Page 195 of The Last Syphon

His face twisted in anguish. His eyes, full of panic and fear, frantically searched for a way through. For something—anything. For a way to help her.

“Run,” she cried, the word nothing but a whisper on the wind. Inara would hold Balthus back for as long as she could to give them a chance to escape. She would give her life to make sure the ones she cared for could live. She would⁠—

Prince Walder’s eyes lit up, as if coming to the realisation of something. Something that could turn the tide. He dropped to his knees, closed his eyes, and lowered his head. In her syphon sight, Inara saw it…His magic, his power, streaming towards her. Her eyes widened in shock a moment before that energy slammed into her with such force it almost hurt. Power rocketed through her, much more power than she knew he possessed, and it funnelled down into the energy streaming from her hands.

Balthus was shoved backwards hard, abruptly, and he gasped, shocked.

Felix quickly followed suit, dropping down to his knees. Another stream of power hit her hard, again, more powerful than she knew her best friend possessed, and his words from the dungeon rang through her.

“When magic is offered up freely, without force or coercion, it is stronger than if you were to seize it yourself.”

Then, one by one, the thousands of soldiers at their back fell to their knees, following their Prince and offering her their magic.

Through her syphon sight, she saw it, thousands of streams of energy merging together and flying through the air towards her.

“No!” Balthus roared. His hand shot up. His syphon magic lunged for the power, trying to take it for himself.

Inara snapped a shield around the energy. Balthus’s magic slammed into it. It twisted and turned, coiled and striked, moving like a snake, trying to get through, but Inara had enough power to keep it at bay.

The magic poured into her and she inhaled deeply at the sensation. All the pain, all the effort, just…washed away. A wonderful sense of light filled her and her body began to glow a bright, almost blinding gold.

“No! No!” Balthus cried.

Inara stood, and with one hand up, advanced on him. He struggled to keep her back, his hands trembling, teeth bared in a furious growl, but there was so much power in her body now, it was almost…effortless.

No. It was effortless.

Balthus fell to his knees. Inara stood over him, a constant stream of energy flowing from her palm, eating his magic faster than he could produce it.

She looked down at him, filled with triumph.

“You…need…me,” he grunted out, still somehow managing to hold her back, even with all the power flooding her veins.

Fates. He really was powerful. His will to live could not be outmatched.

“They will…kill you for this. They will fear you. I can help you. I can help you master your magic.”

Inara lowered her hand, dropping the stream of magic.

Balthus sighed in relief, his own magic vanishing the second he was no longer under attack. His body swayed, and for the first time, Inara saw exhaustion drenched in his features.

Inara placed a hand on the side of his face. He was momentarily shocked, pleading blue eyes staring up at her.

“This is for my mother.” Inara called her magic. Hot, scorching magic exploded out of her palm and burnt his face off.

There wasn’t even a chance for him to scream.

The front half of his face was there one moment, and then gone the next. He fell onto his back, and Inara stared down at him.

Confusion racked her.

There was…no blood.

There should have been rivers of it pouring out of him, and yet, there was nothing.

Balthus’s body flickered and then vanished. Inara’s gaze moved up. Tibierus flickered as well before he just…disappeared. The creature didn’t jump away. Inara was sure of it. Both Guardian and Chosen just simply faded away.

It clicked in her mind. They were astral projections. She was never fighting the real Balthus. It had always been an astral projection. It explained why Prince Walder never used his Bloodborne powers to fight against him. It all made so much fucking sense now that she had a moment to process. He’d tricked her. Again. He was still alive, out there somewhere. Anger filled her as well as a hefty dose of vengeance. She would hunt that fucker to the far ends of the realm if it was the last thing she did.