Shardless

by Stephanie Fisher

  Taly sighed and pursed her lips, but she didn’t say anything else.

  “I hope you’re not going to leave without me!” a deep baritone voice called from behind them.

  Taly and Skye turned to find Aiden Bryer, Aimee’s older brother, approaching. Though not wearing armor, his clothes were sturdy and well-suited for riding, and he wore a leather baldric with a polished ebony short sword sheathed at his waist. His hair had been shorn off since the last time Skye saw him, and his eyes were the same exotic shade of blue as his sister—a trait they had inherited from their human mother.

  Catching up with them, Aiden wrapped his arms around Taly’s waist and swung her off the ground. Laughing, he exclaimed, “I didn’t know if I was going to get to see you this year! Aimee told me you’d moved out.”

  Taly let out a girlish squeal, and she was grinning when he set her back on the ground. Standing on her toes, she reached for his head and ran a hand over the closely cropped, red down. “When did this happen? You’re so fuzzy now!”

  Skye felt a strange pang lance his chest when he saw the friendly, unguarded smile Taly gave Aiden. Stepping closer to her and standing up straighter, Skye said, “Aiden just finished his initiation into the Crystal Guard. He’s been assigned to the regiment in Faro where he’ll be protecting the High Lord of Water.”

  “That’s fantastic! Just like your dad, huh?” Taly was still smiling, completely at ease.

  Aiden grinned back. “Yup. And unfortunately, this haircut is mandatory for anyone with a burning desire to protect the Genesis Shards and their chosen—at least for the first five or so centuries while the Knights are still training the stupid out of their new recruits.”

  Under normal circumstances, Skye would have no problem with Aiden and Taly’s friendship. But as he continued to watch the two of them chattering away just like old friends should, he frowned. Where he’d had to coax and cajole and coerce just to get a few words and a reluctant smile out of her, for Aiden… for Aiden, there was no awkwardness, no animosity—just friendly teasing and easy laughter.

  Taly looked like she was going to say something else, but Skye cut her off. “What are you doing here, Aiden? I thought you’d be at the clinic today.”

  Aiden’s sapphire eyes widened in surprise. Skye’s voice had come out a little gruffer than he intended. Recovering quickly, Aiden replied, “Not today, no. Apparently, there hasn’t been an earth mage coming through town in a while, and the clinic had more patients request healing services than they expected. The menders decided to use today to try to get a little more organized before bringing me in.”

  “Lucky for us,” Taly quipped. “Your sister is being a pain in the ass.”

  Aiden grinned, ducking down to look Taly in the eye. “That’s not surprising. And, as it so happens, that’s why I’m here. Ivain mentioned that Aimee managed to insert herself somewhere she didn’t need to be, so I thought I might tag along to keep an eye on her.”

  “Or you could just escort her back to the manor,” Taly replied pointedly.

  “I could do that,” Aiden said with a shrug. A devilish air crept into his expression. “But I’m just so worried about what Skye would do without me there to protect him.”

  “Say what now?” Skye asked, arching a brow.

  Aiden grinned. Being the same age as Skye, the two men had become natural rivals, and it seemed like they were always vying for something, be it women, prestige, or anything in between. However, as they matured, their relationship had evened out, and they tended to get along more times than not.

  Of course, they did still like to poke at each other on occasion.

  “Now, c’mon, Skye,” Aiden drawled, crossing his arms and widening his stance. “You know that I’ve always thought of you as a little brother—emphasis on the little part. It’s my duty as the bigger man to make sure you get to the Aion Gate safe and sound.”

  Skye rolled his eyes. Aiden had grown to be just a hair taller than him, and he never let him forget it. Well, two could play that game. “Yes, that extra fraction of an inch is quite intimidating. Although, now that I look at you, I think it may have been all hair. We might need to re-measure.”

  Skye smirked when he saw Aiden’s smile falter slightly. And before the earth mage could formulate a response, he pivoted, saying, “Also, I’ve been meaning to say that I’m sorry I missed you at court last summer. I heard that you and Lady Aliya were seen together. I also heard you couldn’t quite close that deal. If you’d asked, I could’ve told you she only goes for shadow mages now.” Skye gave an unapologetic shrug. “That’s my fault, by the way.”

