Page 13 of Shardless (Tempris #1)

-A letter from High Priestess Melinoe of the Faerasanaa to Lord Auberin Brenin of House Arylaan, High Lord of Earth

The 20 th day of the month Luna, during the 250 th year of the Empty Throne

Auberin,

We need to talk about your brother. Kalahad was in my office again last night—asking about bodies. While this is hardly the first time this has happened, we had 15 Feseraa go missing last night.

I want them back—alive and unharmed. Otherwise, we may need to revisit our arrangement.

Walk in the Shards’ light,

Lady Khanna Melinoe of House Agno, High Priestess of the Faerasana a

As Taly and Skye walked through the main gates of Ryme on their way to the Swap, Taly couldn’t help but notice the extra attention they received from the townsfolk. Well, not “they.” Mostly just Skye. The astonishingly rich color of a highborn fey’s eyes was always easy to spot, but Skye’s practically glowed. Green eyes were rare among the fey, and the members of House Ghislain were known for having eyes that were almost emerald in their intensity. Even to the casual observer, there was absolutely no question as to Skye’s parentage.

Taly felt a little uncomfortable standing next to him, but she resisted the urge to hang her head and fall into step behind him where she would be partially obscured. When they were younger, she had been oblivious to the attention they drew walking through town arm-in-arm—a highborn noble and a shardless. Everything had been so much easier then.

Taly fidgeted with the sleeve of her coat, trying to ignore the people around her. The protection spells woven into the fabric tingled against her skin and made her shiver. When she had rifled through her closet that morning, she was pleasantly surprised to see that Sarina had gifted her a new set of leather gear, perfect for salvaging, sparring, or just traveling outside the more populated areas of the island. The charcoal jacket she now wore was soft and pliable, and while it wasn’t exactly armor, the hide shell was reinforced for added durability. She had new boots as well. They were tall, ending mid-thigh, and would help protect her legs if she ever got pushed into another pile of scrap metal. As she had learned by now, the mountains of junk that accumulated around tears in the veil certainly didn’t lack for sharp edges that liked to reach out and slash through clothing and skin.

“Damn it,” Taly cursed as she felt the cuff of her boot start to slip. Sarina had most likely had them made using her old measurements. Exiting the flow of traffic, Taly stood off to the side and inspected the strap buckled around the shaft of her boot. She had already tightened it as far as it would go.

“What’s wrong?” Skye asked, coming to stand beside her.

“It’s my boots. I’m still too scrawny.”

“Scrawny? Shards, you’ve been listening to Eliza—the same woman that still calls me scrawny . You look fine, Tink. You’re still a little lean, but you’ve got plenty of muscle tone.” Taly’s brows drew together in a frown as she looked up at him skeptically. It wasn’t like him to comment on her appearance. Not in a positive way, that is. Skye just shrugged in reply, tugging at the neck of his jerkin and then readjusting the lapels of the dark navy duster he wore over his armor. “What? You’ve been walking around in flimsy, little nightgowns all week. The restoration spells made your hair longer too. Or was I not supposed to notice that either?”

“Whatever,” Taly said, shaking her head. “I’ll just pay to get the straps fixed when we get to the Swap.”

“No need. I think I have something that may work.” Tugging the strap of his bag over his head, Skye crouched down beside her as he began digging through his pack .

Taly sighed, vainly trying to adjust the scabbard of one of her daggers. The harness for her knives was new and stiff, and an intricate border of tiny snowdrop flowers was stamped into the side along with her initials. Looking up, she started when her eyes met the bright violet gaze of another highborn. A sneer was painted across his perfect features. In fact, most of the people passing by were looking at her with icy contempt. She pulled at the collar of Skye’s greatcoat. “Get up. People are staring.”

“So?” he asked distractedly, still rifling in his pack.

“So, I—”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, shardless?” a gruff voice practically spat.

Taly yelped when a rough hand grabbed her shoulder and twisted her around. She instinctively reached for Zephyr as she struggled against her attacker’s grasp, vainly trying to shrug off the hand that was fisted in the fabric of her coat. The man’s iron grip didn’t loosen. He gave her a vicious shake, throwing her off-balance and wrenching Zephyr’s hilt from her grasp in the process. The dagger fell to the ground with a clatter.

