The Last Dragon Rider

Chapter 42

I cleared my throat and shuffled in my seat. I rubbed my dragon's nose, and he purred while he nuzzled closer to me. "I was able to sense someone watching me that evening, and I told them that I knew they were there and for them to come out.

The person, Silan, chuckled and stepped out of the shadows.

He bowed his head, and he said, 'Marini.

It is good to see you more aware of your surroundings.

I was getting worried.' I only glanced at him and scowled while I worked on the shirt.

I asked him why he was there because he doesn't normally show up at my house, and I usually meet him in the alleyways. "

Arden nodded. "What did he say?" he asked, and I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat.

"He said that he wanted to see how I was holding up and then asked if he could come up on the roof," I replied. I furrowed my browns and cleared my throat again. "I hesitated, but I nodded and moved the basket behind me so that he would be able to have some room to sit down."

"Do you normally hesitate with him?" Arden asked, and I shook my head, no, while Jonah snorted, amused.

"If she was hesitant with him, then it is the end of the world as we know it," he said. "Marini trusts him with her life." He winked teasingly, and I rolled my eyes and scowled at his playfulness. "Dare I say it, but she trusts him more than me."

"I trust you all the same," I replied because I had a feeling that the truth would have hurt him more than he would let on. I also didn't want Arden to know what the truth was, even though with a single glance towards him, I had a feeling that he already knew.

Arden didn't say a word and leaned back in his seat. Amusement filled his eyes, but he didn't say a word while he studied the two of us.

Jonah looked between the two of us and scowled. He didn't say a word, but he knew that there was something amiss, even though he couldn't place a finger on it.

Instead, he turned his attention to me and cleared his throat. "Go on," he said and gestured for me to continue with my tale. "What happened? Did he climb up?"

I nodded in confirmation. "He did," I confirmed. "He asked me how I was holding up again, and I told him that I wasn't holding up that well but that I would be ok.

"He commented that it was a Tribe's Moon that night, and he wondered where they were. I told him that they were probably somewhere colder than here and turned back to my work.

"He told me that he wanted to be underneath them, the trees, again in this longing tone, so I looked at him weirdly and asked him why he didn't go under them again."

"Why didn't he?" Jonah asked when I paused to take a small breath. "Why didn't he go under them when he could? He doesn't have any orders that he needs to follow and not stay away from them."

I wrinkled my nose in disgust and pursed my lips in annoyance because I knew that it was his way of telling me not to go under them. "Because I wasn't allowed under them," I replied. "Of course, he had to point that out."

"Hmph," Jonah said and folded his arms across his chest. Amusement filled his eyes while he stared at me, and he cleared his throat before he gestured for me to continue, and I scowled.

"He then asked me if anything interesting had happened to me, and for some reason, I felt strange and that something was wrong.

" I furrowed my brows and cleared my throat while I looked at my dragon and not at them.

"I wanted to tell him about Shilan and the meeting, but something held me back. "

Jonah and Arden looked at each other before they looked at me. Worry filled their eyes, and I could tell that they had the same thought about something that they wouldn't tell me. "Did you tell him?" Jonah asked, and I shook my head, no, much to their relief.

"Instead, I told him that if he didn't know, then why should I tell him, and after that, I playfully warned him not to tell me that he lost his gift."

Jonah chuckled and nodded. He knew Silan and knew how nosey he could be about my affairs or doings. He knew that people would tell him things even when I didn't want things to be said out loud just yet.

Even Jonah wasn't able to get a lot out of people if it had to deal with me, unlike Silan.

"Silan said that he didn't. He merely wanted this information from me.

" I shrugged and cleared my throat. "I didn't respond for a while because I was trying to find a way to prove my hunch, but I had no idea how to do it.

I knew that something had happened to him, but. .." I shrugged and grimaced.

"You didn't know what," Arden said, finishing my sentence, and I nodded in confirmation.

"I didn't know what, and I didn't want him to know that I know."

They both nodded and stayed silent, waiting for me to finish with my tale.

"Silan grew annoyed with me and pursed his lips in annoyance. He nudged my shoulder and teased me about how he thought that I trusted him. I told him I thought that he liked games, so he should go and search for his answers."

I shrugged and cleared my throat. "I was uncomfortable when he nudged me, but I made sure that he couldn't tell."

Arden nodded, appreciatively, much to my surprise, but I let slide. "Good," he praised. "Then it'll be easier for you to keep up the act."

I dropped my head and bit back a small smile, feeling proud. I had no idea if what he said was true, especially since there was one thing that I had done that could give me away.

"What happened next?" Arden asked. His voice never changed while I stayed silent. Patience was the main key, and it was something that I was pleased with because it meant that he cared about me and what I thought or what I wanted to say.

"I told him that I thought he liked games and that he should go search and that he might find something worthwhile." I shrugged again and cleared my throat while I licked my lips. "After that, I thanked him for helping Josh to my house, but I didn't tell him who Josh was."

