Shardless

by Stephanie Fisher

  The shadow mage saluted by crossing an arm over her chest and tapping her fist twice before sweeping the stack of crystals into a bag, stepping off the wall, and darting across the square toward Kit’s group.

  Eula’s eyes followed the shadow mage as she rushed out into the field to join the others. The search and rescue team had managed to herd the beast to the far side of the plaza, and the mages on the ramparts had begun to bombard it with balls of ice and fire, slowly whittling away at its decayed flesh.

  Heavy footsteps echoed up the nearby stairs, and Eula turned, crossing her arm over her chest and bowing her head as Skye emerged from around the corner. He had discarded his greatcoat, and his armor was streaked with a thin layer of blackened gore. Smears of crimson blood stained his skin.

  “Eula, report. Did the search and rescue team manage to get a handle on that creature yet?” Skye snapped before skidding to an abrupt stop. His brows shot up when he caught sight of Taly.

  “Sire,” Eula said with a smirk. “Look who I found.”

  Skye hesitated for a moment, disbelief written across his face. When he remained motionless, seemingly frozen in place, Taly gave him a sheepish wave. The movement seemed to break him from his stupor, and he rushed forward, crossing the distance between them in just a few short strides and enveloping her in a tight embrace. “Thank the Shards!”

  Taly didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck as he lifted her off her feet. After a long moment, he released her, holding her out at arm’s length. A frown creased his brow when his eyes flicked down to the gash at her hip. At some point, the wound had reopened, and Taly could feel a trickle of fresh blood running down her leg.

  “So, I may have dawdled a little bit,” Taly said with a half-hearted laugh, wiping at the tears of relief staining her cheeks. “But it wasn’t my fault. These things just won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

  Taly saw the corners of Skye’s mouth twitch, but he never got a chance to respond. A shout from down below caught their attention.

  “Shards,” Eula whispered, her eyes widening in horror.

  Taly felt bile at the back of her throat, and she was grateful for the arm Skye had looped around her waist. Her knees felt weak, and she leaned against him, not fully trusting her legs to support her weight as she was forced to watch the nightmare unfolding on the field below.

  The monster had become enraged once the shadow mages cornered it, and it gave a feral roar as it whipped its body about, throwing several of the Gate Watchers to the ground. One of its arms, a great giant mass of rotting flesh as thick as a tree trunk, grabbed a mage that was struggling to regain his feet. The creature lifted the Gate Watcher from the ground, and the man let out a shrill scream of pain. Then, bringing its arm back down in a blur of motion, the creature beat the mage’s body against the pavement of the square, up and down, over and over again.

  A strangled cry erupted from the poor man’s throat as his bones were broken and shattered. Violet ripples of shadow magic began coiling in the air around the captured mage as he tried to heal his body, perhaps even bolster his strength as he and his comrades vainly tried to free him from the creature’s grip. Giving up, he pulled a dagger from his belt and began hacking away at the leather of his boot, vainly trying to wrench his foot free. But it was no use. The grotesque array of decaying limbs protruding from the monster’s distended body groped at the mage’s clothing and flesh, drawing him in nearer as it…

  “Shards,” Taly whimpered. “What is it doing? No, no, no… This can’t be happening.”

  Skye pulled her closer as the creature began to devour its captive.

  A heavy silence fell over the rampart when the mage’s screams began to echo through the square. Even from here, Taly could see the sprays of warm blood spattering across the other shadow mages as the creature ripped off the man’s arms and legs one by one. The mouths of the dead, stolen heads scattered across the monster’s body split open, revealing rows upon rows of decayed, broken teeth. With a high-pitched yowl, it began to gnaw on the severed limbs, and bright rivulets of crimson blood dripped down its body as it shoveled fistfuls of muscle, skin, and bone into its gaping, lipless maws.

