Page 173 of The Last Syphon

Inara was hoping to make this quick. The more time they wasted trying to convince the High Council of the death and destruction heading their way, the more land they would lose to the Cursed King. The more lives would be lost.

Prince Walder and Inara marched into the the throne room, side by side, a united front⁠—

Inara came to a skidding halt. “What the fuck?!”

At the end of the room, the High Council sat in their thrones on the raised dais. Lord Tevi, Lady Niya, Lord Julius, Lady Ophera, Lord Odami, and lastly, Lord Villani, each one of them staring right at her. Behind them all stood their Shielders, and standing at each of their sides were their Guardians, a beautiful mixture of red, black, blue, and golden dragons. She’d never seen all their Guardians before, but it wasn’t their presence that alarmed her. It wasn’t all of them staring at her or the tension that was quickly rising in the air.

No.

It was Larissa standing before the dais, facing her with a knife to Felix’s throat.

Before Inara could process another thought, someone appeared beside her in a flash. They locked a collar around Fraener’s neck, and her Guardian shrieked, toppling off her. She only just managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Shock-filled eyes stared down at her dragon as it writhed in her arms.

“What are you doing?!” she thundered, but the man disappeared before quickly reappearing at the other end of the hall.

Six men surrounded her, about to box her in when Prince Walder stepped forward, a pulse of terrifying power exploding from the centre of his chest.

“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded sharply. Tydus leapt from his shoulder, switching forms in an instant. He landed next to his Chosen with a trembling thud, now three times the size of an ox.

The men halted their approach, fear skating across their features.

Inara didn’t have the mental capacity to give a fuck. “What did you do to him?!” she screamed to the six figures sitting in their thrones.

Lady Niya spoke, but Inara couldn’t hear a word of it.

Her eyes widened. The soul-link. It was…gone.

No, not gone. She could still feel it, but it was like a small hum in the background now. Numbed. It was numb. There was a barrier between Inara and her soul-link.

It had to be that fucking collar.

Inara tried to pry it from his neck, but every attempt caused Fraener to cry out in a heart-wrenching, agonised roar.

Tears fell without conscious thought.

Prince Walder marched down the red carpet running through the centre of the hall, every footstep like thunder in the sky, Tydus right at his side.

Inara followed, her gaze flying between Fraener and Felix. Larissa still held that fucking blade to his neck, and her face was full of smugness. Her best friend didn’t look hurt or injured. Just worried. Guards entered the hall from all directions, dozens upon dozens of them, taking up positions around her and the prince, surrounding them from all sides.

Prince Walder did not seem the least bit fazed, continuing as if they were not even there, only coming to a stop before Larissa and Felix.

“Why is there a suppression collar on my Shielder’s Guardian?” His voice was like ice, sharp enough to be a weapon itself.

The High Council members had the right sense to pale under his deathly glare.

“Forgive me, my Prince, but there was no time to warn you.” It was Lady Ophera who spoke. The bitch. “We had to act before either of them could summon the beast’s magic.”

“Why?”

“Yeah, fucking why?!” Inara barked. “Why are you doing this?”

What had that wench told them?

Lord Villani held his head high, the smirk on his face speaking volumes. The bastard was enjoying this. “Some news has come to light regarding your Shielder.”

Inara stiffened.

“What news?” the prince snapped.