Chapter 75
After a while, the wraith stopped and gestured toward the area where they would be soon, and I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief while I slowly started to relax and nodded.
"Ok, good," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Thank you. I will see you later. Find me whenever the Witch-Master is back here, and just let me know so that I can check on him and make sure that he is safe and well. Ok?" I raised an eyebrow in question while I studied them.
The wraith bowed and nodded, silently agreeing that they would give me some sort of signal that the controlled Silan was back from the woods and where he was located so that I could check up on him.
But they didn't leave when they were done...
I raised an eyebrow in question and studied the wraith in front of me, not wondering why they wanted me to dismiss them verbally but curious about it. "You are dismissed," I said and bowed my head. "I don't know why you wanted me to say it out loud unless you have something else to show me?"
The wraith shook their head before it disappeared, and I couldn't help but let out an annoyed sigh while I rubbed the bridge of my nose and purse my lips in annoyance.
Oh for the love of the Great...
I didn't say anything to the wraith to call them back to ask why they didn't leave the first time and made a mental note to ask Mir?na the next time I was able to contact him.
Maybe he would be able to answer my question...
I shook my head and took a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh, silently praying that the guard knew what he was doing by leading the prince here.
Did he know that it was dangerous, especially since there was this sense of unease that hadn't let up..?
I stepped out from behind one of the buildings in the area and started to make my way down the path, glancing this way and that to make sure that there were no other surprises waiting for me because I was done with them.
I stopped when I felt something shift in the air around me, and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention.
Hesitantly, I started to reach for a sword from inside my basket, not liking this feeling at all.
As soon as I started to reach for something a flash of silver came out of nowhere, and I couldn't help but mutter a small curse before I dodged the attack and pulled out a sword, making sure that it did not mark me as a dragon rider.
I dropped my basket at my feet and blocked my attacker's next attack with the blades meeting in the middle with a loud clang.
Sparks appeared from both swords when they met in the middle, but I paid them no heed with the only thing on my mind was to stay alive and make sure that the prince was fine.
"Oh for the love of the Great!" I shouted and blocked another attack from the person in front of me before I shoved them back just a tad. "What is wrong with this freaking day?"
"Wait!" another voice exclaimed, and I instantly knew that it was Caspian, even though he didn't come out of his hiding spot. "Lexus, stop fighting the other person. I think it is Marini."
The person in front of me, Lexus, stopped trying to attack me with his sword and paused, studying me even with my hood up. His brows were furrowed, and his whole body was tense while he stared at me, trying to see if it was me and not someone else.
"And who else would it be, Rupor?" I all but snapped, grabbing my sword tighter in my hand while I waited for another attack. "Some deranged Elf, who doesn't look for the Niran's protection before attacking the person?"
Lexus was unamused and looked toward my neck where the sword laid before he met my gaze and cringed with guilt. "I am sorry, my lady," he said and bowed while he put up his sword. "I didn't realize it was you with your cloak and hood."
I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes, pursing my lips in annoyance. "My lady?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him, relaxing just a tad. "And please pray tell, when did you think it was acceptable to call me that?"
"Well, you are a lady, are you not, Marini?" Lexus asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me. He bit back a small smile while he tucked his head closer to his chest. "Or are you something else?"
"A peasant with no title," I said and slowly blinked, looking at him unamused. I glanced around the area to see that it was darker than normal, and I could tell that there were a few wraiths closer than they normally would be, especially since I had been attacked that afternoon.
Lexus bit back a small tsk but did not say a word. He placed his hands behind his back and clasped his hands together while he looked at me before he looked around, silently noticing that it was darker than normal, too before he looked at me with an anxious look on his face.
I bit back an annoyed sigh while I tucked my head closer to my chest, and I could tell that the others of this place were inching closer and closer to us to make sure that everything was safe and sound.
They wanted to make sure that I didn't need them in any shape or form...
I held back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line, silent praying that he was fine.
"Come out, Rupor," I said and looked toward where I had heard his voice before I lifted my head and turned my attention to the patrons of the place.
"The rest of you, leave him alone and do not do anything to him.
If I find out that a piece of his hair or hood is messed with in any shape or form, then there will be consequences. "
The air around us grew lighter while they pulled away from us and disappeared to go do other business that I didn't know of, but the wraiths stayed put, and I had a feeling that they were waiting for me to dismiss them personally.
Even though there was no reason for them to start doing this...
I bit back an annoyed sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face, pursing my lips in annoyance.
