The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 68

My mother pressed her lips into a thin line and cleared her throat, tucking her head closer to her chest, and I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. "Where are they?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me. "Are they in the cellar?"

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation. "We'll talk when we are in the house, Mama," I added and slowly blinked, pressing my lips into the thin line. "I am not sure if it is safe or not." I opened the door and gestured for her to enter, looking around to make sure that we were safe and "alone," even though Ilas was still watching over us.

My mother slowly blinked and turned to look at Ilas before she looked at me. Her eyes were dark and filled with annoyance and worry, and I could tell that she did not know if I was talking about him or not.

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. "He's safe, Mama," I said. "I wouldn't let him stay near the house if I thought he would be dangerous to you or the rest of your children." I gave her a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in unison, setting my jaw and pressing my lips into a thinner line.

My mother bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded, moving a hand through her hair and across her face. "Ok," she said and cleared her throat. She walked into the house, and I looked around again before I entered the house where my mother was waiting, looking grave and worried.

I closed the door and locked it before I started to make my way to the cellar where the trapdoor was located, and she started to follow me. "Also, they know, Mama," I said and looked at her from the corner of my eye. "It's time that they are a part of the Hargn Tribe and learn what they should have learned earlier."

She set her jaw and narrowed her eyes, and her whole body grew tense. "And who says it is a good idea?" she asked, and her eyes flashed to a darker color. "Have you talked to Jonah about this before you told them everything?" She raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me.

I shook my head and pressed my lips into a thin line. "No," I said before I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "However, Ilas did suggest it to Yeely and to tell Jonah what I have done when I go to visit him tonight."

My mother pressed her lips, and she set her jaw while she studied me. She stopped in front of the cellar door and did not open it while she looked at me, narrowing her eyes just a tad. "And why did Yeely go toward Ilas? What happened?"

Why did you allow her to go near him..?

"Because I knew that he was safe for her to be near him, and I wanted to make sure that he drank something because there is a lot of stuff going on with him, especially since he is being "controlled" as you had seen for yourself." I gave her a pointed look, and my mother set her jaw and slowly nodded.

"I know," she said before she cleared her throat and licked her lips, looking away from me before she looked at me. "Now, are my children in there?" she asked, changing the subject and gestured toward the trapdoor, which guarded the children, and I nodded in confirmation.

My mother breathed a small sigh of relief, and a wave of emotion washed over her face. She didn't say a word and waited for me to verbally confirm that they were inside, and I knew that she wanted me to tell her what had happened with them, even though I didn't tell her at all.

"Yes, Ma'am," I said and nodded. "They are in there and are safe and sound. No one is hurt, even though Griffith's pants are a little dirty..." I rubbed the back of my neck and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thinner line.

My mother paused, and a look of worry flashed through her eyes. "Oh?" she asked and raised an eyebrow, and I nodded in confirmation. She frowned, and worry filled her eyes while she stared at me with a hard look in her eyes. "Why? What happened?"

I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face. I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "He was walking through the alleyways when he wasn't supposed to, and a member of the alleyways shoved him down to the ground."

My mother scowled and narrowed her eyes. Her whole body was tense, and a look of annoyance and anger filled her eyes. "And why did they do that?" she asked, her voice cold and filled with annoyance. "I thought they knew you and them."

"They do," I said and slowly nodded. "However, that is something that we will need to discuss where it is safe." I knelt down in front of the trapdoor and knocked on the trapdoor, using one of the signals that I had taught them at a young age, silently indicating that it was me.

My mother stayed silent and watched as I opened the trapdoor, pressing her lips into a thin line, and a look of worry flashed through her eyes.

"I will make sure that they know to lock the door if they are ever in here and alone," I said and looked at her from the corner of my eyes. "Should we go ahead and go all the way down so that you can hear what has happened to both me and Griffith, or do you want the kids to come up and we can talk later?"

"We can go ahead and go down the ladder," Mom said and shook her head, and I nodded, biting back a small sigh of relief and did what I was told to do and started to climb down the ladder. "Is that one of the signals that you want me to remember?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper while she watched me climb down the ladder.

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation. "That is the one that we are going to use on the trapdoor, so if either of us do it, then you can unlock the trapdoor if you are in here. Is that understood?" I raised my voice just a tad so that my siblings were able to hear me.

"Yes," I heard a few muffled voices of my siblings say.

"Are we allowed to go closer to the front, Marini?" Yeely asked. "Or are we staying where we are put, and who is with you?"

"Stay there, and it is Mama," I said and finished climbing down the ladder. "Go ahead and close the trapdoor, Mama. If you want to lock the trapdoor while we talk, then you can. After this, I am going to have to get going so that I do not be late."

My mother slowly nodded and closed the trapdoor behind her before she locked it. She didn't say a word and climbed down the ladder. Her whole body was tense, and I could tell that she was nervous about everything that Griffith and I were going to tell her as soon as we were settled and ready.

Oh Gods, protect her...