Page 48 of Shardless
Taly jerked her head decisively. Then, taking a deep breath, she gathered up her courage and braced herself. “Skye, while I’m grateful for what you all have done for me this past week, I’m notstaying. Tell Sarina to leave my things where they are. I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning to go back to Ryme.”
With a growl, Skye tucked the edge of the quilt back under the mattress and stood. His eyes found hers, and he said, “Aiden, could you give us a minute?” He didn’t turn around as the earth mage quietly excused himself, nor did he say anything once the door clicked closed. He just stood there, quiet and unmoving, staring at her until she looked away.
Finally, he huffed out a cheerless laugh and hung his head. “So, let me get this straight. You can’t even sit up on your own, but you’re already planning to stagger your way back to Ryme? Let me guess—is it because you’re mortal and we’re not? Or is it something else now? C’mon. Let’s hear it. What lie have you come up with this time to avoid having to tell me the real reason you decided to leave home?”
Taly flinched at his harsh tone, but she steeled herself, forcing her lip not to tremble. What she was about to do… it was going to kill her, but she had to do it.
“Shards, Skye!” Taly exclaimed weakly. “Fine. You want to know therealreason I left? The reason I’m not coming back? Okay, here it is. I got tired of being treated like somemortal pet,so I went to where I could be around my own kind. I’m not like you. You can teach me to walk and talk like some highborn fey, dress me up all you want, but I’m always going to beshardless.”
Skye winced. He hated that word. Which was exactly why she’d chosen it. Already winded, her chest heaved from the exertion of these few clippedsentences, and she fell back against the pillow. Her eyes stung, but she viciously blinked back the tears.
Skye paused to take a deep breath and then gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Taly, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re full of shit. When are you going to stop lying to me and tell me why you’re pushing us away—why you’re pushingmeaway?”
“I just did.”
Skye stepped closer, turning the corner of the bed and coming to stand beside her. “Another lie.” Taly made to refute his claim, but he cut her off. “Just talk to me, Taly.Please.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she said, refusing to break eye contact. “You brought me back here when I clearly stated that I wanted to return to Ryme. What did you think was going to happen?”
Skye’s chest heaved. “You would’ve died if we’d tried to take you to Ryme. Aiden says we were lucky to get you back to the manor when we did. Another hour and you would’ve been too far gone. What was I supposed to do? Leave you on the side of the road knowing you’d end up in a ditch?”
“Yes.” Taly’s heart cracked at the hurt in his eyes. “That’s exactly what you should have done. I am not yours to protect. Not anymore.”
Skye regarded her, so still.
She knew the exact moment she’d won.
“That’s it,” he said. Broken. “I can’t do this anymore.”
Good, she thought even as something inside her began to wail. He was better off without her. They all were.
Sinking down onto the bed next to her, Skye reached out and took her hand in his. “I’m done fighting you on this.”
Good.
“I’m just… I’m done, Taly.”
Her eyes began to burn.
He went on, “If you’re telling me that you want to spend your lifesalvaging and barely making enough coin to keep yourself alive—I’ll respect that. If you say that you don’t want me in your life, then you don’t ever have to see me again. Even though I know you’re lying, even if I can see how much you want to come home, how much you’re hurting… I’ll back off.”
The hand that still gripped hers tightened. His eyes turned glassy. “You’re my best friend, Tink. For 15 years, you’ve been my best friend, and even though I’ve tried to be there for you… I can’t do this anymore. This fucked up back-and-forth, where one minute everything’s fine and you'reyouagain, and then the next you’re telling me that you’re just somepet?” He practically spat that last word. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair, and it hurts, and… I’m done.”
Taly bit her lip until she tasted blood, afraid that if she allowed herself one word, she might start begging for his forgiveness. She was silent as Skye wiped at his eyes. Silent as he slowly stood and left the room. Only when he was gone did she finally allow the tears to fall.
Aiden was waiting outside the door, but Skye pushed past him. Taly jumped when she heard the door to his quarters slam shut.
Aiden looked between the two rooms, his face impassive, before stepping inside. Closing the door behind him, his hand pressed against the carved surface. A crest of white light swept through the wood and the surrounding walls as the silencing wards engaged—a necessary precaution to preserve any semblance of privacy in a house full of shadow mages.
He didn’t look at her as he crossed the room, nor did he say anything as heretrieved the forgotten cup from her worktable and began mixing in an assortment of powders from various jars and vials.
His voice was low and even when he finally said, “You’ll need to drink this mixture three times a day until the soreness goes away.” He regarded the brew for a moment before adding another small pinch of white powder and handing it to her. “I’ll have to mix it up for you to take with you if you really do intend to leave.”
Taly took the cup and drank, wrinkling her nose at the taste. The strange prescription was slimy and bitter, more so than anything she had ever tasted.
“So, what are you two really fighting about?” Aiden’s tone was casual, but there was something sharp in his expression.
“You were eavesdropping?” Taly asked, her words mumbled into the cup.
