Page 116 of Unbound

"Am I to assume... you bit Veeni's arm off? Or was it your flying fish, which seems rather small for such a significant wound."

My chest constricts, pulse hammering against my ribs. Does Voss know about Typhon? I've had no choice but to trust him with my unbound status, but I've managed to conceal the fact that I tethered a fucking ancient water dragon on Confluence Day. At least, I thought I had.

"I... don't know what happened to her," I manage. "There was nearly a fight, and then there wasn't. Bastian got there in time to stop it from happening.”

Voss cocks his head, amusement playing at the corners of his mouth. "Nessa. I'm not a fool, so don't treat me like one. What happened to Veeni's arm? What really happened?"

His tone sends ice crawling up my spine. Shit. Has he seen through my "Oceanus" the flying fish lie? Does he actually know about Typhon?

"Should I prepare to strike, angry human?"Typhon's voice reverberates with dangerous potential.

"No. He hasn't given us reason not to trust him yet. Everything he's done has been to help. Let's... wait and see."

I straighten my spine, forcing calm into my voice that I definitely don't feel. "I would rather not say, Rector Voss."

He studies me for several excruciating seconds before shrugging. "Veeni will survive, naturally. With sufficient practice, she may even learn to conjure a relatively functional fire-based arm for short durations. Such things are possible with adequate skill."

"Oh." I inwardly curse myself for the relief I feel. Despite knowing she deserved every bit of what happened, guilt has gnawed at me since last night.

"I should have removed her head instead. Let her magically replace that!"

"Typhon, don't be a dick."

"Elementals do not possess dicks. We have a far more sophisticated organ known as?—"

I quickly block him out, refocusing on Voss who's watching me with undisguised curiosity.

"Have you and your friends secured a fifth member for the Crucible? I assume my early warning allowed you first selection."

"We're... working on it." I shift my weight on the chair. "But there's something else I hoped to ask about. Something related to finding our fifth."

"Oh?" Voss lifts his chin slightly, eyes sharpening.

"I heard a rumor. About… siphons."

Voss's expression remains perfectly neutral, and I find myself rambling to fill the uncomfortable silence.

"Here at Confluence. Is that even possible? Could there be a siphon on campus? I know they are just supposed to be monsters from children's stories, but I thought if anyone would know it would be?—"

Voss rises and circles his desk to sink into his chair. He leans forward, fingers forming a steeple. "It is possible. Yes."

His straightforward admission knocks the air from my lungs.

"Where exactly did you hear this rumor?"

"I don't recall." The lie seems to hang in the air, bright and obvious as it waits for him to strike it away and demand the truth.

But his only reaction is the smallest tick at the corner of his mouth. "I see. Little is known about siphons. Even among the powerful. Though encountering a siphon and living to tell of it is virtually unheard of, we know they exist. Would you like to know how, Nessa?"

My throat works against a sudden dryness, but I nod.

"It's the condition of the victim afterward. If they had no affinity, the eyes become empty sockets of shadow. The veins blacken, and every drop of liquid in the body evaporates, leaving a shriveled, horrific corpse. For those with an affinity, the mark is completely blackened, as if burned away. The sight is... deeply disturbing."

I think back to the hushed conversation I overheard with Raith months ago on the castle walls. "Has a body like that been found here? On campus?"

A troubled shadow crosses his features, like storm clouds momentarily blotting out the sun. "That would be extremely concerning. It would mean our protections have failed and the siphons are far more powerful than we anticipated—that they can move freely among us even in a place where the average student possesses enough power to overwhelm several trained soldiers."

"So... it wouldn't be possible?"

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