  Taly released a broken sob. The man was still screaming. He was still alive. Skye’s grip on her waist bordered on painful at this point, but she didn’t care. If she looked up, she knew his face would be painted in the same portrait of stunned shock and horror that adorned the faces of every man and woman witnessing this gruesome scene.

  The man’s screams abruptly stopped, and Taly’s ears rang in the resulting silence.

  There was no sound except for the sickening crunch of bones as the beast consumed the last of the shadow mage. The other mages in the square were already backing up, their swords held in front of them.

  “I… I don’t understand,” Eula stammered. “That was Lord Aryn. He was a highborn—that thing shouldn’t have been able to overpower him. What is that… monster?”

  Skye didn’t answer. He just shook his head and muttered an unintelligible curse.

  As they continued to watch, glowing violet veins of energy flickered to life beneath the beast’s waxy skin, and it gave a low groan as its body began to grow. Its skin stretched and tore open, and its arms were already reaching for the corpses of the fallen dead still scattered on the ground. It shoved the putrid flesh into the mouths of its many wailing heads, licking feverishly at the congealed blood that stained the pavement. Sometimes, it would grab a random severed body part off the ground and plunge it into its torso, adding to the gruesome collection of decaying limbs decorating its body. Moments later—be it a head, an arm, or a leg—the new appendage would start thrashing and writhing as the creature continued to feed.

  Taly felt Skye start to tremble (or maybe that was her?) as the monster’s body grew before their eyes, incorporating more and more dead flesh into its rotted form until it was at least twice the size that it was before.

  “It can scale the wall now,” Eula whispered. “It’s going to come for the compound next.”

  “Yes,” Skye replied, his tone surprisingly even. “Yes, it can. And, it will.”

  A low growl was carried on the wind as the creature turned, a lumbering mass of putrefying flesh. Milky eyes swiveled to survey the remaining shadow mages that were now frantically fleeing across the field, their legs a blur as they pushed themselves to go faster.

  As a chorus of screams ripped from the throats of a host of dead men rang out, the monster charged. Its massive legs were surprisingly spry, and it quickly began to gain on the line of retreating shadow mages.

  Taly turned to Skye, her eyes searching his face as he watched the scene unfolding in the market square. “Tell me you have a plan, Skye. We have to help them!”

  “Your orders, sire?” Eula asked, hiding her fear behind a mask of professionalism.

  Skye just shook his head, a look of horror in his eyes. His reaction was mirrored by the other mages that lined the walls. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “I don’t know.”

  Chapter 18

  -A letter from High Priestess Melinoe of the Faerasanaa to Prior Keris of the Gravis Somni

  The 30th day of the month Ares, during the 35,652nd year of our Lady Raine

  Prior Keris,

  While I understand that you are very busy tending to the dreamers, I cannot stress how important it is that we all work together to overcome this tragedy. The death of Lord Draco Arrhichion has presented an unusual problem. It has been so long since a member of the highborn court has suffered the final death that we find ourselves unprepared to perform the proper funeral rites. Since the Gravis Somni have traditionally overseen the final interment, I believe that they are the ones that must now be called upon to organize the Night of Lamentation and the burial.

  The priestesses of the Faerasanaa have already gone far beyond what is required of them by consecrating the body and arranging for the offerings. The death of a highborn, as well as a shadow mage, has caused signi
ficant unrest, and it is all my sisters and I can do right now to quell a city-wide panic. We do not have the time nor the capacity to oversee the interment process.

  I should not have to remind you that it is your duty to serve not only the fey that have chosen to take the long sleep but also the dead. I am sending Sister Corienna to act as a liaison. She is a Master Sage regarding the philosophy of Moriah and life behind the veil, so please direct any questions you may have to her. If possible, I would like to start the mourning procession no later than the end of the week. The sooner we can start the funerary rites, the sooner the people will be able to move past this misfortune.

  May the Shards bless you,

  Lady Khanna Melinoe of House Agno, High Priestess of the Faerasanaa

  With a deafening roar, the abomination charged at the retreating line of shadow mages. The piercing wail carried across the square, finally breaking the fey on the wall out of their stupor. With a clamor, they all moved at once, stupefied bewilderment replaced with unmitigated panic.

