Chapter 89
Shilan rolled his eyes and nudged my shoulder, breaking the silence that had fallen on us after I had said that.
"You forgot me, Marini," he said, trying but failing to lighten the mood amongst us.
"You need me." He got off of me and moved to my side, yawning while he flicked his tail from back and forth
I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thin line.
"You do realize that you die if I die, right?
" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at him.
"Of course, I am going to need you, and I am going to need you alive.
That is why I want you to stay somewhere safe and not piss anyone off, Shilan.
" I scowled and narrowed my eyes at my dragon, and Arden bit back a small smile and tucked his head closer to his chest.
Shilan pressed his ears against the back of his head and a look of nervousness flashed through his eyes. "What have you heard?" he asked, not answering my question, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl at him. "I did nothing wrong. I promise."
"That is a lie and we all know it, Shilan," Arden said and chuckled, shaking his head. "Have you forgotten that you had eaten everything out of the kitchen and had gotten caught by Maron?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
Shilan's ears went further against the back of his head, and he flicked his tail from side to side. "I did no such thing," he said and shook his head, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl, pressing my lips into a thin line. "It was my twin brother."
"You do not have a twin brother, Shilan," I said out loud and not through our bond, and Shilan instantly looked at me and glared, narrowing his eyes closer together.
"I do not know why you are saying that you have a twin brother when you do not, especially since you already know that I know the truth.
" I gave him a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in unison.
Shilan didn't say anything that we could understand while he grumbled something under his breath. He flicked his tail from some more before he moved away from me, and I couldn't help but grow tense while I set my jaw and pressed my lips into a thin line.
Arden cleared his throat to hide a chuckle, and we all looked at him while Shilan moved closer to me again.
"Now, I will not tell Jonah what had happened and what I saw," he said, changing the subject back to what we were talking about and going back to his tongue, and I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief while I slowly nodded. "But I need to kn-"
"I can't tell you," I said and shook my head in the same language as him, interrupting him. "I am sorry, and I hope that you can forgive me, but I can not tell you what had happened and what was going on."
Arden bit back a tired sigh before he slowly nodded, moving a hand through his hair and across his face before he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Do you think that you will be able to tell me one day?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me, moving his hand from his face.
I nodded in confirmation. "I will be able to tell you later, but I do not know when.
You might be able to find out sooner than I can tell you, but that is to be expected because of who you are and what you have been through and can find out.
" I gave him a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in unison.
Arden chuckled softly and nodded. "But, I believe that is for another day, hmm?
" he asked. He cleared his throat and stood before he held out his hand for me to take, and I looked at his hand before I looked him in the eyes without taking his hand just yet.
"Now, why don't we go ahead and go outside of the room where everyone else is waiting for you.
Do you want to look through the chest today or later like tomorrow?
" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head before I took his hand in mine, and I let him help me stand.
"I will have to go through the box of things tomorrow," I said and swapped over to the Common Tongue, earning a small chuckle from the Elven King while he slowly nodded.
"Now, are you able to tell me things too, or do I have to go ahead and find information on my own? "
"It depends on what it is," Arden said and bowed his head in apology. "Like you, there is stuff that I can not say in fear of changing things for the worse. Unfortunately, the worst possible outcome there is is that you die, leaving us with no hope for a better future."
"Hmph." I pressed my lips into a thin line and slowly nodded. "What did the mark look like?" I asked and gestured toward the way that we needed to go, where everyone else was located, waiting for us to come back with the bond set between me and my dragon.
"That is something that you should ask your dragon or the one who had set it," Arden said, switching back to his tongue. He started to walk that way, and I followed him without saying a word. "I wouldn't ask right now, however, because it is dangerous."
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line.
"Everything is dangerous, Arden," I said, doing the same thing as him and speaking in his tongue.
"I do not know why the mark that was on my back is going to be any different.
" I gave him a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in unison, and Arden chuckled softly and slowly nodded.
"I know," he said before he cleared his throat and grew serious. "However, this is something that I do have to ask you not to ask about just yet and have your dragon show you what he had seen until you are alone and safe in bed."
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line.
"I am not alone in bed," I said coldly, earning a chuckle from Arden while he slowly nodded.
I furrowed my brows and licked my lips, growing serious.
"Would it be fine if I asked him when I am alone and safe in my father's safe spot?
" I asked instead. "I have other work I need to do after this, including fixing my skirt and cleaning the top part of my dress from my "fight" this morning. "
Arden paused and thought about it before he slowly nodded.
"That will be fine," he said, and I had to make sure that I didn't breathe a small sigh of relief.
"Make sure that you are completely alone down there, especially if you are doing other business that you are not comfortable telling me.
" He gave me a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in unison, and I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line because I had no idea who would be down there with me when everyone else would be asleep.
"I will," I said and lowered my head in respect. "I will make sure that I am alone and get everything that I need done done with the door locked so no one can come in and see what I have to do without anyone's knowledge."
You have my word...