The Night Rider

Chapter 43

Celeste

Two weeks on, two weeks of searching and problems. After the announcement of Chanel's plan to Rafiki, she seemed to accept it, nothing could be further from the truth. That night she disappeared and she has been without a trace ever since. Together with Jamie I have searched the entire Andes, but nowhere is a trace of the future queen to be found. Malia and her wolves have combed the whole forest and Novak has even been with the vampires, nowhere a trace.

The fear that Rafiki will kill herself becomes a greater burden to me every day. I understand her like no other. She will lose her Nazu, magic, people around her and even her memories. The thought of that happening to me follows me in my nightmares. My nightmare is starting to look more and more like the truth. It feels like we are looking for someone lying under the rubble of a building. I never thought to say that I would be glad to hear that a village has burned down, but now that is my only ray of hope.

'Can't you feel her? Can you feel at all if she is still alive?' Noa is pacing through my office. In the meantime, we have returned to the castle, purely because the dawn is rejoicing us more and more with their unannounced visit. I get my hands through my hair. I look at the desperate boy, just as desperate as I am. 'I'm afraid not. I don't know how it is possible but I don't feel Rafiki since she left' Because of our connection that should be the case but nothing is more true, it would make it all much easier.

Noa puts both hands through his hair and leaves them there. His dark eyes, which he clearly has from his father, radiate pure pain and despair. Sometimes I forget that Noa is my nephew and he looks more like me than I think. His hair, his eyes, his passionate character and his desire for justice. 'We are going to the Andes, she has to be there'. Noa wants to walk to the door but still waits when I get up. He slowly turns around and hopes that after five times I will accept his request.

For the umpteenth time I shake my head 'Celeste do you want to find Rafiki?' His eyes are even darker and his tone is irritated. I sigh deeply. 'Of course I want to find Rafiki'. 'Then why the hell don't you want to go with me on a dragon? If anyone has a connection with Rafiki, it's you The only person you want to go with is Jamie, who is busy half the time at dawn'. The devilish dilemma I've been going through for a while now, Noa doesn't know that I'm a Night Rider just like Rafiki and doesn't need to know that for me separately.

As soon as I sit on the back of a dragon that hidden nature in me comes to the surface and it is better if as liftte people as possible know what and who I am. As soon as there is a knock on the door I am happy for a second with the unexpected visit. 'Inside', I mumble as I sit down on the chair again. My happiness disappears like snow in the sun as soon as I see a man in a blue suit, the dawn. Unplanned, a sigh leaves my lips. 'Sorry to disturb you, madam'. 'You can also just stay away,' I mumble so that it is barely audible.

The man takes a step into the room and looks at me and Noa waiting, as if something is expected of us. 'Has the princess returned yet' He puts his hands behind his back. 'Does it look as if she's back?'. Before I can say anything, Noa is ahead of me with his bitter answer. The man seems equally surprised by the unexpected remark. He scrapes his throat and stands up straight. 'I'm sorry to report this, but if the princess does not return, the queen will no longer be in her position from the throne, without a rightful successor'. I can wring the man's neck.

Noa wants to open his mouth even more irritatingly, but before he gets the chance I get up from the chair. I walk along the desk towards the man. My fingers are woven into each other and my hands are lying in front of me. 'Sir, let me clear your memory. Our former Queen Chanel has drawn up a contract, under which your name is written. This contract states that our current Queen Nuri is the rightful owner of this castle. You do not need to remind us of that contract since we drew it up'.

The man seems upset by my words. Meanwhile, I am standing one metre away from the man and I am looking straight into his eyes. He seems to recover. 'I would like to remind you that when an heir, in this case Princess Rafiki's, dies, the queen should consider a replacement. In this case, that is the dawn that will take over the throne after her'. I close my eyes for a second to keep my peace.

'May I remind you in my place that Rafiki's body has not yet been salvaged and therefore it has not been determined whether she is still alive. Your desire for the throne does not escape us, sir, you will take care of that. If you did not raise your nose in this palace just like that, we would be able to track down the future queen more quickly. Perhaps that is precisely the reason for your regular unsolicited visits, isn't it, sir?'. The man looks at me with open eyes. He swallows visibly and feels caught.

He makes a small bow towards me and Noah 'I'll leave you alone again, sorry to disturb you'. I nod my head of approval and can no longer hide the little grin on my lips. Before we can do anything against it, the man disappears from the room. I send a look towards Noa who looks at me with a smug grin and a slight surprise.