Page 6 of Shardless (Tempris #1)

-An excerpt from The Fey Imperium: Institutions and Policies

The Genesis Council was originally made up of the six fey mages chosen to wield the Genesis Shards and functioned as the primary ruling body in the Fey Imperium. Chosen by the Shards—those six objects of ultimate power believed to house the souls of the slumbering gods—each mage was granted the title of High Lord or Lady of their respective magical discipline, and they were responsible for legislating and enforcing the rule of law within the confines of the Lycian homeworld and its territories.

The High Lord and Lady of Shadow and Time carried an added burden. Ruling under the titles of King and Queen, they were the peacekeepers of the Council. In times when the Council could not come to an agreement, their word was law .

In the wake of the Schism, the Genesis Council was effectively dissolved. The High Lord and Lady of Water and Fire as well as the Shadow King moved their courts to the mortal realm, and though the Council members have refused to comment, scholars believe that this division was the result of a disagreement concerning the Sanctorum’s brutal treatment of time mages. As a result, the Dawn Court is now the effective ruling body of both Tempris and the continent of Lycia.

Having finally extricated himself from the clutches of his overambitious, female suitor, Skye was now searching the manor grounds for Taly. He wasn’t exactly surprised that she had abandoned him when Aimee showed up, but he was irritated. And he planned on letting her know it—assuming he could find her.

The sun had finally melted away the last of the early morning frost, leaving crisp green grass in its wake. Skye tugged at the collar of his leather breastplate. Age had molded the hide armor to his frame, broken it down until it no longer protested and groaned with each movement. The heady scent of beeswax, oil, and saddle soap now clung to his skin beneath the heavy wool of his greatcoat. Even though he wasn’t expecting trouble at the Aion Gate, it was always a good idea to wear armor when venturing outside the main cities. The creatures of the island were dangerously erratic when the aether was thin, and even small amounts of the right venom could be devastating to the fey.

Coming around the corner of the house, Skye finally spotted Taly. She had found herself a sunny spot and was stretched out on the front staircase like a lazy cat. He should’ve known. This wouldn’t be the first time he’d found her napping on the wide, stone steps. She made no indication that she heard his approach. Her eyes remained closed, and her chest rose and fell evenly.

“What are you doing?” Skye asked with an exasperated sigh.

Her lips quirked ever so slightly. Opening one eye, Taly replied, “Waiting. You were taking forever.”

“No thanks to you.” He took a seat on the step below her and leaned back. He was going to enjoy this next part. Without ceremony, he dropped a small dagger on her chest. “As per our agreement.”

“Shards. You’re not actually going to hold me to that, are you?”

“Yes. Yes, I am,” he replied mercilessly. “Every word of it, you little brat.”

Taly looked up at him and pouted, and there… there was a look he knew all too well. When they were younger, it used to get her whatever she wanted.

“That’s not going to work this time. I’m immune to your tricks.” Skye laughed and tugged playfully at her hair, enjoying the look of frustrated defeat on her face as she slapped his hand away.

“Fine!” Taly theatrically hoisted herself into a sitting position and settled next to him. Picking up the dagger, she studied the ornate scabbard. Filigreed metal swirls swam across the surface, sheltering opalescent flower petals within their silvery tendrils. As she unsheathed the dagger, the sharpened blade gleamed in the morning light. The crossguard was thin and nimble, and a tiny row of shadow crystals peeked out of the poplar handle. The pommel was carved out of a single, glassy air crystal.

“It’s beautiful,” Taly murmured. “But I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”

Skye pushed her hands away when she tried to return the dagger. “You can accept it, and you will. The bet was that you would let me give you a better dagger. That one’s better.”

“But this dagger is pure viridian! Even the scabbard! And these are all A-class crystals, Skye. How am I going to find someone that can repair a dagger with A-class crystals? This isn’t practical.”

Skye chuckled. Crystal quality was important when it came to spellcasting and magical crafting. Though higher-class stones could channel aether more efficiently, they could be temperamental. Every increase in crystal class required an exponentially more powerful shadow mage to perform the necessary repairs, and at the present point in time, Skye and Ivain were the only two shadow mages in Ryme that had enough magic to properly maintain a weapon with A-class crystals.

“I don’t see a problem,” Skye said. “I can take care of it when you come to dinner because… Oh! That’s right. I won. And that means that in addition to letting us feed you occasionally, you have to let me, and only me, maintain your weapons from now on. And your crystals—that was part of the deal too.” He draped a companionable arm around her shoulders, ignoring the way she groaned and buried her face in her hands. “What day works best for you? I’ll need to let Eliza know to set an extra place at the table. And I’m sure Sarina’s probably going to want to make sure she coordinates the laundry. ”

“I was so close. So close to beating you!” Taly elbowed him in the side, but he just tightened his grip, laughing. With a sigh, she exclaimed, “You know what? I don’t care. I’ll take your stupid dagger. But I want Zephyr back too.”

