Shardless

by Stephanie Fisher

  “Are you sure that’s it?” There was a huskiness to his voice that Taly wasn’t accustomed to hearing, and his chest rose and fell a little too rapidly, almost like he was out of breath. “Are you absolutely certain that the forbidden rites are the only thing on your mind this morning?”

  “Yes,” she replied, feeling a little dizzy. She placed a hand on his chest, meaning to push him away. Instead, she ended up twisting her fingers in his shirt, her eyes eagerly taking in the teasing glimpses of smooth flesh and lean muscle she could see peeking through his unbuttoned collar.

  When she dared to glance up at his face, she felt her breath catch in her throat. He was watching her with something akin to… longing? Hunger? She didn’t have words to describe that heated gaze, and when his hand moved up to trace her jaw, then her lips, she had to lean against the shelf for support, lest her knees give out.

  She needed to push him away. If he had his magic, if he could hear the way her heart was racing, she would never hear the end of it. Because surely this couldn’t be real. She was misinterpreting the situation. That was the only reasonable explanation. He didn’t want her. He couldn’t want her. She was just a human, and he’d already been with dozens of other women. Beautiful women. Fey women. Women like Adalet—a glittering jewel wrapped in silk and lace, her eyes full of dark promises and her tongue dripping with honeyed venom.

  Taly couldn’t compare to any of these ladies. She knew this. But she felt rooted to the spot, pinned in place by that inhuman green stare. He was leaning forward now, and, to her great surprise, so was she. Then, before her brain had quite managed to catch up, his lips pressed against hers.

  The chaste kiss was impossibly soft—warm, almost reverent. Nothing like the harsh meetings of tongue and teeth that she had read about in romance novels. Far too soon for her liking, Skye pulled away. His expression was strained as he studied her undoubtedly flushed face.

  “Is this okay?” he asked, his eyes searching for something, some measure of doubt perhaps. When Taly hesitated, her words catching in her throat, he took a step back, self-reproach evident in his expression. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  “No!” Taly tightened her grip on his shirt. Whatever this was, she wasn’t ready for it to end yet. Skye stopped, his eyes finding hers. “It’s okay. I just… I don’t know what to… how to… damn it.” She looked at him plaintively, praying that he would see what she couldn’t find it in her to say.

  Skye laughed, relief flowing off him in waves as he gave her a dazzling smile. “Don’t worry. I think I get it.”

  He leaned forward slowly—so achingly slowly that it took most of her self-control not to grab him and speed this along. But then his lips tentatively touched hers, and she felt lost as he gently cupped her face, waiting for her to respond. The moment seemed to last longer this time, and when Skye backed away again, it almost felt painful.

  “How about that?” he asked, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  “Umm… that works, I think,” Taly murmured. Her cheeks felt impossibly warm, and her lips still tingled.

  “Really? You just think?” His smile widened. “I guess I’m going to have to try a little harder then.”

  With that, his mouth immediately pressed against hers, more firmly this time as one hand came up to tangle in her hair. As Taly began to move her lips in response, hesitant at first but slowly gaining confidence, his kiss became more demanding. His grip on her tightened, but he didn’t press his body against hers—not in the way she needed it. The inch of distance he maintained between their bodies was almost… respectful.

  Taly groaned inwardly. Of course, Skye would choose now, of all times, to start being respectful. Well, if they were already scheduled to have one hell of an awkward conversation when this was done, she should at least enjoy herself in the meantime. At least, that was how her brain chose to rationalize what she did next.

  Wrapping her arms around Skye’s neck, Taly pressed her body against his. That simple gesture, or maybe it was the sudden skin-on-skin contact as she snaked her palms inside his shirt, seemed to finally break through his restraint. With a strangled moan, he coiled his other arm around her waist, drawing her to her toes as he shoved her against the bookcase. In the distance, through the haze of lust, she thought she heard several books fall to the floor with heavy thuds.

