Page 35 of Shardless

“Yes!” Skye exclaimed. Clapping a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a gentle shake. “Shards, that’s twice in one day. You know,” he mused, glancing back to make sure that Aimee and Aiden were still behind them, “I changed my mind. I think you need to run away more often. If I’d known that was all it took for you to finally accept my superior wisdom—”

“Oh, please,” Taly grumbled.

“Shhh…” Skye held a finger up to her lips. “Superior wisdom is being imparted. Have some respect.”

Taly slapped at his hand, a wide, only somewhat reticent smile on her face. “The only thing superior about you is your ego.”

“It is very impressive,” Skye agreed readily. “Thank you for noticing.”

Taly arched a brow, opening her mouth to make a retort, but she never got the chance. Aimee ran up behind them, fastening herself to Skye’s arm and using her body to shove Taly out of the way. Unable to channel his magic, to increase his speed and make a dive for her, he could do nothing but watch as Taly, thrown off-balance, lost her footing in the scrap and went down hard.

“Damn it, Aimee!” Skye cursed, shaking heroff roughly. He grabbed her shoulders when she started to stumble. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I found… Oh! I’m so sorry, Talya. I didn’t see you,” Aimee said with false sympathy. She didn’t even bother to turn around as she tried to press herself against Skye.

“Skye!” Taly groaned, still on the ground. “I think I’m hurt.”

Sidestepping around Aimee, Skye rushed to Taly’s side and fell to his knees beside her. She was clutching at her leg—her face scrunched up in pain. As he pulled her hand back, he felt bile burn his throat. A jagged, rusted piece of scrap metal protruded from the back of her thigh.

“Oh, Shards!” Aimee exclaimed, her hands flying to cover her mouth. “Oh, my… Talya… you’re… that’s blood! I’m sorry! Shards! I’m so, so sorry!”

The apology was real this time, but Skye didn’t care. “Shut up, Aimee!” he barked.

The sharp, metallic scent of human blood filled the air, and Taly winced as he gently nudged the shredded fabric of her leggings away from the wound, trying to get a better look. Blood trickled out of the gash, coating his hands. “Aiden! We need you!” Skye shouted frantically. He heard the hurried patter of footsteps as Aiden quickened his pace.

“Skye, you have to pull it out,” Taly moaned through gritted teeth. Her breathing was growing ragged, and she stared at the metal with wide, fearful eyes.

“No, Taly. Aiden is coming. He can heal you.” Skye grabbed her shoulder, both trying to reassure himself and to get her to focus on him instead ofthe wound. When he pulled his hand away, flecks of blood clung to the fur trim lining her coat.

“We don’t have time for that.” She turned her head and pointed behind them. “Look.”

The harpy had circled back around and was watching them. It was closer than before—close enough that Skye could see it shift restlessly as it perched on a pile of rusting metal.

Skye turned back to Taly. “Come on. I’ll carry you back. Aiden can look at you behind the tree line.”

Taly cried out as Skye tried to lift her. “No! Damn it, that hurts. Put me down.”

“Don’t move her!” Aiden called as he finally reached them. Pushing Skye out of the way, he carefully turned Taly’s leg so that he could see the wound. His expression grave, Aiden produced a green earth crystal from his pocket and placed his hand around the shard of metal protruding from her leg.

“Aiden,” Aimee cried. She stood off to the side, watching the proceedings with tear-filled eyes. “I didn’t mean—”

“Not the time, Aimee.” The green crystal in his hand flashed, illuminating the veins and arteries that tunneled through the layers of flesh beneath Taly’s skin.

Taly grabbed his hand. “No,” she warned. “No magic. Not here.”

Aiden blew out a sharp breath. “Taly,” he stated, his calm tone belying the stern set of his jaw, “this piece of metal is too close to the artery. I cannot in good conscience move you in this state. It’s too risky.”

“Do whatever you need to do,” Skye stated, placing a hand on his sword. He crouched next toTaly, watching the harpy.

“I won’t use much magic.” Aiden’s voice was soothing as he continued to prod gently at the wound. “Just enough to stop the bleeding until we can get far enough away to treat it properly.”

Taly was breathing harshly, unshed tears glinting in the corners of her eyes. “Okay.”

Aiden carefully placed the crystal in the palm of the hand that still touched her injured leg and then gripped the metal fragment. “I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.”

Skye swung an arm around Taly as Aiden gave a quick tug, easily unsheathing the piece of scrap. Skye winced when she screamed—the sound muffled as she buried her face in the fabric of his coat. Blood was now gushing freely from the gash, but Aiden was already shaping a small cloud of earth magic around the wound. A soft green glow emanated from his fingers, slowing the crimson ebb as the flesh knitted itself back together. Skye watched Aiden work and breathed a sigh of relief when the radiant wave of earth magic once more swept across Taly’s skin. The fragment of metal had just missed the artery.

“That should buy us some time,” Aiden declared after several, long moments.

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