“Oh, come on . What is it going to take for me to get you to let that thing go?” Skye asked, releasing her and pulling her beloved dagger from his boot. “It’s embarrassing.”

She accepted the dagger eagerly. Holding it up to her cheek, she gently stroked it and cooed, “It’s okay, baby. He doesn’t mean it. I know he still loves you.”

“You’re weird, Tink.”

“Says you. I like to think that I’m ‘adorably quirky.’” Taly stood and gave him a friendly punch on the arm. “You ready to go? If we leave now, we can be at the gate by" —she pulled out a beat-up pocket watch— “midday? If we make good time. That’ll put us back here with plenty of time for me to get back to Ryme before dark.”

Shit . Skye cleared his throat uncomfortably and averted his gaze. In the short time since they parted ways at the training yard, he had messed up. Badly.

“Uh…” His mouth suddenly felt very dry. Ducking his head, he mumbled, “Yeah. So, Aimee asked to see the Aion Gate, and I might have” —chancing a glance at Taly’s face, he could see the dawning horror in her eyes— “told her that she could… come.”

Taly didn’t say anything immediately. She just stood there with her back to him, her shoulders tensed, staring straight ahead.

That made him nervous. Channeling just a tiny bit of aether, he heard the rapid flutter of her heart. “You know,” he stammered, wincing when her hands fisted at her side, “to be nice? I mean, Aimee is a guest.”

Taly exhaled forcefully and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” Skye continued. She still wasn’t saying anything, and she hadn’t started hitting him yet. That made him really nervous. “I tried pawning her off on Sarina already, but then Sarina kinda disappeared. Ivain—well he just laughed, and then he disappeared too.”

Jerking her head, Taly finally looked down at where he still sat on the steps. The sunlight enveloped her slight form, casting a long shadow across her face. Skye braced himself, expecting her to release the full force of her fury.

But that didn’t happen. Instead of ranting and fuming, Taly took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. “The price just doubled,” was all she said before turning to walk away.

Skye could hear Taly quietly grumbling beside him as they made their way to the stables. He wasn’t happy about the situation with Aimee either, but he couldn’t exactly do anything about it now.

He had messed up. He knew that. When he had been walking with Aimee back to the manor, she had started prattling on about the Aion Gate, but he had only been half-listening. At the time, his mind was somewhere far away still replaying the events of the sparring match. So naturally, when Aimee had asked to see the Aion Gate, he had stupidly and unknowingly mumbled, “Uh-huh.” It seems years of just nodding along to her babbling had finally come back to haunt him. Before he could try to dissuade her, Aimee had let out a squeal that should’ve made his ears bleed, said something about going to change, and then ran off.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Taly muttered.

Following Taly’s stare, Skye could see that Aimee had somehow managed to beat them to the barn. The noblewoman stood in the center of the training yard issuing instructions to a very agitated groom. And while she had changed clothes, Skye wasn’t sure he saw any more utility in her new wardrobe. She wore a traditional ladies’ riding habit, complete with tapered sleeves and a bustled skirt. Gold cord adorned the front of the green velveteen gown in swirling loops, and a small, black dressage hat sat atop her immaculately coiffed hair. She tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the groom finish adjusting a sidesaddle on their most docile mare.

That’s odd , Skye thought, squinting to make sure he had seen that correctly. Out of the vast array of riding equipment and horse tack that Harbor Manor’s stables had acquired over the years, he had never seen a sidesaddle among the collection. As far as he knew, there had never been a need for one. While Taly would’ve outright laughed in the face of anyone who dared suggest she ride sidesaddle, even Sarina—a proper fey lady worthy of the title of Matriarch—chose to sit astride.

This was not going to be a good day.

“Skye,” Taly whispered, “you need to tell her to stay here. She’s going to get hurt.”

“You know that’s not going to work. She’s just going to whine and pout until she gets her way,” Skye replied. His irritation from before was starting to resurface.

Taly huffed and angrily shoved her hands into her pockets. “Oh, Shards forbid she might complain. You really need to learn to stand up to your girlfriend, Skye.”

“You know what?” Skye snapped, trying to keep his voice low and stabbing a finger at Taly. “This is partly your fault too. You left me alone with her. You know that never ends well.”