She soon found herself face-to-face with a very angry shopkeeper. He was gangly and lean, but his grip on her shoulder was like a vice. He looked down at her contemptuously. “You think to have a highborn shine your shoes, human? Maybe someone should teach you your place.” Flames spiraled up his arm, coiling and converging around the hand that held her as he summoned his aether. The smell of smoke filled the air. Bracing herself, Taly waited for the heat of the fire spell to burn through her coat and hit her skin .

But the blistering pain never came. Before she could even blink, Skye was standing next to her. She hadn’t even seen him move from his position on the ground behind her. He just appeared next to her attacker, his hand around the fire mage’s throat.

“Put. Her. Down.” Skye’s voice was low and dangerous, and an animalistic growl emanated from deep within his chest. The air thinned as Skye pulled apart the man’s spell, literally draining away the aether that coursed through the fire mage’s veins. There was nothing more fearsome than a shadow mage, especially in close range. Skin-to-skin contact, however, was a death knell.

Taly let out the breath she’d been holding, glad that the heat at her shoulder was starting to abate. Her attacker’s grip relaxed, and she scrambled away, eager to put some distance between herself and the angry fey.

The immediate threat extinguished, Taly finally had a chance to look at her assailant. Though his ears were pointed, he looked too much like a mortal to be highborn. Still, the expensive silk of his frock coat and his clean-shaven jaw indicated that he had money.

The lowborn man started to sputter, his face turning red. “I… I thought she was trying to rob you, milord. Her hand was on her dagger.”

“So, instead of simply asking, you made a biased assumption and decided to attack a lady unprovoked? And not just that, you attempted to attack her with fire aether—all in broad daylight for an unsubstantiated observation.” Skye lifted the man onto his toes. “Apologize.”

“Skye, that’s not necessary.” Taly tugged at the sleeve of his coat, her other dagger now drawn and held at her side.

“Yes, it is, Taly,” Skye replied, glancing at her over his shoulder. “This man needs to learn some manners. Now, good sir” —Skye tightened his grip, lifting the man a little higher— “please apologize to the lady.”

The man spared a frightened glance at Taly. She could see hatred mixed with the terror in his expression. “I’m sorry,” he choked out, “I acted in error.”

Skye arched a brow, and his face hardened. Taly tugged at his coat again, and when his eyes found hers, she shook her head. “That’s a piss-poor apology, but it’ll have to do,” he hissed through clenched teeth as he lowered the man to the ground. “You’re very lucky, you know. If either the Marquess or his sister had been here, they wouldn’t have been so kind.”

The man visibly paled as he finally took in Skye’s appearance, and Taly could see the pieces start to click into place as he realized just who he had inadvertently picked a fight with. Almost everyone on the island was aware that the Marquess had a mortal ward, even if they couldn’t be bothered to remember her name or face. “L-lord Emrys? My deepest apologies, sire.” He turned to Taly and bobbed his head before stumbling down the street and back through the door of his shop.

Skye watched the man scurry out of sight before finally turning back to Taly. His jaw was clenched, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. “I think I understand now why you pulled a knife on me the other day in town.” He pulled back the collar of her jacket, running a finger over a row of crystals sewn into the lining and checking her skin for burns. “The protection spells in your coat are working, so I guess that’s good. Does this happen often?”

“More often lately with so many visitors in town for the gate opening,” Taly replied shakily. “Anti-mortal sentiment is always running high when the tourists visit. Seems worse than normal, though. People are on edge for some reason.”

Scooping up Zephyr from the pavement, she sheathed both her daggers and then shook out her hands to hide the sudden tremble. While this wasn’t the first time she’d been threatened by some lowborn trying to assert his dominance, she couldn’t exactly say the experience was improving. “So,” she said, taking a deep breath and trying to lighten the mood, “I think this is the part where I’m supposed to say ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh,’ right?”

Skye barked out a laugh, and some of the tightness around his eyes started to melt away. As he pulled her over to a bench, he clucked his tongue disapprovingly. “No. The appropriate time would’ve been while I was performing the impressive feat of strength. See—I knew we should’ve practiced.”

