Skye moved with practiced precision around the gate, stopping here and there to make a notation in a small journal. Although it had been several years since he’d had to take readings on the gate, he’d performed these same tests so many times during the final days of the last charging cycle that the movements were still second-nature. Everything seemed to be in order, so it didn’t take him long.
With the measurements from the shadow crystals squared away, Skye approached the time crystal. Without a time mage, they had no way of knowing exactly when the separate time streams would sync, but they could make a guess. Skye blew out a slow breath as he ran a hand over the strip of gold. Even dark crystals, crystals that could no longer focus or refine aether, retained faint traces of magic swirling about their inner depths. There was information in that energy—if one knew how to find it. Closing his eyes, Skye attempted to tease out that tiny ripple of aether still lingering inside the crystal, tried to guess its secrets.
Jotting down a few notes, he closed the notebook and slid it back into his pocket. It seemed Ivain was right to be worried. Their original estimate was off. These readings were telling him they needed to move up the timeline for the gate connection by at least a week, two if they wanted to play it safe.
Just enough time to create more paperwork.
“Is everything alright?”
Skye jumped at the sound. He hadn’t heard Aimee and Aiden come up behind him. “Yes. It’s nothing we can’t still correct,” Skye said to Aiden in a low voice. “I’m done here. If you want to start heading back to the horses, I’ll go get Taly.”
Taly had scouted around to the far eastern perimeter of the scrap field where she stood motionless, scanning the area the harpy had been guarding earlier. As Skye approached, she said aloud, “I think we’re okay now. It was watching us for a while, but it seems to have lost interest. It’s moving away.”
“Just in time.” Skye came up to stand beside her. “I’m finished if you’re ready to head back.”
“Yeah,” she said, nodding stiffly.
Skye turned and waved at Aimee and Aiden. Aiden was almost carrying his sister at this point, and the two had fallen behind. They moved slowly, taking deliberate steps and occasionally stopping to peer into the piles of mortal waste.
Taly and Skye walked back in silence, deftly picking their way across the uneven terrain. She kept her eyes trained on the ground, her lips pursed in a frown. The tension from their argument at the stables still hadn’t dissipated completely, and if her previous words and actions were anything to go by, he knew she would be walking out of his life again in a few hours. He couldn’t let her go like this.
Hesitantly, Skye reached over and flicked her on the nose, just like he used to do when they were children and he wanted her attention. She started, her eyes narrowing in irritation as she gave him a questioning look. But then to his great relief, instead of pulling away, she cocked her head to the side and smiled.
At least that was one thing he could still count on. They could bicker and fight until they were blue in the face, but they were still friends in the end.
“You did good today,” he remarked casually, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Taly eyed him skeptically. “Try not to sound so surprised… jerk.”
Smirking, Skye pulled her to his side, reaching around her as he tried to wriggle his hand into her bag. “So, what did you find? Anything good?”
Taly laughed and slapped his hand away. “Not really. Just a few pieces of old jewelry—absolutely garish, but still gold. If I’m lucky, I might not be forced to eat Jay’s cooking this month. Even on a good day, that guy makes Sarina look like a gourmet chef.”
Skye covered his mouth, trying to suppress the laughter he could feel bubbling up. His stomach still turned just thinking about the few times he’d been subjected to Sarina’s cooking. “Shards… that’s bad. That’s really bad.”
Eventually, they approached the edge of the debris field where the scrap started to thin. Glancing behind them, Skye could see that Aimee and Aiden had stopped, and Aimee was crouched on the ground reaching for something.
“Hey, about earlier…” Skye started to say to Taly. He hesitated, unsure of how to finish that sentence. He felt a pressing need to address their argument before they headed back, but at the same time, he meant every word he had said earlier that morning. She had hurt him, and he still didn’t quite know how to move past it.
“Don’t worry about it,” Taly sniffed. “Whatever hatred or hostility you feel towards me, I deserve it.”
