Chapter 83
Everyone was silent when I finished my tale, and I could feel Caspian's gaze on my back as if he was trying to get me to look at him without him having to say a word or for him to call my name.
I didn't say another word and ran a hand across my dragon's neck, growing increasingly nervous and worried of whatever it was they were thinking about while I tried to ignore the gaze of Caspian because I didn't want to see if he believed me or not.
It would break me if he didn't...
Jonah was the first to stir before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. He walked closer to me and placed his finger underneath my chin to lift up my head so that he could look at my nose and lip to make sure that there wasn't anything else there.
I didn't say a word and lifted my head some more so that he could inspect the area I had gotten hit by the king, and my heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest.
"It's healed nicely," he said and twisted my face from one side to another to make sure that he didn't miss anything before he looked me in the eyes. "Are you saying that the fountain in the middle of the town square helped with that?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
I tried to nod but couldn't because he still had his finger underneath my chin. "It was," I confirmed out loud. "I don't know why, but it is why I didn't have any injuries on my face."
"Even though you still have the blood from it on your top," Jonah said and pulled at my shirt, letting go of my face, and I couldn't help but purse my lips and wrinkle my nose in annoyance and disgust. "Are you going to take care of it?"
"Once I am home and am able to," I said and nodded in confirmation. "For right now, I think it is for the best that I get changed into something else so that we can start training. I don't know how long His Highness and Lexus can stay here, but I do not want to find out."
Shilan growled and flicked his tail back and forth. He shoved against my leg hard, and I couldn't help but stumble a little to the side with a small "oomph." He glared at me with his eyes filled with annoyance, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl before I turned to look at Jonah.
"After I make sure that I can get the bond back between Shilan and I," I said and gestured toward my dragon, "even though at the moment, I do not think that I want it." I gave him a smug look, earning an eye roll from my dragon. "It's kind of quiet in my head, and I kind of like it."
My dragon growled in annoyance and snapped his jaws shut while he flicked his tail from side to side. He looked at Jonah with an annoyed look on his face, and Jonah only smiled and shrugged, much to my dragon's annoyance.
"Shilan did not like what you had said, Marini," Jonah said and looked at me with a small smile on his face. "He thinks that it is too quiet and wants to know if you are actually ok and see things from your point of view."
He wanted to go through my feelings and thoughts about everything that had happened and make sure that I didn't leave anything out...
I bit back a tired sigh and nodded, moving a hand through my hair and across my face.
"I know," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose with a shake of my head.
"Are you able to help us?" I asked and looked at the two older Dragon Riders, praying that they would be able to help us, especially since neither of us knew what to do or how to get it back.
Both Jonah and Arden looked at each other, and I held back an eye roll when I noticed that they were silently talking to each other without me in the conversation.
I pressed my lips into a thin line and looked at Shilan to see that was looking at them with an annoyed expression on his face.
He looked at me as if he had felt my gaze on him and cocked his head to the side, his eyes asking a question that I couldn't help but wonder about myself.
Could Mir?na be able to fix this if they didn't know how to fix it..?
A small shiver went down my spine, and I had the urge to grab my dagger and ask him, but I didn't because I knew that it would not be safe for me to do that. I subtly shook my head, and Shilan held back an eye roll and flicked his tail in annoyance.
He looked at the two Dragon Riders and said something to them, interrupting them from their silent conversations with each other.
They looked at him and then looked at me before they looked at my dragon a second time. They still didn't say a word out loud, much to the annoyance of both of us, and I was slowly but surely growing a little annoyed with them.
Shilan rolled his eyes and flicked his tail, and I could tell that he was getting annoyed with them, too. He said something and shoved himself closer to my body, earning a small grunt from me.
"Would you stop shoving me, Shilan?" I asked all but seething. I scowled and narrowed my eyes at him. "Do you even know how strong you are becoming?" I raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him.
Shipan grew smug, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl. He turned to look at Jonah and said something, and Jonah sighed and moved a hand through his hair and across his face before he nodded.
"Ok," he said and turned his attention back to me. "What are you wearing, Marini?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
"An actual dress," I replied and moved the skirt from side to side. "I had this urge to wear it and then bloomers instead of a shirt, pants, and a skirt over it. I do not know why I had done that, but I did."
"And I am grateful that you have done it," Jonah said and bowed his head, biting back a small smile. "Have you been uncomfortable with it at all?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
I shook my head no and bit the inside of my lip. "It's one of my lighter sets that I have, so I was able to get everything that I needed done today done."
"Good," Jonah nodded and breathed a small sigh of relief while his whole body grew relaxed. "We do not need you to overheat and not finish your work." He flashed me a small smirk and a wink, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl.
"Very funny, Jonah," I grumbled, biting back an annoyed sigh.
I glanced at Caspian and Lexus to see that Caspian was looking at me with a grief stricken look on his face, and I could tell that he was lost in thought while he looked at me.
"I hope that you can forgive me, Your Highness," I said and tucked my head closer to my chest. "They needed to know what had happened. "
Caspian seemed to stir at the sound of my voice, and he shook his head, breaking himself from his thoughts. "Don't," he said and shook his head, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in question. "Don't apologize to me, Marini. It's not your fault."
"But are you sure that an E-" Lexus stopped talking as soon as Shilan growled at them and twisted around until he was facing the other three companions we had brought with us. He stared at my dragon with wide eyes filled with nervousness and fear before he looked at me.
"We can talk about that later," I said and glanced at my dragon before I looked at the three of them with a forced smile on my face.
"I need to get the bond back with my dragon.
He has been patient enough, and I know that it is waning, especially since we had said we would have done it sooner than this. "
Both Jonah and Arden looked at each other before they looked at my dragon, and I could tell that he was practically begging them to get this done so that we would be able to talk to each other again.
Arden smiled and nodded, and I could feel the relief go through Shilan's body as if he was grateful that this was something that we could now do and not have to wait later.
"Follow me," he said and looked between the two of us.
"I will help you both out while Jonah talks things over with the prince and answers some of the questions he may have. "
"And I will make sure that he stays safe so that you don't have to worry, Marini," Jonah said and flashed me a small smirk and a wink, even though I could see the pain and sadness in his eyes. "You'll both be fine."
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Very funny, Jonah," I said before I looked at the young prince. "Do whatever Jonah tells you to do. I trust him with my life, more than anyone in the world. He'll do you no harm."
And with that, and without another word, my dragon and I followed Arden so that I could get my bond back with my dragon, praying that it wouldn't take too long.
Because I had no idea what I would do if it did...