Chapter 185: Was That Tree Of Hope?

"Have I told you enough how amazing you are?" Siroos pulled Cassandra close, back into his arms. His hands shackled her back to his rugged body.

"Together we will build our lands to the height of prosperity." Cassandra basked in his touch as both of them watched the plants swaying under the silvery moonlight.

"Ahm!" Both of them were interrupted by Faris’s cough. Glancing around, Cassandra had an understanding smile on her face, but Siroos wore a scowl.

Faris and Aiko stood behind them, while the former was as shameless as ever, the latter had a sheepish smile. They seemed to have interrupted a private moment.

"Aiko would like to have a word, brother. Haven’t you stashed away SIL enough? Let us talk to her as well," Faris clicked his tongue.

"She is my mate; I can hoard her as much as I please", Siroos retorted back.

"Siro! Play nice. Of course, she can." Cassandra offered an encouraging smile to Aiko making her awkwardness lessen a notch.

"Thank you! I appreciate it. I just wanted to apologise for the time earlier. Where my actions led to a disaster and how I couldn’t properly help you."

Faris scratched the back of his head. He knew Cassandra would easily forgive her and yet he felt nervous because of Siroos. His brother was not a forgiving kind.

Cassandra slowly opened Siroos’s arms and slipped out from them. Siroos didn’t seem pleased at that.

Approaching Aiko with a smile that could melt an iceberg, she held her shoulders before calmly speaking.

"Bury the past, Aiko. I hold nothing against you. Kanyon was a manipulative monster and we are rid of him for now. Build up your relationship with Faris, my only wish is to see both of you happy together."

Her words put a delighted smile on Aiko’s face and her head dipped in a nod of joy.

"Thanks! Means the world to me."

Cassandra turned to her mate, who wore a blank expression while watching the girl with the ebony hair.

She cleared her throat so he could get a hint, but instead of speaking, he only grunted his approval. Cassandra shook her head but Faris let out an excited squeak and threw his arm around his brother’s muscled shoulders.

"She is part of the inner six now. As soon as we get our affairs in order we need to start preparing for the journey." Faris’s words held weight. They couldn’t delay it any longer.

Before Siroos could answer he received a mindlink from one of the patrol warriors.

’Princess Lotus and Commander Razial are here to see you.’

The smile returned to Siroos’s lips, hearing who had arrived.

’Bring them to the oasis,’ he informed the warrior before closing the mind link.

"We have surprise guests." Siroos winked at his mate.

"Who?" Cassandra excitedly asked, her mind instantly went to her sister. That was the only person who would come for her no matter what.

"See for yourself."

They turned as the galloping of the horses grew louder and stopped right before them, spraying dust and sand all around.

"Lotuss!" Cassandra almost screamed in joy while rushing towards the mare her sister was riding on. She helped her climb down and both of them hugged like crazy.

"Oh! Cass, you are safe..." Tears spilt out of Lotus’s eyes, the emotions finally got the better of her. Her hands and eyes inspected Cassandra’s body for wounds, she only found faint ones on her neck and made a note to ask about them later.

Both sisters cried in each other’s arms while Razial climbed down and met the others. A warrior took away their horses towards the stables to be given water and fed properly.

"I am, my mate brought me back." Cassandra sniffled as they separated but held each other close.

"I kept my promise, Princess Lotus." Siroos stepped closer with a subtle smile on his lips. "And I received your message. Let’s go inside, freshen up and we will discuss everything."

He suggested and Lotus gave him a nod of approval.

"The chosen six finally get together," Faris couldn’t help but chime in as he bowed to Lotus and pointed to Aiko with his eyes.

Lotus cast a keen glance towards the girl; there was this cunningness in her eyes but a warmth, too.

"Is she who I think she is?" She couldn’t help but ask Faris and he moved his head up and down, confirming.

"My mate as well as the last member of the prophecy. All of us are together, finally."

A subtle hint of wind picked up and twirled around them, seeping into their flesh and reaching down to their cores. Awakening this sense in them like a knowledge of a foreign land.

All of them gasped, their eyes blowing out of their sockets.

A subtle whisper, the winds carried from the full moon.

A vivid image accompanied the winds, the picture of a tree which embedded itself in their memories.

White like snow merged with pinkish red, its upper foliage seemed to have been created from clouds as it extended way into the heavens. Golden streaks ran like thick veins inside its bark.

Birds like phoenix flew all around it.

Majestic and grandiose, there was no doubt in their minds that this, indeed, was the "Tree of Hope" indicated in their prophecy.

It was their final destination. The place they had to reach to lift the curse on them.

"Is everyone else seeing the white-reddish gold tree I am seeing? Or something is wrong with my head?" Faris cried out, slightly overwhelmed from the experience.

Aiko slipped her hand into his and deliberately squeezed, letting him know she was there with him.

"I see it too."

"Same."

"It’s otherworldly."

Others cried out as well as the vision ended and their dilated pupils returned to normal.

"At least we know it exists, somewhere. Maybe hidden from the other eyes and only a few can see, the way it was revealed to us," Lotus suggested. Her words held weight.

"Let’s go in and we can sit and discuss."

Siroos began to guide them inside, anyone could be spying on them in the open. They had to be cautious.

"Please! My back is about to kill me. Horse riding is not for me," Lotus complained with a cute pout, lessening the tension and returning the smiles on their faces.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read