The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 52

Silan opened his mouth to say something before he closed it, deciding against it. He didn't say a word while he started to eat his food, and I bit back a small snort and rolled my eyes, amused.

"So," Jonah said and took a bite of his food before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "What have you been up to today?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Have you made any new friends or seen any new friends?" He wiggled his eyebrows, and my cheeks turned slightly red because I knew what he was implying.

Have you hung out with the Prince today..?

My cheeks turned another shade of red, and I looked at my food and not at him. I didn't say a word while I finished my food and cleared my throat, shifting in my seat.

"Well?" Jonah asked while he raised an eyebrow in question. "Have you?"

"No," I said and shook my head. "I have not. I have been busy working."

"Hmph." Jonah leaned against the back of his seat while he folded his arms across his chest, ignoring his food. "Well, the day is still young, so don't you worry about that."

"What is he talking about, Marini?" Silan asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked between the two of us. "Are you talking to someone?"

"Yes," Jonah said and nodded, interrupting me when I opened my mouth to say something. He flashed me a small smirk, and I looked at him and scowled while I narrowed my eyes. "She is talking to someone."

"Jonah," I hissed while I narrowed my eyes further, and my scowl grew deeper. My cheeks turned redder. "It is not like that."

Jonah smirked and narrowed his eyes playfully. "Mmmhmm," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "And what if it is?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question. "You don't know if the person who you are talking to likes you or not." He gave me a pointed look.

I bit back a small sigh before I shook my head and cleared my throat. "I am not sure I consider this person a friend either," I said before I cleared my throat again while I shifted in my seat. "All I know is that I am an "acquaintance" to this person and that it is best for everything to stay on the down low." I gave him a pointed look, and he smiled, the smile taking over his face.

"Sure, sure," he said and nodded. "Then the friend should be careful, too." He gave me a pointed look, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

He should be careful who sees us "hanging out" with each other.

"I know," I said before I sighed and moved a hand across my face, shaking my head while I cleared my throat. "However, I do not think it will matter what is seen or heard because it will be out in the open one way or another."

"Then why don't you tell us who you two are talking about?" Silan asked while he raised an eyebrow in question. "Or is this some big secret that you don't want me to know?"

"It doesn't matter if you know or not, Silan," I said before I took another bite of my food. "However, it is not something that we need to discuss." I covered my mouth while I said the last line, and Silan scowled and narrowed his eyes.

"But I would like to know," he said with a small whine in his voice.

I bit back a small snort while I shifted in my seat. "For an old man, you are sounding like a child when you don't get your way."

Silan scowled and narrowed his eyes, turning his attention to me. He didn't say a word, and I shrugged and took another bite out of my food.

"Oh, you have a package," I said after my mouth was clear. "Toran has it."

"Who?" Silan asked, and I gave him a weird look. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head while he studied me. "Who is that?"

"The baker?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, studying him. "Please, don't tell me you forgot who he is."

"Oh, no, no, no," Silan said and shook his head. "I haven't forgotten about him. Thank you for telling me. Where is he located, again?"

I held back an eye roll and glanced at Ilas from the corner of my eye, and he bit back a small smirk and didn't say a word, not looking at me. "You should be able to find it on your own," I said and shrugged, looking at him again.

Silan scowled and narrowed his eyes, studying me. "Are you telling me that you aren't going to tell me?" he asked, his voice holding a small threatening tone in it, and both Jonah and I glanced at each other before we looked at him.

"What is with that tone?" I asked, having the same tone as him. I grabbed my fork tighter in my hand. "Yes, I am not going to tell you where Toran is located, for you should know and remember, and I don't know why you want me to tell you."

"Because I forgot?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and I followed suit and raised an eyebrow in question as well. "Is that a good reason?"

"Barely," Jonah said with a small snort, and Silan looked at him with an annoyed scowl. "Toran would be very upset that you forgot about him."

"And your package," I said. "It seems to me that he was hanging on to it for a while." I glanced at Ilas when I said that, and Ilas shrugged and didn't say a word, continuing to eat his food.

Silan scowled and narrowed his eyes before he looked at Ilas. "Do you know Toran?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Ilas shook his head. "No," he said. "I don't know anyone but this Old Man, who doesn't have a name." He shrugged and grimaced. "I am sorry that I am not much help to you."

Liar... I thought and took a sip of my drink while I narrowed my eyes and scowled. You know a few people, and a few people know you.

Silan scowled and narrowed his eyes. "What is your relationship with her?" he asked and gestured to me, and I held back an eye roll but pressed my lips into a thin line.

"She's becoming an acquaintance, I am sure," Ilas said and looked at me. "Would that be the case?"

I nodded in confirmation. "It is," I said. "Other than that, I do not know who he is or why he is here."

"Then why did you not want me to sit near him?" Silan asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Because I am one of the ones that like to sit next to newer people," I said and shrugged. "Even if it was just me and Jonah, I would be doing the same thing. Isn't that right?" I raised an eyebrow in question and looked at Jonah, who was starting to drink some of his drink.

"Yes," he said and nodded in confirmation. "You would have done the same thing with me if I wanted to sit next to our special guest." He gestured to Ilas, and Silan looked at Jonah before he looked at Ilas and then me.

"How did you know that his name was Ilas?" Silan asked.

"Because I am good at finding information," I said with a small smirk and took another sip of my drink. "I love sticking my nose into other people's business, so of course I would know that he is called Ilas."

Silan set his jaw and narrowed his eyes, looking at me. He didn't say a word, but I could tell that he was getting slightly nervous, especially since he didn't want me to know some things about him or the people he worked for.

"Hmph." I smirked and took another sip of drink. "Are you scared?" I asked and cocked my head and studied him. "Are you scared of something that I might find out about you, Silan?" I asked, studying him further.

"No," he said and shook his head, even though I could tell that he was lying. "I am not scared of what you will find out about me, Marini," he said. "I don't think you will find anything about me."

Ilas bit back a small snort, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye before I turned my gaze to Silan, making the other male uncomfortable because of something on my face that he didn't understand.

"Well," I paused and cleared my throat, shifting in my seat. I smirked and held my drink out to him in a cheers fashion. "I'd like to see you try and stop me, Silan. I'd like to see you try."