Taly turned on him, halting their advance. “Really? That’s the argument you’re going to go with? You’re a grown man, Skye, and I’m not always going to be around to be your chaperone.”

Her careless words made something inside him snap, but Skye did his best to hold back the surge of anger he could feel threatening to break loose. “Oh, believe me. I got that. You’ve already made that point loud and clear.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Taly shot back accusingly.

“Are you kidding?” Skye asked in disbelief. “Have you just completely forgotten about the fact that you up and left last year with no explanation whatsoever?” Taly’s eyes widened. Since she’d returned, they had both been dancing around this subject, trying to avoid the pain and awkwardness. But the hurt, the resentment, was still there—a gaping wound that had yet to heal .

When Taly continued to silently stare at him, her expression unreadable, Skye finally allowed himself to give into his anger. “What’s the matter?” he hissed, the edges of his mouth curling up into a sardonic smile. “Having a hard time remembering how you just ran away from home without so much as a ‘goodbye’ or even a ‘hey, I’m stepping out, so don’t wait up?’ It’s okay. I get it.”

Taly opened her mouth to make a retort, but Skye cut her off. “After all, why should it matter that I spent three weeks unable to do anything but hope that you weren’t dead? That’s on me, right? Because I worry too much? It’s not like you were screaming in pain the last time I saw you. I must have imagined that.”

“Stop it, Skye,” Taly whispered.

“No,” Skye growled in reply, taking a step towards her. He ignored the way his eyes began to sting, the way his breath caught in his throat, as he charged ahead, channeling all of his pent-up frustration into words. “Not until you tell me how you could just throw everything away without any regard for anyone’s feelings but your own. The girl that I knew—my Taly… she never would’ve done that. She never would’ve cut everyone that gave a damn about her right out of her life with no explanation whatsoever.”

“Skye—"

“Why did you leave, Taly?”

“I’ve already told you,” she said quietly. “I’m mortal. You’re not. That’s going to end up being a problem when we’re older.”

“That’s bullshit, and you and I both know it,” Skye replied, his voice equally quiet. “All the years that we’ve known each other—when has that ever mattered? Just tell me the truth, Tink. Please… ju st tell me something that’s true.”

Taly regarded him for a long moment. If he hadn’t been watching her so closely—reading every breath, every heartbeat—he might’ve missed the almost imperceptible shake of her head. “I’m sorry, Skye.” She tore her eyes away from his, wiping at her cheeks with her sleeve. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I… I never wanted to hurt you. But me leaving? It was for the best. And I know you want a better reason—a different reason. You want something that you can fix so that you can bring me home and we can go back to the way we were. But that’s just not going to happen, Em. I’m not coming back. You need to let me go.”

Skye wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it hadn’t been that. His shoulders slumped forward. He had asked for something true, and she had given it to him. She had no intention of coming home. He could see it in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to regain his composure. “Look, I messed this up today. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was saying while I was with Aimee, so that’s on me. But I can’t tell her not to come at this point. For the time being, we need to keep the little twit happy. Ivain is trying to get a loan from the Dawn Court so we can finally begin repairs on Tempris’ fast-travel system, and for whatever reason, House Thanos currently has the favor of the High Lady of Air. If Aimee goes home and whines to her family, Ivain likely won’t get the loan.”

Taly frowned. “Why can’t you endorse Ivain at the Dawn Court? Doesn’t your family have more political sway than House Thanos?”

“Yes,” Skye replied evenly. “Significantly more. But I didn’t attend court last year, and the High Lady of Air decided to take that as a personal snub. As you can imagine, that puts House Ghislain at a bit of a disadvantage right now when it comes to currying personal favors from the Air Guild.”

“You skipped the court season?” Taly asked, her eyes widening in surprise. “Why? You always go to the Dawn Court in Arylaan when you visit the mainland.”

Skye rubbed the back of his neck. Taly’s departure was just one of many reasons he was in no rush to reminiscence on the events of the past summer. Deciding to ignore her question, he just shook his head and said, “Everything will be fine, Taly. I spoke with Ivain already, and even he didn’t see a problem with bringing Aimee along. He just quoted that mortal saying he likes so much: ‘there’s strength in numbers.’ You’re worrying too much.”

“And you’re not worrying enough.” Grabbing his arm as he moved past her, Taly whispered, “There’s been a lot of talk around the Swap this week. Some of the traders are saying that people are going missing. No one really knows why, but I’m starting to think it might be the beasts. Whatever the Gate Watchers are doing differently with the gate this cycle is making the magical beasts even more erratic than usual. I know this trip might seem routine, but we really should be careful.”

