Chapter 50
I walked out the back room and sat at a table in the back, waiting for Silan to come while I set my bowl down in front of me. I moved a hand through my hair and sighed before I shook my head and started to eat my food, mulling over what had happened.
The patrons of this place didn't bother me, but they looked at me and looked away as if they were concerned and wondered what happened. They could see that my skirt was frayed and dirty as if I had been pushed by something or someone to the ground.
There were a few concerned whispers and looks toward me, but no one made their way to me. Concern filled their voices, but they knew better than to question me without Jonah's permission or my consent, no matter how much they wanted to help.
I bit back a small sigh and moved a hand across my face, feeling tired and drained, not liking the fact that I couldn't talk to my dragon and worried that he would try to do something stupid like try to escape from where he was hidden before it was time.
"Mir?na..." I clenched my hand into a fist and set my jaw but didn't reach for my dagger. I took a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh. I moved a hand through my hair before I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance.
The whispers stopped as soon as the door of the pub opened, and everyone looked that way, including me, and I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief.
Thank the Great...
Tension filled the air while this old man walked in and looked around, closing the door behind him while he looked for someone.
Some of the patrons looked at me before they looked at him again, waiting to see my reaction and wondering if it was safe for him to be here.
I didn't respond and slowly nodded, silently indicating that it was fine that he was here, and I continued to eat my food.
The patrons didn't say a word to him, and the chatter picked up again. They ignored him, and I was relieved that no one tried to do anything to him.
I looked up from my food again and noticed that Silan was looking at me, and relief filled his eyes when he saw that I was "fine." I didn't say a word and slowly nodded, silently indicating that it was fine for him to come and talk to me.
He breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly made his way toward me, his whole body moving side to side but never falling, much to my relief.
I pressed my lips into a thin line and didn't say a word while he walked over to me, wanting to give him more of that drink but knowing that I couldn't because of something to deal with him and it.
The patrons of the pub moved away from him slightly and watched as he made his way toward me. They stopped talking again while they watched him, and I could tell that most, if not all, were annoyed that he was coming to talk to me without talking to Jonah first...
I didn't say a word and gritted my teeth in annoyance while I looked around at the patrons, silently telling them to mind their own business and to leave this man alone because they knew nothing.
The patrons slowly dipped their heads in apology and didn't say a word to me. However, they started to talk again, not even talking about Silan or about how they want Jonah to show himself here.
There was a small chuckle in front of me, and I looked that way to see Silan staring at me with amusement in his eyes.
He gripped the back of the chair tighter and slowly dipped his head closer to his chest in greeting.
"Hello, Rinnie," he said, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes, and he grinned amused. "There is no need to act like that."
I scowled and narrowed my eyes further but didn't say a word while I started to stand to help him sit.
"Stop, Rinnie," Silan said with a shake of his head, and I stopped trying to get out of my chair. "I can sit on my own and without your help, Rinnie. I am not old."
I narrowed my eyes further but settled down again while Silan sat down in front of me. "You are as old as Jonah if not more," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "so don't give me that."
Silan chuckled and slowly nodded before he gestured to my food, silently telling me to start eating again. "I do not know what you mean, Rinnie," he said with a small smirk while he raised an eyebrow.
I didn't say a word and rolled my eyes before I started to eat again, and his smirk deepened while he watched me.
Someone cleared their throat, and I looked over to see Charles standing there with a plate of food in his hands.
Charles looked between the two of us before he looked at me and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if this was the guest I was expecting or if it was someone else.
"Give him the food, Charles," I said and gestured to Silan, and Charles looked at him before he looked at me. "Is Jonah in?"
"Jonah is busy," Charles replied and placed the food in front of Silan, and I bit back a small scowl. "He will not be available until your meeting tonight."
"Meeting?" Silan inquired while he looked between the two of us while he raised an eyebrow. He looked at me before he cocked his head and studied me. "What meeting?"
I held back an eye roll, and I couldn't help but scowl. "We talk before curfew," I "explained" with a shrug. "He is like my father and offers me guidance in things that I need to do to help my family."
It was as safe of an answer that I was comfortable with "them" knowing. I wasn't sure what Silan could do with them having control of him, but I had a feeling that he would try to hide what he could, if he could.
