Page 174 of The Last Syphon

Larissa was the one to speak. “She’s a Syphon.”

Prince Walder stepped back in shock. His gaze whipped to her, confused.

Was he looking at her to deny it? Would there even be a point? Inara could do nothing but avoid his stunned gaze. She didn’t want to see that shock shift to horror, like the way everyone else was looking at her.

“I caught her friend sneaking into your office, attempting to steal this.” Larissa held up the Syphons Source book. “I put the pieces together. I told you something wasn’t right with her. That she was hiding something. She shouldn’t have been able to do what she did the day of the Shielder Trials. She had far too much power, and now, it all makes sense. She’s a Syphon, my Prince. She stole power to win that day. She’s evil.”

Inara ignored all of that, even though it pained her. “What the Fates, Felix?” she hissed. “You have never been caught stealing before, and you let the first time be by her? Really?”

“Trust me, I am just as horrified as you are.” He grunted when Larissa pressed the blade deeper into his skin.

Anger burst in her chest. “Stop it! Let him go! He had nothing to do with this!”

“He knew you were a Syphon, yes?” Lord Tevi questioned. “The law is very clear. Any collaborators are to be put to death too.”

Inara’s magic rose up within her like a rushing tidal wave. The wind swirled around her, and the room darkened as she sucked the power from the air into her body. The lights flickered. The chandelier shook. The ground trembled. She had never pulled this kind of power before, and there was a reason for it.

It was fucking tantalising. The Dark Voice didn’t whisper in her ear, and yet, every cell in her body demanded she pull more and more.

Inara stared them all down, her next words sending a chill even down her spine. “Let him go, or I will drain you all.” Her voice was not her own. It sounded demonic. Inhuman.

Horrified faces filled her vision. Fear surrounded her from all sides, and she didn’t care one bit. They thought she was a monster? Let them all see what kind of monster she truly was.

“Nara,” Felix whispered, trying to calm her down. It was a wasted effort. There were only four things she truly cared about. Four things she would burn the realm down for. Her village. Her mother. Fraener. And him.

Her gaze slid to the hulking man to her right—the man who had yet to say anything upon discovering her secret.

She did not acknowledge the burning question there. Was he on that list?

Inara honestly didn’t know.

Lord Villani was the one to break the tension. “Make one more move, and he will die,” the High Council member threatened.

“Try to kill him, and you all die,” she vowed. “And I will make it fucking hurt! There is not a thing in this realm I wouldn’t do to save someone I care about, and if you try to take him from me, I will suck every ounce of energy from your bodies. I will drain the life from your very souls until you wither away into nothing!”

She didn’t think it was possible, but they all paled even more.

“There is no need for hostilities.”

Inara’s gaze cut to Lady Ophera. The woman tried as hard as she could to appear unfazed, but Inara could see right through it.

“Hostilities?” She breathed out, aghast. “You think I’m being hostile? You surround me with guards, you trap my dragon in some fucked-up collar, you hold a knife to my best friend’s throat, and I’m being hostile?” The audacity of this fucking council. “Let him go. Now. Or you will regret it.”

Lord Julius shook his head. “You do not make demands of this court. You will surrender yourself or your companion will die⁠—”

Anger boiled inside her and she growled low, like a fucking beast. The ground trembled again, harsher this time, causing everything to shake and tumble over. Inara’s magic responded quickly to her anger and pulled even more power—so much power her body began to glow a bright, mesmerising gold.

The High Council members gasped. Lord Villani abruptly got to his feet.

“Kill him!”

Larissa raised her blade.

Inara’s magic charged, sizzling at her fingertips, ready to be unleashed⁠—

“Enough!” Prince Walder boomed, releasing a powerful pulse of power that washed over the whole room.

Larissa froze. It was the only reason Inara did too.