Page 107 of The Last Syphon

“Sly as a fox.” He winked.

The door behind her creaked open. She turned. Felix’s head popped out, eyes searching for her. “Inara,” he hissed. “Come on.”

“Coming!” she called out. “Duty calls,” she said, turning back to face Balthus.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Inara,” he said kindly.

“You too.” And then she hurried back down the hallway to Felix.

“What were you doing?” he asked in a hushed whisper when she walked in.

“Don’t worry about that. Keep singing.” If he stopped for longer than ten seconds, the subject would begin to rouse. They were already running out of time.

Felix handed her two small cotton buds, which she placed in her ears to better keep out the power of his voice, and they quickly surveyed the room. It was a large space. A desk sat in the centre, and an older gentleman in red robes lying facedown on the surface. Books and scrolls surrounded him from all sides, some on shelves, some in piles on the floor. Inara wasn’t sure where to look first. It was a little overwhelming.

It reminded her of Venerable Cias’s librarium. She had no doubt there was some sort of order to it all, but without knowing what it was, it would take her forever to try to find what she was looking for.

She glanced at Felix. He was sweating, strain evident on his face as he continued to sing. Power was flowing out of him at an alarming rate. He would not be able to hold it much longer.

Despite the fact that she had her cotton buds in her ears, Inara could still hear him as she made her way around the room. She could feel all that power he was pouring into the notes. His words. Drowsiness hit her hard, but she was able to fight it off.

Barely.

Inara searched for what felt like forever, but she knew it was only a minute or two, at most, and still, she found nothing. Another glance at Felix. He was now leaning up against the wall, his strength diminishing quickly.

Fuck!

They had to go. Inara did not want him to reach his reserves—or even worse, blow right through them entirely and risk his life over this. It wasn’t worth it.

“Alright. Let’s just go—” Inara stopped, her eyes landing on an open book on the desk. Something about it caught her attention. She rushed over, studying it.

It was a logbook of some kind, filled with entries of books, texts, and who had loaned them out. A lot of them were books she’d never heard of. Passage for an Oracle. Healers’ Embrace. Alchemists in the Realm. Bloodborne Origins.

And about a dozen or so more.

The only one that stood out to her was Syphon Source.

Hope bloomed in her chest…until she read the next line.

Checked out.

But of course, it couldn’t just end there. No. The next line read who had checked it out, and it made her stomach drop.

Crowned Prince Walder.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Aball was exactly as Inara had envisioned in her mind. Dripping with more opulence than one could possibly even fathom. Rich and royals alike were dressed in absurdly expensive outfits worth more coin than some people would earn in a lifespan. Food, food, and oh, more food.

The Grand Hall—the same one she’d been brought to when she first arrived in Arelia—was perfectly decorated, every tapestry, every gold-plated piece of furniture flawlessly placed and arranged for maximum effect.

The chandeliers were lit and bright, sparkling. Luminaries floated in the air around it, casting an entrancing, magical glow around the entire space.

On a balcony outstretched over the right-hand side were a dozen or so musicians playing a wide array of different instruments. Music played softly, setting a calm and peaceful atmosphere despite the somewhat frenzied nature of the guests.

Excitement hummed and buzzed all around her as Inara followed Prince Walder. Although she was excited about attending her first ball, she couldn’t really enjoy it the way she would have liked to. She was far too on edge.

What is Prince Walder doing with a book about Syphons? Has he figured out my secret somehow? Will a squadron of his Elite Guard corner me and drag me to the dungeon to await my execution? Her mind was running rampant with all different types of scenarios, none of them good, and she could not stop the thoughts from taking over. They had consumed her from the moment she uncovered the knowledge and never stopped. Never eased.