t underestimate him. He was bigger, faster, and better in close combat. A single mistake would cost her.

  She watched him carefully, waiting for him to make the first move. He sidestepped around her, looking for an opening. Then she saw it. A faint golden specter—almost an afterimage—lunging forward. Even before Skye began to move, she shifted her weight, narrowly avoiding his attempt to grab her. He looked slightly taken aback, but he quickly recovered, twisting his body as he reached for her again.

  He’s trying to grapple me. That was his best strategy, with his superior weight and strength.

  Taly dodged his second lunge easily. She could sense his confusion—his ghostly aura was chaotically dancing this way and that in her peripheral vision as he planned his next move. He wasn’t certain what to do. Taly had always been quick on her feet, but he’d always been quicker.

  Sensing his hesitation, she sprinted forward, punching him in the gut. He managed to slip to the side, partially deflecting the blow, but that didn’t matter. Even a partial blow counted. Those were the rules.

  “That’s one!” Taly cheered, dancing backward out of his reach.

  “Not bad, Caro,” he replied grudgingly.

  Skye took a step back, and the golden mist crowded around him. She could see the moment he made his decision. The mist shifted, taking on a more corporeal form, and it shot out to her right. So she dodged left, laughing lightly. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Emrys.” Taly couldn’t help giving him a cocky grin as he grasped at empty air.

  “Okay.” He stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow. “You’re definitely better than you used to be. I guess I can get serious now.”

  “You weren’t serious before?” Taly taunted. She couldn’t help but goad him a little. It was just too much fun. “Remember, if you lose, Aimee’s going to be moving in. And this time, I’ll gladly give her my room. I know you’re going to want her close by.”

  Instead of replying, Skye abruptly charged. But Taly was watching his gilded doppelganger, and she anticipated his advance. She waited, letting him get close, before relaxing her body at the last moment, successfully ducking out of his grasp just as he reached for her. His fingers grazed her sleeve, but not enough to grab her. She rolled away, putting some distance between them.

  Skye was starting to look frustrated now. He wasn’t used to being beaten. Not by a mortal, at least. He considered her stance, watched her movements—and Taly waited, her eyes trained on the glimmering aura only she could see. While her newfound ability had saved her life more than once on a salvaging run gone wrong, this was the first time she had ever used it in hand-to-hand combat. It was exhilarating.

  “Giving up, Emrys?” she challenged.

  “Not by a long shot, Caro. I’m going to be seeing you for dinner in two weeks’ time.”

  Taly saw the psychic aura shudder restlessly, flickering in and out, starting to take form and then shifting back into a chaotic assembly of particles. He was thinking about flanking to the left, but he wasn’t sure yet.

  Let’s help him make up his mind, she thought devilishly. She lowered her arms and stood a little straighter, just enough to relax her defensive posture and create a small opening. Just as she predicted, he took the bait. The aura condensed into a solid form and leaned to the left.

  Taly braced herself when she saw him charge, waiting until he came a little closer to dodge. She made a slight miscalculation, however. Skye was fast, even for a highborn. She stepped to the side, but his hand shot out and found purchase in her collar. He dragged her in close, but she wasn’t going to be caught that easily. She twisted her body, grasping at the thin fabric of his shirt as she pulled herself forward and slammed her forehead into his nose. He released her as he rocked back and fell to one knee.

  Taly giggled as she easily regained her footing and circled him. “That’s two!” she sang.

  Wiping away a trickle of blood from his nose, he snapped, “That was a cheap shot, Caro.”

  She ignored him. “So, tell me. How exactly do you intend to express your love to the young Miss Bryer? Flowers? Chocolate? Oh, I know,” Taly said, hopping from foot-to-foot. “You’ll probably take her to Halcyon Hill. That’s where you used to take all your dates in Ghislain, right? Oh, Shards—that is so sweet, Skye. I always knew you were a romantic.”

  Skye looked up at her, his gaze cold and angry. The golden haze roiled and seethed around him. Taly tensed as she waited for him to determine his next move. She knew him. He was most likely going to charge her again.

  A slow smirk began to surface, spreading his lips, and then he sprang forward. But this time, his specter kept pace with his movements.

  What’s he doing?!

  The aura split as he approached, darting to both the left and right simultaneously. It converged right where she stood. Taken aback by the sudden change, she hopped back a few steps, hoping to dodge his attack, but it wasn’t enough. He feinted right, and then flanked her from the left, grabbing her arm as he shoved her to the ground.

  Taly fell, hitting the dirt hard. She had seen him pull back at the last moment, but she was still a little disoriented. Skye was much stronger than her, even when he pulled his punches.

  He was crouched over her now, and he seemed far too pleased. As she started to regain her bearings, she tried to move, first her arms and then her legs. No luck.

  Damn. He had her pinned.

  Refusing to go down without a fight, she tried again, putting a little more effort into her struggle, only to be rewarded with a smug laugh from her captor.

>   “You’re going to have to do better than that, Tink.” He smiled as he extended one of her arms, reminding her that she was well and truly stuck. “Do you surrender?”

  “I know the rules as well as you do,” Taly dodged, her brows knitting together in a frown.

  Skye laughed and pulled at her other arm. “I know. But I want to hear you say it. C’mon, Tink. Let me hear those three little words I love so much. ‘Em, you won.’ C’mon. You can do it.”

  He was uncomfortably close as he searched her face, waiting for her to capitulate. She could feel the heat from his body even though they were barely touching, and the way his muscles flexed when she struggled against him made her stomach clench in a very confusing way. When she still didn’t submit, he shifted, letting more of his weight press against her as he pushed her into the ground. All she had to do was surrender, and he would help her up. Everything would go back to normal, and they’d have a good laugh.

  She hated losing, though. Especially to him.

  “Skylen!”

  Taly saw his face fall just before he hung his head. Still unable to move, she whispered, “And there’s your biggest fan.”

  He snorted humorlessly, his hair tickling her nose as he lifted his head to look at her. “Well, at least I managed to save myself from the horror you would have inflicted upon us all.”

  Standing, he reached down and pulled her up with an ease that left her slightly off-balance. His hand hesitated at her waist as he waited for her to find her footing before he reluctantly turned to greet the girl that had just emerged from the house. “Good morning, Aimee.”

  “And to you, Lord Emrys.” Aimee lowered herself into a deep curtsy, artfully arranging the voluminous, velvet folds of her skirts around her in a crimson halo.

  Taly didn’t miss the subtle roll of his eyes. Gesturing for the young woman to rise, Skye asked, “What can I do for you?”