Page 185 of The Last Syphon

Inara could put two and two together. They were going to pretend Inara and Felix had knocked them out somehow.

“The guards stationed outside will be gone for only a few more moments. Make your escape, and good luck.”

“Thank you.”

Inara rushed over to the door. She winced as the stone scratched across the concrete floor, slowly swinging open. She paused in the doorway, waiting. No sound reached her ears.

“I think we’re clear,” Felix said, not a step behind her.

Inara didn’t move. Which way did they need to go again?

Felix, ever the mind reader, answered her mental question for her. “She said left.”

“No, she said right.”

“No, left,” he insisted.

Inara glanced over her shoulder. Princess Phaedra was feigning unconsciousness, her eyes closed, head lolled to the side.

“Psst. Did you say left or right?”

“Left,” she answered without opening her eyes.

“Told you.” Felix thumped her in the back, and the movement jostled her forward out into the darkened hall. She stumbled, almost losing her footing.

“Felix!” she chastised with a hiss.

Two guards walked down the hall, coming to a screeching halt when they saw her.

Her face dropped. Fuck.

Inara blew out fast, quick breaths, her legs burning. She threw back another shield wall to block the guards, sprinting up the stairs. She felt it being cut through again, and she cursed.

“Go, go, go!” she chanted.

“I’m fucking going!” Felix yelled, running ahead of her, taking the steps two, sometimes three at a time.

Inara glanced over the railing, looking down. The two guards had called for backup, and now there were half a dozen guards several floors down hacking at her shield with enchanted swords, slicing and mincing it away until it completely fell apart.

She was getting really fucking sick of those damn enchanted weapons.

She looked up and groaned. There were still at least twenty floors to go. She didn’t have the lung capacity for this shit.

Urgency thumping in her veins, Inara ran harder, pumping her legs as fast they could go, trying to outrun the small army of guards pursuing her. She threw another shield behind her. The guards slammed into it and made quick work of hacking it down. At most, her shield was slowing them down by only seconds. They had to go faster.

Inara briefly debated jumping, but was worried about her footing on the stairs. In a wide open field, she was fine. However, in this cramped, condensed space, with a passenger no less, it was too risky to attempt the manoeuvre.

One fall, one trip, and they would catch them.

They had to outrun them.

Another flight up.

Another shield cut down.

Another flight up.

Another shield cut down.