Arden and Jonah looked at each other and then looked at me. Their faces were equally blank, and I had a feeling that they wouldn't tell me what had them so worried, much to my annoyance.

"How do you know that he helped him back to your place?" Jonah asked.

I shrugged. "I don't," I replied, "but I know Silan. I know that he helped Josh to go there. It wouldn't be like him not to help, especially since I almost killed someone who attacked the first person that I sent through there that held my feather."

I looked down and set my jaw. Anger filled my body, something that happened every time that I thought about it.

It swirled, dangerous and deadly below the surface, and all I wanted to do was find the person that had attacked the person that bared my feather and attack and kill them.

But I knew that I couldn't, for the male was still an innocent; he was still someone that I had to protect, no matter how much I hated his guts.

Arden raised an eyebrow in question and looked at Jonah for confirmation because I wasn't looking at them but at the ground, trying to control the anger that I felt, and Jonah nodded. "Hmmmm," Arden said and turned his gaze to me while he nodded. "Are you still fighting back that anger?"

I took a sharp breath and nodded, my nod brisk and sharp. I didn't say a word while I controlled my anger, not letting it control me like it wanted to.

Shilan nuzzled his head closer to my body and stayed silent. He let out a grumble purr and closed his eyes while I rubbed my hand across his head.

I slowly started to relax with my dragon's help, the anger leaving me just as fast as it came.

"Silan cares deeply about you," Arden mused, and I dipped my head in modesty. "Who stopped you from killing the male?"

"He did," I said. I moved a hand through my hair and shook my head while I cleared my throat.

"Silan stopped me from killing him. He warned me that he was still an innocent and that I needed to leave him alone and go control my anger.

" I gave them a wry smile and shook my head.

"I still have problems with it, but I am slowly getting better. "

Jonah bit back a snort and grinned when I shot him an annoyed look. "You're a Rider," he said and dipped his head. "Your anger is like a flame. It can be sparked by something small or something large."

I cocked my head and studied my mentor, trying to gauge his reaction. "Is that why you were pissed when the ?ren called you "Digra?"" I asked, and Jonah set his jaw while annoyance filled his eyes.

Slowly, Jonah nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes," he said, his voice holding a small warning to it. "That is why I was pissed."

I rolled my eyes but didn't push him like I wanted to. Instead, I turned my gaze to Arden and cleared my throat. "I didn't tell him about the feather either, the one that I gave Josh. I wanted to see if he knew about it, but he didn't."

Arden nodded and held out his hand, indicating that he wanted to see it, so I took it out of my basket and handed it to him. "When did you get this?" he asked, inspecting the feather.

"I got it the first time that I went through the alleyways," I replied.

I shrugged, nonchalant. "I got into a scuffle with one of the regulars there, and Silan stepped in.

He stopped the fighting by freezing the other person and then bowed his head to me.

He greeted me by saying, "hello, daughter of the Hargen Tribe," and the regular froze in fear before bowing his head and apologizing to me. "

Arden slowly nodded and looked at Jonah to see that he looked amused. "Did you know about this?"

"I did," Jonah confirmed. "I had to stop Dolan from going after him because his daughter was hurt. I reminded him that she wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, which was why she was attacked, to begin with." He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, and I shrugged.

"I had to get somewhere quickly. and I thought that it was the quickest way to get there."

"Was it?" Arden asked and looked at me with a raised eyebrow and amused eyes.

I folded my arms across my chest and scowled while I narrowed my eyes. "It would have been if I hadn't gotten attacked by someone," I grumbled. I pursed my lips and huffed. "I missed what I wanted to do, but I was able to meet him."

Arden slowly nodded and stayed silent. He didn't say a word and gestured for me to continue with my story. He handed me back the feather, and I muttered a small, "thanks" while I stuffed it in my basket again.

"I even asked him about the feather, and he was dismissive about it. He said that it was a long time ago, and that was why he didn't remember what he had given me, even though he made me promise not to forget about it."

I set my jaw, annoyed with the fact that Silan didn't say anything about it but didn't say a word about it. "He said that it wasn't important," I added coldly and Jonah scoffed a laugh while he rolled his eyes.

Arden raised his hand to silence Jonah before he could say a word and looked at me, indicating that he wanted me to continue.

"After that, I told him to hand me over his arm, the one that had the mark. He became suspicious of me and asked why in which I replied by telling him to just give me his arm."

"Did he?" Arden asked, and I nodded in confirmation.

"He did," I confirmed. "I traced it with my eyes, and he didn't quip me like he normally would when I took too long to travel it."

"Did you trace it?"

"I did," I confirmed.

"And?"

"And it didn't do what it needed to do," I replied. "There was no bond between us, and it didn't strengthen like it should have as it had when I traced it."

"And why did it not do that?"

"Because it didn't turn gold."