  Shards, he felt good. This felt good. That was all Taly could think as he pressed himself against her, all firm masculine planes and sinewy lines of muscle.

  Eventually, her need for air made itself known, and she had to pull away, gasping for breath. As soon as her lips left his, Skye was at her neck, placing wet, open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat. Tilting her head to give him better access, she shuddered as the cool air of the library wafted against her moist, overheated skin.

  “Skye?” His name came out as a needy moan, and Taly fisted a hand in his hair.

  “Yes?” he whispered against her skin, his voice lilting. His hands traced the curve of her waist, up and then back down over the swell of her hips.

  She gave his hair another tug, hoping that he’d catch her meaning. All she got was a low chuckle, puffs of air against her skin as he ghosted his lips across the length of her neck.

  “Is there something you want?” His tongue darted out to trace the shell of her ear, and she thought she felt a slight tremble shake his frame.

  Another tug and she finally pulled his lips back up to hers, but he didn’t close the distance. Instead, he teased her, placing soft kisses along the line of her jaw. “You’re going to have to tell me what you want, Tink. Word for word—you know I don’t take instruction well.”

  Taly’s cheeks flushed an even brighter shade of red. “I…” she stuttered, a breathy sigh escaping when he started to nibble at her other ear. “I… I want…” Another lick. Another nip. “Shards, would you stop being such a tease and just kiss me again?” she finally managed to blurt out in a rush.

  Skye’s reaction was immediate. With a low growl, he hooked his hands beneath her thighs, twisting them around and hoisting her up on the nearby desktop. His lips were back on hers in an instant, and he used her gasp of surprise to deepen the kiss as he hooked her legs around his waist.

  His tongue felt like velvet as it expertly invaded her mouth, but she froze up, overcome by the flood of new sensations. Sensing her hesitation, he pulled back, pressing his lips to hers once, twice. Slow, soft kisses, waiting for her to set the pace. After a moment, she opened her mouth in invitation, and though she fumbled, he was patient. His hands cradled her face tenderly as she tried to match his rhythm, and she felt him smile against her lips when she started kissing him back with increasing confidence and enthusiasm.

  Eventually, his hands started to become more daring, moving to caress her waist, her thighs. But when he began tugging at her shirt, palming the bare skin of her back and grinding into her just where she needed it most, she had to pull away.

  “Skye, stop,” she gasped, tipping her head back as a strangled whimper tore from her throat. She gripped his shoulders and gave him a slight push.

  “Sorry.” Breathing harshly, he pressed his face into the crook of her neck. “Too fast?”

  “No… I mean… maybe a little,” Taly stammered. The telltale hardness that was still pressed against her core did little to help her recover what was left of her higher thought processes. “What are we doing?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” He gave a strained laugh, then a groan as he took a step back, putting a small amount of space between their bodies.

  “Don’t be a smartass.” She pinched his shoulder, which earned her a sharp nip on the side of her neck. “I mean it. What are we doing?”

  Skye finally pulled back far enough to look her in the eye, and his hands moved to encircle her waist, almost like he was afraid she was going to run away. “Well,” he said, a little unsure, “I wanted to kiss you, so I did. Then you kissed me back, and then it… escalated.”

>   Taly licked her lips, and his eyes dipped down to her mouth. She placed a hand on his chest, a warning. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

  “Why not?” His face fell, and she could see a shadow of apprehension creep into his expression.

  “Well,” Taly said, her breaths still heavy and uneven, “you’re my best friend, for one.”

  “I’m sorry,” Skye broke in. “I’m confused. Is that supposed to be a reason for or against me kissing you again?”

  Taly swatted his chest. “Stop it. I know you love the sound of your own voice, but just shut up for one second and listen.” Skye didn’t look too terribly chastened, but he pressed his lips together as he waited for her to continue.

  She took a deep breath before saying, “You’re my best friend, and I don’t want to ruin that. I don’t want to ruin us for… I don’t even know. What is this? Just a way to relieve stress after a shitty day? Or hell, did you strike out with Jezebel the other night and still need to scratch that itch?”

