They started out easy, asking silly questions that both already knew the answer to. While Taly’s aim was pretty good, Skye’s was better. He may have been using just the tiniest bit of aether, but, in his defense, they hadn’t laid down any rules against using magic.
When Taly’s cheeks were starting to look flushed from the alcohol, Skye decided to get a bit more daring. Flicking his wrist, he smiled when the little brass coin landed in the glass. “Okay, serious question now,” he said, waiting for her to turn to him. “Why did you run away last year?”
Taly frowned. “I thought you promised you wouldn’t pry.”
“I never said for how long,” Skye replied with a shrug.
Taly held his gaze as she took a generous drink from the bottle. She missed her next turn, and Skye laughed at the forlorn pout on her face when he made his next shot.
“Same question,” he said.
Taly took another nip from the bottle. They repeated this cycle two more times until she exclaimed, “You can keep asking, but I’m just going to keep drinking.”
Damn. He was hoping that would work. A few more drinks, and maybe it would have.
“You’re going to have to tell me someday,” he said quietly.
“Someday is not today,” she mumbled in reply.
“Okay, okay,” Skye conceded with a sigh, taking the bottle from her. She had gotten way ahead of him, and he wasn’t drunk enough to hear the answer to what he planned to ask next. Holding the bottle up to his lips, he said, “New question. Since I’ve actually bought you several drinks now, I want to hear about these conquests of yours. What’s little Taly Caro’s number?”
“That’s it. Give me the bottle. I give up.” Taly reached across him, but he held her back.
“C’mon, Caro. This is going to be no fun if you get drunk and pass out.”
Taly sat back down looking slightly deflated. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she hid her face. “Shards, I knew this was going to come back to bite me.”
“Oh, this sounds fun.” Skye took another swig. “Tell me your secrets, Tink. Tell me all of your secrets.”
Her cheeks were red when she peeked over at him. “So… I may have slightly exaggerated the breadth of my… experience with the opposite sex.”
“Wait? What?” Skye was sitting up now.
Taly whined, hiding her head again. “Please don’t make me do this.”
“C’mon, Tink. Rules are rules.”
“Fine. It’s… it’s zero,” she said dejectedly, her voice muffled.
Skye choked, the air leaving his lungs in a rush. His mouth gaped; his lips twitched; he said the first words that came to mind. “What the actual fuck? You little liar!”
“No.” Taly’s head popped up. “If you recall the specifics of that conversation, I did not lie. I simply did not correct you when you made certain assumptions.”
Skye could feel the laughter bubbling up. He shouldn’t push her any further. He knew that. She was blushing furiously now. Even her chest was red. But he just couldn’t resist. She had gotten him all worked up over nothing—needled and poked at him all afternoon. “So, how far have you actually gotten with a man?”
“It’s not your turn.”
Channeling a little more aether, he tossed another coin without looking. His smile widened when he heard the clink of glass. “I’ll let you go twice after this.”
“Leave me alone, Em.”
“Tell me,” Skye demanded, his grin undermining his stern tone. “Those are the rules of the game.”
With a growl, Taly grabbed one of the pillows and started pummeling him. “I’ve gotten nowhere,” she cried between strikes. “Never even kissed a guy. Men find me absolutely repulsive. Happy now?” She grabbed the bottle out of his hands, retreating to the end of the bed and leaning against the wall.
Despite himself, Skye was still laughing as he followed her, ignoring her half-hearted struggles as he wrapped his arms around her. “You’re not repulsive,” he said when his laughter finally started dying down. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard, Tink. You’re the exact opposite of repulsive. You’re beautiful, and smart, and funny—”
“And human.”
Skye flicked her nose. “And nothing short of wonderful. Any man that can’t see that doesn’t deserve you.”
Taly stared at the bottle in her hands. “You’re just being nice.”
“I’m not,” he insisted. “You just haven’t met anyone that’s good enough for you yet.”
“Believe me, I’ve met plenty of people,” she said. “Do you have any idea what it’s like trying to date on this island as a human? Much less as a human with a magical education and a mainland accent? One word out of my mouth and the other shardless are calling me a toft, but then the lowborn don’t want anything to do with me either. And the highborn—all they see when they look at me is a potential broodmare.”
“Taly,” Skye tried.
But she was already shaking her head. “Don’t try to make me feel better. I’ve already accepted the inevitability of spinsterhood. I’m thinking about getting a cat. I hear that’s what lonely human women are supposed to do.”
Skye pulled her closer, resting his cheek against the top of her head. He’d never thought about what it must be like for her. How isolated she must feel from other members of her own species. Even if she crossed through the Aion Gate and into the world of mortals, she still wouldn’t have a place in that magicless realm that was so different from the one she’d been born into.
“I probably don’t tell you this enough,” he said after a moment, “but you’re my favorite person. I don’t care what shape your ears are.”
Taly snorted, even as she leaned into him. “That would mean more if you hadn’t proven yourself to be such a terrible judge of character.”
“What do you mean?”
Another snort. She peered up at him, mouthing a single word: “Je-ze-bel.”
