Chapter 34
I placed him in the chair that Caspian had once occupied a while ago before I went to my basket to grab a wineskin filled with water that would help him become a little more aware of his surroundings.
My hands shook slightly, but I was able to find the wineskin and walked over to him.
"Here," I said and unclasped it. "Drink. "
The old man scowled and shook his head. He was slumped in the chair, and I was scared that he would fall out. "N-"
"I said drink," I snapped, interrupting him. "Gods, don't fight me on this."
Silan didn't say a word but nodded. He gestured for me to help him drink some of the water, and I did. Greedily, he tried to drink more than he should, so I had to pull the drink away from him and left the male whining like a pup wanting more milk from its mother.
"Drink anymore of that, and something bad could happen to you," I warned and clasped the wineskin. "And it wouldn't just be this." I gestured to his fragile body and the fact that he still had a hard time sitting up.
Silan grumbled but didn't respond. He watched me with brown eyes, his eyes clearer than they had been before.
I stuffed the wineskin back into the basket and walked over to him. "Arm," I said and held out my hand.
Silan grunted and handed me his arm. He watched while I traced it over and studied the mark, dark against pale skin, the opposite than it should have been. "Only the color has changed," he quipped. "It's still the same thing. I don't know why you have to keep tracing it with your eyes, Marini."
My body became relaxed when he said that, and I kept tracing the mark. "Because I am memorizing it," I replied. "Gods knows that it could change."
"Hmph," he snorted. "The day it changes is the day that I die," he said, "so trace it."
I rolled my eyes but did what I was told to do. My heart pounded in my chest while I traced it, praying that what I thought was true.
A sigh of relief escaped my tight lips when I saw that it started to glow a faint golden color, and the bond between us strengthened.
I bit my lip hard when I released the male's arm and watched the mark dim until it was only brown. My heart jumped into my throat, and it took all of my self-control not to burst into tears because he was the man that the other one should be; he was Silan.
"Hmph," Silan said and leaned back in his seat. He studied me with brown eyes that were so foreign and yet so comforting that it confused me. "Don't tell me you are going soft on me, Rinnie," he said, calling me by my nickname.
I cleared my throat and rubbed my eyes. "Well, I thought you were dead or kidnapped," I said.
Silan nodded. "How did you know it wasn't me?"
"Couple of reasons," I replied. I had no idea how much I could tell him. I had no idea if they, whoever they were, could see him through his eyes or hear what someone has to say to him. I had to make sure that he stayed safe.
Silan studied me. "Hmmm," he said and nodded. He understood why I didn't want to give him the reasons how I figured that the male I had seen last night was not him. "What is the main reason?" he asked.
"Feather," I replied, and Silan instantly took the feather from where he hid it and handed it to me. I rubbed the feather through my fingers and studied it.
The red and gold colors moved, and magic pricked my fingers. It went up my arm and filled me with a power so strange but so familiar that I had to bite back a gasp.
"Hmmmm," Silan said, and I looked at him. He nodded slowly, and I could tell that he was pleased about something.
"What?" I asked and furrowed my brows. I frowned and cocked my head while I studied him. "What is it?"
Silan smiled sadly and shook his head. "Can't say," he said. "They are listening." He gave me a pointed look, and I knew that my suspicions were correct.
They, whoever they were, were listening and seeing things through his eyes and ears.
I purse my lips and slowly nodded. "Should I tell him?" I asked, not saying who and praying that Silan knew I was talking about Jonah. I moved my basket and sat down with a small sigh, Silan watching me every step of the way.
Even if Silan didn't want me to, I was still going to do it. I was going to tell Jonah what was happening to Silan so that he could keep an eye on him.
Silan shrugged. "I don't want this bestowed on someone else," he said, meaning that he would be fine with me telling him but didn't want them to know.
I nodded, making sure to keep my face neutral. I sighed and moved a hand across my face, feeling exhausted and tired. "What are we going to do?" I asked, making sure that he couldn't hear the tiredness in my voice.
Silan leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. He was about to fall over but caught himself, sensing my heart into my throat. "Stop, Rennie," he scolded. "I might be old, but I am not weak. There is no need to worry about me."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes with pursed lips. I made sure that he knew that I would still worry about him, even if he told me not to.
"Hmph," Silan scowled. He kept his arms folded across his chest while he studied me with knowledgeable brown eyes. "And, I don't know," he said, ignoring my scowl. "That is up to you, Rennie, for I am merely a spectator."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I knew that he wasn't going to be just a spectator. I knew that he was going to cause some mischief, even though he was wearing someone else's face.
Silan grew smug, and I knew that he knew that I knew he wasn't merely going to be just a spectator. He was going to try and find a way to get himself back to normal no matter at what cost, even if it cost him his life.
I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache appear out of nowhere. "Should I play along?" I asked and looked at him with tired eyes.
Silan nodded. "Unfortunately," he said, gravely. His eyes held pain, and I knew that he didn't like seeing me in pain or being tired from what we had to do. "It'll only be for a little while; I am sure of it."
"Are you going to keep fighting?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I studied him, trying to see if I couldn't read him, even though there are times that I wasn't even able to do that.
And this, this was one of those times where I wasn't able to read him.
His face was blank and a mask all at once.
He didn't say a word about whether he would fight or not, and I hoped he would.
He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.
"I think that you should get going," he said.
"You have some work to do before curfew starts. "
I sighed and nodded before I stood. "I'll make sure that you will stay safe," I said, and he nodded. "Make sure that you stay near here. They'll keep an eye on you, too."
"I am a grown man, Marini," he said with a scowl, but I could tell that he was more amused than anything else. "I can travel where I want and do what I want."
I blinked slowly and frowned. "Please," I said softly. "For my sake, stay close."
Silan sighed and nodded. Pain and sadness filled his eyes, and I knew that he was sad that I was having to go through this. "For your sake, I'll stay close," he said, "but that doesn't mean I'll like it."
I nodded and grabbed my basket, knowing that I was going to have to leave first before he had to go.
Silan clicked his tongue disapprovingly, and I raised an eyebrow in question.
"You shouldn't leave just yet," he scolded and stood.
He opened his arms, and I knew that he wanted to give me a hug, a hug that could be our last, at least for a little while.
"Come," he said. "Just one last time where we're sort of alone. "
I hesitated but set my basket down in the chair. My heart pounded hard in my chest while I walked over to him and hugged him tightly. I closed my eyes and bit my lip while he hugged me close to him, his heart beat matching mine.
"Stay strong," he whispered/hissed in my ear after he placed a kiss on the side of my head. "Stay strong for us. Believe in yourself, and we will be able to believe that there is a better future. Ok?"
I didn't question him and nodded. I hated how he was shaking in my arms, and I knew that he was going to have trouble on his own.
"Promise me, Marini," he hissed. "Promise."
I cleared my throat and nodded. "I promise," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I promise that I will stay strong for you all."