  As Aiden was opening his mouth to make a retort, Taly stepped between the two men. “No!” she snapped, waving her hands. Turning to Skye, she gave him a stern look that he knew all too well. “We are not starting up this bullshit again. Shards! Sometimes I really wish the two of you would just whip ‘em out and get it over with already.”

  Aiden laughed and ruffled Taly’s hair. “Nah, I wouldn’t want to ruin you for other men.” Looking towards the stable, he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh Shards! That poor groom. I should probably go save him from my sister’s wrath.” He gave them a sheepish smile and then jogged off towards the stables.

  Skye scowled after him. “Why don’t you have a problem with Aiden coming?”

  Taly crinkled her nose as she glared up at Skye. “Because he’s not a dumbass.”

  By the time the pair arrived at the stables, the groom had finally managed to saddle Aimee’s horse to her satisfaction and had brought around two others. Ignoring the tittering woman, Taly sidled up to the smaller of the two unsaddled animals. The little gelding nuzzled her cheek with its nose as she pulled an apple from her bag and reached out a hand to stroke its neck.

  “He missed you, you know,” Skye said, leaning down so only Taly could hear him.

  She raised an eyebrow, glancing at Skye from the corner of her eye as she ran a hand down the white stripe on the horse’s nose. “Well, with only you for company, who could blame him? Isn’t that right, Byron?” She inclined her head, pretending to listen before turning back to Skye and saying, “He said yes.”

  “Princess Tink can still talk to animals?” Skye asked with a laugh.

  “She can.”

  Feeling a little awkward after his outburst, Skye placed a tentative hand on Taly’s shoulder, smiling when she reached up and twined her fingers with his. After a moment, he moved to start saddling his own horse.

  “Aiden. What are you doing here?” Aimee asked as her brother led another horse out of the stable.

  “You’re not the only one interested in the Aion Gate, dear sister. I’m crossing over to the mortal realm in a few weeks to join my regiment, and I figured I would go take a look before that happens. I hear the Aion Gate is quite a sight, even when it’s closed.” As the groom approached Aiden to assist with his mount, he waved the man off. “I can saddle my own horse. No need to worry.”

  “Talya,” Aimee began, inspecting Taly’s clothing and equipment distastefully, “you could almost be pretty if you tried. I will never understand why you insist on dressing like a man.”

  “And I will never understand why you insist on dressing like a cupcake,” Taly replied with a smirk. Seeing that Aimee was opening her mouth to make a retort, she quickly added, “You’re certainly not dressed for a trip to the gate. That outfit" —she hesitated, looking Aimee up-and-down disapprovingly— “is entirely impractical.”

  “Well,” Aimee huffed, sensing that she wasn’t going to be able to get underneath Taly’s skin, “I would rather be pretty than practical.” Taking a deep breath, Aimee ran her hands over her velvet bodice and smiled serenely. “For what it’s worth, I liked your hair better when it was longer. That haircut and those clothes? You look like a child.”

  As Aimee walked away, Taly gave Skye a meaningful look. Not knowing what else to do, he just shrugged and smiled apologetically as he continued readying the bay stallion standing restlessly in front o
f him.

  As their small band passed through Ryme, Taly spurred her horse into the lead, setting a brisk pace. Skye could see that she held a stack of papers in one hand and a map in the other, the reins wrapped around the horn of her saddle. Between the two of them, she had always been the better rider. While he was far more comfortable in the saddle than most, she could ride literal circles around him.

  A densely wooded forest separated the town of Ryme from the wasteland that surrounded the Aion Gate. The air was slightly cooler in the shade of the massive trees, and Skye couldn’t help but admire the austere surroundings. In a few weeks’ time, this area would be teeming with life as the animals awoke from their winter slumber and the plants reemerged to start a new cycle.

  Alongside the road, a flash of steel caught his eye, and when he looked closer, he could just make out the outline of an old set of air tram tracks peeking from beneath the underbrush—the remnants of a direct line that used to connect Ryme to the Aion Gate. When the Time Queen was still alive, the air tram made it possible to travel the entire length of the island and back in only a matter of hours. But the fast-travel system was just one more thing that had fallen into disrepair after the Sanctorum ravaged the area. The Marquess had tried again and again to have the air rails restored, but there just never seemed to be enough tax revenue to fund the project.