Skye barked out a laugh. “Touché,” he said, planting a sloppy kiss on the crown of her head. “I think I owe you a turn now.” He took the bottle when she handed it to him. “Well, two turns.”
Taly yawned. “We’re out of coins. Someone’s going to have to get up.”
Skye slumped down, taking Taly with him and tucking her more firmly into his side. “Not worth it. Just ask me something. I’ll answer.”
“So much power.” Her words were starting to slur together as she laid her head against his chest. Her fingers pushed aside the edges of his shirt as she traced one of the seals tattooed beneath his collarbone. “Tell me something about you that I don’t know,” she commanded, her warm breath fanning out against his skin.
The heat of her lying next to him coupled with the alcohol had him feeling wonderfully languid, and he pulled her in closer. “Technically, that’s not a question.”
He gave a small whine at the sudden rush of cold air when she pulled away so that she could drunkenly glare at him. “Fine. What’s something I don’t know about you?”
Skye briefly considered telling her about the events of last summer—about Ava. That night still crept into his nightmares, and on any given day, the scent of blood would unexpectedly sneak up on him.
No, he thought, his heart slightly stumbling when Taly smiled at him. He didn’t want to ruin this. Whatever this was, it felt too good to tarnish with bad memories.
“Okay. I’ve got something for you,” Skye finally said. “You remember when you thought you saw fairy fire outside your window?”
“Yes,” Taly replied cautiously.
Skye set the bottle aside and braced himself. “That wasn’t fairy fire. That was me in the tree with a lantern.”
Skye bit back a grin. He had gotten exactly the reaction he wanted. She froze, staring at him with wide eyes as she tried to grapple with this startling revelation. “You…” she sputtered, shaking her head. “How could… why would… Shards, you jerk!” Skye was laughing so hard he barely managed to grab her fists when she
started thrashing him. “Why would you do that?” she cried, struggling against him.
“Because it was too good of an opportunity to pass up!” Skye wheezed. Tears were starting to stream down his face as he continued to howl with laughter. “Obviously, you were dreaming the first night you saw it, but every night after? That was all me. I even started moving things around your room so you’d think that the fairies had done it.” That prompted another scream of rage, and Skye threw a leg over her own when she started kicking at him. When she finally quieted down, he asked, “Are you done now?”
“I’m going to get you for that,” came the muffled reply. She had slumped against him, her face crushed against his shoulder. “When you least expect it, I’ll be there.”
“And I’ll be waiting.” Shifting, he pulled her back against him, tucking her into his side. “My turn.”
“Wrong. It’s still my turn,” she said, grabbing the bottle and thrusting it towards him. “I say drink. You still have far too many of your faculties. It’s hardly fair.”
Skye took a long draught, almost choking on the liquor when his next question popped into his mind. “Okay then. Like I was saying—my turn. Prepare yourself.”
Once again, he set the bottle off to the side and readied himself for a beating. Even though this wasn’t where he thought he would be spending his evening a few hours ago, there was no other place he’d rather be right now.
It was going to be a fun night.
Chapter 15
-An excerpt from the 27th Volume of Shadow Magic: A Manual of Best Practice Standards for the Ethical Application of Aether Contamination Spells
The subject of the forbidden rituals inevitably arises when new restrictions on the practice of shadow magic are proposed. Shadow mages, by their very nature, control the flow of aether. By extension, this applies to the aether of those around them. The power to manipulate another mage’s personal aether pool grants shadow mages the unique ability to exert influence on other fey.
Aether contamination spells (i.e., spells that require blood to be ingested by the target) are among the most hotly debated branch of spellcasting. These enchantments function by allowing the shadow mage to infect or contaminate another mage’s pool of aether with their own. The desired enchantment can then be enacted by penning the correct series of runes onto the subject’s skin.
Though there are various accepted methods to anchor a spell, embedding crystals into the subject’s body is by far the most common approach. If the spell is not anchored, its effects will dissipate as soon as the target is able to metabolize the foreign aether. An anchored enchantment, however, can remain active for decades, sometimes centuries.
Except for aether suppression spells, most classes of spells that require aether contamination are either regulated by the Shadow Guild or banned by formal ruling of the Genesis Council. Ascendancy, desecration, and necrotic renewal are among those rituals that have been forbidden and struck from the public record.
Taly cracked open her eyes. The curtains were drawn, but a thin sliver of sunlight peeked through a gap in the sheets of fabric, blazing a fiery trail across the dimly lit room. Her mouth felt dry, sticky with saliva, and a dull pressure throbbed behind her eyes. The pain ebbed and flowed, sweeping her closer and closer to consciousness with each undulating wave.
Could be worse, she thought drowsily.
Though her memory of the previous night was a little hazy, Taly did recall that she and Skye had managed to finish off the entire bottle of brandy. While Skye, being both a shadow mage and a highborn, probably wouldn’t suffer anything more than a fleeting headache come morning, Taly had fully expected to wake up with one of the worst hangovers of her life. But, strangely enough, even though her head felt fit to crack open, it was nothing a little coffee and a greasy breakfast couldn’t fix. She’d take that as a win.
