Page 189 of The Last Syphon

One by one, the Shielders crumbled, their magic and power being sucked right from their souls until their bodies could no longer stand.

Only one Shielder remained.

Larissa.

Her hands were up, teeth bared in anger and frustration, holding the shield in place no matter the cost.

Fraener tucked his wings in and dived.

Wind rushed past Inara at such a rate that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Larissa dropped to one knee. She kept her hands up, refusing to let the shield fall even though she was in considerable pain. Blood seeped from her nose and eyes. She screamed at the top of her lungs, still holding on.

The shield wall flickered.

Fraener curved.

Inara jumped, landing beside Larissa, her shield exploding out of her hands to combine with the one already in place, strengthening it. Pure, unrelenting pressure bore down on her, but she ignored it, determination flowing through her body.

Stunned vulnerable eyes snapped to her. Larissa stared up from her knelt position, shocked, almost as if she could not believe what her eyes were showing her.

Inara looked down. There were no words exchanged between them. This was not the time or place for words. Only actions.

Inara held out her hand. Larissa stared at it, hesitating. Inara thought she might reject her help, but one thing she did know about Larissa was that the woman was an opportunist. She knew she was at her magical threshold, and she would not make it much longer.

Inara was offering to reboost her magic with her own. Give instead of take.

The bitch did not deserve it, that was for sure, and Inara wasn’t even doing it for her.

No.

She was doing it for the man just outside that shield, slowly getting to his feet.

All of this would be for him.

Larissa hesitated for a moment longer, indecision weighing heavily on her. Slowly, Larissa placed her hand in Inara’s. Magic vibrated between them, bright and shimmering. The shield wall pulsed, strengthening. Larissa took a deep breath, sighing in relief, and got back to her feet, rejuvenated.

They both snatched their hands back.

The two Shielders glared at one another.

Again, no words were exchanged, and if Inara was being honest, that was the way she preferred it.

She vowed in her heart to still kill her when the next chance presented itself.

Inara stepped through her shield to the other side. Prince Walder had a moment to register his shock at seeing her before she acted.

She called her shield to form into a long, strong whip. With a flick of her wrist, she wrapped it around his torso and yanked. He flew towards her. She turned and he went straight through the shield to the safety of the other side. She commanded her shield not to let anyone else through, and as always, her magic listened to her every order.

Turning, she finally faced the Cursed King and was able to see him in his entirety.

Shock froze her solid.

“Balthus?”

CHAPTER FORTY

“Inara! Inara!” Prince Walder beat against the shield. “Lower it! Lower it now!” He ordered Larissa.