Chapter 529 - SET OFF

Kace leaned against the wall behind him as he watched helplessly how Hope, Ian and Ethan observed the room. Their eyes wandered from corner to corner of the room.

"Is she the candlemaiden?"

Kace could hear Hope whispered to Lana beside her and when she nodded her head, Hope's expression became confused. At this time she must have felt the same thing as Kace before, even the twins stared at Christal in disbelieve, their imagination about a cute girl as a candlemaiden must have shattered by now.

"Lidya…" Christal ignored the stares that was thrown to her and shifted her attention towards the witch. "It's been a long time since the last time we met."

"For you yes," Lidya replied casually. "For me forty years are only a speck of time."

"Indeed." She agreed and then her grey eyes found Kace across the room, she smiled, but this only gave the lycan a goosebumps. "You can go now, the people that you need are already here."

Kace frowned, "what do you mean…" he lost his words when finally understand what she said.

Christal's words echoed in his head; 'As I told you before, the place where the priestess lives is a sacred land. Except human with no ill intention, other creatures need permission from the priestess herself to enter that land.'

The only human here aside from Christal was…

Kace stared at Hope, who blinked her eyes innocently, asking for the meaning of his gaze.

No way!

"No way!" Kace knew where this conversation would end. He strode across the room and pulled Hope behind his back, as if the white-haired old lady could harm his mate. "Do you think I will let her to come with me?! I will send her back to where she should be!" His grip on Hope's wrist tightened. Even when the girl grimaced in pain, Kace didn't realize that his grip was hurting her.

"I didn't say you should bring her with you to find the priestess who can help you to treat your wound, though it would be dangerous if you prolong your treatment." Well, Hope didn't know Hope about this before, but she did now.

"Christal!" Kace couldn't say anything anymore, except calling her name with resentment at the tip of his tongue. Hope, who heard what she said, wouldn't let this slip away just like that.

"Shouldn't you thank me because I made your journey easier?" Christal huffed. "In this case, I want to thank you because you had brought back my candle."

"How do you know she will come?" Kace narrowed his eyes dangerously at the candlemaiden.

"I am a candlemaiden," she smiled righteously, her lips pulled into a proud smile, which was directed to herself. "I am talking to the spirit. A helpless delicate being which none of you could see… they tell me everything as they are everywhere."

"Like a ghost?" Ian chimed in, he shuddered with his own words.

Christal chuckled upon hearing that. "No, my child… they are not a ghost. They are spirit. Everything has its own soul, even grass in the meadow."

Ignoring the puzzle behind what Christal said, Hope swung Kace's hand from her wrist and stepped forward. "Really? Do you think I can help him?" this was another twist she didn't expect to find out. For her to be able to help Kace, was her only wish. She wanted to do this for a long time, but the fact that she was only a human without any supernatural power, held her back.

She didn't really consider her own blood to be a supernatural power, since it was not really useful in her opinion.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Kace glared at Christal because of her answer. "Hope, listen…"

"No!" Hope turned around and glared at Kace. "I don't want to listen to you!"

Kace realized if he kept pushing her away he would upset her, thus he looked around, looking for a possible back up. Unfortunately, there was none among them were looking to his direction.

Ian and Ethan seemed enjoying their best time here by completely absorbed by a flower vase on top of a table, Lana ignored him by standing a little bit away from him and Lidya—the witch didn't care much about all the conflict ongoing, after all, she was the one who had brought Hope here.

"Tell me what should I do to help him?" Hope walked closer to Christal and sat down on a chair beside her. She had come so far to this place and finally met with Kace, but the fact that he had not been treated yet made her deeply concerned.

Turned out something happened here and Hope found out that she could help him. How great does that sound?

And then, Christal ended up telling her everything. Kace tried to interrupt them, but one look from Hope, stopped him from saying what he meant to say.

Kace had never thought that Hope could be very forbidding if she wishes to.

"Take this candle with you and this will guide you to the sacred place." Christal gave Hope a white candle, which was not bigger than her thumb, the wick blazed with blue flames.

"What if the fire died out?" Hope took the candle, but it didn't provide any warm even when she ran her fingers on the blue flames, she could touch it without getting burned.

"The fire will not die out." Christal informed her.

And as soon as the candlemaiden told her that, Hope tried to blow the candle, "Oh, it really doesn't die out."

"You don't need to blow it too," Christal giggled. She liked this girl, but since she knew Hope's true- self, she pitied the fate destined for her.

"I will go with you," Hope decided. She jumped happily toward Kace and smiled innocently, as if she was not aware that Kace objected her decision. "Let's go!"

"I don't think this is a good decision for the three of you to come with me." Kace gave a hard look to Ian and Ethan also.

"Why don't we do vote?" Ian suggested courageously. "Whoever don't agree, raise your hand."

But, no one budged.

"That's not fair." Kace protested, crossing his arms, but he still didn't get the support that he needed.