Page 33 of The Last Syphon

Rushing over to her best friend’s side, she knocked the still-hovering blade at his throat away with a swipe of her hand and whispered, “Did you hear that?”

Felix released a heavy breath, his hand massaging his neck. “I’m standing right here. Of course I heard it,” he hissed out. Getting threatened tended to put him in a crabby mood. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking it’s a pretty good fucking deal. Free food. Free clothes. A place to sleep and payment? All for staying in Arelia? It’s an easy decision, isn’t it?”

“Is it?” he questioned in a whisper. “It means if there’s a war, you have to fight in it. That’s what he means by ‘services needed’.”

Okay. That is probably true. But⁠—

“What are the odds of that happening? When was the last time there was a war in the realm? 2,000 years ago?” Inara weighed the pros and cons in her head. “I think it’s worth it. Think about it. No more scavenging. No more worrying about making payments to Gideon. No more fighting for every little thing we have. No more stealing.”

“But we like stealing.”

Fair point. “Yeah, we do,” Inara blew out. She glanced over her shoulder. The Crowned Prince stood in the exact same spot she’d left him, feet shoulder-width apart, spine straight, posture perfect. Does the dude never relax?

“Okay. We will still steal. We’ll just do it from the royals. Imagine the fun. We’ve never stolen from them before. Not in person anyway.” Inara was so giddy at the idea that she almost wanted to rub her fingers together in anticipation.

She could see the idea intrigued Felix, too. He had that twinkle in his eyes—the one that said he was thinking of doing something he knew they shouldn’t be doing.

“What about the village? You think those imbeciles can survive on their own?”

No. She didn’t. “Question,” she began, turning around. “Am I allowed to leave to check on my village?”

“As long as you return by eve’s end, you shall be granted passage to visit the Borderlands. Only after you have proven you can be trusted. And, you will be required to take an escort with you.”

She arched a brow. “I have to prove that? I can’t be just given the benefit of the doubt?”

“To a thief?” He snorted. “No.”

“I told you, I didn’t steal him.”

“And I am not referring to the Guardian. Do not think I do not recognise you. Reports of someone matching your description stealing gold and priceless artefacts have been circling the realm for quite some time.”

Inara winced. Okay. She was just going to drop that and not say anything back.

She turned back to Felix. “So?”

Her best friend was still hesitant. “I don’t know. Venerable Cias warned us about this place. That there is more to it than meets the eye. Aren’t you worried this all seems a little too good to be true? That there’s something more going on?”

Yes, actually. She did feel that way. There was also another part of her that felt as if this was where she was meant to be. That her life was meant to be more than watching out for a village full of drunks and spending her days wondering what establishment she was going to break into.

That she had a destiny. A purpose.

That she was important.

That this power running through her veins everyone was so terrified of could be used for something good, not evil.

Inara couldn’t explain it, and it was such a contradiction to what she had been feeling earlier. To the desperate need she felt to flee—wait a minute.

Her gaze clashed with intelligent gold-and-black eyes.

Fraener thought those things.

He thought she was destined for more.

He thought her power shouldn’t be hidden. And the only way to achieve that was to show everyone the good it could do.

How, she had no idea. All she’d learnt of her power so far was how devastating and destructive it could be.