The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 37

I blinked and blinked again while I pressed my lips into a thin line. My whole body was tense, and I had no idea what to do about being called this dragon's "true master," especially since I was placed with another.

The dragon chuckled, and I knew that he read my thoughts. He dipped his head lower until he was looking at me with those deep red eyes that looked like rubies. "We are both your dragons," he said, his voice gentle and soft. He gestured to the dagger in my hands, and I looked at it before I looked at him. "I am bonded to you through that while your young dragon is bonded through the way us dragons and riders have been bonded together throughout time to the very first dragon and rider pair."

I hesitated but nodded and grabbed the dagger tighter in my hands. I pressed my lips further together and cleared my throat. "What does this have to do with all of this?" I asked and gestured around us. I had no idea why the wraiths were waiting for something to happen, nor did I know I was here in the first place.

The dragon looked around us before he looked at me. His eyes were soft and filled with knowledge, and I hoped that it would be a knowledge that I could use to my advantage and to right the wrongs of the world. "They are at your disposal," he said. He gestured to the dagger in my hand again. "They are controlled by that as I once was."

I raised an eyebrow in question and stayed silent. I had no idea what he meant and waited for him to elaborate on what he meant. Was he not controlled by the dagger any longer, or was he the dagger?

The dragon dipped his head lower until it was closer to me. He breathed in before he breathed out, breathing a circle of smoke around my head, and I wrinkled my nose but didn't break the circle. "The dagger was my master," he said, answering what my unasked question was. "I followed it when the old master was in control of it."

I furrowed my brows further in confusion and cocked my head. "Then wouldn't you still be under the dagger's control?" I asked and held it up so that he would look at it before he looked at me. "I mean, it isn't broken."

"It isn't," Mirïna confirmed, "but the way that its power over me has been destroyed." He nodded towards me. "I am under your control and only your control. If someone takes the dagger from you, then they can't use me to destroy the world like they were able to once."

I pressed my lips into a thin line. "What about the wraiths?" I asked and looked at the one that had brought me there before I looked at Mirïna. "Can they still be controlled by the dagger if I am not the one wielding it?"

Mirïna didn't respond and looked at one of the wraiths before he looked at me. He looked grave, and a part of me knew that there would still be a chance that they could be used to destroy the world if the dagger was to fall into the wrong hands.

The wraith that brought me here moved closer to me, and I looked at them. They bowed their head towards me, and I had a feeling that they would do their hardest to try and fight the dagger's control over them because they knew that I'd kill them even if I didn't want to.

I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded. "I'll make sure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands," I said, and the wraith nodded. "If it does, try your hardest to fight against it. I don't want to end up killing you all when I know that it isn't your fault that you did what you were told to do."

The wraith bowed further, and the others followed this one's lead and bowed, too. They were going to serve me and do their best to go against the dagger even if it meant hurting themselves. They knew that I would do anything in my power to protect them from harm, and if harm came their way, then I would protect them and make things right.

I took a deep breath and let it out, relaxing and relieved. I was relieved that they would go against the dagger if it fell into the wrong hands because that was what I asked from them.

"They care about you and will follow your orders in whatever you want them to do," Mirïna noted and looked at them before he looked at me. "What did you do that they would disobey the person that held the dagger and gave them a direct order to do harm?" he asked.

I shrugged and grimaced. I had no idea what I had done to get them to follow me the way that they have in the past, and when I asked them why they followed me, they didn't tell me why.

All they did was bow their heads deeper, leaving me annoyed and confused.

"I wish I knew," I replied and looked at the wraith before I looked at the second dragon that came into my life. "however, I do not." I gestured to them. "They won't tell me what I had done anyway, so getting answers from them is a no go."

Mirïna chuckled and nodded. "Of course, Princess," he said. He looked around before he looked at me. His eyes were grave, and he looked sad for some reason. "The spell is ending," he said. "You will be "waking" up soon and out from underneath the wraith's control."

I pressed my lips into a thin line. "Are we going to have to start training too?" I asked, and he nodded.

"I will set something up in time," he replied. "For right now, focus on training with your young dragon, for he is the one that is closely bonded to you than I."

I stayed silent and nodded.

"If you do have any questions look into the dagger and wait to see my eyes before you ask. I will answer what I can. Understood?"

Again, I stayed silent and nodded.

"Good." He looked at the wraith and nodded before he backed away from me while he looked at me. The older dragon smiled and bowed his head. "I will see you soon, Marini of the Hargen Tribe. Try... to keep this between ourselves and your dragon, for right now. Ok?"

I nodded and opened my mouth to say something, but the words were taken from my mouth while the wraith placed their hand on my shoulder, and my whole world went black.