  The death of a highborn, a shadow mage no less, was unthinkable—a testament to the mortality of an otherwise immortal race. Screams rang out as the fey rushed for the stairwells. Their bodies pressed together, and Taly would’ve been knocked off her feet, maybe even off the side of the wall, if Skye hadn’t kept a firm grip on her waist. He was a steadfast island in the midst of a churning sea of bodies, and Taly had no choice but to cling to him.

  “Back to your posts!” Skye roared, his voice carrying over the cacophony of screams and shouts. When that didn’t stop the terror-stricken chaos, he reached down and pulled one of Taly’s pistols. Three shots rang out, startling the fleeing mages into silence. “I said, back to your posts,” he repeated in a harsh tone that Taly had never heard from him before. His face was hard, and his mouth pressed into a grim line. “We will not leave our people out there to die.”

  “You heard him!” Eula ordered, stomping her boot. The aether-infused blow caused the stone of the rampart to tremble underfoot. “Get moving!”

  Taly recognized most of the terror-stricken, tear-stained faces filing past them. She had seen each one of them at one time or another during her many trips to the Gate Watchers’ compound with Ivain and Skye. These weren’t soldiers. They were scholars and scientists, and she’d be willing to bet that most of them had never seen combat before—much less the final death of another fey. Eula shared a look with Skye before turning on her heel and disappearing into the crowd of mages trying to line up along the wall.

  “Taly,” Skye said gently, grabbing her by the shoulders, “there’s nothing you can do here. I need you to get inside the keep. Go inside Ivain’s old room and barricade the door. No matter what you hear outside, don’t come out.”

  “What do you mean?” Taly asked incredulously. “I’m not going to leave you.”

  “You don’t have any magic, and that thing out there is killing trained shadow mages,” Skye insisted. When he saw the rebellion in her eyes, he placed a gentle hand on her face. “Please, Taly. I can’t lose you. I just… can’t.”

  With that, he turned Taly around and pushed her towards the stairs before retreating further down the rampart, bracing himself on the ledge of the walkway as he prepared to leap over the wall.

  Rushing forward, Taly grabbed Skye’s arm and gave him a sharp tug. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “What does it look like I’m doing?” he sputtered as he stumbled back. “They need backup.”

  Taly punched him on the shoulder. “So you’re going to hole me up in Ivain’s bedroom while you go out there half-cocked without a plan? Was one shadow mage dying gruesomely not enough for you? You need a strategy to take that thing down.”

  Skye looked like he was going to argue, so Taly tried again. “Just stop and think about this for a minute, Skye. This creature is as fast as you, as strong as you, and more resilient. How are you supposed to kill something like that?”

  “Damn it, you’re right,” Skye growled in frustration as he raked a hand through his hair. “It has to have a weakness. Everything has weaknesses—even shadow mages.”

  Taly’s eyes drifted back out to the battlefield. “What about the crystals?” she asked after a moment. “The creatures I encountered had crystals. I’d bet good coin that this one does too.”

  Skye turned to look at her, confusion written on his face. “What are you talking about? What crystals?”

  A light drizzle had started to fall, and Taly wiped at the droplets accumulating on her cheeks. “You seriously didn’t see the bright, flashing shadow crystals embedded in these things’ chests?”

  “I was a little busy,” Skye replied dryly. “How did you… no, never mind. I don’t want to know right now. Still, a shadow crystal would suggest that this thing is being powered by shadow magic. If that’s the case—"

  “Then taking out the crystal should take out the creature,” Taly concluded. They both moved to stand by the edge of the rampart, gazing down at the battle unfolding below. The shadow mages had scattered, and the creature had broken off to chase a group that skirted along the edge of the square. The beast’s footsteps created great plumes of mud, dirt, and debris in its wake as it charged after them blindly.

