SPELLBOUND

Evie remembered that Gavriel told her that the dagger he gave her was special and poisoned. It seemed the wound from her dagger will never heal and the wound ended up looking incredibly awful. Evie shivered a little as she surveyed more of the man's body. The once haughty and handsome looking vampire emperor was tortured beyond recognition. Was this the result of him being interrogated? Isn't this quite brutal?

Recalling all the information that Gavriel told her, Evie pressed her lips tight. Of course, she should have known that for a man like Lorcan, extreme measures would be needed to be taken to even dig a little bit of information out of him. If she was still her old self, Evie would probably have looked away in fear and felt pity for him, but she remembered how this man sacrificed her ancestors' blood just to awaken a certain magical and perhaps evil creature. This man had been merciless. He does not deserve to be pitied, she told herself firmly and then she finally continued ascending the stairs.

Upon reaching the top, Evie was welcomed by Zolan. There was huge arrow positioned in the middle now. She could not help but crease her brows because she knew this arrow was made to shoot down a dragon. It was the exact same arrow that had been used to shoot Leon.

"Where did all these arrows come from?" was the first question she asked Zolan, surprising him. While Evie was ascending the stairs, Zolan had been observing her while she was staring at Lorcan. So, he thought that the princess would jump on him on what happened to Lorcan and how did he end up looking like that. But it seemed, the princess could not have cared less about Lorcan now. Zolan smiled a little, acknowledging the princess' courage. Did she know that Lorcan ended up like that not because of the interrogation but because of the prince's wrath on him for him daring to touch and harm her?

"Apparently, Lorcan brought these things with him. I believe your father didn't know about these because these arrows only arrived when Caius and your father left Dacria."

"So, Lorcan was going to kill my father's dragon once he managed to take down my husband, huh." Evie clenched her fists, remembering how her father was so hopeful that the war would end once Gavriel was gone. "What a sly old fox!" Evie muttered crossly under her breath. However, all the vampires there heard her, thanks to their superb hearing. They could not help but chuckle at her comment.

"I believe that's his plan all along. He's planning to kill everyone in this war once his aim of killing Prince Gavriel is met."

Evie could only grit her teeth, feeling sorry for her father for falling into Lorcan's despicable trap. She was so glad none of Lorcan's plan had happened yet and that her husband had outwitted him.

"By the way Princess," Zolan cleared his throat and stiffened up a little. "His Highness had decided that you will be staying right here in the watch tower." Though Zolan's voice was steady, Evie could see him look uncomfortable.

The man's words made Evie blink and freeze up for a second.

"You are not going to be with him on the ground. But he decided that you must stay in a place where he could see you even during the battle." Zolan continued and Evie could only fall silent. "Please, you have to understand that why His Highness decided on this. We are aware about the risk about the invisible dark fae and your wish to be seen by your father, but we can't risk your life. However, if we see that there is less risk or if we find a way for you to reach your father safely, we will gladly help you and bring you down from here. For now, he wanted you to stay here with me. I understand your wish to help but by you staying here, it will be of a huge help already." Zolan smiled cheerfully, trying to elevate Evie's disappointment.

"Huge help? What am I going to do up here to help?"

"You have your arrows, princess." He grinned and Evie blinked. "Oh, His Highness is looking up."

"Where?" Evie immediately looked down and her eyes searched for her husband.

"There… right at the front."

"I can't see him." Evie turned back to Zolan and her eyes beseeched him to point out her husband to her.

However, Zolan smiled, "It's fine princess. Oh, he said he'd be here in a moment."

"You can communicate even from this distance?" Evie's eyes widened. She suddenly felt a small jolt of envy. How she wished that she could also do distant communication with Gavriel as it would be so convenient.

"No. We can only see each other clearly even at this distance but we can't carry out our special communication. I just read his lips." Zolan's lips twitched in suppressed humour as he explained to Evie. Evie's lips circled into a small 'o'. She might have overestimated the vampires' special skills as she laughed to herself again.

And just like what Zolan said, Gavriel landed before Evie in just a few moments. She was surprised how fast he took to be here already.

"Hmm… not fast enough," Gavriel mumbled to himself before he smiled at Evie. "I'm here now, wife. I heard you're looking for me. Not happy that I am going to leave you here?" he teased, and Evie pursed her lips.

"I… I just want to see you… that's all." She whispered, knowing that Zolan was with them when Gavriel gently pinched her cheek before pulling her close to him and hugged her. "I am not going to be stubborn, don't worry. At least you're not sending me back in the castle."

Gavriel smile and he was about to respond when his head suddenly snapped towards the frontline and his eyes narrowed, focusing to the far end of the meadow.

Immediately sensing the situation, Evie's grip on Gavriel tightened a little.

"Are… are they coming?" Evie asked as her heart began to beat wildly.