"Are you cold?" Faris worriedly asked, keeping Cassandra close to him. His heart had found some relief seeing his SIL was alive but was equally battered seeing the condition she was in.
The tiny snowflakes had begun to fall from the sky like tiny weightless pearls. The temperature further dropped.
"No, just worried about what Siroos is about to do. Knowing him, I know he is going to take revenge and burn someone since Kanyon escaped," she informed Faris, seeing he was just wearing his inner garments now. He had given the thick cloak to Cassandra.
She closed her eyes, feeling her magic as it built up under her skin in layers and gathered around her and Faris in the warm glow of lilac plus orange, expelling the cold.
Faris’s eyes almost popped out seeing his sister-in-law performing magic.
"You have your powers back," he asked in disbelief as warmth settled all around him, keeping him cosy.
"It seems like that. I have my memories back too. I remember who I am..."
"You are the goddess of love, Asara. We know," Faris revealed with a sweet smile, making her return it.
"How? Does Siroos have his memories of his previous life too?" She asked, hoping he didn’t remember that horrible horrible moment.
"No, but we received a prophecy. Once we get out of here, we will discuss it in detail." Faris didn’t wish to reveal the details while they were in enemy territory, in case vampires were lingering.
Cassandra was intrigued but understood what Faris was trying to profess.
"Did she lead you here?" Cassandra asked, trying to change the subject. She had seen a relieved Aiko and wondered.
Faris stole his gaze and lowered it. His chestnut-shaded straight hair curtained his saddened eyes.
"We made her. I finally found my mate but I wished I hadn’t. She is my mate."
Cassandra’s hand rested on Faris’s as she sympathetically patted it, understanding Aiko had baited him. She had her doubts that she was indeed Faris’s mate.
"Ohh! I am so sorry, Faris. I understand how you feel but she took care of me and was kind. She seems like another victim of Kanyon."
Faris closed his eyes for a second.
"I can’t get Ara’s face out of my head. It’s like I failed her and accepted this girl who contributed to her death. I just can’t..." The worries lined his young face as he lamented openly.
"You need time, Faris. We all do..."
Cassandra was interrupted when they heard the swooshing of several vampires. The royal army had found them. The ground shook as they came in swarms, some escaping Siroos’s wrath, others following orders of their Commander to search every inch of their kingdom and find the intruders.
Faris jerked up and let out a warning growl, his eyes changing colour putting his wolf in charge as he covered Cassandra with his body, jumping in front of her.
The pendant Lotus had given him began to glow, protecting him.
Just then the portal opened right between the approaching vampires and Faris. Aiko tumbled out, looking all wild, her hair whirled back.
Her gaze met with her mate’s and an understanding passed between them. The bond hummed to trust each other.
"Come!" She frantically waved her hand. Faris picked up Cassandra and dived behind Aiko as they were engulfed by the portal and it closed behind them.
Cassandra closed her eyes and let the air be knocked out of her lungs. They whirled around between space and time and finally landed in an unknown location.
She glanced around and found themselves inside a living room of a kind with a fireplace. The fire had been lit up inside it as a woman in her early forties and a young boy of around 15 stood near it, watching them in surprise.
A kettle had been placed on the burning woods in the fireplace.
"Are you well?" Aiko asked, seeing them appear dishevelled from the experience.
Faris placed Cassandra on the battered sofa near the fireplace and straightened up. Cassandra nodded her head at the fox-shifter.
"Where are we?" He questioned Aiko.
"Inside my house, you are safe here. I will inform your Alpha that you are here and then I can portal all of you to a safe location, once he gets here," Aiko explained.
The older woman removed the kettle from the fireplace using mittens and began to pour a hot drink into the clay bowls fetched by the younger boy.
She brought the bowls and offered them to Faris and Cassandra with a gentle smile.
"I am her mother, thank you for breaking the cloaking spell and reuniting us with her. We have been stuck in that palace for about a year now." The woman’s hands shook but there was kindness in her eyes and words.
Cassandra understood that the dragon’s breath had burnt away that spell and it led them to be freed.
"It was my mate, I am glad you are free," Cassandra returned her smile, her heart easing at the thought that these people were no longer under that bastard Kanyon. She now knew firsthand what he was capable of.
"They are the reason my hands were tied and I couldn’t help but obey Kanyon. He threatened to kill them," Aiko explained, accepting a bowl of hot drink from her mother with eyes shimmering with tears. Her mother held her face and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"I knew you would never give up seeking us out." She then turned to face them, "We apologise for all the trouble that has been caused because of us."
Faris nodded at them, he understood their truth especially, Aiko’s. The mate bond never lied even if the person did.
The boy perched himself on the rug near the fireplace. He made no effort to converse, his eyes spoke of the horrors he witnessed under Kanyon. Silently he stared into the fire.
Seeing him so lost and downtrodden, Cassandra left her seat and slowly walked to the young boy.
Everyone watched as Cassandra settled down beside him. She understood trauma; she had lived it in the past weeks and although she was trying to be brave she didn’t want to break down in front of anyone. She would only do that in front of her mate.
But she wished to offer hope and love to this child who seemed so lost because of the horrors he must have witnessed as well experienced.
She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and her positive energy pulsed and rippled out. It absorbed into him and he slowly turned to face Cassandra with light returning to his grieved eyes.
"What is your name?" She kindly asked, smiling at him.
"Armond!" He softly answered.
"This will pass, Armond and you will find yourself in a better place," Cassandra spoke in a very gentle tone.
"I want to leave here." He shook his head, trying not to cry and Cassandra had to squeeze his shoulder and glance in Aiko’s direction. She nodded at Cassandra giving her permission.
"Come with us if you desire, Armond. Our lands are hot but you will find ample love," she explained and a tiny smile crept up on his lips as his heart found solace in her words.
Cassandra could move hearts and fill them with love. Her powers had fully awakened.