"You three are also dismissed," I said, talking to the wraiths while I turned to look at them, even though I wasn't able to see them because they didn't want to be seen.
"I think my basket is fine where it is located.
I hope that no one is dumb enough to try to go through it here. "
"Three?" Caspian asked and walked out of his hiding spot when Lexus signalled that it was safe for him to come out. He pulled his hood further down his face and stared at me with a confused look on his face, biting back a small frown. "What do you mean by three, Marini?"
"Wraiths," I replied coldly while I slowly but surely started to relax and walked over to my basket, and the wraiths disappeared to go do something else.
"There were three wraiths near us before I told them to leave.
Two of them were following you, and I have a feeling that one was nearby.
" I bit back a tired sigh and rubbed the bridge of my nose, pursing my lips in annoyance.
"And then there were other people here keeping an eye on you two until I was able to make it here. "
"There are wraiths here?" Caspian asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His face grew pale, and he looked around before he looked at me, with wide eyes filled with fear and anxiety. "Since when?"
I placed the sword back into my basket and made sure that nothing had fallen out of it when I dropped it before I stood, picked it up, and then turned to look at him, unamused.
"There have always been wraiths here, Rupor," I said and tucked my head closer to my chest. "However, they aren't going to do anything to you. "
Caspian bit back a small frown while he cocked his head to the side and studied me.
"Are you sure?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he continued to study me, and I nodded in confirmation.
He bit back a small gulp and looked around before he looked at me. "Are you sure that they won't hurt me?"
I nodded and shifted my basket to my side while I cleared my throat and licked my lips.
"Come with me," I said. "We are being waited upon and that doesn't count Jonah and the Niran.
" I started to walk to the entrance where I knew that Ilas was waiting for us, grateful that the wraith had led us closer to the pub than we were before this.
"Who?" Caspian asked and furrowed his brows but followed me with Lexus following him. "Who is waiting for us?"
"A friend," I said and shook my head while I pressed my lips into a thin line, and I couldn't help but bite back a tired sigh. "Unfortunately, that is all I am comfortable saying at the moment. I can explain more later after you meet Jonah."
Caspian furrowed his brows and slowly nodded. "Is it the same guy from yesterday?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me, and I turned to look at him, giving him a weird look before I turned my attention back to the way we were going, making sure that everything was safe.
"I believe you are talking about three days ago, Rupor," I said and cleared my throat while I shifted my basket from one side to the other. "I have not seen you in three days."
"Are you sure?" Caspian asked and studied my back, and I held back an eye roll while I pursed my lips in annoyance.
"How do you know that it has been three days since we last saw each other?
Did you miss me so much that you kept track of the amount of days it has been?
" He flashed me a small smirk and a wink, even though I didn't look at him
My cheeks turned red when he said that, and I was grateful that I was in front of them so that they wouldn't be able to see it, especially since I was facing away from them.
"I am sure that it has been three days, Rupor," I said and tapped my basket with my finger.
"My friend keeps bugging me about it and keeps wondering when I will be able to see you again. "
Caspian bit back a small snort. "And which friend are you talking about?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me, and a small smile appeared on his face. "Is it the one that you are taking me to right now?"
"It's someone you will meet later on today," I said and shook my head, "and this friend is not the friend that I am taking you to now."
"But have you missed me?" he asked and raised an eyebrow higher in question while he cocked his head to the side and continued to study me. "Or did you miss me because I am right beside you now?"
Oh for the love of the Great...
"No, Rupor," I said and shook my head, and my cheeks turned another shade of red. My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound harder and faster in my chest, and I grabbed my basket tighter in my hands. "I have not missed you at all."
Caspian bit back a small chuckle and tucked his head closer to his chest. "Are you sure?" he asked and bit back a small smile. He moved closer to my side and brushed his arm against mine. "Are you sure that you haven't missed me?"
My heart skipped another beat and pounded hard in my chest, and I was grateful that my hood covered my face because it turned another shade of red. "Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation. "I have not missed you at all."
Caspian bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded.
"Of course, my lady," he said and nudged my arm with his arm, and I moved with that teasing shove but moved back next to him as soon as I was able to.
"Of course, Marini." He flashed me a small smirk and a wink, and Lexus cleared his throat with a small chuckle in his voice. "However, we both know that is a lie."
I didn't say a word, and my cheeks turned another shade of red while I tucked my head closer to my chest, and Caspian bit back a small chuckle while he stayed silent as if he knew that I wasn't going to admit to anything that had to deal with him.
Oh, for the love of the Great help me, please...