"Hmph," Silan said and smirked. He didn't say another word and started to eat the food.
I shook my head a little at Silan before I looked at Charles. "Can we have some of Maron's bread, please?" I asked, and Charles nodded. I started to reach into my basket to pull some change. "I know it's not usually part of the meal, b-"
"Don't," Charles said, interrupting me with a shake of his head. "It is part of the meal, and will be part of it. I will not accept your money."
I set my jaw and stayed silent, silently relenting control while I took another bite of my food. I knew that he wasn't going to change his mind, especially if it was something ordered by Jonah.
We help our own...
I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh after my bite before I slowly nodded and cleared my throat. "Ok," I said and shifted ever so slightly. "Please, can we have an order of bread?"
Charles bit back a small smirk and nodded. "Of course," he said, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes but didn't say a word. He cleared his throat to cover a chuckle before he turned his attention to Silan. "Would you like anything else, Sir?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Can I have some Sele-"
"Water," I said, interrupting him, and they looked at me with blank looks on their faces. I narrowed my eyes and scowled at Silan while he tried to order a drink that wasn't "normal" to the pub before I looked at Charles. "He'll have water."
Silan's grin grew wider, and he dipped his head closer to his chest, even though it still looked like it would fall off with one wrong mood. "Stop, Rinnie," he teased. "I am an adult. I know how to protect myself and what I can and cannot order."
I turned my attention back to Silan and looked him up and down before I raised an eyebrow without saying a word, and he scowled and narrowed his eyes because he knew what that look meant without me having to say anything.
It didn't look like it...
"This was an unfortunate event, Rinne," he said with a dismissive shrug. "It is not something to be worried about."
"Just take the water, please."
Silan smirked before he slowly nodded. "Of course," he said and cleared his throat before he looked at Charles. "I'll take some water, please."
Charles nodded and looked at me with a small smirk. He didn't say a word while he walked away from us, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.
Silan chuckled and leaned back in his seat. "Are you always like this nowadays?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "So mean and nitpicky?"
I didn't respond and moved a hand across my skirt. I pressed my lip into a thin line while I looked at him, and he hummed before he nodded as if my silence answered his question.
The Witch Master cleared his throat to hide a chuckle and started to eat his food, amused. "You don't have to be, Rinnie," he teased while he shook his fork at me while he winked.
I moved a hand across my face before I shook my head and sighed, feeling slightly annoyed. "If it protects you, then yes, I do have to be like his."
Silan chuckled and slowly nodded. "Must I remind you that I am older than you and have seen more than you?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes.
"Must I remind you that you are not fully yourself," I said and gave him a pointed look, and he shrugged and looked at me nonchalantly. "Of course, I am going to be more protective of what you say or do."
"But you don't need to watch over me, Rinne," he said softly with a shake of his head while he ate some of his food. He cleared his throat and covered his mouth while he fiddled with his fork. "Again, I am able to take care of myself."
"But I need you," I said, not calling him "Silan" like I wanted to. I grimaced when my voice cracked before I cleared my throat and gave him a pointed look. "You know that."
Silan chuckled sadly and slowly nodded while he looked away from me.
"I know," he said, his voice cracking while he looked at me.
He cleared his throat before he shifted in his seat.
"Now, are you ok?" he asked, changing the subject while he raised an eyebrow in question and studied me. "Are you hurt?"
I pressed my lips into a thin line and dipped my head closer to my chest. "I have been better," I replied coldly before I moved a hand across my face with a small sigh and shook my head. "I will be fine, though."
Silan pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly nodded. Worry flickered through his eyes while he studied me, and I cocked my head and pressed my lips into a thinner line. "That doesn't answer my question fully, though," he said finally, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.
"That is as much as I can say, at the moment due to certain... circumstances," I replied tersely. "As I stated before, I will be fine."
Silan smirked and dipped his head closer to his chest. "Of course," he said before he cleared his throat and grew serious, "but you can say more than just that."
I narrowed my eyes and scowled, and he grinned amused. "But that is the amount of information that I feel fully comfortable in saying, Ilas," I warned, calling him by his other name that meant "Witch-Master."
