Page 48 of The Silent Mountain
“I am your best friend?” I ask.
“Aren’t you?”
I feel my cheeks warm at his words. “I guess I am,” I admit. To others, it might not mean much, but to have my dragon mate, who is so distrustful towards others, see me as his closest friend, as someone he can rely on and not just as his mate, means the world to me.
When I cast a glance back at Tynan, I notice he is now walking next to Shayan, talking quietly with him. Seems like he has forgotten about his silly plan and is starting to relax again. He can be such a child sometimes, but he has his heart in the right place. Shayan seems to think the same because whenever he looks at Tynan, his stern look softens. Ty is just too busy being insecure to notice.
As I expected, Frederick needs only a glance to clear us all, and only keeps Barbara for a bit longer because she is the only one with actual injuries. We others clearly got lucky. It’s time, though, to sit together with our guests and explain to them what just happened. Ludwig stays with Barbara, but Stefan joins us in the royal family’s private living room. Cù Sìth also comes with us, but keeps his place a short distance away from our table.
“This is amazing,” Tynan mutters while looking around.
“It really is,” Azadeh agrees. “These vast, high rooms and the interior.”
“I agree,” Shayan looks around in interest. “I assume the rooms are that big so that it’s easier to shift to your dragon forms?”
“Very sharp observation,” Favian says. “I have heard the human beta is not to be underestimated.”
A smirk curls Shayan’s lips, but he doesn’t say anything.
“It’s really beautiful, though not as beautiful as home,” Tynan says bluntly.
It makes me laugh, and Favian doesn’t seem insulted either. “Well, the castle of the werewolf kingdom is more…“ he ponders.
“Rustic?” I help.
“No, it’s more homely,” he says. “It has a cozy feel to it.”
“It really does,” Azadeh says, smiling warmly. “I instantly felt at home there.”
“I like the castle of the werewolf kingdom, but I like it here too,” I say, surprising myself with how I jump in to defend the dragon castle. The others look at me, surprised. Favian’s eyes turn joyful, though, while Azadeh throws me a secret smile.
“Not too lavish and cold?” Favian asks.
“Not at all,” I say. “It’s true that it’s more lavish, as you call it, but it still gives off a warm feeling. Especially with the fireplaces and carpets everywhere.”
“What do you think?” Ty asks Shayan.
Shayan snorts. “Lavish… It’s funny that you call it that. Right, Azadeh?”
“True,” she chuckles. “They haven’t seen the human kingdom yet.”
“My former king pushed the definition of lavish to a whole new level,” Shayan says.
“He really did,” Aza agrees.
I notice Ty’s expression getting gloomier again. Shayan’s and Aza’s former king is Aza’s father–he is said to be a handsome but very difficult man. He used to be close to Shayan, which is probably the reason for Tynan’s shift in attitude. I decide to swiftly change the subject. “I think it’s about time to address the elephant in the room.”
Cù Sìth raises his head, obviously intrigued now, while Favian and I exchange a short glance. I leave it up to him to share what he wants to share, not wanting to destroy his trust in me. However, to my surprise, he fills our guests in on everything we know so far. He tells them about the dead birds and about our new witch before gesturing for me to tell the story about the mare.
For the others, this might be a normal conversation, but I know how hard it is for Favian to open up to anyone. To know he trusts my friends and family means so much to me. I find myself reaching my hand under the table and resting it on his knee.
Favian glances at me briefly, before putting his own hand on top of mine. I don’t know what I expected, but I certainly didn’t expect my stomach to make backflips all of a sudden. My body is such a traitor!
“Peculiar indeed,” Cù Sìth mutters.
“You said the mare isn’t supposed to be here?” Favian asks.
“It’s supposed to be banished,” Cù Sìth explains. “It shouldn’t be in this realm at all.”