“And we will be, Tink,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “I promise. But if worst comes to worst and something does happen, let’s not forget that Aimee is a mage. She might be a twit, but she’s not completely defenseless. Who knows? She might even be useful.”

Taly sighed and pursed her lips, but she didn’t say anything else.

“I hope you’re not going to leave without me!” a deep baritone voice called from behind them.

Taly and Skye turned to find Aiden Bryer, Aimee’s older brother, approaching. Though not wearing armor, his clothes were sturdy and well-suited for riding, and he wore a leather baldric with a polished ebony short sword sheathed at his waist. His hair had been shorn off since the last time Skye saw him, and his eyes were the same exotic shade of blue as his sister—a trait they had inherited from their human mother.

Catching up with them, Aiden wrapped his arms around Taly’s waist and swung her off the ground. Laughing, he exclaimed, “I didn’t know if I was going to get to see you this year! Aimee told me you’d moved out.”

Taly let out a girlish squeal, and she was grinning when he set her back on the ground. Standing on her toes, she reached for his head and ran a hand over the closely cropped, red down. “When did this happen? You’re so fuzzy now!”

Skye felt a strange pang lance his chest when he saw the friendly, unguarded smile Taly gave Aiden. Stepping closer to her and standing up straighter, Skye said, “Aiden just finished his initiation into the Crystal Guard. He’s been assigned to the regiment in Faro where he’ll be protecting the High Lord of Water.”

“That’s fantastic! Just like your dad, huh?” Taly was still smiling, completely at ease.

Aiden grinned back. “Yup. And unfortunately, this haircut is mandatory for anyone with a burning desire to protect the Genesis Shards and their chosen—at least for the first five or so centuries while the Knights are still training the stupid out of their new recruits.”

Under normal circumstances, Skye would have no problem with Aiden and Taly’s friendship. But as he continued to watch the two of them chattering away just like old friends should, he frowned. Where he’d had to coax and cajole and coerce just to get a few words and a reluctant smile out of her, for Aiden… for Aiden, there was no awkwardness, no animosity—just friendly teasing and easy laughter.

Taly looked like she was going to say something else, but Skye cut her off. “What are you doing here, Aiden? I thought you’d be at the clinic today.”

Aiden’s sapphire eyes widened in surprise. Skye’s voice had come out a little gruffer than he intended. Recovering quickly, Aiden replied, “Not today, no. Apparently, there hasn’t been an earth mage coming through town in a while, and the clinic had more patients request healing services than they expected. The menders decided to use today to try to get a little more organized before bringing me in.”

“Lucky for us,” Taly quipped. “Your sister is being a pain in the ass.”

Aiden grinned, ducking down to look Taly in the eye. “That’s not surprising. And, as it so happens, that’s why I’m here. Ivain mentioned that Aimee managed to insert herself somewhere she didn’t need to be, so I thought I might tag along to keep an eye on her.”

“Or you could just escort her back to the manor,” Taly replied pointedly.

“I could do that,” Aiden said with a shrug. A devilish air crept into his expression. “But I’m just so worried about what Skye would do without me there to protect him.”

“Say what now?” Skye asked, arching a brow.

Aiden grinned. Being the same age as Skye, the two men had become natural rivals, and it seemed like they were always vying for something, be it women, prestige, or anything in between. However, as they matured, their relationship had evened out, and they tended to get along more times than not.

Of course, they did still like to poke at each other on occasion.

“Now, c’mon, Skye,” Aiden drawled, crossing his arms and widening his stance. “You know that I’ve always thought of you as a little brother—emphasis on the little part. It’s my duty as the bigger man to make sure you get to the Aion Gate safe and sound.”

Skye rolled his eyes. Aiden had grown to be just a hair taller than him, and he never let him forget it. Well, two could play that game. “Yes, that extra fraction of an inch is quite intimidating. Although, now that I look at you, I think it may have been all hair. We might need to re-measure.”

Skye smirked when he saw Aiden’s smile falter slightly. And before the earth mage could formulate a response, he pivoted, saying, “Also, I’ve been meaning to say that I’m sorry I missed you at court last summer. I heard that you and Lady Aliya were seen together. I also heard you couldn’t quite close that deal. If you’d asked, I could’ve told you she only goes for shadow mages now.” Skye gave an unapologetic shrug. “That’s my fault, by the way.”

As Aiden was opening his mouth to make a retort, Taly stepped between the two men. “No!” she snapped, waving her hands. Turning to Skye, she gave him a stern look that he knew all too well. “We are not starting up this bullshit again. Shards! Sometimes I really wish the two of you would just whip ‘em out and get it over with already.”

