Chapter 35
I walked out of the building a little while later to see that the Old Man was back and leaning against the walk with his hand out, wanting the money that I owed him.
He didn't move to look in my direction, nor did he try to get the money that I owed him by force. He stayed still and waited patiently, knowing that I would give him what he was due without him having to do anything.
I reached into my basket and pulled out the remainder of the coins that I owed him as well as a little extra. I knew that I didn't have to pay him the extra coins, but I was grateful that he at least believed the male that had the feather.
He didn't move when I dropped the coins into his hands, and I knew that he wanted me to take the extra I had given him back.
I shook my head and put my hand down, not reaching for those coins because they were of no use to me now. "For believing him," I said, "and making sure that I was able to find him."
The old man tried one last time to get me to take the coins before he stuffed them into his pocket. He scowled, and I knew that he was dissatisfied with what I had done but wouldn't say a word.
I dipped my head and looked back at the building where Silan sat, waiting for me to leave and go back to the land of the living.
However, I wanted to go back into that room and get Silan to tell me everything and to figure out a plan to save him from those that wanted to harm him and maybe even me.
I didn't want to lose him.
The old man set a barrier between me and the door when I took a step in that direction, and I shivered at the coldness of his magic. He gestured with his staff towards the exit, indicating that it was time for me to leave and go back to the real world that was outside of the shadows.
I huffed but nodded, knowing better than to fight him because I had a feeling he would win, especially because he would be able to push me out of the area if I didn't leave as I should.
"Keep an eye on him, please?" I asked, praying that he would while I looked at him.
I hated not keeping an eye on him myself, but I knew that it would be more dangerous to us if I did that instead of him.
The old man nodded and again gestured for me to leave. He would watch over Silan and make sure that he would be safe and not harmed by the people that lived here.
"And the one that wears his face," I said instead of leaving like I knew I should.
"Watch over him, too." I knew that he could force me to leave the area, but I prayed that he wouldn't; I had to make sure that everything was taken care of before I went on with my life, even though my heart would still be here.
The old man scowled but nodded, indicating that he would watch over the one that wore Silan's face. Again, he gestured with his staff to the exit, gesturing for me to leave.
With a small huff, I nodded. "You know how to find me," I said and turned on my heels and started to walk away from him. "No one else is to know. I don't want them to know that we know. Understood?" I turned to look at him because he never said a word.
The male dipped his head, promising me that no one would know that the Silan they saw was not the real Silan, and the real Silan had been changed for whatever reason.
I jogged and pressed my lips into a thin line. Without another word, I turned around and walked the way that I came, praying that Silan would stay safe.
Gods protect him, I prayed and dipped my head. Please. I can't bear to lose him, not yet.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up at attention before I reached the real world, and I shivered as if cold.
I paused and looked down one of the darker alleyways to my left, where I had felt the coldness, putting my hand into the basket to get a knife, not knowing what to do or who was watching me.
The darkness seemed to grow thicker until it produced a shape of a shadow wraith, a form that watched over the shadows without contacting anyone that wasn't in their blessing.
No one knew what this figure was or did except for the fact that they were shadows and could do harmful things to those who they thought were unworthy.
For some reason, they would contact me or tried to before they did anything that could harm someone else, as if they followed my lead and followed what I said or did.
"What is it?" I asked and relaxed because I knew that they wouldn't harm me. I released the dagger that I had gotten a hold of and pulled my hand out of the basket without the dagger. "Is something wrong?"
The wraith shook their head and beckoned for me to come closer to them. They wanted to show me something but knew how dangerous it was to do it in front of the others that inhabited this place.
There have been times that others had tried to break the connection between us, not knowing that I had given them permission to do it. They were trying to protect me from these creatures, even though I didn't need protection from them.
There were consequences that could lead to long lasting damages to the person or death, and even I had almost been severely injured because of someone's stupidity.
There have been reports that people became wraiths themselves because someone tries to break the connection between the wrath and their "host," but that was a legend, a myth, used to scare children away from making contact with them.
However, that hadn't stopped me from letting them do it. They were under my control, even though I didn't know why nor how.
All I knew was that they sought me out if there were any suspicious characters around, some even leaving the safety of this place to find me outside of the shadows.
I pressed my lips into a thin line but nodded and walked over to them. I knew that I should leave as the Old Man wanted, but they didn't contact me unless it was important, so I had a feeling that the Old Man wouldn't be that mad, especially since he seemed to respect them.
The wraith watched me walk closer to them and waited patiently. They floated in their spot and dipped their head in respect when I was close to them.
"Yes?" I asked and stopped in front of them, not hiding the annoyance in my voice. I shifted my basket from one side to the other while I studied them. "What is it?"
The wraith had a small smirk on their face while they looked at me, but I wasn't able to see it because their face was pretty much the shadow that they were made from.
I narrowed my eyes and scowled while I waited for them to set up the bond between us.
"Well?" I finally asked when they didn't move or asked me for permission.
I pressed my lips into a further line when they stayed silent and didn't do anything.
"Are you going to set up the bond, or are you going to just stand there?
" I asked. "I do have important business that I need to take care of. "
The wraith bowed their head in apology before they lifted their head and looked me in the eyes. They stayed silent while dark tendrils started to appear from them and made their way towards me.
I stayed still and relaxed while I waited for them to make their way towards me and around my legs. My heartbeat was steady while I waited, grateful that I had done this before because I knew that I would freak out if I hadn't had this done.
The tendrils reached me, and I shivered as if cold. They circled around my knees and started to wrap around me.
This was new and different, and I had no idea what they were doing. However, I trusted that they wouldn't harm me, so I let them continue.
I shivered as if cold and watched the tendrils slowly incircle my legs and then thighs and then waist. I kept my body relaxed and watched the wraith, waiting for them to finish what they were doing so that I could leave and go on with my day.
My dragon paced nervously in my mind, but he didn't say a word, nor did he push further to the front and try to stop the wraith. "Are you sure they can't turn against you?" he asked, speaking the silent question that I wanted to think but didn't want to let myself think.
"You do realize that if you turn against me, I will kill you, right?" I asked, my voice a bit harsher than I meant it to be. However, I didn't take it back nor apologize for my rude behavior towards them.
The wraith dipped their head in confirmation and then showed me their neck, a form of submission between them as well as Werewolves from what I have been told. They knew that I would kill them if they turned against me.
"There's your answer," I said to my dragon, and he snorted, amused. "Now, shut up. I don't want to disrespect them while they are doing this."
Shilan grumbled but didn't say a word. He pulled further and further away from my mind but didn't leave completely, and I was relieved. He wanted to make sure that the wraith didn't know he was watching, even though I had a small feeling that the wraith already knew but didn't care.
The tendrils wrapped all the way around my waist and then chest, not slowing down. They didn't stop there and kept going, and to be honest, it unnerved me a little.
I watched as they wrapped around my arms and basket and then my neck. A small gasp of shock escaped my lips, but I still didn't pull away because I knew that it wouldn't kill me.
However, as soon as I gasped, a tendril entered my mouth and nostril, but it didn't feel as if it was choking. I could feel it moving through the inside of my body, though, and it unnerved me a little more but not enough for me to be worried.
And soon enough, my world turned black, and I was fully engulfed in the tendrils from the wraith.