SPELLBOUND

"Please…" her voice came out weak, pleading. "Don't. If you do that, my dream… my dream will come true, Gavriel. Please listen to me. In my dream, I was here in this tower while the entire Dacria is on fire." She said, as her tears run down her cheeks. "I was shouting out your name… but you never came." Evie's voice broke at the end.

Gavriel was taken aback and looked completely surprised at what she had said. With the utterance of those words from Evie's mouth and the tears that were falling from her eyes, he looked as if he was wavering now. He always looked like this whenever she cries, that look that seemed to be telling her that he would do everything, and anything just stop her from crying. And she shamelessly took full advantage of it. She did not care if it would make her less of an elegant lady. All she cared about was to prevent that horrifying scene in her dream from occurring and keeping Gavriel safe and alive.

Evie let her tears fall like small water falls as she pleaded him. She turned her large, watery eyes up at him and used them to her best advantage, knowing it would affect Gavriel strongly.

"Please, I'm scared Gavriel. I cannot take it if something bad happens to you. This is the best way to solve all the problems we are facing right now." She coaxed him the best she could. "I am not worried, my love, because I know," she tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek and then smiled gently, "you will come and take me back, right?"

Her last line made Gavriel's eyes widen.

"I will wait for you to come and get me back. I promise I will be alright. And I know you won't take long, right? I know you cannot bear being separated from me and so do I. That's why I am going to do my best and keep myself safe until you return for me." She added as she caressed his cheek. "Even if your wife is just a human, she's stronger than you think. You have to trust me too, Gavriel."

Slowly, Gavriel slumped to the floor as if his strength left him completely. He rested both his elbows on top of his bended knee and covered his face with his palms.

Seeing him looking so defeated, Evie knelt between his legs and hugged him as tight as she could, trying to impart some of her warmth and whatever little confidence she had. Finally, after some moments Gavriel gave in and pulled her into his arms and embraced her back.

For a long while, they stayed silent, just appreciating each other's warmth, and listening to each other's heartbeats and breaths.

Evie could feel Gavriel's agitation, and she could not help but feel her heart swell at the feel of him holding her as if he were holding a precious treasure and never wanted to ever let go. It was as though he would literally die if he left her. She could not help but feel so blessed that she was so dear to him like this.

At that moment, everything was suddenly so peaceful. Until Gavriel whispered something unexpected into her ears. "I love you," he said, causing Evie to immediately pull away and look at him with wide eyes.

"D-did you say something?" she asked.

Gavriel looked at her and then smiled bitterly. "I said I love you. I love you so much I feel like dying now, Evie. I don't know how I am ever going to go off on my own and leave you here alone."

Evie forgot to breathe as she stayed frozen before him, staring at his face.

"Was what I said that shocking?" he asked wretchedly. He could not help it. Their upcoming separation truly came as a terrible blow at him.

Evie took a moment to respond. "No, yes… cause I, I never heard you say those words to me before…" Evie replied with wide open eyes, still recovering from the shock.

Gavriel smiled as he reached out and caressed her cheek. Then his smile faded. "I said it to you twice before." His voice was soft and warm, and his smile was so tender that Evie felt as though she could melt under its influence.

"You did?! And twice? W-when?!" she exclaimed. How come she had never heard him say it? How could she have missed something like this?

"The second time I said that was when we're making love this dawn… when we were at the magical lake."

"R-really? I didn't hear a thing!"

"Because you were too dazed, my love." He smirked.

"How about the first time? When did you say it?" Evie asked again. She needed to find out when was it that he had uttered those words that she had wanted to hear so badly once she realised that she too, had fallen in love with him.

He smiled and pulled her into his embrace again. He was quiet as he rubbed her hair gently while Evie waited in anticipation. "I'll tell you once we see each other again," he said, and Evie was about to protest but she bit her lip to stop herself. She was sure he had a reason in saying it the way he did.

"O-okay… don't forget about it. That will be the first thing I will ask once you come and take me back."

"Alright," he responded, and he kissed her head ever so lovingly.

They stayed still and quiet again for a while. They knew that their time together was running out, but since Zolan had given them half the day, they would spend every second of it in each other's company like this. They will not waste a single moment.

"Gavriel?" Evie called his name again as she looked up while resting her head on his chest. Their hands were sweetly intertwined with each other.

"Hmm?"

"When did you fall in love with me?" she asked curiously.

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A/N: Follow me on instagram @kazzenl.x