Aiden laughed and ruffled Taly’s hair. “Nah, I wouldn’t want to ruin you for other men.” Looking towards the stable, he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh Shards! That poor groom. I should probably go save him from my sister’s wrath.” He gave them a sheepish smile and then jogged off towards the stables.

Skye scowled after him. “Why don’t you have a problem with Aiden coming?”

Taly crinkled her nose as she glared up at Skye. “Because he’s not a dumbass.”

By the time the pair arrived at the stables, the groom had finally managed to saddle Aimee’s horse to her satisfaction and had brought around two others. Ignoring the tittering woman, Taly sidled up to the smaller of the two unsaddled animals. The little gelding nuzzled her cheek with its nose as she pulled an apple from her bag and reached out a hand to stroke its neck.

“He missed you, you know,” Skye said, leaning down so only Taly could hear him.

She raised an eyebrow, glancing at Skye from the corner of her eye as she ran a hand down the white stripe on the horse’s nose. “Well, with only you for company, who could blame him? Isn’t that right, Byron?” She inclined her head, pretending to listen before turning back to Skye and saying, “He said yes .”

“Princess Tink can still talk to animals?” Skye asked with a laugh.

“She can.”

Feeling a little awkward after his outburst, Skye placed a tentative hand on Taly’s shoulder, smiling when she reached up and twined her fingers with his. After a moment, he moved to start saddling his own horse.

“Aiden. What are you doing here?” Aimee asked as her brother led another horse out of the stable.

“You’re not the only one interested in the Aion Gate, dear sister. I’m crossing over to the mortal realm in a few weeks to join my regiment, and I figured I would go take a look before that happens. I hear the Aion Gate is quite a sight, even when it’s closed.” As the groom approached Aiden to assist with his mount, he waved the man off. “I can saddle my own horse. No need to worry.”

“Talya,” Aimee began, inspecting Taly’s clothing and equipment distastefully, “you could almost be pretty if you tried. I will never understand why you insist on dressing like a man.”

“And I will never understand why you insist on dressing like a cupcake,” Taly replied with a smirk. Seeing that Aimee was opening her mouth to make a retort, she quickly added, “You’re certainly not dressed for a trip to the gate. That outfit" —she hesitated, looking Aimee up-and-down disapprovingly— “is entirely impractical.”

“Well,” Aimee huffed, sensing that she wasn’t going to be able to get underneath Taly’s skin, “I would rather be pretty than practical.” Taking a deep breath, Aimee ran her hands over her velvet bodice and smiled serenely. “For what it’s worth, I liked your hair better when it was longer. That haircut and those clothes? You look like a child.”

As Aimee walked away, Taly gave Skye a meaningful look. Not knowing what else to do, he just shrugged and smiled apologetically as he continued readying the bay stallion standing restlessly in front of him.

As their small band passed through Ryme, Taly spurred her horse into the lead, setting a brisk pace. Skye could see that she held a stack of papers in one hand and a map in the other, the reins wrapped around the horn of her saddle. Between the two of them, she had always been the better rider. While he was far more comfortable in the saddle than most, she could ride literal circles around him.

A densely wooded forest separated the town of Ryme from the wasteland that surrounded the Aion Gate. The air was slightly cooler in the shade of the massive trees, and Skye couldn’t help but admire the austere surroundings. In a few weeks’ time, this area would be teeming with life as the animals awoke from their winter slumber and the plants reemerged to start a new cycle.

Alongside the road, a flash of steel caught his eye, and when he looked closer, he could just make out the outline of an old set of air tram tracks peeking from beneath the underbrush—the remnants of a direct line that used to connect Ryme to the Aion Gate. When the Time Queen was still alive, the air tram made it possible to travel the entire length of the island and back in only a matter of hours. But the fast-travel system was just one more thing that had fallen into disrepair after the Sanctorum ravaged the area. The Marquess had tried again and again to have the air rails restored, but there just never seemed to be enough tax revenue to fund the project.

“Tell me about the Aion Gate, Skylen,” Aimee said suddenly, her tone dripping with false sweetness. “I’m sure you’re an expert.”

“Huh?” Skye hadn’t been listening again. He really should stop doing that. “Oh, right. What would you like to know?”

“Well? Why is everyone so eager for it to open? I’ve heard such horrible things about the mortal realm. All of those humans that don’t even believe in magic. I don’t know why anyone would want to go there.” Skye had managed to get a few steps ahead of her, so Aimee urged her horse forward. It promptly ignored her and continued its slow, deliberate pace.

