Chapter 49
I walked into the Pub after I gave the bread to the family and bit back a small sigh of relief when there was no other incident.
Thank the Gods, I silently praised while I dipped my head closer to my chest. Thank the Gods.
Charles furrowed his brows and frowned while he looked me up and down and saw that I didn't look well. Concern filled his eyes before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet while he studied me. "Are you ok?" he asked and met my gaze. "You look like crap."
I shook my head and walked over to one of the booths in the back. I didn't say a word, and Charles bit back a small scowl when I didn't answer him right off the bat.
"Marini," he said with a soft scowl in his voice. "What happened? Come over here."
"Let me set down my basket," I said, biting back a small snap. "Is Jonah able to talk to me soon?"
"Is it that bad?" Charles asked, and I shot him a scathing look before I set my basket down in one of my normal seats. He bit back a small chuckle and bowed his head, amused. "I guess so."
I didn't respond and held back an eye roll before I walked over to him, not afraid of anyone going through my stuff.
Charles followed me into the kitchen when I entered and cleared his throat. "Now?" he asked and raised an eyebrow. "Are you able to tell me what's going on?"
I sighed and shook my head before I cleared my throat. "I need to talk to Jonah about this first," I said.
Maron stopped cooking something and looked at me. She narrowed her eyes and studied me before she scowled. "What happened?" she asked.
"Again, I need to talk to Jonah about this first," I said. Shilan? I asked, trying to contact my dragon again.
Nothing...
"Can you tell my friend that I am safe?" I asked and raised an eyebrow, talking about my dragon.
Charles furrowed his brows and cocked his head. "What do you mean?" he asked, and I gave him a weird look, not knowing if he was talking about my dragon or something else. "Can't you contact him?"
I bit back a small sigh of relief, grateful that he still remembered my dragon. I shook my head and pursed my lips. "For some reason, I can't. I don't know why, but I know that he is worried about me."
And I am worried about him...
Charles and Maron looked at each other before they looked at me. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What happened?"
I pressed my lips into a thin line before I shrugged. "I don't know," I admitted before I cleared my throat. "I need to talk to Jonah about it first, but all I know is that something happened, and I can't contact him any longer."
"Were you in danger?" Maron asked softly. She stopped cooking and walked over to me, her eyes turning this weird glowy purple color before she was able to control herself and stare at me with her normal brown eyes that were filled with concern. "What happened?"
I hesitated and moved my hand across my skirt, which was still messed up from my fall, and I had a feeling I still had blood on my clothing, especially since the person that I helped had pointed it out. "I need to talk to Jonah about it first," I said. "I'm safe for right now."
I hope...
"Hmph," Maron said and narrowed her eyes softly. She didn't say a word while she studied me, and I stared at her, making sure that my face was blank.
She sighed and held out her hand, and I looked at it before I looked at her, making my face blank. "Give me your hand," she said, calmly, "with your palm up."
I hesitated but nodded and did what I was told to do and gave her my hand. I stayed silent while I did so, not knowing what she was wanting to do nor why.
Her grip on my hand was warm and strong, and she looked at my palm with a soft sigh. Her eyes flickered across my palm and stayed silent while she studied it.
I looked at Charles with a raised eyebrow, and Charles grimaced and shrugged, not knowing what she was doing.
Maron cleared her throat, and I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Your bond is still there," she said while she touched my palm with one hand, her fingers leaving tendrils of magic in its wake. "Someone, or something, dampened the bond to protect the two of you from whoever you saw."
I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded, my heart aching. "But he is alive, yes?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Maron nodded, and I bit back a sigh of relief. "Do you mind if I lift up the sleeve of your shirt?" she asked and looked at me.
I hesitated but gestured for her to do so, entrusting them with the secret that the Elf, Fernorn, tried to find but couldn't.
Maron gently pushed the sleeve up until it revealed my mark and twisted my arm this way and that to look at it.
Her face gave no indication that something was amiss, and I had no idea if it was because she was a good actress or there was nothing to worry about.
