Page 125 of The Last Syphon

“My father.” She nodded.

“And your mother?”

“A Clairsentient.”

His brows rose in surprise. “Interesting.”

“Not what you expected?”

“It wouldn’t have been my first choice, I’ll admit. I thought possibly a Manipulator.”

She could see that. A Manipulator had the power to control others. A devastating ability that a lot of people feared. To lose control of one’s self, have somebody else’s will forced upon them…Inara couldn’t imagine anything worse.

Fraener stretched his wings and yawned, his jaws opening wide. He scuttled up her chest and snuggly sat on her shoulder. He squawked. Tydus squawked back. The two Guardians took flight, shifting into their true forms midair.

“My mother is a very powerful Clairsentient,” Inara began, eyes locked on the two huge, beautiful dragons flying off into the distance. “She can sense other abilities and see how they work. She helped train a lot of the other residents of Deadhaven, teaching them how to use their power to their fullest potential.”

He nodded, leaning back on his hands. “There are many different types of Clairsentients. Some have heightened intuition. Others can sense things before they happen. And some hone their skills to become powerful Seers. Your mother’s type makes sense, considering what you can do. The control you have over your magic is among the best I have ever seen.”

Warmth spread throughout her chest. “Careful. If you keep giving me compliments, I might think you actually like me.”

“Like you? Please. You irritate me to no end. Your constant chatter. The brashness of your words. The way you eat. The way you walk⁠—”

“The way I walk?” She laughed. “What’s wrong with the way I walk?”

He didn’t answer her, simply staring forward.

“I’m surprised you would pay me such a compliment after what happened anyway.”

“It is because of what happened that I am doing so. It was…impressive.”

“You don’t see me as a monster like everyone else?” She’d meant it as a joke, but like most jokes, there was a hint of truth to it.

His eyes slowly moved to her and held, blazing with fire. “Who said being a monster is a bad thing?”

Her breath caught in her throat, and her pulse skyrocketed to the stars. There was something utterly alluring about how he was looking at her. About the way his gaze slowly moved over her skin, as if…No…As if he was…admiring her.

It was crazy to even think, let alone voice.

Just like that, the look vanished in the blink of an eye. There one moment, gone the next, as if it had never existed.

Maybe she was imagining it.

Prince Walder stared back out at the darkness. “Granted, I probably wouldn’t have done it in front of the court like that. They’re ignorant of the prices we pay to protect them. But rest assured”—he shrugged idly—“the assassin would have suffered a far worse fate in my hands.”

“Really?” Inara was surprised at that. “I thought as the grand, almighty Crowned Prince of Arelia, you would be required to show mercy?”

He scoffed. “Mercy is only for those who deserve it. If someone comes into my home and tries to kill my people, they forfeit the right to mercy.”

There it was again; that strange sensation humming in her soul when she looked at him. “Never thought I’d utter these words, but I agree with you.”

The prince inclined his head as if he already knew that. “The court feared what you did because your power is primarily a defensive ability. They’ve never seen it used to kill someone like that before. People fear that which they do not understand. Always have, always will.”

Inara studied him closely. The slight tense of his jaw. The crinkles in the corners of his eyes. The way his lips pressed into a firm line.

“Speaking from experience?”

His eyes flashed. Inara frowned. She could have sworn…No. She must have been imagining things.