Something moved beside her, and Taly froze when she felt an arm tighten around her waist. As she swept away the last of the mental cobwebs cluttering her sleep-addled brain, she became aware of a warm body lying beside her. A very warm, very male body. His breath fanned out across the back of her neck, sending small shivers up and down her spine.
What the… How did that happen?! Shards, what’s the last thing you remember?
She and Skye had been drinking and… and what? There were large chunks of last night that she simply couldn’t remember. She still had all of her clothes on—that was a good sign. So did the man behind her—also a good sign.
Wait—she was starting to remember something, faint glimmers from the evening before. Skye had continued prying embarrassing, personal information out of her, and his questions had gotten more and more pointed as the night wore on. They were both pretty far gone by the time he had started asking her about the butcher boy—an adorably awkward lowborn teen that she had briefly dated when she was 17. The childhood fling had never gone anywhere, and their almost-kiss behind his parents’ shop constituted both the beginning and end of Taly’s pitiful excuse for a love life.
That was the last thing she remembered clearly, so that meant the man behind her had to be Skye. After all, it’s not like she would’ve been able to pick up a guy with Skye lurking close behind. Overprotective bastard that he was, it didn’t surprise her in the least that he had decided to stick around.
Skye shifted, pulling her closer and pressing his face into her hair. As the initial surprise at not waking up alone started to fade, Taly found herself relaxing beneath his touch. The way he had his body almost wrapped around hers, the way their legs tangled together, felt so very, very good—warm and safe and…
Woah there, Caro! Taly thought, her eyes popping open. She should not be feeling whatever it was she was feeling. This was Skye, after all. These butterflies in her stomach were completely unacceptable. The way she thought their bodies fit together perfectly… Nope! That thought did not just happen.
She needed to get out of here. Shit, she really needed to get out of here.
If he woke up…
She didn’t want to think about that. She might actually die from embarrassment. And if by some stroke of luck she didn’t expire right there on the spot, Skye would more than likely help her along. Knowing him, he would never let her forget this incident. He would tease her endlessly—mercilessly—until she eventually died from humiliation.
Gently uncurling the fingers twisted in the fabric of her nightgown, Taly lifted the arm that was draped across her waist before she attempted to untangle their legs. It took her a few moments, but eventually, she was able to extract herself from Skye’s grasp.
Her muscles groaned, stiff and sore, as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, and the floor was cold underneath her bare feet. She tried to stand, but the floorboards gave a loud creak, eliciting an incoherent grumble from the man beside her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she watched Skye’s hand reach out, searching the empty space next to him, and for one brief, agonizing moment, it looked as though he might wake up.
Thankfully, one of the Shards must have been looking out for her that morning. That’s the only explanation she had when she saw his face relax as he grabbed at her discarded pillow and pulled it closer, sinking back into a deep, if somewhat fitful, sleep.
As she sat perched on the edge of the bed, Taly couldn’t stop her eyes from raking over his sleeping form. He looked almost boyish in the dim morning light, and his mouth curved into a slight frown as he rolled onto his back. The motion tugged at the blanket, pulling it down and revealing a small sliver of skin where his shirt had ridden up. He had always been (and still was) a little lanky, but years of combat training had gifted him with lean, sinewy lines of muscle that flexed when he moved. Even though she would never tell him this, she couldn’t deny that he had grown into a very handsome man.
A warm blush spread across her cheeks at the errant thought. When had she started thinking he was handsome?! This was Skye, after all. He wasn’t handsome! He was just Skye. Stupid—yes. Uppity—check. Attr
active—objectively, but not to her.
Shit. She really did need to get out of here.
Rising to her feet, Taly took a cautious step, and then another, saying a silent prayer of thanks to the Shards that the floorboards didn’t give her away a second time.
“Ow! Damn it!” she yelped—her voice barely above a whisper—when she stubbed her toe on a piece of Skye’s armor. She hobbled as she tried to find her balance, but her foot caught in the strap of his scabbard. His sword started to tip, and she dove, just barely managing to stop it from clattering to the floor. Carefully leaning the weapon back against the wall, she kept her eyes trained on the bed and Skye’s motionless form.
I’ll find somewhere else to change into my clothes, she thought, grabbing her pack. Skye had always been a deep sleeper, but there were far too many obstacles and potentially squeaky floorboards between her and the washroom door. She wasn’t about to press her luck. Not today.
Just as she was placing her hand on the doorknob, a gravelly voice mumbled, “Wow. Just… wow. After last night, this is what I get? You were just going to sneak out without saying anything?”
Taly froze, and her breath caught in her throat. Her head slowly turned. Skye was no longer asleep. No—he was very much awake and staring straight at her.
“I… I was just going to get coffee,” Taly stuttered softly.
“In your nightgown?” Skye asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“I… um… well…” Taly pulled at her nightdress self-consciously, wishing she knew where her robe had gotten to. She didn’t really have a response to that.
Skye glared at her through narrowed eyes. “And here I thought that last night was special,” he said moodily. “But, no. I guess I just get the privilege of being your first one-night stand.”
“Huh?” Taly shook her head, her mind rebelling against the implication of what he was saying. Nothing had happened between them. He was just trying to fluster her. “From what I remember, the only thing special about last night was how especially nosy you were being.”
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