"Well?" Charles asked after Maron let go of my arm and pulled my sleeve down again to cover my mark. "What did you see?" He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, studying her.
Maron sighed and shook her head, and for some reason, I knew that she wasn't going to say anything in front of me. "Are you eating in the front?" she asked instead and raised an eyebrow, changing the subject while she looked at me.
"Ma-"
"Yes," I said, interrupting Charles and ignoring the sting in my heart because I hated that she did not want to tell me what she found. "Can you make two extra plates? I am going to be having guests over."
Maron nodded and went to work to get the plates ready for me. "When?"
"Shortly," I replied with a shrug, "which is why I want Jonah to be there too, if he is available." I looked at Charles when I said that, my face not giving away any emotion.
"He will be available," Charles said with a slight nod. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, growing serious. "Are you in danger?" he asked, and his eyes flashed with protectiveness.
I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes while Maron continued to work on the food, and I folded my arms across my chest. "Not at this moment, Charles," I replied coldly. "In general..." I shrugged and grimaced because I was in danger, no matter how much I didn't want to be.
"You will be able to handle it," Maron said and nodded. "Trust those that have sworn to protect you until you and your friend are fully bonded."
I raised an eyebrow while I cocked my head. "Fully bonded?" I asked, and she nodded in confirmation. "What do you mean?" I asked while I furrowed my brows and pressed my lips into a thin line. "I thought I was already bonded to him. He scratched my back, and I have his eye on my arm."
Maron shook her head. "Not like that," she said. She cleared her throat and stood taller while she looked at me. "You have to ride him before you two are fully bonded."
"What are you?" Charles asked while he narrowed his eyes and scowled. His whole body was tense while Maron looked at him with an annoyed expression on her face. "How do you know that?"
"It's the same thing that she knows stuff about you," I said, interrupting Maron when opened her mouth to say something.
I scowled and narrowed my eyes, annoyed that he was getting defensive over someone who worked here longer than he did.
"She's "different" and so are you. Jonah doesn't want me to know for some reason, so you can shush and leave her alone. "
Charles paused and looked at me. He cocked his head while he studied me, mildly impressed but also nervous for some reason. "How do you know that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you know what I am?"
I held back an eye roll before I sighed and shook my head. "No," I admitted, "but I know that I shouldn't know at this moment until..." I shrugged and grimaced. "I don't know until when."
"Until you are ready," Maron said and nodded, pleased. She cleared her throat and finished getting the food ready for me so that I could send a prayer to the Great before I ate myself. "You aren't ready now, but you will be ready, sooner than some of us would like."
I rolled my eyes and stayed silent while she gave me a pointed look because I knew who she was talking about.
Jonah wanted me to stay protected longer than needed...
"Does the other friend think like that?" I asked, talking about Adren, and Maron shook her head.
"He is under the same discretion as the Witch Master and your father, if he was still alive," she replied, picking up the bowl of food and walking it over to me.
"If you get called or feel as if it is time, then it is time.
Follow their advice, but don't wait too long unless you are ready for the consequences of your actions. "
I bit back a small sigh and slowly nodded while I pursed my lips. "Ok," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "What if I find something that I am not supposed to find?" I asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Then you will need to hide it until later," Maron said. She handed me the bowl, and I took it from her. "Now, no more questions. You have a guest that will be with you soon, so you don't want to keep them waiting, correct?" She raised an eyebrow.
I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded. "I know," I said and cleared my throat. I bit back a sigh before I shook my head and cleared my throat. "Thank you for the food as always, Maron."
"Of course." She nodded before she walked back to what she was doing. "Now, go and send your prayer before you go back outside so that you can eat. You have had a very busy and interesting day, and you are still not done."
I bit back an annoyed groan but did what I was told to do and put food into the fire, and like always, I prayed for my family's safety and those that I care about, praying that nothing would happen to them while I found out who I truly was.
And I also prayed to hear from my dragon soon...