  “Tell me about the Aion Gate, Skylen,” Aimee said suddenly, her tone dripping with false sweetness. “I’m sure you’re an expert.”

  “Huh?” Skye hadn’t been listening again. He really should stop doing that. “Oh, right. What would you like to know?”

  “Well? Why is everyone so eager for it to open? I’ve heard such horrible things about the mortal realm. All of those humans that don’t even believe in magic. I don’t know why anyone would want to go there.” Skye had managed to get a few steps ahead of her, so Aimee urged her horse forward. It promptly ignored her and continued its slow, deliberate pace.

  Skye slowed his horse. The stallion’s ears twitched, and it pulled on the reins. “Well, I suppose the primary reason most people look forward to the Aion Gate opening is because there are three members of the Genesis Council that have chosen to make the mortal realm their home. It certainly benefits us all if we can maintain contact with our rulers.”

  “Why don’t those Lords come over here then?” Aimee asked. “Staying in the mortal realm—I’ve always felt that was very irresponsible on their part.”

  She was falling farther behind, so Skye reached back and grabbed the lazy mare’s bridle, pulling it forward. “Not necessarily. A significant portion of our population is on the other side of the Aion Gate. The Council has as much a responsibility to those people as they do to the people on the mainland and Tempris.”

  Aimee hummed disapprovingly. “Well then, please correct me if I’m wrong, but I was told that each gate on Tempris used to lead to a different kingdom—all of which resided under the Genesis Council’s jurisdiction. Is that accurate?”

  “Yes,” Skye answered with a nod, already knowing where she was taking him with this line of questioning. “Before the Schism, the fey empire was vast, sprawling out across all the known worlds. Tempris was the crossroads that connected them all. Every gate on the island—the Seren Gate, the Aion Gate, and all of the many other gates that no longer function—connect to other realms separated by time and space.”

  “I don’t understand then,” Aimee claimed. “Don’t the Genesis Lords have a responsibility to the citizens in those kingdoms as well?”

  Skye clicked his tongue and gave the mare’s bridle another tug. Looking back at Aimee, he continued, “Yes, they do. But, unfortunately, the Gate Watchers don’t have the resources to monitor and power every gate on the island, and the Dawn Court has refused to reevaluate our budget. So, we do what we can with what we have.”

  “Alright,” Aimee acquiesced. “If that’s the case, then why did the Watchers choose to focus on the Aion Gate instead of any of the others? Why did they prioritize the gate that leads to the mortal realm?”

  Skye resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew for a fact that the noblewoman had been educated on the myriad of reasons the Dawn Court had ordered the Gate Watchers to give the Aion Gate priority. What he didn’t know was why she seemed to think that playing dumb would appeal to him.

  “Several reasons,” he replied patiently. “The most important being that we need the mortals that choose to become Feseraa. Even before the highborn birthrate began to dwindle, humans were considerably more prolific than the fey. Over the past two centuries, the noble families have tried to negate the effects of our declining fertility by negotiating breeding arrangements outside of formal marriage bonds, but, as I’m sure you know, that initiative has been met with limited success. Pureblooded fey children are still rare, and most households have had to use mortals to boost their numbers. Hence why we have a vested interest in maintaining contact with what is, for all intents and purposes, a magicless realm. While mortal blood does significantly dilute our magic, the survival of our species may eventually come to depend on our ability to breed with the humans.”

  Aimee coughed delicately, visibly uncomfortable with the turn their conversation had taken. Her mother was a Feseraa, and though she and her brother had enough magic to be considered a part of the small circle of highborn gentry, they still had human blood running through their veins.

  “On the subject of breeding” —the noblewoman gave him a sidelong glance— “I hear that your mother is trying to secure an alliance with House Arendryl by way of a breeding offer. House Arendryl has already recommended a young woman from their estate in Faro. Do you know who Lady Emrys plans to put forward as the sire? I heard your name come up in conversation. Is there any truth to the rumors?”

