Aimee faltered, visibly surprised by Skye’s rebuke. This was the closest he had ever come to being rude, despite her repeated unwelcome and overly aggressive attempts to woo him. Clearing her throat uncomfortably, she stammered, “Forgive me, Skylen. I spoke out of turn.” Her cheeks flushed, the color dampened somewhat by the heavy cosmetic glamour she wore. “How… how is the Seren Gate different from the Aion Gate? They lead to different realms, so I assume there must be some differences in the way they function.”
“No,” Skye answered curtly. His eyes slid to the riders ahead of him, and he frowned when he saw Taly turn to Aiden and laugh at something the other man had said. “The Seren Gate and the Aion Gate function in exactly the same way. They just open on different schedules.”
“And what exactly does that mean?” Aimee looked to see what had captured Skye’s attention. When Taly glanced back, a broad smile on her face, the noblewoman turned her nose up into the air.
Skye shook his head, looking away from where Taly and Aiden rode side-by-side and refocusing on Aimee. “That means that time runs at a different pace in each of the gated realms. Since we don’t have the ability to force the timestreams to align, we have to wait for time in the bridged realms to sync up with time here on Tempris. The fey mainland and Tempris are very similar—a year spent here is almost the same as a year spent on the mainland, give or take a few days. That’s why we’re able to open the Seren Gate several times a month.
“In contrast, the Aion Gate connects to the mortal realm. Time in the mortal realm generally runs far more slowly than on Tempris, so we have to wait for the rare moments when the two timestreams synchronize. When that happens, we charge up the gate and try to keep the power steady enough to stabilize the connection.”
“Stop,” Taly called out from the front of the procession. They were approaching a fork in the road. Aiden had stopped beside her, and Skye saw him whisper something as he tugged on the sleeve of her coat. Taly nodded, the tightness around her eyes melting away as she smiled back at him.
Skye walked his horse up to where Taly had halted the group. “What is it?”
She didn’t look at him. She just gazed off into the distance where the road veered right.
“I’m not sure yet. Stay here.” She gave the gelding a kick and trotted ahead of them.
Skye scowled as he watched her leave, but he decided to follow her lead. He had agreed to hire her after all. He might as well let her do her job. Straining his ears, he noted that he could no longer hear the echoes of the gypsum sparrows’ songs. The whisper of dry leaves was the only sound hissing through the densely packed wall of trees.
That’s odd, he thought with a twinge of unease.
Channeling a small amount of aether, he felt his senses start to sharpen, and he listened. He could just make out the crackling of leaves about a mile east, most likely a deer or a bear, but still no birds or insects. A strange hush had fallen over the forest.
That could only mean one thing—a predator was nearby.
Skye’s heartbeat quickened. Looking behind him, he could see that Aiden and Aimee talked quietly amongst themselves, completely unaware of the potential danger. And why should they be frightened? The main roads had magical wards put in place to protect travelers from the beasts that roamed the forest.
Feeding more aether into the augmentation spell, Skye focused on the arch of overhanging branches that Taly had disappeared through earlier. He could just make out the faint scent of iron and soap wafting on the air, and the crunch of dirt thundered in his ears. A horse pawed at the ground nervously.
Taly—she was no longer on horseback. She wasn’t even on the road. No, she was wading through the underbrush between the trees, past the protection of the wards.
Shit, Skye thought as he let go of the spell. His heightened senses dulled, and the world around him blurred before snapping back into focus. It was just as he feared—Taly had sensed something and set off to track it.
His first instinct in this situation was to go get her and drag her back to safety, willing or not. However, that would most likely destroy any goodwill he still had left after their little spat earlier that morning. He knew he should stay back—demonstrate that he trusted her to do her job. But he had spent 15 years trying to protect her. Those habits were hard to break.
Just as Skye was about to ride after her, Taly returned. “We can’t go this way.”
“Why not?” Skye asked gruffly, relief washing over him.
Taly raised an eyebrow. “Because a harpy passed through. Not too long ago by the looks of it. It’s not too surprising since it’s their mating season. This is the only time of year they ever really come out during the day. I set out some lures to try to push it farther east, but we should still go around.”
Taly started to ride off in the other direction, but Skye grabbed her arm, pulling her up short. “Are you absolutely sure? We should be fine if we stay on the main road. The wards were repaired last month.”
Taly sighed impatiently. “Which would be fine if those drunken assholes in the Fire Guild hadn’t burned through a large chunk of them just ahead. How do you think the harpy got through? The wards on the back roads are spotty at best, and it’s going to add several hours to our ride. Still, I think it’s safer.”
“Damn it,” Skye cursed quietly. “Are you sure you’re not just messing with me?” He glanced back at Aimee and gave Taly a pleading look. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was spend more time with that silly noblewoman than he had to. “Is this revenge?”
Taly’s expression softened, and her lips quirked to the side when she saw his pained grimace. “I’m not happy about it either, but I know how to track a harpy. And, I know what a busted ward looks like.”