Skye pushed her to sit as he fell to one knee in front of her, and Taly’s eyes darted from side-to-side, watching the passersby. She started to grow nervous and was about to pull him up to sit beside her until she noticed that he had positioned himself so that if anyone else made a grab for her, they’d have to go through him first. He glanced up, giving her a reassuring smile as he continued to dig in his pack. After a moment, he produced a small leather repair kit and set to work refitting the straps around her boots. Blowing out a slow breath, she leaned back, content to watch as he easily pushed a metal belt punch through the thick leather with nothing more than a flick of his wrist. Every so often, his fingers would graze the inside of her thighs as he adjusted the fit, sending small, not entirely unpleasant shivers down her spine.

Taly shook her head. Skye had helped her with her belt straps at least a hundred times before. This time was no different.

“All done,” Skye announced a moment later, patting her knee.

After a long pause, he had still made no move to stand, prompting Taly to look down. He gave her an odd look, his eyes unblinking as they held her gaze. Then, seeming to come to a decision, he abruptly stood, slinging his pack over his shoulder. As Taly moved to follow suit, he reached down and pulled her to her feet, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm and pressing his elbow firmly to his side. Without another word, he continued forward.

Taly’s first instinct was to pull away—they were drawing even more attention now as they weaved through the crowd at an unhurried pace. Instead, she found herself stepping closer, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

Thankfully, they weren’t far from the Swap now, and she managed to brush aside any lingering unease once they passed through the doors. It was busy that morning, making it easier to disappear into the sea of people. Taking the lead, she started pushing her way to the back of the main room.

“Where are you going?” Skye asked, allowing himself to be pulled along. “Shouldn’t we be looking for Sandulf?”

Taly rolled her eyes. Sandulf was the reconnaissance expert employed by the Marquess. His job was to gather as much intelligence about the island as possible and provide up-to-date information to salvagers and guides. Unfortunately, he was terrible at his job. And lazy.

“I’ve got someone better,” she yelled over the din. “Just let me do the talking. He hates nobles.”

“This is going to be good,” Skye muttered quietly, smirking when she turned her head to glare at him.

Finally managing to push and shove her way to the back of the room, Taly released Skye’s arm as she veered off into a narrow, partially concealed hallway. Back when the Swap was still a lord’s manor, this area had been used by the servants.

“Hey Dimas,” Taly said in a sing-song voice, approaching a sandy-haired youth. He had a baby-face and freckles, and Taly had mistaken him for a teenager when she first met him. She knew better now not to be taken in by outward appearances. He usually kept them hidden, but she had once spotted the pointed tips of his ears. This “kid” probably had 150 years on her, at least. “Got anything good for me?”

“Hey Taly,” Dimas drawled, watching Skye warily as he came to stand beside her. “You’re looking good . I see you’re keeping a little different company these days. What’s with the toft?”

“He’s a friend.” Taly placed a warning hand on Skye’s arm. Derogatory terms for the nobility aside, she could already tell Skye didn’t like the way that Dimas leered at her. But to be fair, the seedy merchant did that to just about everything female that walked by. “I heard that Marcos came back yesterday. Have any more guides returned?”

Dimas shrugged and started picking at his nails with a rusty dagger. “If they have, I haven’t heard anything. I didn’t even get to talk to Marcos before the Marquess snatched him up last night. The last guide I saw in Ryme left for Ebondrift last week. Apparently, Lord Kalahad Brenin decided to make an unexpected visit to the island.”

“The High Lord of Earth’s brother?” Taly asked, her eyes wide. Turning to Skye, she said, “I wonder if that has anything to do with why the other Watchers have been so unresponsive.”

“It’s possible,” Skye replied. “I’ve only met Lord Brenin a handful of times, but he seems… difficult .”

Dimas chuckled. “What a very diplomatic way of calling someone a right royal bastard,” he drawled, raking a disdainful eye up and down Skye.

“Cool it, Dimas.” Taly stepped between the two men. “Any idea where Brenin was headed?”

Dimas’ face relaxed, and he went back to picking at his nails. “Strio, I think.”

