Page 12 of The Last Syphon

“I’ll try to remember that.”

She forgot almost instantly.

“As I was saying, I’ve been studying the soul-link all my life, learning everything I possibly can about it⁠—”

“I didn’t soul-link with the dragon. Whatever the fuck that means,” Inara insisted.

“You’re connected to it, are you not? You can feel its thoughts? Its emotions?”

“He’s a he. Not an ‘it’. And that means nothing.”

“It means everything.” He dumped a big, heavy book in front of her, making the table rattle under its weight. “Open it.”

She reached for it and hesitated. Worn brown leather, with a thick spine and discoloured paper, it looked old and fragile, like it had survived a lifetime. A war. Time itself. Her fingers ran over it softly with admiration and tenderness.

When Inara opened it, she saw it was in another language, so she could not understand its contents. There were also drawings. Depictions of great, grand cities. Palaces. Giant mythical beasts of all different colours, shapes, and sizes. She turned each page carefully, staring at it in awe.

It had to be worth a small fortune.

Perhaps I could⁠—

“Do not even think about it, Inara Tempest,” Venerable Cias said sternly.

“What?” she replied innocently, palms rising in the air. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You need not. That look upon your face said more than enough. Don’t you dare think about trying to pilfer it.”

Inara gasped in mock horror. “Why, Venerable Cias, I am insulted by the insinuation. I would never⁠—”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Okay. Fine.” She exhaled, rolling her eyes. “I won’t steal it, I promise. Though, can I just point out that this thing could probably keep the village fed for a whole month?”

“That is insulting. It could keep the village fed for a whole year.”

Holy Fates. Yeah, she was definitely coming back for that book.

Venerable Cias slowly made his way over to take the seat across from her. He let out an exhausted sigh and leant back. “The connection between a Guardian and its Chosen is a sacred bond, coveted and cherished, for a Guardian will only create a soul-link once in its entire lifespan.” He recited from memory as Inara continued to flip through the book. “It is a merging of the souls. What was once two beings becomes one. Should one perish, so shall the other, for one can no longer exist without the other.” Venerable Cias stared at her with every ounce of his focus. Inara found it quite…unsettling, or perhaps it was his words. She was not sure. “Do you understand now, girl? Do you see what you have done?”

“No. No, I don’t understand. I didn’t agree to forge any kind of bond or soul-link or whatever you call it.” A memory came rushing to the surface, barrelling into her mind. A memory of confusion. Pain.

Soul-penetrating pain.

Oh, fuck me.

He scoffed. “A Guardian need not ask permission. Despite what a lot of the royal families like to believe, they do not exist to serve us. They exist to serve the kingdom. They are pure, unfiltered magic. Of the realm. Of water, earth, wind, and fire. If a Guardian wants you as its Chosen, the soul-link is created the moment it decides who it wants. It can go years, centuries, sometimes millennia without selecting a Chosen. Some even decide not to take a Chosen at all, for they have not found someone worthy enough to tie their soul to forever.”

That begged the question, then, didn’t it? “Why the fuck would that dragon out there choose me?” She was far from worthy. Inara wasn’t even really a good person, if she was being honest with herself. She lied. She cheated. She stole. She’d even killed—and enjoyed it, too. It didn’t make any sense why a being like a Guardian would choose to bind its soul to hers forever.

Venerable Cias leant back, studying her closely with those wise, all-seeing eyes of his. “Yes. I have been wondering the same thing.”

Uh-oh. Inara didn’t like the suspicious tilt in his voice. She didn’t need him asking questions she could not answer. Licking her lips, she stared at the page before her. “I don’t…Uh…Oh my fates. This is starting to hurt my head.” She rubbed her temples, trying to get her thoughts under control. “Okay. Explain something to me. Guardians are immortal, right? I know that much. They can’t die from old age like humans can. Like I can. If what you’re saying is true, that means he’s tied his life to mine. If I die, he dies. Why would he create a soul-link with me and effectively shorten his own life in the process? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I suspect it would not, since you did not attend any of my teachings.”

“Again with the teachings,” Inara groaned out, rolling her eyes. “Venerable Cias, we’ve got more important things to talk about right now. I promise, after this, I’ll attend all the teachings you want. Right now, I need you to explain things to me like I’m an idiot.”

“That shall be easy.”