  “It’s a decoy,” Skye muttered, running a hand along his chin. “They’re trying to cover the rest of the team’s escape.” He leaned against the rampart, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t see a crystal, though.”

  The thud of boots sounded from the opposite end of the wall walk. The first group of shadow mages had made it back to the rampart. They were panting and wheezing. Some bent over at the waist while others sunk to the ground, their shoulders trembling beneath their cloaks and armor.

  “You there,” Skye snapped at a young girl as she passed. Her bright, highborn eyes widened in surprise, and she ducked her head. “The shadow mages that just got back—take them to the earth mages and see that they get priority. I need them back on their feet and ready to fight immediately.”

  “Sire.” The girl bobbed her head before taking off at a jog, pushing people out of the way as she tried to navigate the walkway.

  “How close would you need to be to be able to sense the crystal?” Taly asked when Skye turned back to face her.

  “Maybe twenty feet,” he replied with a frown.

  Taly swallowed against the lump in her throat. That was too close for her liking. “Can any of the other shadow mages do better?”

  “No.” Skye crossed his arms. “If Ivain, or Commander Enix, or his Precept were here—they could sense the crystal at 30 feet. Maybe 40. But they’re not here. I’m the best option.”

  “I was afraid you were going to say that,” Taly muttered. Even though Skye was several centuries younger than the average Gate Watcher, he was strong. Some of the most powerful shadow mages in all of fey history had been born to House Ghislain.

  Skye placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she shook him off. She didn’t want his comfort. She wanted a plan. The cloudy sky paired with the setting sun made the evening unusually dark, and she had to squint to get a better look at the creature raging through the courtyard. “The crystal is probably buried somewhere inside its body. If you have the mages on the wall focus their fire, they could whittle it down so someone can move in and destroy the crystal.”

  “Except that the fire and ice spells aren’t working anymore. Look.” Skye handed Taly a small telescope, and it didn’t take her long to see exactly what he meant. The mages on the wall were still firing at the creature, but the spells did nothing. Each blast carved away its flesh, only for the skin and bone to knit itself back together in a matter of seconds. The beast didn’t even acknowledge the salvo of offensive magic as it continued to charge after the remaining shadow mages.

  “Shit,” Skye cursed softly, watching one of the decoys stumble. “They’re not going to hold out for much longer.”

  Taly glanced up at Skye before following his gaze. He was right—they were already
starting to lag. In fact, the only reason the beast hadn’t caught them yet was because they had started skirting along the edges of the square where the layer of scattered debris was densest. The beast, though fast, was far from nimble, and had a harder time pursuing them through the sea of splintered wood.

  “You need more firepower,” Taly stated decisively. “Something more concentrated than your basic fire or ice spell.”

  Skye looked thoughtful for a moment, his brow creasing as his eyes scanned the rampart. The mages, a motley collection of Gate Watchers and civilians, had managed to form a sloppy line along the wall. Eula marched behind them, barking orders. “I’ve got it,” he finally said. “Follow me.”

  Skye took off at a jog, pulling Taly along as he shoved his way through the crowd until they came to one of the crystalline towers overlooking the compound’s gate. Tables were set up along the walls of the turret, and mages huddled over the workbenches, some charging crystals and others mixing herbs and salves to help heal the wounded.

  Weaving in between the flurry of people darting to-and-fro in the confines of the cramped tower room, Skye dragged her over to a narrow set of stairs set into the corner. When they stepped out onto the tower roof, Taly’s head swam, and she had to lean against the balustrade.

  “You okay?” Skye asked, placing a hand on her elbow.

  Taly nodded. “Yeah—made the mistake of looking down.”

  Skye glanced over the side of the tower, completely unfazed by the steep 60-foot drop. “I never thought you’d be the type to be afraid of heights,” he said, giving her a subtle smirk as he pulled her away from the edge.

  “I’m not,” Taly retorted. “I just have a healthy respect for things that could kill me instantaneously.”