Page 175 of The Last Syphon

All eyes moved to the Crowned Prince as he stepped forward, taking control of the room. “That is enough,” he repeated, voice strong.

Lord Villani swiped an angry hand through the air. “You have no authority here. This is a matter for the High Council.”

“Last I checked, I am a member of the High Council, and this decision was made without my input.”

“This is a matter of public safety.” Lord Tevi leant forward, his dark eyes hard and focused. “Such a matter could not wait for your return.”

“Well, I am here now, and any future decisions will be made with my input.” His voice brimmed with authority, powerful and strong, causing the High Council members to look at each other with uncertainty.

Lady Ophera’s elbows rested on the armrest of her throne, her long, slender fingers curled into a tight, angry fist. “What could there possibly be left to decide? She is a Syphon. She must be put to death.”

“It will be disappointing, losing the Guardian Fraener, such a powerful asset to Arelia,” Lord Odami added, his arms crossed over his chest, “but it is a sacrifice that will have to be made. It is simply too dangerous to allow someone like her to live.”

Inara laughed dryly. Soft at first, only getting louder and louder as the seconds ticked by. “I am not the Syphon you need to be worried about.”

Lord Julius narrowed his eyes at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means there’s another Syphon out there, someone far worse than me. He’s coming to kill you all.” She ran her gaze over each of them slowly. “And I pray to the Fates I get to watch you all die when he gets here.”

“What is she talking about?!” Lord Villani demanded.

“She’s lying!” Larissa barked. “She’s only saying this to avoid her death!”

“Yes, I agree.” Lady Ophera nodded. “Kill her now.”

The guards moved forward, drawing their swords.

A powerful pulse of ice-cold magic exploded from the centre of Prince Walder’s chest, smacking into the guards with such force that they all flew into the air. “Take one more step, and you will lose your heads,” he warned darkly.

She didn’t have the time to think much about the fact that he was defending her. Inara’s mind was focused on Felix and Fraener. Felix, who was on his knees with a knife to his fucking throat, and Fraener, who whined and writhed in her arms. She didn’t have the space to think about anything else.

“My Prince!” Lady Ophera was on her feet now, eyes filled with anger. “She cannot be allowed to live! Our entire kingdom is in danger every second she is here!”

“I will not repeat myself,” he said harshly. His body was tense, hands clenched into fists and jaw tight. “Inara is not to be harmed. Nor her companion. Not until this matter has been discussed in its proper setting, with all High Council members present. A life cannot be forfeited with such disregard. She is due a fair trial, as are all Arelian citizens.”

“She is not a citizen of our kingdom!” Lord Villani blasted.

“She is my personal Shielder and a Chosen of Arelia. She will be awarded a fair trial, like any citizen of Arelia would in her place.”

“Trial?” Lord Tevi questioned, confused. “The law is clear across all three kingdoms. Syphons are to be executed.”

Prince Walder’s scorching gaze cut to the High Council member. “Read the law again. Our law. All Arelian citizens are owed a fair trial, regardless of their crime. That includes Syphons.”

“It is a farce!” Lord Villani thundered. “We all know what the outcome will be! There is no point in a trial.”

The temperature in the room dropped to an unbearable level. Ice exploded from Prince Walder’s boots, stretching out in a wide circle around him, racing across the ground. Larissa called a shield in place to protect the dais, but the ice wasn’t headed there anyway. It crawled up the walls, over the gold ornate picture frames, across the ceiling, freezing the chandelier, until it encompassed almost the entire room.

The High Council members trembled, but Inara didn’t think it had shit to do with the cold. No. Prince Walder was just fucking terrifying. Even the Guardians—strong, mythical creatures who were prey to no one and nothing—seemed scared of him, their movements erratic and uneasy.

“The law will be respected,” he said, tone harsh. Ominous. “No one is above the law, and anyone caught breaking it is subject to punishment, including the High Council. Would you like to find yourselves in the dungeon beside her?”

No one answered that.

Wait. In the dungeon beside her? He was still going to imprison her?

Here Inara was hoping he was going to get her out of this.

How idiotic of her to think.