“Why the hell would anyone go to Strio with the grendels moving in?” Skye asked, unable to hide his surprise. The little village on the east side of the island had been evacuated almost two months ago when the southern grendel population had finally encroached on the town border. The local fire brigade still hadn’t managed to put out all of the fires.

“He told his guide he wanted to inspect the farmland, but I don’t buy it,” Dimas replied. Having grown bored of trying to antagonize Skye directly, he let his eyes drift down the length of Taly’s body suggestively. She had no doubt that the smile hovering around the edges of the trader’s mouth had everything to do with the way Skye started to bristle beside her.

Taly arched a brow. “Is that so? Well, don’t keep us in suspense. What do you think he’s after?”

Dimas shrugged indifferently. “Strio is situated near a tear in the veil. Fewer people means better salvage, and some very valuable items have been known to fall through so close to a gate connection. You tend to be the high-risk, high-reward type, Taly. ” The trader leaned back as he spoke, his coat shifting to reveal a gnarled wand. Judging from the clumsy rune engraved on the scratched surface of the fire crystal, it had probably been illegally modified. His fingers drummed against the shaft, and his eyes flitted over to Skye before landing back on her. “I’m surprised you haven’t made an attempt yet.”

Taly laughed. “I might be crazy, but I’m not stupid.” She saw Skye shift his weight, casually moving a hand to rest on the blade strapped to his waist. Patting the edgy highborn on the shoulder, she said, “Sorry, buddy. No more guides means you’re stuck with me.”

“Where are you headed?” Dimas interjected, leaning forward.

“Ebondrift,” Taly replied as she turned back to the trader. “I need the latest reports.”

“Sure.” Dimas reached underneath his table and pulled out a small roll of papers. “That’ll be three gold.”

“I’ll give you one,” Taly stated simply. She pulled out a single gold coin and threw it on the table.

“No deal.” Dimas’ eyes dropped, lingering on the swell of her breasts revealed by the slim cut of her leather coat before meeting her gaze again. “I might consider two, but only because it’s so rare that I get something so nice to look at it.”

Skye frowned and took a step towards her. Before he could say anything, Taly scoffed and placed both hands on the table. As she leaned forward, she subtly pushed her breasts together. She knew Dimas could see down the front of her shirt, but she wasn’t above exploiting her charms if it helped her get what she wanted.

“One gold. And before you give me any more shit, I know that your business has been a little lean lately. Especially since the guides haven’t been back in… what? A week you said? More? And I didn’t see any other salvagers out front. I’d be willing to bet you’d go as low as 50 silvers, but I don’t have the patience to sit here and haggle with you all day. So, you’ll take the coin, and I’ll take the papers. Deal?”

Dimas grimaced, glaring at her for a long moment. She saw him glance discreetly behind her, most likely trying to ascertain what kind of threat Skye posed. His eyes then flitted to the shiny viridian dagger strapped to her thigh before sliding back up to her chest. After a pause, he laughed, revealing a toothy smile as he placed the papers on the table. “Always nice doing business with you, Taly .”

“I wish I could say the same, but…” Taly gave the trader a subtle wink, earning her a genuine laugh from the man as she stood. Stuffing the papers in her pack, she turned to leave. Skye followed her as she led them back towards the main room, his hand finding its way to her shoulder as he walked a step closer than he had on their way in.

Taly could tell that Skye was irritated as they concluded their business at the Swap, but that couldn’t be helped. Dimas was the best information broker on the island, and everyone knew he gave better deals to anyone that flirted with him a little. While she might have shied away from dealing with someone like Dimas when she was first starting out, having the lecherous trader in her corner had proven useful on more than one occasion.

When Skye stopped at one of the crafting tables at the front and began negotiating for a new set of quills, she wandered through the rows of stalls, following the scent of food. Despite Eliza’s very generous portions at both breakfast and lunch, Taly’s appetite was already back.

The harpy meat was by far the freshest offering. As she purchased a large slab of meat sandwiched between two thick slices of bread, she secretly hoped that this was the same bird that had attacked her. That would be fitting.

She met back up with Skye at the shadow crafting booths, and the pair made their way outside. The air was still damp and cool after the rains, but the warm afternoon sun felt like heaven on her skin as she guided them over to a shaded area away from the main thoroughfare. Throwing her pack on the ground, she gracelessly plopped down against the trunk of a nearby tree and started tearing into her simple meal.

