Page 46 of The Last Syphon

Her gaze cut right. Larissa stood, arms crossed over her chest, brow arched high, slightly condescending look upon her face. Three others were at her back.

Inara turned to face them.

“Sorry about that,” Larissa called, all haughty and superior. “You must be more careful. Accidents like that happen all the time out on the field.” Despite her words, Inara had the sneaking suspicion that what just happened was no accident. “Can we help you?”

Inara lowered her shield and stood up taller, straightening her spine. “I came to watch.”

“Why? Hoping to learn a thing or two? Sorry, you’ll have to go to the Instructors for that. We don’t teach Novices. But I think there’s a youthen lesson about to begin soon.” Laughter echoed in the air from the people behind her, and Larissa smirked, finding herself funny.

Anger shot through Inara. A roar hit the air like thunder, a loud, terrifying boom in the sky.

Kill her, the Dark Voice taunted in Inara’s head. Take everything she has.

It would be so fucking easy to listen. To succumb to that dark, tantalising voice and what it wanted her to do.

A part of her would like it, too, she knew.

Instead, Inara took three deep breaths, remembering her mother’s words. Her suggestions about what to do when the darkness tempted her.

Inara smiled. “Thanks, but I’m good.”

“You sure? I know how uneducated you lot are over in the Borderlands. You’ll probably need all the help you can get. Don’t you think, guys?”

Two of them nodded without hesitation. They were twins. Female. Identical in almost every way. Same dark brown eyes. Same short, pixie haircut. Same slender body and heart-shaped face. They were cackling alongside Larissa, eating up every word.

The other woman standing at their side didn’t join in. She was the shortest among them, and had a slightly heavier body with a full head of red hair and face of freckles. She chewed her bottom lip, avoiding eye contact.

Inara narrowed her eyes. Isn’t she just testing my motherfucking patience?

“And you, princess…” Larissa began, sneering. “You should know better than to associate yourself with Border Rats. What would your father think?”

Princess Phaedra’s entire demeanour changed in the blink of an eye. She straightened her spine, standing tall, lowered her chin just a touch, and stared Larissa in the eyes, face hard.

“I suggest you remember your place, Larissa.” Her voice was cold with warning. “Being my brother’s Shielder will not protect you from punishment.”

Larissa’s face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she backed down instantly, deciding that going toe to toe with the princess of Arelia was not a good idea.

Inara, on the other hand? She was fair fucking game to that woman.

With a flick of her long golden hair, Larissa returned her attention to the true outlet of her anger and jealousy. “You’re wasting your time here. Even if I wanted to teach you something, it would be pointless. I highly doubt you would even understand. Much like Na-Ri, you’re too stupid to comprehend basic things, like all Border Rats. Isn’t that right, Na-Ri?”

The red-haired, freckled face woman behind her hunched her shoulders inwards, as if trying to make herself smaller, make herself disappear before she stuttered a very meek, “Y-yes.”

Inara’s glare darkened. Anger pounded in her veins. “You know what I’ve realised about people like you?”

“People like me?” Larissa questioned, hand to her chest.

“Yes. Bullies. People who like to put others down because of their own insecurities. You do it because you feel threatened⁠—”

Magic pulsed in the air around Larissa. “I am not threatened by you. You’re just a Border Rat who got lucky when a Guardian soul-linked with her. That’s it. It doesn’t make you powerful. It doesn’t make you important. If you think you can beat me and take my place in the Shielder Trials, go ahead. Try. I doubt you can even make it past the first round.”

Inara’s magic burnt in her blood, desperate to prove her wrong. To show her just how much she’d underestimated her.

She would do so, but in a way that would humiliate her, too. Where everyone could watch her fall.

Inara was evil and vindictive like that.

“Let’s go, Felix.”