Chapter 69
"Mama!" some of my siblings exclaimed as soon as my mother entered the room after I had entered, and Yeely ran toward her with a look of excitement and happiness appeared on her face. "You're here."
My mother bit back a small smile and tucked her head close to her chest. Relief and happiness filled her eyes while she stared at her children, and she instantly picked Yeely up and held my little sister closer to my chest. "Oh thank the Great," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and her voice cracked.
She cleared her throat and pressed a small kiss to my sister's head before she looked at the rest of my siblings. "You are all safe."
I held back an eye roll and bit back a small snort, pressing my lips into a thin line.
I didn't say a word about that and cleared my throat, unamused.
"Go ahead and sit down, Mama," I said and gestured for her to sit down in the chair that was in the middle of the room.
"We'll talk as soon as everyone is settled. "
My mother hesitated and slowly nodded while she pressed her lips into a thin line. She didn't say a word and set my younger sister down on the ground until she was standing on her feet, much to my sister's annoyance, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and bite back a small smile.
I bit back a small snort and rubbed my arm, making sure that all of my siblings were still there before I looked at my mother, who had started to walk over to the chair.
My mother bit back a tired sigh and sat down in the chair that was facing the siblings, and I followed her but sat on the ground in front of her where the other siblings had sat and stayed after I told them to stay put when I went to collect her.
Instantly, Yeely sat down beside me, and I pulled her closer to me, putting a protective arm around her.
"Mama, did you get the chance to see and meet our new friend?
" Yeely asked and cocked her head to the side while she stared at our mother with curiosity filling her eyes.
"Is he still there, or did he leave before you had gone home? "
My mother hesitated and looked at me before she looked at her youngest child. She didn't say a word, and I could tell that she was nervous and worried about what her daughter now knew about the world that had been hidden from her for so long.
And it wasn't just her but the others as well...
"He was still there," I said and leaned back on the ground just a tad.
"He wouldn't have left until she got home and made sure that we were all safe and sound.
" I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face, pursing my lips in annoyance.
"I'm sure that he has left by now and is doing dumb stuff that he knows I will not agree with. "
"And what exactly is he going to be doing?" my mother asked and looked at me, setting her jaw. Annoyance and protectiveness filled her eyes, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and press my lips into a thin line.
"He is not going to be staying near the alleyways and is going to try to get himself better, Mama," I replied coldly. "He might even saunter his happy self into the woods, and if he does that, then I hope that he will be cautious of who he meets because they are not going to know it is him."
"Does the Witch-Master always travel through the woods?" Rayana asked, and I nodded in confirmation. She furrowed her brows and frowned while she cocked her head to the side and studied me. "Why?"
I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line.
"I do not know why he does that, and I am not sure if he will tell me what he is going to do or not.
" I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head while I rubbed the bridge of my nose, pursing my lips in annoyance.
"I wish he would let me know about his doings, but he doesn't like to do that at all. "
"And you shouldn't be in his business, Marini," my mother said, and I looked at her, biting the inside of my lip without saying a word. She scowled and narrowed her eyes while she stared at me. "You do not need to do that. Is that understood?"
"I know," I said and slowly nodded before I cleared my throat and shifted on the ground, biting back a tired sigh. "However, I am still going to do it, especially since he loves to be in my business just as much as I like to be in his."
"Just be careful when you are trying to get into his business," my mother said. "You could get hurt." She gave me a pointed look and raised both of her eyebrows in unison, and I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line.
"I have already been injured, Mama," I said and gestured toward my skirt, which was still torn from the "fight" I had with the king and Elf after I had finished talking with Toran. "However, I am able to heal and will heal if I am injured."
"And are you able to tell me what happened?" she asked and cocked her head to the side while she studied me. She set her jaw, and a look of worry and nervousness flashed through her eyes.
"Shilan?" I asked, trying but failing to contact my dragon again. "Are you there?"
Silence...
"Marini?" my mother asked and studied me with a small frown on her face.
A look of concern and worry flashed through her eyes, and I had a feeling it was because I hadn't answered her question as to how I had gotten injured and what had happened before I went to see my mother about Toran's shirt and other clothes that she might need me to fix after I was done with that one.
I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair while I shook my head.
"I have met the king today," I said and tucked my head closer to my chest, and my mother raised an eyebrow in question, frowning.
"He had decided to push me to the ground before he tried to have.
.. a companion of his try to figure out who and what I was. "
"And what was his companion?" she asked and cocked her head to the side while she studied me. My mother set her jaw and narrowed her eyes, and worry continued to grow deeper in her eyes.
"He is an Elf," I said and rubbed my hands together, hesitating ever so slightly. "The Elf tried to see if I was the dragon rider, but he was not able to. My bond with my dragon has disappeared, so I am not able to contact him at all."
My mother raised an eyebrow higher in question. "Oh?" she asked and cocked her head further to the side with a small frown on her face. "What do you mean that your bond with your dragon has disappeared? Where did it go?"
"I do not know," I said and shook my head, biting back a tired sigh.
"All I know is that it is gone, and I do not know how to get it back.
" I paused and licked my lips, hesitating ever so slightly.
"However, I am hoping that I will be able to get it back as soon as I meet him tonight and will be in his presence again. "
I hope...