  Skye’s arms tightened around her waist. “Is that what you think?” he asked, so quiet, so calm. His eyes turned hard—lethal. “Do you actually believe that I would use you as some sort of plaything?”

  “No,” Taly replied quickly. When she moved a hand to cup his cheek, she felt him relax as he leaned into her touch. “But I do think that this is a little unexpected, and maybe we need to take a step back before we end up making a mistake. Shards know I’ve already made far too many of those.”

  Skye snorted a laugh. “Oh, Taly, full of grace, who did flee from the manor in all due haste.”

  Taly glowered at him as best she could from where she was still pressed against his chest. “How long have you been waiting to use that line?”

  “A while,” he replied, grinning. “There are other verses if you’d like to—”

  “Nope. I’m good.”

  “No poetry. Got it.” Growing serious, Skye sighed as he pressed his forehead against hers. “I don’t have every single answer for you, Tink. I wish I did, but I don’t. Just know this—I would never risk you, risk us, just to scratch some itch, as you so eloquently put it. You’re too important to me. All I know right now is that I want you. It’s a little scary just how much I want you. How much I want us.”

  Taly swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat as she tried to process the open and raw vulnerability that Skye had just laid bare before her.

  When she didn’t respond immediately, he shifted his weight, his grip on her loosening. “That’s what I want, at least. What do you want?”

  That was a good question. What did she want? What was she allowed to want? She had made so many mistakes, and she still had so many secrets. The least of which being that she had been planning to leave him again in just a few short months. If she were smart, she would tell him she just wanted to be friends. If she truly cared about him, she would end this before she inevitably caused him more pain.

  Taly opened her mouth to reply, but Skye shushed her. His head tilted to the side like he was listening.

  “Damn,” he quietly cursed.

  “What is it?”

  “We have company. One floor down by the sound of it. I should’ve noticed him sooner but” —Skye shrugged and sighed wearily— “still no magic.”

  His eyes found hers, and she knew her expression probably still contained the same measure of sex-addled desire she could see reflected back at her. “This conversation isn’t over,” he said as he stepped away. Taking her hands in his, he pulled her to her feet. “Just on hold until we see what this asshole wants.”

  He pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers, before gesturing for her to sit. With a groan, he sunk down into the seat next to her, closer than he had been before, and Taly had to suppress a chuckle when she saw him shift uncomfortably. Despite the problem she could plainly see tenting his trousers, he let his leg press against hers suggestively as he picked up a random book from the pile littering the table. Several of the stacks had toppled over, spilling out onto the floor.

  “What do you want?” Skye said after a few moments, not bothering to hide his irritation.

  Taly followed his gaze, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw a familiar face peeking around the corner. He looked far more haggard and worn than when she’d last seen him, but she’d recognize that brassy hair anywhere.

  “Terribly sorry,” came the guileless response. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” When Kit’s eyes caught hers, Taly found herself looking away, her cheeks feeling even warmer than they had before.

  Skye scowled as he threw his book off to the side. “Would it even matter if I said that you were?”

  Finding her voice, Taly said, “Good morning, Kit. I didn’t take you for an early riser.”

  Kit’s eyes widened, darting to Skye and then back to Taly as his momentary surprise was replaced by something more calculating. “I think you’ll find that I’m full of surprises, Tal-ee.” The way he drew out the syllables of her name, as though he could taste them, had her raising a skeptical brow.

  “None of them good,” Skye muttered under his breath.

  “Says you,” Kit replied with a shrug. “I say we let Taly be the judge of that.”

  Taly laughed lightly as she reached for her discarded book from earlier. It had been kicked underneath the desk, and she had to duck to retrieve it. “Please don’t drag me into whatever this is. Because, Kit…” Sitting back up, she stared at him pointedly. “You seem nice and all, but you’re not going to win that fight.” Skye’s brows shot up, and he smiled. Before he had a chance to say something cocky, she jerked her head in his direction, muttering, “After all, I’ve got to live with this asshole.”

