Page 96 of The Last Syphon

Inara stared up at the dark night sky, icy-cold wind skating across her skin. Felix was sound asleep in her bed, snoring his head off and drooling all over her fucking pillows.

For some reason, she could not sleep. Inara knew it was late. Knew she would regret it in the morn for not trying harder to rest, and yet, she felt no desire to move.

She liked the quiet at night. Liked the small sounds of the insects and animals chirping and squawking in the air. It soothed her. The Voice hardly bothered her in moments like this. That was why she liked it so much, she supposed.

Numerous thoughts plagued her, which she was sure was the reason she could not rest. There was a terrible chill in the air, a darkness she could not place or name, haunting her. Hunting her. She’d sensed it over the last few days. A…presence following her, and yet, when she turned and looked, she saw nothing.

Inara was sure her mind was playing tricks on her, but then it would appear again, and she knew she was not imagining it. Not hallucinating this feeling. As if there was a terrible danger lurking around every corner.

Something big and dark streaked across the sky. Inara straightened, a frown pulling at her brows.

Is that⁠—

She glanced over her shoulder. Felix was still fast asleep. Biting her lip, she returned her gaze upwards, wondering if the idea in her head was a good one.

Suddenly, Fraener appeared in his miniature form, plopping down on the railing in front of her and almost making her heart explode out of her chest.

“Fates,” she cursed under her breath. “Scare the life out of me, why don’t you?”

The tiny dragon squawked softly, flaring out his wings. A smile pulled at her lips. She ran a finger over his head and down his spine. He trilled, pushing himself further into her touch. “Wanna go for a ride?” she asked in a whisper.

Excitement shot down the soul-link. Fraener jumped, clearing himself of the palace before shifting back into his true form.

Inara’s smile widened, staring up at him in awe. Looking at him, at the moonlight glittering off his beautiful red scales, her whole body filled with warmth. She loved seeing him in his miniature form. He was cute and cuddly, and it allowed him to follow her everywhere. But there was just something about seeing him in his true form that brought such happiness and lightness to her soul.

Fraener hovered in front of her, his intelligent gold-and-black eyes watching her closely. He raised a paw.

Inara didn’t think it was possible, but her smile got even bigger. Exhilaration filled her. Sparing one last glance at her best friend, she quickly jumped up onto the railing, her arms out wide to help keep her balance before stepping forward onto Fraener’s palm.

“Whoa.” She strengthened her stance as Fraener moved his arm up and deposited her onto his back. He didn’t give her much time to adjust, flapping his powerful wings once hard and shooting upwards.

Inara scrambled, clutching at the horns on his back as rushes of wind smacked her full-on from all sides. She couldn’t help but laugh through it all. It was fun—more fun than it should have been. One wrong move, one wrong misstep, and she would plummet to her death.

It was so fucking thrilling.

When Fraener finally levelled out, she used the opportunity to sit on his back properly. They were high above the clouds, Arelia nothing but a distant shadow below. Her hair whipped through the air like a wild snake, and she used the ribbon around her wrist to tie it up in a tight knot.

The moment she grasped the two large horns in front of her, Fraener shot up and curved backwards, going upside down, making Inara scream at the top of her lungs before racing forward.

Wind smacked her in the face. It was cold, making her teeth chatter, but she didn’t care. There was something so unbelievably freeing about flying on the back of a dragon, as if nothing bad could happen. Nothing could touch her while she was in the skies. Like all her problems had just completely melted away.

It was the most fun she’d had since arriving.

Searching the skies, she combed the dark night for what had grabbed her attention to begin with.

It was pitch-black, and her human eyes could not see more than a few feet in front of her. Fraener sensed her frustration. Heat flared from her eyes, taking Inara completely by surprise.

Her entire perception changed in an instant. Darkness disappeared, replaced with an almost dull grey. She could suddenly see everything. Crystal fucking clear. The city dwellings far below her. The strong, towering palaces of Arelia. The miles and miles of plush forestry. It was so strange to see everything from this perspective, and also so incredibly fucking awesome.

She could see in the dark.

Thanks to her soul-link with Fraener, she continued to gain new abilities. It was no wonder the royals were so angry about her bonding with a Guardian. There was so much power at her fingertips—power they probably wanted for themselves, and now, it was entirely in Inara’s hands.

In the distance, she saw the dark dragon who belonged to the Crowned Prince.

Tucking her elbows into her body, Inara leant forward and braced.

Go.