Page 112 of Shardless
“Taly?” Skye’s voice was soft yet urgent as the world around her came back into focus. “C’mon, Tink, talk to me.”
Taly blinked up at him, confused. How had he gotten up there? For that matter, how had she come to be sprawled on the floor with Skye crouching over her?
“I’m fine. What happened?” She tried to sit up, but her head swam as soon as she shifted.
“Easy,” Skye said, gently lifting her and leaning her body against his. “You were talking, and then you just went down. I caught you before you could hit your head, but I still think we should take you to see the healer.”
“No!” Taly exclaimed. She couldn’t have that healer looking at her arm again. Skye’s brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth to protest. Before he could say anything to the contrary, she added, “I think this is just a case of too much coffee and not enough food. Sleep would probably also help.”
“I guess we have had a pretty rough go of it lately,” Skye conceded, his eyes tight with worry. “Still, I’d feel better if you saw the healer. Especially since you were just getting back on yourfeet again after the harpy.”
Taly shook her head. “No, Skye. Let the healer tend to people that actually need healing. I’m fine.”
“Hey?” a new voice inquired. “What happened?”
Taly groaned, but Skye cut her off before she could protest. “Taly needs the healer.”
“No, I don’t,” she reiterated.
“What?” Rounding the table, there was genuine concern in Kato’s expression as he crouched down beside them. “Is she sick?”
“No.” Taly shook off Skye’s hold and shot to her feet, wobbling slightly. “I don’t need a healer. I need a snack. That’s all.”
Skye stood. “Taly, please—”
“I saidno.” Taly slapped his hand away when he reached for her, wincing when she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes. “You know that medicine Aiden has me on has my metabolism all messed up. I just need to eat something.”
Turning to Skye, Kato asked, “Weren’t you supposed to be meeting with Kane right now? I can take her to the commissary.”
“I don’t need babysitting,” Taly muttered. Nor did she want to get stuck spending any time alone with Kato—not with how unstable those spells on her arm were becoming.
“Maybeyoudon’t,” Kato replied with a grin, “but I do. I’m known for finding trouble—just ask my brother.”
Skye chuckled, his eyes zeroing in on Taly when he saw her lean against the table for support. “It’s true. All I hear from Mother when I visit is how she always thought Kato would finally grow up once he passed the turn of his second century. But alas…”
“Better a troublemaker than a celibate country hermit,” Kato retorted sharply.
“Is that what she says about me?” Skye asked, completely unfazed. “Could be worse, I suppose.”
“Okay, boys.” Taly held up her hands when she saw something mean creep into Kato’s expression. She was starting to get the impression that it irritated the older mage to no end when his barbs didn’t find their mark. “That’s enough. I’ll go with Kato if it means the two of you will shut up and leave me the hell alone.”
“You know what, I don’t like it, but I’ll take it,” Skye said abruptly. Lightning streaked the cloudy sky behind him as he turned to Kato, who looked just as shocked as she felt. “But if she collapses again, take her to the healer. No arguments. That’s an order,Marshal.”
Taly opened her mouth to protest, but Skye shushed her by pressing a chaste kiss to her brow. “Yes,” he said, ducking down to glare at her affectionately. “Eat. Get some rest. But if you’re still unwell after that, go see the healer. We all need to be at our best.”
“Fine,” Taly conceded grumpily. “But be prepared to eat your words later on because I’m not going to need a healer.” Even if she did, once they had a chance to talk that evening, he would see why that wasn’t a possibility.
“Thank you,” Skye said, pressing another kiss to her brow. His eyes dipped to her mouth, but instead of closing the distance, he just smiled and shook his head before quickly exiting the room. Apparently, he had learned by now to take whatever meager offering of peace she gave him and not ask questions.
“Well!” Kato exclaimed once Skye had left theroom. “I must say I’m impressed at my brother’s efficiency.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Taly just stared at the arm that Kato offered.
He gave her a disarming grin as he reached for her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. “My dear baby brother just managed to back you into a corner of your own making—a feat that I’m starting to suspect isn’t easy.”
“Your flattery is wasted, Kato,” Taly countered, a shiver slithering down her spine. His fingers caressed the back of her hand, and she could just make out a faint tremor of aether prickling her skin. Most humans probably wouldn’t have even noticed the almost imperceptible swell of magic, would play it off as some sort of static charge, but she had grown up around shadow mages. Stress and fatigue tended to make their magic slightly unstable, creating tiny ripples in the surrounding aether.
As Kato pulled her along, down the hallway and towards the aether lift that would take them down the 25 floors it would take to reach the courtyard, she tried to play off the weakness in her limbs as hunger, assured him that she was just tired every time she stumbled. But that tickle at the base of her skull, the feeling of his magic ghosting across her skin, was unnerving, almost predatory. It awoke some long-forgotten primal instinct, the need to survive, the need to run. When they crossed the threshold of the aether lift, she pulled her hand back and stepped away, leaning against the wall of the lift and pretending to nurse a headache as she rubbed at her temples.