  “Hey!” Skye exclaimed, his grin widening.

  Kit cleared his throat, suddenly serious as some of that sly wit melted away. “Eula was looking for you, S… sire.” His tongue tripped on the last word, as though he weren’t used to saying it.

  “Of course she was,” Skye replied with a sigh.

  “C’mon, Skye,” Taly said as she scanned the page. “Did you really think something as insignificant as an undead army rampaging through the town and possibly ending life as we know it was going to stop Eula from getting up at six bells on the dot?”

  Skye laughed lightly, his eyes still tinged with a lingering heat that set Taly’s heart racing. “I suppose that was silly of me, wasn’t it?” he said smoothly, just a hint of that usual teasing humor peeking through. “I should go see what she wants.”

  “Take your time,” Kit said innocently, the look in his eyes anything but. “Taly and I can keep ourselves entertained.”

  Skye’s eyes flashed, his irritation flickering to life as quickly as it faded. “And I’m sure Taly can handle herself, even when it comes to you.” Skye gave the man a meaningful look before turning back to Taly. “Kit is also fluent in Faera, in case you need any help here. And if he gives you trouble, feel free to push him over the railing.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied, her eyes raking over Kit appraisingly. There was something about the older fey, something about the veiled animosity she could see creep into his expression every so often that didn’t sit well with her.

  Skye gave her one last longing look, sighing softly. Then, in a single fluid movement, he stood, his hands in his pockets as he sauntered past the freckled Gate Watcher leaning against the shelves. The tension was almost palpable as Kit continued to watch Skye long after he had disappeared around the corner.

  “What’s his problem?” Kit asked suddenly, all hints of aggression immediately evaporating.

  Turning back to her book, Taly said, “I think you know very well what his problem is.”

  “So I did interrupt something.” Kit’s eyebrows waggled suggestively as he claimed Skye’s abandoned seat.

  “Don’t get cute,” Taly replied, staring at him pointedly, “Kato.”

  That good-humored expression never budged. “Ah. I see he told you.�
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  “Nope.” Taly smiled a feline grin. “You just did.”

  The aforementioned Kit balked, his mask finally cracking. Then, a loud peal of laughter erupted from his chest, the sound echoing through the cavernous library. “I must say I’m a little stunned, Miss Caro. If my dear baby brother didn’t tell you who I was, what gave me away?”

  Taly shrugged as she continued to casually flip through the book. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. You’re a member of House Ghislain, a shadow mage, and you speak fluent Faera—something that Skye said is only taught to members of the primary bloodline. That would include Skye and his siblings, maybe a handful of cousins. Certainly not a distant relation, which you claimed to be when we first met. You also managed to get underneath Skye’s skin well enough to get assigned to funeral pyre duty.” She grabbed one of Kato’s hands. Though his clothes were clean and his skin had been washed, there was ash underneath his fingernails. “That’s Ensign work. And I’d guess you’re at least a Marshal since you were commanding the search and rescue team yesterday.”

  Kato’s grin widened. “Beautiful and clever. I can see why my little brother likes you so much.”

  “So why did you lie to me?” Taly asked, ignoring his attempt to flirt with her.

  “And blunt.” Kato looked slightly uncomfortable now. “In my defense, I didn’t exactly lie to you about my name.”

  “Go on.”

  Kato sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair in a way that was strangely similar to Skye. There were seven violet lines tattooed on the underside of his wrist—each one a testament to his training as a shadow mage. “Kit used to be a nickname. It was given to me by the last woman that managed to stab me, and I haven’t used that name since we… parted ways. Considering that you were standing there with my blood on your dagger and the world had just gone to hell… I don’t know. It seemed fitting at the time—almost poetic.”

  Taly snorted. “I’m not sure I believe all of that, but since you were such a good aether battery yesterday afternoon, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” Kato sagged in relief but tensed when Taly added, “And the cousin bit?”