Page 124 of The Last Syphon

Felix straightened his spine, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he scrutinised the tall, brooding man in front of them. Whatever suspicion he had vanished, replaced with that boyish charm he was well known for. He bowed extravagantly, twirling his hand in front of him. “My Em⁠—”

Prince Walder growled.

“Never mind,” he sang, straightening. “Talk to you later, Nara.” And then he left, retreating out the door quickly.

Shaking her head, she faced forward once more. “Everything okay?” she asked as he took a seat beside her.

“I was going to ask you that.”

He was? She was surprised that he cared.

“I’m fine.” She was only somewhat lying. Truth be told, Inara felt a little better now than she had before, thanks to Felix and Fraener. But there was still a that little part of her that couldn’t keep the disappointment out, knowing there would never be day where she could be fucking free.

They sat in silence for Inara wasn’t sure how long. Like every other time, it wasn’t an awkward silence. Somewhere along the way, she’d grown comfortable around the prince. Used to him and his ways. The way he didn’t talk just for the sake of it. Only ever when he had something to say.

“The way your magic works is fascinating.”

Inara jolted, her gaze flying to him. He was already staring at her. “What?”

“I’ve met a lot of Shielders. Watched how their magic worked, and none of them have been able to manipulate it the way you do.”

A sliver of fear cut through her. Why was he saying this to her? Why was he talking about her magic? During all the mayhem at the ball, she’d forgotten completely about the fact that he’d loaned out the book on Syphons. Was he suspicious of her, now more than ever after witnessing what she’d done?

She decided the safest option was to just say nothing at all.

“What powers run in your bloodline?”

Her defensiveness rose quickly. “Why are you asking so many questions about my magic?” At the unease hammering in Inara’s chest, Fraener opened his eyes, raising his head.

Prince Walder shrugged idly. “I’m curious what combination of bloodlines produced your ability and how you use it.”

Fear was replaced by confusion. Then curiosity. “What do you mean by that? Combination of bloodlines?”

He frowned. Inara came to realise she liked it when he frowned. He looked good. “You do know how the manifestation of your powers come to be, don’t you?”

She gave him a deadpan look. “Of course I do.” She bit her lip, staring out into the dark. “But, you know, for argument’s sake, let’s say I didn’t. What, uh…What would that mean?”

The smallest smirk graced his lips as he shook his head. “Magic is unique. Different for everyone. What your power is and how you can use it is based entirely on your bloodlines. You get half your genes from your mother. Half your genes from your father. The same goes for your magic.”

“Okay. Following,” she said, nodding along.

“In most cases, one power is stronger than the other, and that’s the power you end up manifesting. In rare cases, the magic can blend together, essentially giving you a unique power that only you possess. Take Larissa, for example⁠—”

“Do we have to?” she grumbled under her breath.

“Larissa’s mother is a Shielder, and her father is an Electrokinetic. Larissa has three siblings. Two of them manifested as Shielders, taking after their mother, one an Electrokinetic, like their father. Larissa’s magic blended, combining the two together. She can conjure shields and infuse lightning into them, electrocuting anyone trapped within them.”

Fuck. That was actually pretty cool.

“Why did she manifest a combination of both powers, but her siblings didn’t?” Inara wondered out loud.

“Why is one sibling born with blue eyes and the other green? Why is one sibling born with light hair and the other dark? They both have the same parents. They both have the same combination of genes, and yet their features are completely different.”

“That’s a fancy way of saying you have no idea,” she said, eyes alight with humour.

He returned her humour with a genuine smile—the first she’d ever seen from him.

“Magic manifestation works in mysterious ways. Ways that, yes, are not entirely known to us. I’m assuming one of your parents is a Shielder?”