Chapter 856 - OUR PLACE, OUR RULE

The dwarf looked at Raine and Hope back and forth through his green eyes, which looked too big for his small face.

"Now tell me what do you mean with your statement that implied I have a tainted heart?" Raine asked impatiently. She had been wondering about his answer ever since her last disturbing encounter with this creepy creature. If Serefina didn't stop her or she had the same amount of courage then, like she had now, Raine wouldn't have left without hearing his answer on that very day.

"First, let me ask you two," the dwarf looked at Hope and Raine with a cunning smile on his lips. "Do you still feel trouble controlling your power? How far did the two of you progressed in utilizing your power?"

When Raine was about to answer, the dwarf raised his hand. "let's hear it from you first," he said, nodding his head at Hope.

Hope looked at Raine and the crease on her brows showed that she wasn't really sure about talking it with the dwarf.

"Do you think I have a tainted heart too?" Hope asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Yes," the dwarf nodded profusely.

"Why do you think so?" Hope asked again. She didn't want to give any unnecessary information to someone that she barely knew, while Raine didn't want to interfere with whatever Hope believed.

If Hope didn't trust the dwarf, she wouldn't ask her to believe otherwise, but then again, Serefina had gone and Lilac was not here to help, thus it was almost impossible to find someone who could teach or guide them about the power that they held.

Therefore, the appearance of the dwarf was just right in time.

Raine had been desperate to grasp control over her power and how to use it properly. It was purely luck that she managed to use it when Chiron was about to kill Lilac. However, she was aware that she couldn't always rely on something called luck.

"I can see it," the dwarf shrugged his shoulders.

He dressed up differently from the last time Raine saw him, this time he was wearing a dark blue cloak, which looked bigger for his small frame.

"That doesn't explain anything," Hope said, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes. Since you refused to answer my question, let's do this in another way. Why don't I say the things you have done and you tell me whether it is right or wrong, to ease everything for us." The cunning smile on the dwarf's lips only got wider and wider as he continued to talk like he knew every single thing.

"You are the guardian angel who can see the spirits, am I right?" the dwarf asked. Hope didn't say anything, but from her expression, he knew that he had said the right thing. "You are the guardian angel who can control the time." He looked at Raine. "And the one that just left with the king is the guardian angel who can control nature."

The dwarf's cunning smile turned into a smug smile as he looked very proud of himself.

"Your point?" Hope asked impatiently. "Almost everyone knew that and it didn't make you more knowledgeable than the other people."

"But, did they know that you heard something from under the frozen river?" The dwarf reminded Hope about her last visit with Serefina and Lilac to the apricity river. There, she indeed heard something.

And then he turned to look at Raine. "Or, have you ever wondered why it was only the two of you, the king, Lilac, the rogue, the alpha and his gamma, who could move when you stop the time?"

The dwarf referred to the time when Raine stopped the time during Lilac's kidnapping.

"How do you know that?" Hope narrowed her eyes, she was very sure that during that time no outsider was present who could provide such information for the dwarf.

"I have my own way to gain information dear," he said, chuckling eerily. "Now, do you trust me?"

Hope looked at Raine and as they exchanged looks, the dwarf spoke again.

"I know my worth and you will need me here," the dwarf said, as he reached for the backpack that he had been carrying and reached into it for something. "This is for you,"

The dwarf gave Raine and Hope one copper coin each, but this only added to their confusion. What did he meant by this?

"That will be enough to pay my rent here, after all there is still the information that I can provide for both of you. I will not stay for free, therefore let's get comfortable with each other." The dwarf then slung his backpack over his shoulders again. "I will find my own room inside this castle, you don't have to bother with me."

After saying that, the dwarf walked away.

However, before he could take a second step, Hope stretched out her hand and pulled the dwarf back to his place. This brash action left Raine gasping in surprise and the lycans, who were watching them, became alert.

"You are not going anywhere until you tell us what do you mean with; we have tainted souls." Hope grabbed the back of the dwarf's cloak and didn't let go even when he struggled to free himself. "Tell me first or I will ask Torak to kick you out from this place."

"Torak is not your mate!" the dwarf was upset upon being treated that way.

"But, I don't think he will refuse that idea," Hope said and made the dwarf to turn around to face Torak and Kace. "can't you see that? They were really tempted to kick you out of their sights."

Raine chuckled when she watched the way Hope handled things, if it were her, she would agree with whatever the dwarf wanted.

"I don't like you!" the dwarf glared at Hope and tried to bite her.

However, Hope moved swiftly and pushed the dwarf away from her until he fell on his butt.

"Do you think we like you? You come out of nowhere and spout nonsense and now you want us to follow your rules?" Hope raised her eyebrows incredulously.

The dwarf then looked at Riane, asking for support.

"Our place, our rules," Raine said simply.

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Merry Christmas for you, who celebrated it. May the spirit of Christmas bring you and your family hope, love and happiness.

xoxo