“Are you going to stop to chew?” Skye teased as he sat down beside her, leaning back against the old oak.

“Who has time to chew when there’s eating to do?” Taly mumbled around a mouthful of food. Swallowing, she said, “Leave me alone. I’ve been starving all week—even with that awful nutrient paste Aiden’s been shoving down my throat.”

Skye watched her curiously, one brow raised, but said nothing. A slight frown creased his brow.

“Also, stop judging me,” Taly grumbled, turning back to her sandwich and pulling out the papers she’d purchased.

Skye cleared his throat. “So, about… what was his name? Dimas?"

“See, there’s the judgment. Right on time,” Taly interjected without looking up. She had been expecting this. “Look—Dimas might be a pervert, but he’s a useful one.”

“I don’t like the way he was looking at you,” Skye protested. He sat up and peered over her shoulder at the handful of papers in her lap.

“And how’s that? Like he wants to sleep with me?” Taly finished off the last of her sandwich and started licking the juice off her fingers. She only half-registered the low growl coming from behind her as she continued to study the newest scouting reports.

“Yes. I mean, no. I…” Skye huffed out an irritated sigh. “I just don’t like it. Even if you were already doing that sort of thing, that Dimas guy isn’t good enough for you.”

Taly let out a loud bark of laughter and turned to look at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Are you kidding? If ? C’mon, Skye—I’m 21 years old. And while I’m not some fey beauty, I’m not completely terrible to look at either. Give me a little credit here,” she muttered, turning back to the scouting notes.

The growl was unmistakable this time. “Who?” Skye demanded.

“Why?” Taly asked, unfazed by his obvious disapproval. She wasn’t at all surprised by his reaction. She knew he still saw her as some kid he needed to protect, and that incident in the street this morning already had his hackles raised. “So you can go rough them up? Defend my honor? No.”

“Wait. Them?!” Skye pulled at her shoulder, turning her around to face him. “Just how many men have you slept with?”

“A lady never kisses and tells.” With a wink and a smile, she elbowed him in the side. “Besides, this is all a bit hypocritical coming from you, don’t you think?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Skye replied evasively.

Taly smirked and shook her head as she moved to stand. Skye had always been very tight-lipped when it came to his love life, and she could tell that this was a topic he really didn’t want to discuss. For Taly, however, that just made it all the more fun.

“You think I don’t know how much of a ‘ladies’ man’ you are when you go to the Dawn Court? Hmm? You think I don’t know that you have a new girl every night? By my estimation, your number is way higher than mine.” Skye was about to say something, but Taly interrupted him. “And don’t even try to deny it. Just because you were attending fancy balls in Arylaan all those years doesn’t mean that word didn’t travel. Villagers do love to gossip about the highborn nobility. Whether you like it or not, you , my friend, have a reputation .”

“I met a lot of women in Arylaan, but I didn’t sleep with all of them,” he said defensively. “Sleeping around is expected at court.” When Taly just continued to stare at him, humor evident in her expression, he threw his hands up. “What?! It is! And Shards, those balls are always so dull. Most of the time, I just pair up with the first noblewoman I meet that can string a few sentences together and then people draw their own conclusions come morning. Regardless of what actually happens, I get to leave the ball, and she gets to use my name the next morning to social climb. Everybody’s happy.”

“I’m in awe of your generosity, milord,” Taly chirped as she gave him a teasing smile. Sobering, she slapped him on the shoulder. “But you still need to get over yourself. We’re all grown-ups here. Now come on. It’s already well past midday, and we need to get going if we’re going to make it to Della before dark.”

“Sure,” Skye replied irritably as he gathered his supplies. Pushing himself to his feet, he took off in the direction of the public stables where they had left their horses tethered.

Taly frowned as she watched him walk ahead of her. She could tell that he wasn’t happy, but, in all honesty, he was just going to have to get used to the fact that she wasn’t a kid anymore. It was inevitable that she would end up having relationships with other men. Even though she had lived a sheltered life back at the manor, she was an adult now. With adult desires.

Why was that so hard for him to understand?