"Ilas?" he asked and cocked his head while he studied me and raised an eyebrow, and I nodded in confirmation while I set my jaw. "Hmph." He nodded, impressed.
"Well?" I asked and raised an eyebrow while I cocked my head and studied him, and he chuckled and nodded as if he was happy with the choice of his new name.
"It's a good name for now," he said with another nod before he cleared his throat. "How long did it take you to come up with that?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
I rolled my eyes and scowled while I looked at him, and he chuckled and shifted a little in his seat to get comfortable. "I have known that I wanted to use it for a while," I replied and took another bite of my food, and he chuckled and slowly nodded.
Again, Silan chuckled and cleared his throat before he shifted and grew serious, and I couldn't help but grow serious as well. "Now, can we talk about what happened?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Please?"
I set my jaw and hesitated before I shook my head. "No," I said, and he scowled and narrowed his eyes. "Now, start eating your food again, please."
He chuckled before he took another bite of his food. He stared at me while he ate, his brown eyes were filled with this softness and sadness that I couldn't describe, and I held back an eye roll but didn't back down to his demand about talking about what happened.
I started to eat my food again while I stared at him, staying silent and waiting for something to happen. I hated how I couldn't turn to him with my questions and concerns, the fear of those who were controlling him at the front of my mind.
I want to talk to him about my dragon and why I couldn't feel him...
Silan opened his mouth to say something as if he knew where my thoughts turned but didn't because Charles came back at that moment with a glass of water. "Thank you," he said and smiled at him while Charles placed the water in front of him. "I do appreciate it."
Charles nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn't say a word while he looked at me, and I had a feeling that he wanted to make sure that I was still fine having this "strange man" near me.
I rolled my eyes and scowled, annoyed with him trying to protect me.
"Do you think that you can have food delivered to my house, please?
" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"I was going to stop by there before training because Toran had given me some bread, but.
.." I shrugged and grimaced, my mood darkening slightly.
"What happened to your bread?" Charles asked and raised an eyebrow. He looked at Silan when he said that, and I couldn't help but set my jaw because it was as if he was asking if Silan had done anything to it.
"Some broke it into pieces," I replied and pursed my lips in annoyance while I narrowed my eyes and scowled, "and it was not because of him.
" I nodded to Silan when I said that, knowing full well that Charles would ask, and Charles looked at him before he looked at me with a blank look on his face.
"So do not question him if he had done it. "
Charles set his jaw and stood taller before he slowly nodded, and worry flickered through his eyes while he looked at me. "And you don't want him t-"
"No," I said, interrupting him while I shook my head, and Silan bit back a small snort. "Jack should be fine going the normal way. I just want you to make sure that he knows that he shouldn't talk to anyone even if he gets stopped by someone else."
Charles frowned and narrowed his eyes. He dipped his head closer to his chest while he studied me, trying to see what I was hiding and I looked at him with a blank expression on my face, silently waiting for him to either do what I asked him to do or for him to say something else.
Silan chuckled, trying but failing to break our staring contest with each other as to who would back down first. "You know," he said and leaned back in his seat while he took a sip of his water.
"You are getting more defensive as you get older, Rinnie," he teased while he lifted his glass to me. "And more protective too."
The door to the pub opened, and we looked at the door while the person with Silan's face stepped in, looking around without a care in the world as if he didn't care that I had gotten stopped by someone and "attacked" while I tried to mind my own business.
Again, all talking ceased before the patrons looked over at us and then at the person with Silan's face, who looked over to see me with the real Silan and Charles.
A look of shock and fear appeared on his face before he was able to mask it as if he was afraid I knew that he wasn't the real Silan and had taken his identity to get close to me.
I shifted slightly while I dipped my head in greeting, making sure that my face was as calm as it could be under the circumstances. I made no inclination that I knew he wasn't the real Silan and pretended not to notice how nervous he was.
"And I wonder why," I said, my voice barely above a whisper so that only those that were near me could hear. "Now, go do what I ask and probably send for Jonah. I'm sure that we are going to need him."
Charles pressed his lips into a thin line and left while the person with Silan's face made his way over to us, praying that whatever happened wouldn't happen in a place that held so much sanctuary for those that were considered different.
And I wonder why...