Page 35 of The Last Syphon

The Crowned Prince said nothing. Then again, he didn’t have to. The look on his face said plenty.

“Being that your bond is new, your Guardian will not wish to part with you, nor you him, and we have matters to attend to inside with the High Council. Command him to change form so we can go inside and finalise the arrangements.”

“I haven’t agreed yet.”

“My apologies.” He bowed his head in a gallant gesture. “I gave the impression you had a choice in the matter. How foolish of me. You do not. Do as you have been ordered by not only the Commander of the Arelian Army, but also your Prince, or⁠—”

“You’ll flay my best friend alive. I know. I heard you the first time.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I did not say, alive, although, the idea is…intriguing.”

Whoops.

Felix threw her a furious look, and she winced. “Sorry,” she mouthed.

Deciding that stalling was doing more harm than good, Inara faced Fraener. “Change form.”

The dragon blinked. He tilted his head to the side.

Inara cleared her throat. “Change form,” she tried again.

He just stared at her.

There was a sense of understanding fluttering down their soul-link, so Inara was sure he understood what she was asking of him, but there was also something else. A hint of…mischievousness.

Someone coughed awkwardly.

Fuck. This is so embarrassing.

Inara straightened her spine, standing taller. “Change from,” she repeated for the third fucking time.

Fraener trotted one foot, pounding it against the dirt before blowing out a puff of smoke through his nose. Humour trickled through her.

Oh. He thought he was being funny. The dick.

“Why isn’t he listening?” Felix whispered.

“Because he thinks he’s being funny,” she grumbled out.

“Wait.” He frowned. “He’s got a sense of humour?”

“He seems to think so,” she said, inclining her head to the big beast.

“Perhaps Magdala was wrong,” the Crowned Prince sang condescendingly. “Perhaps your soul-link is nothing more than a farce.”

Fraener snapped his head to the Prince. His eyes narrowed dangerously. Magic hit the air, running over her skin. Fraener’s gaze never wavered as his body slowly began to change, shrinking down inch after inch, all the while maintaining that deathly glare on the Prince for daring to have the audacity to utter such a thing. A moment later, Fraener was the size of a small raven.

Even though Inara had just witnessed Tydus do the exact same thing, a sense of wonder and amazement still hit her.

Fucking extraordinary.

The fact that he was now a miniature version of himself did not diminish their soul-link whatsoever. She could still feel it pounding in her chest as strong as her heartbeat, a constant thrum against her soul.

Fraener shot forward. He flexed his wings wide, curving around the Prince, and then unleashed a torrent of fire right at his face. It was nowhere near as powerful as what it would have been in his natural form, but she didn’t think the intent was to kill, or even cause serious harm.

More to pester and annoy.

Which it did.