“What?” Skye stopped, standing motionless as he stared after her. She thought that he hated her? Where the hell had she come up with that crazy idea? “I don’t hate you, Tink.” Taly walked the few steps back to him, ready to argue, but he held up a hand to shush her. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m angry. And hurt. And I wish you would just tell me what the hell is going on with you since, as I’ve told you before, I can’t read your mind. But hating you? I could never hate you.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” Taly mumbled as she kicked at a stray piece of scrap. “Because you were right this morning. What I did—the way I left—it was selfish. Ivain, Sarina, you—you’ve never been anything but kind to me, and I threw it away.”
Skye felt his heart clench almost painfully, and he took a deep breath, trying to find his voice.
Taly’s eyes flicked up to his face. She must have mistook something in his expression for anger because she turned away, her cheeks reddening. “You want answers… I get that. But that’s not something that I can give you right now. I know that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but that’s just how it is. Still, whether you believe me or not, I am sorry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. If my word still means anything to you at all, then I promise you that much is true.” She took a deep breath before looking up at him uncertainly.
Skye shoved his hands into his pockets as he considered her words, tried to measure her sincerity. After a long moment, he felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Say it again,” he commanded softly.
Taly looked away before meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry, Skye.”
“No.” He waved his hand dismissively. “No, no, no. The other part. The important part.”
Taly just stared at him, her brows pinched together in confusion. Skye knew the exact moment that understanding finally set in. She gave him an icy glare, and a long-suffering sigh fell from her lips. “You were right?”
“Yes!” Skye exclaimed. Clapping a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a gentle shake. “Shards, that’s twice in one day. You know,” he mused, glancing back to make sure that Aimee and Aiden were still behind them, “I changed my mind. I think you need to run away more often. If I’d known that was all it took for you to finally accept my superior wisdom—”
“Oh, please,” Taly grumbled.
“Shhh…” Skye held a finger up to her lips. “Superior wisdom is being imparted. Have some respect.”
Taly slapped at his hand, a wide, only somewhat reticent smile on her face. “The only thing superior about you is your ego.”
“It is very impressive,” Skye agreed readily. “Thank you for noticing.”
Taly arched a brow, opening her mouth to make a retort, but she never got the chance. Aimee ran up behind them, fastening herself to Skye’s arm and using her body to shove Taly out of the way. Unable to channel his magic, to increase his speed and make a dive for her, he could do nothing but watch as Taly, thrown off-balance, lost her footing in the scrap and went down hard.
“Damn it, Aimee!” Skye cursed, shaking her off roughly. He grabbed her shoulders when she started to stumble. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I found… Oh! I’m so sorry, Talya. I didn’t see you,” Aimee said with false sympathy. She didn’t even bother to turn around as she tried to press herself against Skye.
“Skye!” Taly groaned, still on the ground. “I think I’m hurt.”
&
nbsp; Sidestepping around Aimee, Skye rushed to Taly’s side and fell to his knees beside her. She was clutching at her leg—her face scrunched up in pain. As he pulled her hand back, he felt bile burn his throat. A jagged, rusted piece of scrap metal protruded from the back of her thigh.
“Oh, Shards!” Aimee exclaimed, her hands flying to cover her mouth. “Oh, my… Talya… you’re… that’s blood! I’m sorry! Shards! I’m so, so sorry!”
The apology was real this time, but Skye didn’t care. “Shut up, Aimee!” he barked.
The sharp, metallic scent of human blood filled the air, and Taly winced as he gently nudged the shredded fabric of her leggings away from the wound, trying to get a better look. Blood trickled out of the gash, coating his hands. “Aiden! We need you!” Skye shouted frantically. He heard the hurried patter of footsteps as Aiden quickened his pace.
“Skye, you have to pull it out,” Taly moaned through gritted teeth. Her breathing was growing ragged, and she stared at the metal with wide, fearful eyes.
“No, Taly. Aiden is coming. He can heal you.” Skye grabbed her shoulder, both trying to reassure himself and to get her to focus on him instead of the wound. When he pulled his hand away, flecks of blood clung to the fur trim lining her coat.
