The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 54

Maron lifted her head and looked at me from where she was working on our desserts, and she stopped talking to Charles, who was in there as well. She frowned and slowly blinked while she cocked her head and studied me. "What happened?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Why are you in the kitchen?"

I sighed and shook my head, moving a hand across my face and pursing my lips in annoyance. "I needed fire for the dessert," I replied coldly, "and Jonah told me to leave and get it done before it came out."

Charles blinked and blinked again. He cocked his head while he studied me, pressing his lips into a thin line. Worry flashed through his eyes while he looked at me and then looked at the door where Jonah and Ilas were sitting and "chatting." "Is he going to be ok?" he asked and looked at me again, and I had a feeling that he was talking about Ilas.

I bit back a small sigh and slowly nodded in confirmation. "Yes," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, growing serious. "He is going to be ok. I don't know when he will be himself, but I know that he is going to be ok."

"Hmph." Maron tsked and nodded before she finished the desserts and took a step back. "Is he staying for dessert?" she asked and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, and I smiled sadly before I shook my head.

"I'm sorry that you had to make another one for him when he wasn't going to eat it."

Maron shrugged and bit back a small smile before she shook her head, and I had a feeling that she didn't care he wasn't going to eat it. "Then you can either give it to him later or give it to one of your siblings when you get home," she said softly. "You do not have to be sorry about this, Marini. It's not something that you have to worry about."

"Hmph." I bit back a small sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face. "Are you implying that I will be going to find him after my talk with Jonah?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and Maron gave me a pointed look while she pressed her lips into a thin line.

Charles looked at Maron before he looked at me, looking amused about the way she was looking at me. "I take that as meaning yes," he said, and I cleared my throat to hide a chuckle and shrugged. "So, are you going to?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

I bit back a small sigh and shook my head, growing serious, not knowing what was going to happen after I talked to Jonah. "I don't know," I replied honestly. "Hopefully, but I do not think it will be possible. I need to go to my mother and talk to her before I make my way back here for when our friend arrives."

Charles frowned and slowly blinked while he looked between the two of us before he looked at me, looking very confused. "Friend?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and I nodded in confirmation. "Which friend? You have multiple friends, Marini. Who is coming over here?"

I held back an eye roll and bit back an annoyed sigh before I shook my head and pressed my lips into a thin line. "The friend that Jonah and my other friend wants to "meet," Charles," I replied coldly. "I thought he told you about him." I gave him a pointed look and raised both eyebrows while I stared at him, hoping that he would catch on without me having to say a word, but he didn't.

Charles blinked and blinked again before he looked between the two of us again. Confusion filled his eyes while he stared at Maron as if she was going to answer his question and not the other way around.

Maron sighed and shook her head before she went to go do something else in the kitchen. "Do not look at me like that, Charles," she said coldly. "I am not going to answer you, but I do know who she is talking about."

"Then who?" Charles asked, pressing his lips into a thin line and gestured to me, and I held back an eye roll and scowled. "Who is she talking about?"

Maron sighed and shook her head again, pursing her lips in annoyance before she picked up one of the dessert plates and handed it to me. "You will figure it out tonight, Charles," she replied coldly. "I had hoped for someone of your... lineage and stature was smarter than this." She gave him a pointed look, and I rolled my eyes and scowled while Charles stilled and pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Maron," I warned softly, and she looked at me with an eyebrow raised in question and her lips pressed into a thin line. "Don't start, please," I said and shook my head. "I know that this isn't something that I need to know right now, but you will make me curious about it."

"Hmph." Maron smirked with a small nod and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. "Then get more curious about it, my dear Child," she said and touched my chin and rubbed it a little. "Because there is a lot that you need to know and a lot you need to hear even when the time isn't right."

She let go of my chin and bowed her head closer to her chest before she looked at me again. "Never forget that, Princess," she said before she cleared her throat and gestured with her head to the fireplace. "Now, go ahead and get that done so that you can eat your dessert. Jonah is waiting for you. Bring his dessert with you after you are done. Ok?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded. I didn't say a word and walked over to the fire and placed a bit of it into the fire, praying again for my family but also for the man that wore Silan's face to stay oblivious about what was going on around him.

I didn't need him to know what we were hiding...

The fire turned a different color as if it accepted my prayer, and Charles took a sharp breath in as if he didn't expect that to happen.

I opened my eyes and turned towards him with a raised eyebrow after I finished my prayer and stayed silent, but my meaning was clear, care to share?

Charles's eyes grew wide, and he looked at Maron before he looked at me, not saying a word.

"What was that for?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Why did you gasp like that, Charles?"

Maron looked at Charles and frowned before she looked at me, offering me a tight smile. "Don't worry about it, Marini," she said and shook her head. "This is one of the things that you have to worry about later. Right now, go ahead and talk with Jonah about everything that has happened. Ok?" She cocked her head and raised an eyebrow in question, studying me.

I bit back a small sigh and slowly nodded. "Of course," I said and walked over to the table to get Jonah's dessert. "Can you pack up the other food and bring it out, please?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at Charles. "I will give it to him if I see him, or I will give it to someone in my family."

"Give it to your mother," Charles said and nodded, silently indicating that he would pack it up for me. "I think she will need it more than any of your siblings."

"Hmph." I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded, thinking that it would be for the best and that I would be able to give my mother when I gave her the shirt from Toran or see if she needed me to fix it.

"Now, go," he said and shooed me away. "See what your mentor has to say before you leave for the rest of the afternoon. Your scaly friend does know that you are safe and is anxious for your arrival."

I rolled my eyes but did what I was told to do and left, leaving without another word, glad that Shilan knew I was safe and alive and would be connected with him again when it was time to train.

And thankfully, that would be soon...