Page 63 of The Last Syphon

“Well…I’d been in that cavern several times. I knew the way out, but I led us to the waterfall in the hopes you would be forced to reveal your power and we could finally talk about it.”

Her mouth dropped open in fury.

“You were already on your reserves, and I thought you’d take from me to replenish your power, but you didn’t. Do you remember what you chose to do instead? I’ll tell you.” He picked up a breadstick and pointed it at her accusingly. “You chose to have us jump into mermaid-infested waters rather than take from me. Insane. Absolutely insane. There were a couple more times after that where I tried to force your hand, just to get you to reveal yourself, but no matter the situation, you never drew from me. Never. And that’s when I knew for certain that I never had anything to fear from you.”

Inara was shocked beyond comprehension. Not only that he’d known about her for so long, but that he was…okay with it. That he didn’t hate or fear her. That he still saw her as the same Inara.

She hugged him, overcome with emotion.

He laughed, patting her back softly. “Don’t go getting all sappy. It’s not that big of a deal. Being a Syphon doesn’t change who you are. You’re still the same person you’ve always been. A giant pain in my ass.”

Tears burnt behind her eyes, but she kept them back. All her life, all Inara had ever wanted was to be accepted for who she was, not judged because of the fact that she was a Syphon—something she could not change about herself. Not that she ever wanted to. Being a Syphon was who she was. Who she was always born to be.

Another knock sounded at the door before it opened once again. It was Princess Phaedra and Kronan.

“Oh my Fates, that was incredible! Absolutely incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it—oh. I apologise. Are we interrupting?” She was in another stunning robe, intricate in design and dripping with status and wealth. Her constant shadow was dressed in matching attire, looking dark and broody as always.

Inara and Felix separated. She turned and used the excuse of picking up a plate of food to swipe the lone tear that had managed to escape despite her best efforts. “No.” She cleared her throat. “Come in, come in.”

Excitement buzzed in the air as the princess made her way inside. “That was nothing short of amazing!” She praised, hands clasped together. “I have never seen anything like what you did down there.”

“Nor have I,” Kronan commented somewhat suspiciously. As a Shielder himself, he would have more insight into her power and what she could possibly be capable of. Inara wondered if it worked the same way for him as it did for her.

“Thank you,” she replied, tilting her head slightly in gratitude.

“The way your magic moved as if it had a mind of its own…I’ve never seen Shielder magic work that way. It’s utterly fascinating. You had the attention of the entire assembly. I am sure the Instructors will want to have a word with you after that performance.”

Inara might have liked the princess’s words, but she did not like Kronan’s prying eyes, as if he was trying desperately to see into her fucking soul. See what she was made of.

“Thank you,” she said again. Residual energy still buzzed beneath her veins, making it difficult for her to keep still. It was like a hefty dose of pure adrenaline coursing through her body.

Inara searched the table for something to eat and settled on a pastry of some sort. She used it purely as a distraction—something to keep her hands busy so no one would notice how jittery she was.

“What happens now?” she asked, taking a bite. It was delicious. Buttery. Soft. Flaky.

Exactly what she needed.

“The High Council members will convene to rank all the contestants and score them between one and seven.” Princess Phaedra picked a piece of lint off her robes, flicking it away. “Once they have decided, they’ll call the contestants in to reveal their scores, one by one, in the order they competed. They’ll then be placed in line from most to least points and be assigned their Charge for the year.”

Inara looked at Kronan. “Why didn’t you compete?”

Princess Phaedra waited, but when the man said nothing, she answered for him. “Kronan is my permanent Shielder. He need not compete.”

Felix took a bite of his breadstick, snapping it in half with a loud crunch. “Why is it different for him?”

This time, they both didn’t answer, exchanging a tense, awkward look with one another.

Felix snapped to attention, sensing the beginnings of a juicy secret. “Why is it different for him?” he asked again, an almost playful tone to his voice. “Come on, tell me. Is it a secret? I can keep a secret. Inara, tell them I can keep a secret.”

“He can keep a secret,” she parroted instantly.

“See? See? So? Why⁠—”

“Do you ever stop talking?” Kronan barked.

“Sometimes.” He shoved the last of the breadstick into his mouth. “Not really, actually.”

Princess Phaedra composed herself fast. “It’s nothing nearly as exciting as what I am sure you are conjuring up in your mind. I would just prefer to keep him as my Shielder.”