Skye slowed his horse. The stallion’s ears twitched, and it pulled on the reins. “Well, I suppose the primary reason most people look forward to the Aion Gate opening is because there are three members of the Genesis Council that have chosen to make the mortal realm their home. It certainly benefits us all if we can maintain contact with our rulers.”

“Why don’t those Lords come over here then?” Aimee asked. “Staying in the mortal realm—I’ve always felt that was very irresponsible on their part.”

She was falling farther behind, so Skye reached back and grabbed the lazy mare’s bridle, pulling it forward. “Not necessarily. A significant portion of our population is on the other side of the Aion Gate. The Council has as much a responsibility to those people as they do to the people on the mainland and Tempris.”

Aimee hummed disapprovingly. “Well then, please correct me if I’m wrong, but I was told that each gate on Tempris used to lead to a different kingdom—all of which resided under the Genesis Council’s jurisdiction. Is that accurate?”

“Yes,” Skye answered with a nod, already knowing where she was taking him with this line of questioning. “Before the Schism, the fey empire was vast, sprawling out across all the known worlds. Tempris was the crossroads that connected them all. Every gate on the island—the Seren Gate, the Aion Gate, and all of the many other gates that no longer function—connect to other realms separated by time and space.”

“I don’t understand then,” Aimee claimed. “Don’t the Genesis Lords have a responsibility to the citizens in those kingdoms as well?”

Skye clicked his tongue and gave the mare’s bridle another tug. Looking back at Aimee, he continued, “Yes, they do. But, unfortunately, the Gate Watchers don’t have the resources to monitor and power every gate on the island, and the Dawn Court has refused to reevaluate our budget. So, we do what we can with what we have.”

“Alright,” Aimee acquiesced. “If that’s the case, then why did the Watchers choose to focus on the Aion Gate instead of any of the others? Why did they prioritize the gate that leads to the mortal realm?”

Skye resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew for a fact that the noblewoman had been educated on the myriad of reasons the Dawn Court had ordered the Gate Watchers to give the Aion Gate priority. What he didn’t know was why she seemed to think that playing dumb would appeal to him.

“Several reasons,” he replied patiently. “The most important being that we need the mortals that choose to become Feseraa. Even before the highborn birthrate began to dwindle, humans were considerably more prolific than the fey. Over the past two centuries, the noble families have tried to negate the effects of our declining fertility by negotiating breeding arrangements outside of formal marriage bonds, but, as I’m sure you know, that initiative has been met with limited success. Pureblooded fey children are still rare, and most households have had to use mortals to boost their numbers. Hence why we have a vested interest in maintaining contact with what is, for all intents and purposes, a magicless realm. While mortal blood does significantly dilute our magic, the survival of our species may eventually come to depend on our ability to breed with the humans.”

Aimee coughed delicately, visibly uncomfortable with the turn their conversation had taken. Her mother was a Feseraa, and though she and her brother had enough magic to be considered a part of the small circle of highborn gentry, they still had human blood running through their veins.

“On the subject of breeding” —the noblewoman gave him a sidelong glance— “I hear that your mother is trying to secure an alliance with House Arendryl by way of a breeding offer. House Arendryl has already recommended a young woman from their estate in Faro. Do you know who Lady Emrys plans to put forward as the sire? I heard your name come up in conversation. Is there any truth to the rumors?”

A muscle in his jaw began to feather, and Skye let out a hissing sigh. His mother’s efforts to involve him in her political machinations were the very last thing he wanted to discuss. “You’re very well informed,” he said, giving Aimee a tight smile, “but my mother would be very cross if I were to reveal all of her intrigues. If you have any other questions about the gates, I’ll be happy to answer those. Otherwise…” He looked to the two riders in front of him. Aiden had moved up next to Taly, and the two had started talking quietly. “Otherwise, I should probably go speak with Taly—make sure there are no problems with our route.”

Aimee placed a hand on his arm. “You mentioned resources. Why aren’t you able to open the other gates? Did the time mages do something to break them?”

“No,” Skye replied, dragging his eyes away from Taly. “Most people are usually very quick to accuse the time mages of sabotaging the gates during the Schism, but that’s simply not true. The gates aren’t broken. They just can’t function correctly without a time mage—the Time Queen to be exact.”

“That dreadful woman? If that’s the case, perhaps we’re better off without the gates.” Aimee’s voice held a note of contempt that didn’t surprise Skye in the slightest. Many of the mainland fey were still very quick to condemn the High Lady of Time for her actions during the Schism, regardless of the lack of any physical evidence. “You know, our stepfather says that the time mages were nothing but power-hungry tyrants, never willing to work with anyone. He says that the Schism finally gave us definitive proof that they were simply too dangerous to be allowed to live.”