Shaking her head, she exhaled sharply and pulled out the same stack of papers she’d been reading earlier. “Scouting notes,” she mumbled distractedly when she saw Skye’s questioning stare. “The harpy was already headed east, so we should be able to stay out-of-range if we skirt around from the west. There was a kelpie sighted in that direction a few days ago, but it’s probably moved farther north by now—back to the coast. Just make sure you stick close to me and don’t get ahead. Some of these side roads are pretty overgrown, so we’re going to have to take it slow. I take it you brought the aether concealment charms?”
Sighing and falling in beside her, Skye said, “I handed out the charms before we left.” He held up his arm and showed her a simple silver band. Water and shadow crystals were set in the center of the bracelet.
“I meant to ask you what these did,” Aimee gushed with false enthusiasm, picking at the band on her arm. Being a water mage, Skye was sure that Aimee knew exactly what they did. “Tell me, Talya. Why don’t you have one?”
Taly mumbled something unintelligible under her breath and signaled for her horse to go faster. Louder, she said, “Because I’m mortal. I have no aether and, therefore, no magic.” Skye didn’t miss the slight quaver in her voice or the way her shoulders slumped forward. Glancing back, he saw an arrogant smirk twist Aimee’s lips as she pulled on the reins of her horse, deliberately slowing her pace.
As Aimee’s mare once again fell behind, Skye ignored her calls as he urged his own horse to keep pace with Taly.
Chapter 6
-An excerpt from When the Bridges Fell: Letters from a Lost Island
The 32nd day of the month Septane, during the 8th year of the Empty Throne
Hey Lea,
We still can’t figure out why all this stuff keeps falling through. Since the gates went down, it’s just started accumulating in places where the veil is thin. A new wave of junk came through last night over at the Odyssea Gate, and there’s enough now that it’s starting to affect our ability to access the gate controls.
When you see her, can you ask Diantha where she wants us to put it for the time being? There’s a lot of metal, so maybe the fire mages can do something with it.
-Pasha
Late into th
e afternoon hours, the small band of travelers arrived at the northern edge of the forest. The trees began to thin, allowing rays of sunlight to peek through the branches, and the horses grew restless as the scent of sand and metal saturated the air.
Taly raised a hand, signaling for them to stop at the tree line. “Stay here. Something’s not right.” Without looking back, she pushed her horse forward and skirted silently along the border of the desert surrounding the Aion Gate.
No matter how many times he visited the Aion Gate, Skye was always shocked by the swift transition from lush forest to arid wasteland. The Aion Gate was by far the largest gate on the island, built directly on top of a tear in the veil between the worlds. It required a massive amount of aether to function, and after the Schism, it had started leeching the aether out of the surrounding area. As a result, the land around the gate was uninhabitable. No plants would grow, and the animals knew to steer clear. Only the magical beasts dared to venture out of the forest, drawn by the massive power of the gate when their thirst was at its worst.
Skye could just make out the smooth planes of the gate several miles in the distance. Mountains of junk and scrap metal surrounded the base of the monument, spreading, thinning and scattering out across the barren landscape.
“It’s dirtier than I thought it would be.” Aimee’s lips turned down into a frown. “What is all of that… stuff?”
“Since the Aion Gate leads to the mortal realm, most of what falls through the veil in this area is mortal tech,” Skye explained. “Sometimes, we’ll see a few items that look like they came from somewhere else, but not often.”
“Shards, I don’t know what half of that stuff is,” Aiden said, his eyes wide. “I suppose I’ll have to learn, though. I hear that Faro is quite progressive in the way that it’s chosen to incorporate mortal culture and technology into its infrastructure.”
Skye shrugged, his eyes trained on where he had last seen Taly. “I wouldn’t feel bad about it, Aiden. Mortal technology has been advancing very quickly in recent years. It’s hard to keep up.”
“What do you do with it all?” Aimee asked, a hint of genuine curiosity lacing her words.
“The Fire Guild will take most of it,” Skye replied. “Mortal salvage contains a lot of metal, so they’ll smelt it down.”
After a long moment, Taly returned. As she dismounted her horse, she said, “A fresh batch of scrap came through, so there’s not a straight path to the gate. That means we leave the horses here and go in on foot. Also, there’s a harpy about a league west of here, circling.”
“Is it safe to approach?” Skye asked, his shoulders tense beneath his armor. The harpies on Tempris were a special kind of nightmare, one of the few things the highborn fey had cause to fear.
“I believe so,” Taly replied with a decisive nod. “We’ll be in full view as we make our approach, but it’s still far enough away that we won’t draw its attention if we’re careful.”
Taly absentmindedly scratched at her horse’s neck as she gave them all a pointed stare. “Keep the talking to a minimum and watch where you’re going. Move slowly. Some of this mortal tech is sharp, and if you get cut, that concealment charm won’t do shit to cover the smell of your magic. If something does happen, then run for the tree line and pray that the harpy doesn’t pursue. It’s female from what I can tell—which means it’s venomous. Just in case you all need a reminder, the venom of the Tempris harpy is one of the deadliest poisons known to the fey. One scratch, and you will die without a healer. And on Tempris when the aether is thin like this, you might die even with a healer. It’s a tossup. So, in conclusion, if the harpy comes for you, do not engage this thing. If you see it so much as twitch, run the fuck away, screaming if need be.”
