Shardless (Tempris, #1)

by Stephanie Fisher

Despite his best efforts, he still hadn’t been able to completely banish the memory of Taly leaning over, flirting with that scumbag trader. That incident had stirred up some strange feelings—ones that, upon reflection, felt uncomfortably close to jealousy.

wait. When she turned, dodging a rowdy patron… were those tears? He leaned forward, ready to go after her, but stopped short when Adalet ran a gentle finger along the line of his jaw.

This is fucked

Shards, I want to be angry. Anger would feel so much better than whatever it is I’m feeling right now. Really, what is this? My chest feels tight, I feel sick to my stomach, and my eyes won’t stop leaking. For Shards’ sake, why am I crying? None of this makes any sense.

While he could deal with her anger—went out of his way to provoke it—he had never been able to stomach her tears.

“I probably don’t tell you this enough,” he said after a moment, “but you’re my favorite person. I don’t care what shape your ears are.”

among the most hotly debated branch of spellcasting. These enchantments function by allowing the shadow mage to infect or contaminate another mage’s pool of aether with their own.

An anchored enchantment, however, can remain active for decades, sometimes centuries.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she watched Skye’s hand reach out, searching the empty space next to him, and for one brief, agonizing moment, it looked as though he might wake up.

“You know,” he mused lazily, “I’d forgotten just how cute you are when you’re trying to fall asleep. You’ve got this little frown, right between your eyes—almost like you’re trying to really concentrate on sleeping.”

when she heard a low, incoherent curse from the man riding alongside her. Receiving no answer, she glanced over only to see that Skye was staring at her with slightly unfocused eyes. “Do I have something on my face?” she asked, wiping at her chin self-consciously. Skye started. “Huh? Uh… no. Sorry. It’s nothing,” he mumbled, shaking his head as he turned away.

“I always am.” Taly gave him a wink. Skye stumbled slightly, and she couldn’t stop the giggle that fell from her lips.

Skye stopped, realizing that he had turned and was heading back towards the stables.

“I’m going to let you go now. Please don’t stab me again.”

“Paravani sora,” Eula whispered. “When Skye told me that you were still out there, I thought the worst.” Taly smiled at the old nickname. Paravani sora was ancient Faera and roughly translated to little sister.

But then again, I’ve never had a problem taking orders from a beautiful woman—human or otherwise.”

A set of arms grabbed Taly around the waist, roughly pulling her off the platform. She let out a sharp cry as she was thrown on the ground, going still when Kit covered her body with his own just seconds before an explosion rocked the tower.

Her head whipped around, and when her eyes found his, Skye decided that if he died tomorrow, he wanted that smile to be the last thing he remembered.

“Interesting.” Skye watched the man approach and found himself sitting up just a little straighter. “And he said his name was Kit? K-I-T?”

HIS BROTHER???

“For a little thing, you’re fast.”

Placing a possessive arm around Taly’s waist, Skye couldn’t suppress the cocky grin on his face when he saw the other man’s eyes narrow.

When Taly settled back beside him, he frowned. Even without his magic, he could just make out the other Gate Watcher’s scent clinging to her.

“So that’s little Talya Caro,” a cocky voice drawled. “Shame on you, Skye. You never told me how pretty she was.”

And though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, something shifted. Their embrace suddenly became… more. His arms tightened around her.

completely absurd to think that any other woman could satisfy this craving.

That thought, the idea that she wanted him, shook him to his core.

“She is,” Skye agreed readily. “She really is. I just never saw it before. I don’t know when my feelings for her started to change, but they did. And today made me realize that I would regret not taking the chance to find out if she feels the same way. Even if I just end up making a fool of myself in the end.”

Then, before her brain had quite managed to catch up, his lips pressed against hers. The chaste kiss was impossibly soft—warm, almost reverent.

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.

Sensing her hesitation, he pulled back, pressing his lips to hers once, twice. Slow, soft kisses, waiting for her to set the pace.

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

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.

“Well,” Kato drawled, and Taly’s cheeks were already flushing. “Aside from the racket you two were making, his scent is all over you. You must have had him really worked up, because believe me when I say that you’re drenched in it. I can barely smell any iron at all.”

Skye blew out a sharp breath, and his arm immediately encircled her waist, pulling her across the couch and tucking her into his side.

Beside her, Skye stiffened, and Taly could just hear that faint inhuman, fey growl—a warning.

Skye came to a stop in front of the door to their room, and his hands were shaking as he combed his fingers through his hair. Why am I so nervous? he wondered, attempting to straighten his wrinkled shirt.

“For a fey, maybe,” Taly said, pushing him away. “But I’m not fey. I’m human—that means no aether. If I’m careful, I won’t attract beasts or shades. And if something does go wrong, I know how to defend myself.”

This is annoying bc whether she wants to believe it or not she has aether and now shes being deliberately ignorant

Taly ground out, a low inhuman, nearly fey growl emanating from deep within her chest.

Skye barely managed to bite back a moan as she let her fingers boldly trail along the shell of his ear, bringing her hand down to rest on his chest. Whether she realized it or not, she had just done something very intimate, at least as far as the fey were concerned. Something he desperately wanted her to do again.

There’s magic on her—layer upon layer of enchantments.”

Hes so smart

his friend. His match.

“Holy shit,” Skye muttered as he continued to stare out the window with unseeing eyes. “I’m in love with her.” He had been for a long time.

Then, when he figured out who had dared to lay a hand on what was his to protect, he was going to kill them.

too am feeling the loss of your aunt and baby cousin, and I’m sorry that I’m not able to be there to comfort you.

Hmm

He had failed his duty as a Crystal Guardsman. The first link to the Time Shard to surface in over two centuries, and he had lost her.

“You know that boy has never been able to tell her no. He’d cut his own arm off if she asked him to.”

For as long as I live, I don’t think I shall ever forget the sight of those two younglings walking down that ashen lane, hand-in-hand and both completely covered in soot.

“Oh, that won’t work, little mage.” The man sounded amused. “Although, I haven’t felt that spell in a long time. How interesting.”

“let’s get this nasty glamour out of the way, shall we? Then we can get a good look at you.”

Perv… but pls do

Smiling maniacally, she pulled the trigger.

“Stabilize her!” Ivain’s voice sounded far away. “It has to be you, boy!”