Skye grew quiet. Although he hadn’t been alive when the great disaster occurred, he had studied it. No one had ever figured out why the Time Queen had forcibly shut down every gate on the island. Thousands died when the bridges between the worlds collapsed, and they’d lost contact with all of the gated realms—over half their population.

“While I can acknowledge that the Time Queen’s actions were reprehensible,” Skye said carefully, “I’m not sure I agree that executing every new time mage for what they could be capable of is either fair or just.”

“And I disagree,” Aimee said with a practiced sigh. “After all, if there are no time mages, then the Time Shard can never revive. There will never be another High Lord or Lady of Time… or another Schism. It’s a small sacrifice to make.”

Skye’s lips thinned, and he couldn’t help but think that Aimee reminded him of a rather annoying bird he had once seen in the mortal realm—imitating and echoing whatever words were fed to her, regardless of their merit.

Aimee waved a dismissive hand as she prattled on. “The Sanctorum may have become a little overzealous during the Hunt, but their actions have always served the greater good.”

“Perhaps if you spent more time on Tempris, you would feel differently,” Skye replied, forcibly reining in his burgeoning ire. “The Sanctorum’s cruelty was felt far more keenly here, and you’ll find that most of the island’s citizenry still hold a great deal of resentment towards their order.”

Aimee huffed, then smoothed back a dark curl. “Well, perhaps, if the Time Queen and her followers had simply come forward rather than running away to wherever it was they went, the Sanctorum wouldn’t have been forced to resort to such drastic measures during the Hunt.”

Skye raised a disapproving brow. The Hunt was still a sensitive subject in most circles. After the Schism, it took the Genesis Lords on the fey mainland almost a year to pry open the Seren Gate and regain access to Tempris. By that time, the Time Queen as well as every time mage under her command had inexplicably vanished. So, the Sanctorum was formed, and the Hunt began. The newly anointed officers were given a single directive—find the High Lady of Time and her followers.

However, when the time mages couldn’t be found—ultimately presumed dead when the time crystals began to lose their magic—the Sanctifiers, rather than surrender the power they’d been granted, created for themselves a new purpose. They convinced those still in mourning that “drastic measures” were needed to prevent another calamity. They fanned the flames of panic and hysteria, soaked the soil with innocent blood.

When Aimee opened her mouth to make some other careless remark, Skye cut her off. “The Schism and the Hunt were both tragedies.” His voice held a hidden edge, and he gave Aimee a meaningful look. “And they resulted in the deaths of far too many innocent people. People who had no connection to the Schism or the Queen. People without even the faintest trace of time magic, whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You would do well to remember that—especially if you have any intention of travelling to the mortal realm when the Aion Gate opens. I should not need to remind you that the Genesis Lords beyond the gate have publicly condemned the Sanctorum and the Dawn Court for continuing to support it.”

Aimee faltered, visibly surprised by Skye’s rebuke. This was the closest he had ever come to being rude, despite her repeated unwelcome and overly aggressive attempts to woo him. Clearing her throat uncomfortably, she stammered, “Forgive me, Skylen. I spoke out of turn.” Her cheeks flushed, the color dampened somewhat by the heavy cosmetic glamour she wore. “How… how is the Seren Gate different from the Aion Gate? They lead to different realms, so I assume there must be some differences in the way they function.”

“No,” Skye answered curtly. His eyes slid to the riders ahead of him, and he frowned when he saw Taly turn to Aiden and laugh at something the other man had said. “The Seren Gate and the Aion Gate function in exactly the same way. They just open on different schedules.”

“And what exactly does that mean?” Aimee looked to see what had captured Skye’s attention. When Taly glanced back, a broad smile on her face, the noblewoman turned her nose up into the air.

Skye shook his head, looking away from where Taly and Aiden rode side-by-side and refocusing on Aimee. “That means that time runs at a different pace in each of the gated realms. Since we don’t have the ability to force the timestreams to align, we have to wait for time in the bridged realms to sync up with time here on Tempris. The fey mainland and Tempris are very similar—a year spent here is almost the same as a year spent on the mainland, give or take a few days. That’s why we’re able to open the Seren Gate several times a month.

“In contrast, the Aion Gate connects to the mortal realm. Time in the mortal realm generally runs far more slowly than on Tempris, so we have to wait for the rare moments when the two timestreams synchronize. When that happens, we charge up the gate and try to keep the power steady enough to stabilize the connection.”

“Stop,” Taly called out from the front of the procession. They were approaching a fork in the road. Aiden had stopped beside her, and Skye saw him whisper something as he tugged on the sleeve of her coat. Taly nodded, the tightness around her eyes melting away as she smiled back at him.

