The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 23

"Where have you been?" my mother asked when I walked into the kitchen that evening. There was a scowl on her face, and I instantly ducked my head because I knew that she was disappointed in me. "It is past the curfew, Marini. Where have you been?"

"Sparrow's Mill," I said, meekly. I cleared my throat and licked my lips, intimidated by my mother's hard look. I shifted on my feet and kept my head down, not knowing what I could tell her or if I was even allowed. "I had been at Sparrow's Mill."

She raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Doing... what?" she asked. "What was so important that you were at Sparrow's Mill and not at the house? You could be taken away, Marini. You could be locked in jail, and then what?" Her voice grew to a higher pitch, and I cringed, praying that my other siblings would stay asleep.

"I could be taken away for anything that I do or don't do, Mama," I said softly, hoping that she would lower her voice. I cleared my throat and licked my lips again, not knowing how much she knew about me or the fact that I was the Dragon Rider, the last Dragon Rider.

Mom sighed and pursed her lips. She studied me, and I felt uncomfortable underneath her hard gaze. Finally, she looked away, and I had a feeling that she found something, something that I didn't tell her and tried not to show. "So, it's true. Hmmm? You're it?" Her voice was quiet and unaccusing, and she acted as if she was talking about the weather or how the kids were.

"What do you mean?" I asked, a sense of dread settling over me like a warm blanket. I placed my basket into a seat and looked at my mother, not knowing what she meant and wondered if she meant that I was the Dragon Rider. "What do you mean by 'You're it?'"

My mother looked around and pursed her lips, worried about who could be nearby, even if no one was. She stood and gestured for me to follow while she made her way to the cellar, a place where I had been forbidden to go because it had been my father's safe spot as well as food storage for the winter.

Hesitantly, I followed her, my heart pounding in anticipation. I had no idea why my mother took me to the cellar because I had been taught not to go down there, especially after my father had passed.

"Mama?" I asked, stopping at the top of the stairs that lead to the cellar. My hand rested on the railing, blocking me from falling to the sudden darkness below. I watched while she paused on the third step down and looked back at me, her face shrouded in the darkness. I gulped and cleared my throat, knowing that she was waiting for me to say something. "What if Papa doesn't want me down here..?"

"He'll understand," she replied briskly. "Now, hurry up. You still need sleep. I know that you didn't get any last night." She gave me a pointed look, and I ducked my head, not able to meet her look. "Isn't that true?"

Hesitantly, I nodded my head before I took a deep breath and started to make my way down, praying that my father would forgive me for disturbing his peace and his haven.

***

My mother struck a match and lit a lantern that had been set down here, chasing away the darkness. She gestured for me to go through a dusty curtain in the middle of the room, and I did with her trailing behind me, and I had a feeling it was because she didn't want me to leave while she went through it and leaving me alone for a second.

When we were through, she went over to a desk that sat in a corner with papers strewn about, and I had a feeling that it was my father's because I knew how messy he could be when he didn't find what he wanted. Pursing her lips, Mom looked through the papers before she picked one up and shook it, dust flying everywhere.

I wrinkled my nose at the disturbance and tried to hold back a sneeze but failed miserably. "Shut up," I said to Shilan when I heard him chuckle. "There is a lot of dust in here."

Shilan didn't reply, but I could tell that he was amused. His presence was comforting, and I was glad that my dragon was there while we watched my mother collect other papers before she set down the lantern.

"Your father left these for you," she said, walking over to me. She handed the papers to me and studied me, a look of sadness in her eyes. "He also told me wha- who you are with Jonah's blessing." She sighed and cocked her head, studying me with those gray eyes that at times almost look white.

Hesitantly, I took the papers from her, and my heart broke, and a deep sense of longing filled me because I missed my father so much. "So, you know that I am the Dragon Rider?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded. "I do," she confirmed. "So, I understand why you have to stay late some nights. However, I am your mother, and I will always worry about you." She gave me a pointed look, and I ducked my head, feeling guilty. "I would like to know where you are at if you are not working or in the forest," she said.

"So, you want me to tell you when I'm leaving for Sparrow's Mill for training practice?" I asked, and she nodded her head. I furrowed my brows and pursed my lips. "Is it because I will be later than normal?"

Again, my mother nodded her head. "Yes," she said. "And, I want to make sure that you are not captured." She studied me with such an intense gaze that I had to look away from it, my cheeks turning red. "We need you, Marini. Now more than ever, for you are the last Dragon Rider, and you are our only hope in being able to live in a world where there is no poverty."

I nodded my head and clutched the papers tighter in my grasp. My hand shook, and I had no idea if it was from anticipation or nerves. I wondered what my father had to say and wondered secrets laid in here because I knew that he had to have something hidden away.

Mom studied me, her face a mask. Slowly, she nodded her head when she found something that she liked and cleared her throat. "Do what you must with this room," she said. "This is now your space to do whatever. Your father wanted you to have it."

I nodded my head again, and I hugged her, surprising her and me. "Thank you," I said, burying my face into the crook of her neck, for we were about the same size. I closed my eyes and took in her sweet and comforting scent.

Mom didn't reply and placed her arms around me. She squeezed me tight before she released me and stepped away. She touched my chin while she studied me with her gray eyes and again nodded her head.

Silently, she walked away, leaving me to look after her. Her back was tense, and I saw that it started to shake, and I knew that she was crying. However, I didn't go after her because I knew that she wouldn't want that.

So, instead, I went over to the desk and sat down in the chair near it, ready to read the papers that my mother had given me but afraid of what they would say.

Gods, please help me, I silently begged, closing my eyes and lifted my head to the top of the cellar. Please, I don't want to be broken again.