“So vulgar,” Aimee grumbled. “Aiden, be a dear and come help me.”
Skye watched Taly closely as she tied off her horse and grabbed her pack. She was all business as she checked the pistols holstered around her waist and secured the new air dagger he had given her that morning in a sheath strapped to her thigh. Shaking himself, he followed suit, effortlessly swinging himself out of the saddle.
Skye felt inexplicably uneasy as he watched Taly start into the wasteland. She scanned the area around her carefully, a hand resting on one of the pistols at her waist. Even though Sarina had told him again and again that Taly had found her footing in the salvaging trade, he had never fully believed her. Until now, that is.
“Grown up, hasn’t she?” Aiden commented as he came to stand beside Skye. He too was watching Taly as she threw down some ashewa dust across the trail to mask the scent of the horses. This close to the Aion Gate, the risk of encountering a non-magical predator that might attack the animals was minimal, but the dust was still a good precaution to take. The strong smell of the powdered ashewa bark would ward off pretty much anything with a nose.
Skye glared at Aiden from the corner of his eye. There was something about the way the earth mage’s eyes raked over Taly, top to bottom and back again, that rankled him. Clearing his throat, Skye said evenly, “Yeah. Took me by surprise too.”
They carefully picked their way through the debris, making their way towards the gate. Skye could just see the harpy in the distance. It was at least twice his height, grotesque and flea-bitten, and the skin on its bald head was almost the same color as the bronzed dust that collected around the gate. Great feathered wings protruded from its back, and its body was covered with rows of glassy scales. Lifting its head, it sniffed the wind with its strangely flat nose, its head cocking to the side when it caught sight of them. For one breathless moment, it considered them, trying to decide if their little party was tempting enough to pursue.
“Give it a minute,” Taly whispered when she saw Skye’s hand instinctively reach for his sword. “It’s just sizing us up. If those aether concealment charms are working like they’re supposed to, it’ll lose interest.”
Skye nodded in acknowledgment but still kept his hand on his sword as he continued to stare down the harpy. He let out a slow sigh of relief when the great beast eventually shook itself and turned away, just as Taly predicted.
It was a long trek across the field, made even more arduous as the layer of scrap littering the ground began to thicken and the mountains of metal grew taller and more menacing. Aimee would occasionally try to voice a complaint about a tear in her dress or how uncomfortable the ground felt underfoot, but halfway through each attempt, Aiden would promptly shush her. Taly eventually split off from the group, never taking her eyes off the harpy as it listlessly circled in the distance. Every so often, she would bend down and inspect something of interest, sometimes tossing it back into the piles of debris and other times stashing it away in her bag.
A salvager’s paradise, Skye thought with a low chuckle. While the fey had little use for most of the junk that tended to accumulate around the gates, every now and then, valuable gems and metals, even the occasional magical object, would fall through. That’s why salvagers like Taly were always rushing to the areas on the island where the veil was thin and digging through rubble and trash.
Finally, after what seemed like far longer than it should’ve taken, Skye found himself standing at the base of the monolith. The Aion Gate was a thing of frightening beauty. At thirty feet wide and at least a hundred feet tall, it was almost three times larger than any other gate on the island. It towered over him, shooting up into the sky and disappearing into the clouds.
The outer hyaline pillars practically glowed, deflecting the afternoon sun in a chaotic, rainbowed array of shattered light—silent crystalline sentinels surrounded by rolling hills of rust. Slotted inside the translucent obelisks stood two solid sheets of shadow crystal, sanded and polished so that the glittering violet surfaces reflected the ruddy wasteland. The Gate Watchers had been tirelessly pouring aether into the crystals over the last few months, and they thrummed with a pulsating energy that seemed to vibrate the very air. Skye could feel the aether reach out to him as it swirled r
estlessly behind the smooth wall of crystal. He trailed a finger along the surface, watching the glowing eddies of whirling magic shadow his movements.
Between the massive amethyst panels rested a single strip of gold, about two fingers wide—time crystal. The Gate Watchers had just barely managed to preserve the time crystals in the gates after the Schism. The glittering, golden stones had all gone dark when the Time Queen died, and with no one left to wield the Time Shard, they would most likely remain that way.
“Feel free to look around,” Skye said to his companions as he ran a hand across the control panel. It was a small rectangular piece of shadow crystal set into one of the hyaline pillars, and a network of inscribed runes flashed and stuttered to life as he keyed in the proper commands. Though hardly spoken by anyone except scholars, the ancient Faera language, by its very nature, could channel and bind magic. Their technology, their magic, their crystals—the very foundations of the modern fey’s way-of-life depended on this ancient, arcane typography they’d inherited from a dead race that most had all but forgotten.
“Just be careful with the shadow crystal,” Skye added as an afterthought. “At this point in the charging cycle, it tends to spark.”
Aiden and Aimee broke away and started circling the base of the gate. Aimee had to lean on her brother’s arm, her skirts bunched in one hand as he helped her navigate the debris. They spoke to each other in hushed voices as they surveyed the stacks of salvage with wide eyes.
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