“We don’t have time for that.” She turned her head and pointed behind them. “Look.”
The harpy had circled back around and was watching them. It was closer than before—close enough that Skye could see it shift restlessly as it perched on a pile of rusting metal.
Skye turned back to Taly. “Come on. I’ll carry you back. Aiden can look at you behind the tree line.”
Taly cried out as Skye tried to lift her. “No! Damn it, that hurts. Put me down.”
“Don’t move her!” Aiden called as he finally reached them. Pushing Skye out of the way, he carefully turned Taly’s leg so that he could see the wound. His expression grave, Aiden produced a green earth crystal from his pocket and placed his hand around the shard of metal protruding from her leg.
“Aiden,” Aimee cried. She stood off to the side, watching the proceedings with tear-filled eyes. “I didn’t mean—”
“Not the time, Aimee.” The green crystal in his hand flashed, illuminating the veins and arteries that tunneled through the layers of flesh beneath Taly’s skin.
Taly grabbed his hand. “No,” she warned. “No magic. Not here.”
Aiden blew out a sharp breath. “Taly,” he stated, his calm tone belying the stern set of his jaw, “this piece of metal is too close to the artery. I cannot in good conscience move you in this state. It’s too risky.”
“Do whatever you need to do,” Skye stated, placing a hand on his sword. He crouched next to Taly, watching the harpy.
“I won’t use much magic.” Aiden’s voice was soothing as he continued to prod gently at the wound. “Just enough to stop the bleeding until we can get far enough away to treat it properly.”
Taly was breathing harshly, unshed tears glinting in the corners of her eyes. “Okay.”
Aiden carefully placed the crystal in the palm of the hand that still touched her injured leg and then gripped the metal fragment. “I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.”
Skye swung an arm around Taly as Aiden gave a quick tug, easily unsheathing the piece of scrap. Skye winced when she screamed—the sound muffled as she buried her face in the fabric of his coat. Blood was now gushing freely from the gash, but Aiden was already shaping a small cloud of earth magic around the wound. A soft green glow emanated from his fingers, slowing the crimson ebb as the flesh knitted itself back together. Skye watched Aiden work and breathed a sigh of relief when the radiant wave of earth magic once more swept across Taly’s skin. The fragment of metal had just missed the artery.
“That should buy us some time,” Aiden declared after several, long moments.
“Good,” Skye said in a clipped tone. “It’s time to go.” He pointed to the horizon. The harpy was advancing. “Taly, I’m going to pick you up now.”
“Yeah,” she said with a weak nod. Her eyes were slightly unfocused as she wrapped her arms around Skye’s neck, and she let out a small whimper of pain as he lifted her.
Aimee stood off to the side, her head bowed in shame. “Talya, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for—"
“It’s still not the time, Aimee. Move!” Aiden snapped, taking his sister’s arm and pushing her forward.
They made good time as they rushed back towards the forest. Even without channeling his aether, Taly weighed next to nothing, and Skye carried her across the field easily. Aiden and Aimee were behind them, and Aiden had an arm around his sister’s waist, lifting her over the larger pieces of scrap. Despite his aid, Aimee still clutched at her skirts as she tried to navigate the debris field.
Taly’s breath came in gasps as she pulled on Skye’s collar. “Put me down. We’re moving too slow.”
“Absolutely not," Skye protested vehemently.
“We can’t waste time.” Taly pulled on his collar more forcefully, pulling Skye’s eyes down to hers. “The harpy’s gaining on us, and Aiden and Aimee aren’t moving fast enough. It’s already after Aiden, so if you and he can lure the harpy away, that’ll give Aimee and me enough time to get to the tree line. We just have to get far enough into the forest so that it won’t be able to dive.”
Taly had a point. He could get her back to the forest easily, but that would leave Aiden and Aimee out in the open. And Aimee kept tripping over that damned dress.
“Okay,” Skye conceded reluctantly, his footsteps slowing. “You hear that, Aiden,” he called over his shoulder.
“Yup,” came the curt reply. “And I agree with Taly. Let the girls get to safety. You and I can hold our own.”