Skye walked his horse up to where Taly had halted the group. “What is it?”

She didn’t look at him. She just gazed off into the distance where the road veered right.

“I’m not sure yet. Stay here.” She gave the gelding a kick and trotted ahead of them.

Skye scowled as he watched her leave, but he decided to follow her lead. He had agreed to hire her after all. He might as well let her do her job. Straining his ears, he noted that he could no longer hear the echoes of the gypsum sparrows’ songs. The whisper of dry leaves was the only sound hissing through the densely packed wall of trees.

That’s odd , he thought with a twinge of unease .

Channeling a small amount of aether, he felt his senses start to sharpen, and he listened. He could just make out the crackling of leaves about a mile east, most likely a deer or a bear, but still no birds or insects. A strange hush had fallen over the forest.

That could only mean one thing—a predator was nearby.

Skye’s heartbeat quickened. Looking behind him, he could see that Aiden and Aimee talked quietly amongst themselves, completely unaware of the potential danger. And why should they be frightened? The main roads had magical wards put in place to protect travelers from the beasts that roamed the forest.

Feeding more aether into the augmentation spell, Skye focused on the arch of overhanging branches that Taly had disappeared through earlier. He could just make out the faint scent of iron and soap wafting on the air, and the crunch of dirt thundered in his ears. A horse pawed at the ground nervously.

Taly—she was no longer on horseback. She wasn’t even on the road. No, she was wading through the underbrush between the trees, past the protection of the wards.

Shit , Skye thought as he let go of the spell. His heightened senses dulled, and the world around him blurred before snapping back into focus. It was just as he feared—Taly had sensed something and set off to track it.

His first instinct in this situation was to go get her and drag her back to safety, willing or not. However, that would most likely destroy any goodwill he still had left after their little spat earlier that morning. He knew he should stay back—demonstrate that he trusted her to do her job. But he had spent 15 years trying to protect her. Those habits were hard to break.

Just as Skye was about to ride after her, Taly returned. “We can’t go this way.”

“Why not?” Skye asked gruffly, relief washing over him.

Taly raised an eyebrow. “Because a harpy passed through. Not too long ago by the looks of it. It’s not too surprising since it’s their mating season. This is the only time of year they ever really come out during the day. I set out some lures to try to push it farther east, but we should still go around.”

Taly started to ride off in the other direction, but Skye grabbed her arm, pulling her up short. “Are you absolutely sure? We should be fine if we stay on the main road. The wards were repaired last month.”

Taly sighed impatiently. “Which would be fine if those drunken assholes in the Fire Guild hadn’t burned through a large chunk of them just ahead. How do you think the harpy got through? The wards on the back roads are spotty at best, and it’s going to add several hours to our ride. Still, I think it’s safer.”

“Damn it,” Skye cursed quietly. “Are you sure you’re not just messing with me?” He glanced back at Aimee and gave Taly a pleading look. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was spend more time with that silly noblewoman than he had to. “Is this revenge?”

Taly’s expression softened, and her lips quirked to the side when she saw his pained grimace. “I’m not happy about it either, but I know how to track a harpy. And , I know what a busted ward looks like. ”

Shaking her head, she exhaled sharply and pulled out the same stack of papers she’d been reading earlier. “Scouting notes,” she mumbled distractedly when she saw Skye’s questioning stare. “The harpy was already headed east, so we should be able to stay out-of-range if we skirt around from the west. There was a kelpie sighted in that direction a few days ago, but it’s probably moved farther north by now—back to the coast. Just make sure you stick close to me and don’t get ahead. Some of these side roads are pretty overgrown, so we’re going to have to take it slow. I take it you brought the aether concealment charms?”

Sighing and falling in beside her, Skye said, “I handed out the charms before we left.” He held up his arm and showed her a simple silver band. Water and shadow crystals were set in the center of the bracelet.

“I meant to ask you what these did,” Aimee gushed with false enthusiasm, picking at the band on her arm. Being a water mage, Skye was sure that Aimee knew exactly what they did. “Tell me, Talya. Why don’t you have one?”

Taly mumbled something unintelligible under her breath and signaled for her horse to go faster. Louder, she said, “Because I’m mortal. I have no aether and, therefore, no magic.” Skye didn’t miss the slight quaver in her voice or the way her shoulders slumped forward. Glancing back, he saw an arrogant smirk twist Aimee’s lips as she pulled on the reins of her horse, deliberately slowing her pace.

As Aimee’s mare once again fell behind, Skye ignored her calls as he urged his own horse to keep pace with Taly.