The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 43

Both Arden and Jonah looked at each other with a matching frown on their faces. They didn't say a word while they talked with each other secretly, silently going over what I told them and trying to come up with a plan.

"Are you sure that it wasn't the real Silan?' Jonah finally asked while he looked at me. He looked older, graver, and I had a feeling that it was because of the news I had bestowed on them.

I nodded in confirmation. "If he was, then that mark would have turned gold," I replied.

Again both Jonah and Arden looked at each other and had another silent conversation with each other. They turned grave while they talked, and I had a feeling that they were trying to come up with a plan or something to see if they couldn't locate the fake Silan and then find the real Silan.

Shilan nudged my side, and I looked at him. He stayed silent and cocked his head, and I could tell that he wanted me to interrupt their conversation and tell them what else I knew that dealt with him.

"There's... something else too," I said slowly, not knowing how they would react to the news of the other Silan.

Arden and Jonah looked at me and stayed silent, patiently waiting for me to say what was on my mind and what I found out.

I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, growing nervous for I was not used to this type of attention. "There are two of them," I said.

Again, Jonah and Arden looked at each other before they looked at me.

"What do you mean that there are two of them?" Jonah asked and raised an eyebrow while he studied me. "How are there two of them?"

I shrugged and grimaced. "That is what I am hoping that you two can figure out," I replied. "All I know is that there are two of them, and I don't like it one bit."

Jonah nodded, and I had a feeling that he understood what I meant. "When did you meet the second one?"

"Earlier today," I tried. I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. "I first saw him while I was taking His Highness into the alleyways," I said. "He was an old beggar man, and he looked downtrodden and whatnot."

"How did you know that it was him?" Arden asked. He paused and cocked his head while he studied me. "This was the real Silan, correct?'

I nodded and furrowed my brows while I dipped my head closer to my chest. I could recall this pull towards him, still seeing him with his hand outstretched, silently begging for what was hidden, silently begging for the feather to confirm that I knew he was the one that I was looking for.

"Well?" Arden pressed gently.

I cleared my throat and shook my head, breaking myself from the memory. "He was seated at the entrance, downtrodden," I said. "When I came across him, I felt this pull towards him that only ever happens with him."

Arden hummed and nodded, gesturing for me to continue with my tale.

"I stopped in front of him and reached into my basket to grab the feather. He held out his hand towards me and waited for me to deliver the feather."

"Did he know that you had the feather?" Arden asked, and I shrugged in response.

"I think so," I replied. I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, trying to relieve some of the tension that I felt. "I don't know how he knew that I had the feather, but I know that he did. After I had given him the feather, I walked into the alleyway, and that was that." I shrugged and cleared my throat.

Jonah and Arden looked at each other before they looked at me. "Well?" Jonah asked, and I raised an eyebrow in question. He smiled innocently and wiggled his eyebrows, and I scowled and rolled my eyes. "How did the meeting go?"