Stopping, Skye looked down at Taly. Her face was pale, but her eyes shone with grit and determination. Every instinct he had rebelled against him as he gently set her down on the ground. She winced when she tried to put weight on her wounded leg, grasping at his hands as she tried to find her footing. When Aimee and Aiden caught up, Aiden stopped long enough to release his sister but otherwise kept moving forward, trusting Skye to catch up. Without hesitation, Aimee slung an arm underneath Taly’s shoulders.
“Go,” Aimee insisted. Her face was streaked with sweat, and she’d lost her hat. “I’ll take care of her. You have my word.”
Giving them one last look, Skye gave a low growl as he forced himself to run ahead. He easily caught up with Aiden, and they both started running at a diagonal across the field. To Skye’s great relief, Taly’s hunch had been right. The harpy immediately changed direction, following them and moving away from the girls. They still weren’t moving fast enough, though. At this rate, the harpy would catch up to them before they managed to escape into the forest on the far western edge of the wasteland.
Using magic around the Aion Gate was never a good idea, but Skye didn’t really care about that anymore. There was barely any aether in the air around him, so he pulled a crystal from his pocket. All it took was a slight mental tug to release the stored aether from its stone prison and push it directly into his bloodstream. He felt the change immediately. The magic seeped into his muscles, soothing away the burn and fatigue as the augmentation spell took effect.
“Aiden!” Skye panted. “I’m really sorry about this, but you’re just too slow!” Without waiting for a reply, Skye stooped down, hoisting Aiden up and over his shoulder as he began to run in earnest. They flew across the field, great plumes of dust trailing after each footfall.
Still not fast enough. Pumping more aether into his legs, Skye smiled when the landscape started to blur. He felt Aiden clinging to a strap on his armor, but if the earth mage made a complaint, it was lost on the wind.
Approaching the southern edge of the tree line, Skye started skirting around the perimeter, trying to give the girls as much time as possible. He slowed his pace when he heard a pained cry, coming to a stop completely when he looked back and saw that the harpy had turned and was no lo
nger pursuing them.
“No!” Skye shouted, setting Aiden back on his feet. Aimee was lying on the ground, grasping at that damned skirt. It had caught on something. She tugged at it frantically, but the fabric wouldn’t give. Taly lay on the ground beside the struggling fey noblewoman, her face scrunched up in pain as she grasped at her leg.
“Go!” Aiden barked, still stumbling. “Get them out of there! I’ll be fine!”
The harpy was getting closer. Giving Aiden a jerky nod, Skye turned and started running back towards the two women at a full sprint. He saw Taly pull Zephyr from her boot and start to cut at the green velvet of Aimee’s dress. Taly’s movements were stiff, but she managed to free the other girl. Now back on her feet, Aimee pulled Taly to a stand, and they began to run for the tree line once more.
They’re not going to make it.
Taly was having trouble. Her leg was practically dragging behind her at this point, and the harpy was almost upon them. They could no doubt hear its mad screams as it streaked through the air.
Channeling more aether, Skye sharpened his vision. He saw Aimee’s lips moving as she said something to Taly, who nodded in reply. They stopped completely, and Aimee lowered Taly to the ground. Aimee tore off her ripped gloves, and a soft blue light coiled between her fingers as she channeled her aether and took on a defensive posture in front of the wounded girl.
But he didn’t see… damn. Aimee hadn’t brought any water crystals, and he doubted she was skilled enough to cast an offensive spell without a focusing talisman. Her primary study had always centered on glamours.
Skye kept pulling aether from the shadow crystals in his pocket, but it wasn’t enough. Desperate to go faster, he tapped his body’s aether reserve, forcing the magic into his legs. His feet barely touched the ground as he raced to reach them in time.
“Damn it!” Skye screamed, ducking his head and willing his body to move faster. The harpy had caught up, and it loomed over the girls as Aimee formed a long ribbon of water between her hands. She slung it forward, whipping the harpy across the face, but the lash of water glanced off the beast, nothing more than an annoyance.
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