Page 78 of The Last Syphon

Larissa flinched as if he had struck her. “I’ve worked with you side by side, every day, for the last seven years. How can you say such things to me?”

His brows knitted. “I do not mean to offend you. You are very skilled. The thief is just better. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you were.”

Inara rolled her eyes. She’d heard enough. If they were going to talk about her, they could do it to her face. She was about to step out when the woman’s next words gave her pause, making her freeze on the spot.

“Something is not right about her.”

Her heart slammed in her chest. Panic caught her in its jaws.

“She shouldn’t have been able to do that.” Even from that distance, Inara could hear the anger in her voice. The way it trembled and shook with every word. “She was at her end. I saw it. When she finished the second round, she had hit her reserves. If she did not draw power from her Guardian, there is no way she should have been able to complete the final round, let alone win it. Something strange is going on.”

Fuck.

Larissa was far too observant for Inara’s liking.

“She’s hiding something. I am sure of it,” the woman finished.

Prince Walder shook his head. “You sound as if you have lost your mind.”

“Please, my Prince. Just listen to me⁠—”

“I will hear no more of this.” His dark tone left no more room for debate on the matter. “You lost, Larissa. Take it with dignity, and perhaps luck will be on your side next year.” With nothing else to say, he stormed back into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Larissa stood there, eyes on the door and fists clenched at her sides. She turned. Inara ducked back behind the corner. She had two options. Get the fuck out of there so neither of them knew she’d heard almost their entire conversation, or…

She adjusted her position quickly, leaning one shoulder up against the wall and crossing one ankle over the other.

Larissa turned down the hallway and jumped when she saw Inara.

“Good morn, Larissa.” She greeted her, voice sweet.

Her face twisted in rage. “Eavesdropping is unbecoming.”

“So is gossiping, and yet, here you are, at the prince’s bedchamber attempting to fill his head with unpleasant, false things about me.”

“They are not false.” She stood taller in an attempt to intimidate her. Inara simply looked her up and down, not at all impressed. “I know you did something during those trials. I know you cheated. There is no way you should have been able to beat one Firestarter, let alone four. It was an impossible task.”

Inara’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What do you mean by that?” Then it dawned on her. “It was only meant to be one, wasn’t it? You doctored the trials so you would win.”

Larissa smirked. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Scoffing, Inara said, “I’m sure you don’t.” Sensing her growing anger, Fraener awoke. He stretched his wings out wide with yawn, and then turned his gold-and-black eyes on Larissa. He roared, and this time, it was anything but cute. It was completely menacing—so much so it caused Larissa to stumble back in fear.

Not wanting to partake in the conversation any longer, Inara pushed off the wall. “I should get going. After all, I have a full day of guarding to do.” She could not keep the smug look off her face even if she tried.

Larissa’s face turned red with anger, and she bared her teeth like an animal. “This is not over. I am going to find out what it is you are hiding, and when I do, I will make sure you spend the rest of your life in a dungeon. Mark my words, Borderlander.”

Inara leant forward and lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. “Good luck.” And then she walked away, turning the corner.

She did not look back, even though every part of her screamed not to turn her back on a dangerous woman like Larissa. But she refused to show that kind of fear. Plus, she knew Fraener would not allow the woman to sneak up from behind and attack her.

An image forced its way into her mind of Fraener using his teeth to fling Larissa into the air by that stupid fucking cape of hers and then allowing her to fall right into his wide-open mouth, swallowing her whole.

Inara snickered. She used one finger to caress under his chin, making him trill. “Not yet, but maybe soon.”

She stopped in front of Prince Walder’s front door, took a deep, calming breath, and knocked once.

He opened the door immediately.