  A muscle in his jaw began to feather, and Skye let out a hissing sigh. His mother’s efforts to involve him in her political machinations were the very last thing he wanted to discuss. “You’re very well informed,” he said, giving Aimee a tight smile, “but my mother would be very cross if I were to reveal all of her intrigues. If you have any other questions about the gates, I’ll be happy to answer those. Otherwise…” He looked to the two riders in front of him. Aiden had moved up next to Taly, and the two had started talking quietly. “Otherwise, I should probably go speak with Taly—make sure there are no problems with our route.”

  Aimee placed a hand on his arm. “You mentioned resources. Why aren’t you able to open the other gates? Did the time mages do something to break them?”

  “No,” Skye replied, dragging his eyes away from Taly. “Most people are usually very quick to accuse the time mages of sabotaging the gates during the Schism, but that’s simply not true. The gates aren’t broken. They just can’t function correctly without a time mage—the Time Queen to be exact.”

  “That dreadful woman? If that’s the case, perhaps we’re better off without the gates.” Aimee’s voice held a note of contempt that didn’t surprise Skye in the slightest. Many of the mainland fey were still very quick to condemn the High Lady of Time for her actions during the Schism, regardless of the lack of any physical evidence. “You know, our stepfather says that the time mages were nothing but power-hungry tyrants, never willing to work with anyone. He says that the Schism finally gave us definitive proof that they were simply too dangerous to be allowed to live.”

  Skye grew quiet. Although he hadn’t been alive when the great disaster occurred, he had studied it. No one had ever figured out why the Time Queen had forcibly shut down every gate on the island. Thousands died when the bridges between the worlds collapsed, and they’d lost contact with all of the gated realms—over half their population.

  “While I can acknowledge that the Time Queen’s actions were reprehensible,” Skye said carefully, “I’m not sure I agree that executing every new time mage for what they could be capable of is either fair or just.”

  “And I disagree,” Aimee said with a practiced sigh. “After all, if there
are no time mages, then the Time Shard can never revive. There will never be another High Lord or Lady of Time… or another Schism. It’s a small sacrifice to make.”

  Skye’s lips thinned, and he couldn’t help but think that Aimee reminded him of a rather annoying bird he had once seen in the mortal realm—imitating and echoing whatever words were fed to her, regardless of their merit.

  Aimee waved a dismissive hand as she prattled on. “The Sanctorum may have become a little overzealous during the Hunt, but their actions have always served the greater good.”

  “Perhaps if you spent more time on Tempris, you would feel differently,” Skye replied, forcibly reining in his burgeoning ire. “The Sanctorum’s cruelty was felt far more keenly here, and you’ll find that most of the island’s citizenry still hold a great deal of resentment towards their order.”

  Aimee huffed, then smoothed back a dark curl. “Well, perhaps, if the Time Queen and her followers had simply come forward rather than running away to wherever it was they went, the Sanctorum wouldn’t have been forced to resort to such drastic measures during the Hunt.”

  Skye raised a disapproving brow. The Hunt was still a sensitive subject in most circles. After the Schism, it took the Genesis Lords on the fey mainland almost a year to pry open the Seren Gate and regain access to Tempris. By that time, the Time Queen as well as every time mage under her command had inexplicably vanished. So, the Sanctorum was formed, and the Hunt began. The newly anointed officers were given a single directive—find the High Lady of Time and her followers.

  However, when the time mages couldn’t be found—ultimately presumed dead when the time crystals began to lose their magic—the Sanctifiers, rather than surrender the power they’d been granted, created for themselves a new purpose. They convinced those still in mourning that “drastic measures” were needed to prevent another calamity. They fanned the flames of panic and hysteria, soaked the soil with innocent blood.

  When Aimee opened her mouth to make some other careless remark, Skye cut her off. “The Schism and the Hunt were both tragedies.” His voice held a hidden edge, and he gave Aimee a meaningful look. “And they resulted in the deaths of far too many innocent people. People who had no connection to the Schism or the Queen. People without even the faintest trace of time magic, whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You would do well to remember that—especially if you have any intention of travelling to the mortal realm when the Aion Gate opens. I should not need to remind you that the Genesis Lords beyond the gate have publicly condemned the Sanctorum and the Dawn Court for continuing to support it.”