SPELLBOUND

"I know, love. But that's why I have you here."

Evie jerked her head up, wide eyed again. And he smiled at her, kissing her lips lightly as he enjoyed her expressions.

"Do not worry, love. Just trust in me." He reassured her and Evie fell silent, knowing that those words alone had helped her calm down already. "Good girl…" he smiled sensuously, "For now, don't think too much about this and wait for me. When the time is ripe and things are prepared, we'll talk more about this again. And what I can promise you is, it won't be long before we can sit down together for this talk."

She nodded in full trust of his words and rested her head on his chest. "I trust you, my husband. Always. You know you're the one I trust the most in this world."

A low and blissful groan escaped his throat and Evie could tell how happy he was with what she said. He reached out and was about to kiss her hard, but just as his lips were a hair's breadth away from hers, knocking sounds on their bedroom door stopped him. Now the jinx was finally here again. Heavens! They both looked at each other, considering if they could ignore the person on the other side of the door and continue with what had been paused. But…

Another series of knocks sounded again and Gavriel cursed softly.

Evie chuckled. "Alright, now go. It must be very important." She pushed her reluctant husband off the bed. And Evie watched him drag himself to quickly get dressed and stepped out of their room.

…

After finishing her breakfast, Evie met Gavriel outside the castle. He was talking to a group of vampires with a serious expression.

"So, you can't find even a single one of them?" Gavriel asked. "How about the children?"

The vampire shook his head. "We have searched even the neighbouring human lands, but no one saw even a single one of those Dacrians. It is really weird, Your Highness."

Hearing this, Evie rushed towards them. She had asked Gavriel to send men to look for the Dacrians who had disappeared in the Middle Lands. She had told Gavriel that she had tried and also have been looking for them all over the Middle Lands, but the Dacrians could not be found there. So, she thought that they might have been brought back to the vampire empire. But now Gavriel's men were saying that they could not find even a single one of them?

Gavriel faced her as he heard her approaching and he held hand and squeezed them gently, silently telling her to not worry and giving her assurance that all will be well. "Don't worry, love. The search had just begun. I'll send more people to look for them." Gavriel coaxed her before she could even say a thing. "So don't think too much about it. Since you are certain that they're not in the Middle Lands, I believe they should be just fine. We just need to search over other areas for them then." He assured her and Evie nodded, relaxing and fully trusting in her husband's words.

Zolan and Samuel then appeared before them and immediately reported that everything is now prepared for them to set out to the south.

Kariza also came to Evie just a little while after Zolan and Samuel to inform her that the light faes were now packed up and ready to move out as well.

"Is Leon back yet?" Gavriel asked his men, and they shook their heads.

"How about Zanya?" Evie asked Kariza and the light fae shook her head as well.

"Zanya said she'd go first. So, I think she might be waiting for us back in Crescia now." Kariza answered and that was when everyone turned their heads to look at the man who had just arrived, Leon.

"Oh, you're finally back!" Levy jumped on him playfully like a little puppy, and the rest of the men sighed in relief that he looked physically fine now. At the same time, their gazes were obviously filled with mischievousness as they looked at Leon. Some of them went as far as to wiggle their brows suggestively at him.

But Leon's face remained severe and blasé, ignoring all his fellow companion's unspoken jabs at him. Instead, his gaze fixed itself on Kariza, as if he was dying to ask her about something.

When everyone stepped away from their masters, to give them space before separating, Leon quickly approached Kariza and caught up to her before she could walk off.

"She… Umm… Zanya's not here?" he asked a little hesitantly, his purple gaze intense, not wanting to miss a thing.

Kariza nodded, a little taken aback with this man suddenly appearing right before her and together with his intense look. "She must be in Crescia by now. She had told me she would head over there first."

The lines on Leon's forehead deepened as he frowned. He looked like he wanted to say more but after a couple of seconds, he seemed to have changed his mind and closed his mouth.

…

Meanwhile, Gavriel was hugging Evie tight as he whispered into her ear. "Remember not to push yourself too much, okay? Don't forget that our little one won't like it if you work too much."

"I know, I know." Evie smiled against his chest, finding it adorable how he was already nagging her even when her stomach was still flat, and nothing could be seen yet. "Don't worry, I will be extra, extra careful. I won't do anything that will be bad for our angel, I promise." She told him solemnly, fully intending to honour her every word. She was not going to be foolish and endanger their precious babe on purpose.

"Thank you… I will be quick, love. Wait for me." His large hands caressed her head fondly.

"I will. Please take care and come back to me safe and sound."

"I promise." He said and gave her another deep kiss before turning around to leave.

Evie then waved at Gavriel's men, and they all obviously were not pleased that she was not going to be with them anymore. But they understood that Crescia was much safer for her – especially more so now with her current condition – than going with them to join another war.

And thus, with heavy hearts, they all parted that day and headed in opposite directions.

The light faes arrived in Crescia in the afternoon as they surveyed the Middle Lands as they travelled to their castle. The dragons which had travelled with them stayed back at the gates while Evie and the light faes headed for the castle as Evie wanted to address them first.

Evie and Kariza were expecting Zanya to be waiting for them in the great castle, but to their surprise, the light fae was not there. They could not even feel any traces of someone who was just there.

"This is strange," Kariza told Evie. "The purple-eyed vampire seemed to be looking for her too, my queen. But I told him she must have been here. But it seems that she's not. Where could she be? Zanya isn't someone who just simply roams around and disappears on a whim."

Creasing her brows, Evie immediately ordered some light faes to go look for her. She did not know why, but she was suddenly reminded of the sudden and strange disappearances of the Dacrians who were waiting at the magical lake back then. 

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