SPELLBOUND

All that talk about dragons and how there seemed to be more than one dragon, just went and shocked Evie into silence. She honestly did not know if her father ever thought of the possibility that there were actually more than one dragon hiding in the forbidden lands. Or perhaps he and the past guardians had thought of it before but there was just no way for them to traverse into those areas to confirm it since manpower was lacking due to so many of the soldiers being recruited and drafted into efforts of war.

Even when Evie was still a wee lass, she had remembered asking her father if he could call upon many dragons at once. Her father had answered her that he could not and when she had asked why, her father said that a dragon guardian could only call one dragon ever since the beginning of their practice of dragon summoning. Her young and curious self had asked why again, and her father told her that perhaps, because there was only one dragon to be called upon. This was the main reason why Evie had always thought that there was truly just one dragon residing in the forbidden lands. The thought of maybe there would be a whole colony of dragons living together never did cross her mind at all. So, this revelation was truly a shock to her. However, after thinking about it a little more, it did not seem that strange after all.

"Will… will you tell me more about what you saw…" Evie trailed off the moment Gavriel put her down. There was now light, a bright light coming from behind her.

"We're here, love. This was what I had wanted you to see." Gavriel said, smiling down at her.

Evie blinked at Gavriel in excitement and even though she wanted to talk and ask more about the dragons, she curiously and obediently turned around to where he was gesturing her to look at. When she finally laid her eyes on it, her mouth dropped.

A pristine and tranquil lake was before them, and it was glowing as if the stars had descended and settled under the water. Evie was awestruck at the sight. There never were lakes as beautiful as this one in the human region. The water looked as though it was filled with silvery glitters.

"Gods… this is like a dream… is this a lake where fairies or goddesses reside?" Evie gasped, unable to take her eyes off the incredibly magical scenery before her. Never in her wildest dream had she ever thought a place like this exists in real life. She would think this sort of view would only be found in the pages of a fairy tale book.

"Hmm… I don't know but I don't think there are fairies or goddesses here. I've been here before more than twice and had seen no one else. This place seemed pretty deserted. There are no fishes in the water as well." Gavriel recounted all these to Evie as a matter of fact.

"But… could it be, that the fairies are hiding from you?" Evie reasoned. Her question was a sincere one, asked with wide honest eyes.

"And why would the fairies hide from a gorgeous creature like me?" Gavriel's tone had a laughing quality to it.

His response finally made Evie focus and look at him. And the sight of that haughty and very confident look on his face just made her want to pinch him – hard. This person just could not live a day without pulling at her leg! She rolled her eyes at him.

"If someone were to be living here, I highly doubt they would hide, especially after seeing me naked bathing in the water." Gavriel continued on commenting with his poker face and looking for all the world as if he were talking about the plain old weather.

Evie's eyes circled wide before she narrowed them and looked at him suspiciously, causing Gavriel to chuckle at her expressions and actions.

"What's with that adorable jealous face, my wife?" he cocked his head as he looked at her, still grinning. "Were you perhaps thinking that some fairies might have been watching me bathing naked here before? Hmm?" Gavriel kept on speaking that way, trying to stir Evie up a little more.

"Nope, I'm thinking why would you even come here to bathe? Hmm, my husband? Could it be that you were planning to seduce the fairies here?" Evie countered Gavriel with her own jab.

Gavriel chuckled again before grinning widely at her, obviously pleased at their playful banter. "I'm so glad you're even jealous of those non-existent fairies even until now, love. It shows me how much you want to monopolize me."

Evie blushed. "I was –" Evie broke off mid-sentence once she saw Gavriel suddenly began undressing. She blinked at him.

"What are you doing?" She could not quite understand why he was taking his clothes off in the middle of nowhere right now.

"I'm on a surefire plan on seducing a goddess right now," he drawled lazily, smiling seductively hot as he pinched her chin, "the one and only goddess of my life." His gaze was intense as they burned right into her own.

Evie could not find her voice to speak. The way his eyes gleamed sucked away her power of speech and as she watched him take a couple of steps back. When he started dropping piece by piece of his clothes slowly while his eyes remained on her, Evie felt as though she was paralyzed on the spot. The scene was just too perfect. The most beautiful and perfect creature was there shedding his clothes before her very eyes in the most magical place she ever saw… this was a combination that was deadly!

She felt like she was watching a god and it truly seemed as though the place was made for someone like him to bathe in. He was just so worthy to bathe in this seemingly sacred place.

Evie swallowed hard when he was finally naked, and she could not help but feel her face flush and become so hot. He had won again as she was completely and utterly seduced by him. Who would not be? Evie was certain, even fairies and goddesses would be seduced in an instant if they could see him like this!

He dived elegantly into the water and then emerged a few feet away. The view of the water ripples moving in a circular pattern outward from where he was the centre was just mesmerising.

The picture he painted was perfect. His perfect torso was glistening with little droplets of water that were rolling down deliciously and Evie swallowed again, wanting him suddenly.

He ran his fingers through his now drenched hair and then he bit his lip as he gestured her to come to her. And Evie stepped forward as if some god of seduction had hypnotized her.

'Gods, did he bring me here to show a magical place or to seduce me like this?'