Saying this, he leaped into the air with unbelievable speed. The sudden rush of movement stole Evelyn's breath so she instantly wrapped her hands tightly around Ivan's neck. The wind whipping through was sharp and cold making her cheeks sting, she turned and buried her face in the crook of his neck and tightly shut her eyes to protect herself.
Eve's heart was pounding loudly with every powerful leap he took in the air. She could only hope that he wouldn't drop her if he got bored of carrying her or decided to finally get rid of her.
Unconsciously, she tightened her grip around Ivan's neck a little more only to hear him say, in a dry tone, "Tighten your grip on me any more and I'll start to think that you're trying to strangle me."
She loosened her grip slightly, but was too scared to let go any further, so she continued to hold on—just less tightly.
In a muffled voice with her face still buried in the crook of his neck, she murmured, "You only told me to hold on tight."
Ivan's lips twitched as he heard it loud and clear. He responded, "I asked you to hold me, not to choke me."
"I'm sorry, it isn't everyday I get to ride a vampire." she huffed lightly.
Ivan's eyes widened slightly and he let out a soft chuckle, "Poor choice of words, Princess," he said in a deep voice.
Eve, who didn't quite understand what he said, opened her eyes slowly and lifted her face from the crook of his neck to look at him. Feeling her gaze, he looked down, with a slightly amused expression playing on his face.
As their eyes met, time seemed to slow and they got lost in the moment. Without breaking eye contact, Ivan leaped gracefully onto somewhere high and landed with ease.
A soft breeze swept past them, drawing Eve's eyes to the way a few strands of his raven-black hair danced across his forehead, softening his otherwise stoic features.
By now, the sun had already set and moonlight fell on his gorgeous face. Feeling Ivan's stillness and the gentle breeze, she realised that they had finally stopped somewhere, so she slowly tore her gaze away from him and turned her head to look around.
Her eyes widened in awe, and she gasped at the sight in front of her. She realised they were standing on top of something incredibly high, that showed the entire city lit below her in a tapestry of lights. Beyond it, the shimmering sea reflected the moonlight, with multiple ships docked, their lamps glowing softly like stars on the water.
"Where.. Where are we?" she asked, still breathless in wonder.
Ivan, watching her with quiet interest, gently placed her down and held her by the arms to steady her. She didn't hesitate to take his support. Once she found her balance, he finally let go, though just a little reluctantly.
Eve turned slowly to look at the sea, and as she did, her hood fell off again, revealing her long brown locks that danced gently in the wind. Her eyes softened as she took in the natural beauty of Bastian. When she looked to her right she saw the grand castle standing tall and proud atop the hill, illuminated by countless lights.
Looking at the castle, she was reminded that she was with the owner of that very place. Slowly turning back around, she saw Ivan leaning against one of the pillars, arms crossed over his chest. His body was relaxed, but his eyes were fixed on her, observing her every movement, voluntary or involuntary. From the way her long brown hair swayed in the wind, to the blink of her eyes, to the gentle rise and fall of her chest.
To her beautiful rosy lips that looked just a little too inviting to him. He forced his eyes away and said, "We're at the city's lighthouse."
She raised her brows and asked him, "Why?"
"Why?" he drawled. "Because of what you did out there..., Princess." he said as he tilted his head slightly.
"You killed–no.., you melted two of the Darkrots as if they were made of ice," said Ivan.
"Is that.. is that a bad thing?" Eve asked, her eyebrows furrowing with worry.
His lips curled up slightly at her question, and he replied, "Hm..good question."
He pulled himself off the pillar and took a couple of steps towards her until he towered over her. His gaze never left her clear blue eyes, those eyes he felt he could drown in. The magnetic pull was just so strong, he couldn't help but wonder at the possibility whether she slipped him some kind of potion.
To Ivan, Evelyn was one of the greatest mysteries he had ever come across. At first, he had thought of her as just another spoiled, weak princess who didn't know how to get by without anyone's help. Someone who would use her beauty to manipulate others and cozy up to his cousins or himself for favour.
But the more he observed her, the more mysterious she became. Not only did she dare to badmouth him, she had the audacity to say to his face that she would never want to be with a man like him.
At first, he thought maybe she said all that just to get his attention, which she certainly did, because he was taken aback by her boldness. But then she dared to avoid him, even after he had helped her, something he never did for others.
She runs away from him like he'll trap her soul if she stayed a minute too close, so completely unlike the other women who would've given anything to be held by him. 'Why is she like this?' he wondered.
And to add to the list of puzzles, her powers were one of the biggest mysteries of all. It was no secret that the Princess of the Kingdom of Luminear was supposed to be powerless. 'Then how? She melted those Darkrots like they were candies.'
Not only them, she charred the dark stones which no one could. Except him.
'Just who are you Evelyn?' he thought again. 'Why do I feel this inexplicable pull towards you, like I've known you before?'
Ivan had always solved the most difficult cases like the back of his hand. But Evelyn was different, she only became more complicated the more he tried to figure her out.
It frustrated him with all these unanswered questions. So today, he decided he would get some answers today. He brought her here, somewhere she couldn't run away from him, his favourite spot in the city.
"That's not how it's going to work today, Princess," he said, "You'll need to answer some of my questions first."