Page 177 of The Last Syphon

When he sang with his magic, it was beautiful and majestic, full of light and warmth and power. But because of the suppression cuffs on his wrists, there was no magic in the notes, and without magic, it just sounded like fingernails scratching down a chalkboard.

“Felix.” Inara groaned, rubbing her temples. “I vow to the Fates that if you do not cut it out, I will kill you myself.”

He was in the cell next to hers, his voice echoing in the small space surrounding them. They were the only ones down here, which Inara found strange. She highly doubted they were the only criminals in all of Arelia. Maybe they’d been relocated when she and Felix were put down here.

Who knew.

None of it mattered anyway. All that did was getting the fuck out of here, finding Fraener, and flying away.

“Oh, come on,” Felix whined. “I never get to sing like this.”

“A blessing for everyone,” she grumbled.

“Someone’s cranky.”

Inara glanced over her shoulder, scowling at him. “Of course I’m fucking cranky! We’re locked in a Fatesdamned dungeon!”

Felix merely shrugged, unfazed. He was lying on the bench, his arms above him doing some form of shadow puppets, his cuffs clinking and clanking.

“I’m not worried,” he said, that same chipper tone in his voice like it always was. “His Eminence will get us out of here.”

Inara scoffed. “You believe that?”

“He stopped them from killing us, didn’t he?”

Inara grumbled, turning back around. Yes, he had, and she was well aware of that. They were going to kill her on the spot, and Prince Walder, ever the rule enthusiast, had managed to use the law to momentarily prolong her death.

But she did not expect anything else.

The law was the law. There was no way the High Council would let her live. They feared her too much. Feared what she could not only do, but do to them.

Her display in the throne room didn’t help matters. Neither did her threats. She knew that, and if she could do it all over again…

No. She would still do the same thing, except this time she wouldn’t allow them to cuff her.

Inara scratched at her wrist with one finger, irritation flaring to life inside her. The suppression cuffs were uncomfortable to say the least, and not because they were so tight they were pinching into her skin.

No.

It was because they completely cut her off from her magic.

It was such a strange sensation, not to feel that power beating throughout her body. Of course, she’d still tried to summon her magic, several times in fact, but as she expected, nothing happened. No shield. No syphon sight. Nothing.

Fucking nothing.

Then there was the fact that the soul-link was gone too.

That probably hurt more than the loss of her magic.

Inara had quickly gotten used to that strong, constant presence in her mind. The beautiful hum in her soul.

And now, there was nothing.

Is Fraener okay? Where is he? What are they doing to him? Is he scared, being trapped in his miniature form like that?

It angered Inara, thinking of him so vulnerable like that. Arelia worshipped their Guardians. How could they do this to him?

“Tell me again what happened,” she demanded. Inara stood at the front of her cell, arms threaded through the bars to interlock her fingers.