Evelyn froze at Leah's sudden action, as Leah quickly said, "Please take care of His Highness for me, Princess Evelyn. I wish you both good luck." She smiled sweetly at her, leaving Eve confused by her sugary tone, since she could have sworn she sensed major hostility just moments ago.
Not able to respond, Evelyn remained quiet. Ivan however was not pleased by Leah touching Eve so causally, so he grabbed Evelyn's wrist. "Let's go," he said in a low, clipped voice, pulling her away from Leah's touch.
He took two steps towards the direction they were earlier heading to, then stopped and looked over his shoulder at Leah. "It seems your brain has grown rusty over time for not being in use, that you've forgotten even the basic etiquette toward royalty. Next time you try to touch me or her so casually, I can promise you that your hand won't remain attached to your body."
With that, he walked away with Evelyn, leaving Leah terrified and fuming all at once, her eyes gleaming with hatred at Evelyn's retreating back. She thought, 'Just a little longer princess and you'll soon be torn apart by the monsters in here.'
She quickly took out a small veil filled with powder from her waist pouch and rubbed the powder all over her hands, then turned to her partner and barked, "Pour water on my hands from the canteen." The man was confused by her request and actions, but he was too afraid of the vampiress to question her and did as she asked. After washing the potion from her fingers, she discarded her ring in the bushes and casted one last glare in the direction where Ivan had disappeared with Evelyn.
Ivan continued walking forward, still irritated by the audacity of the woman to even dare to become so forward, not just with him, but also with Evelyn.
He didn't turn to look back and simply continued pulling Evelyn along with him, until he felt a tug on the hand he was holding and stopped abruptly. He turned to look at her and saw Evelyn lift her other hand and unclasp his fingers around her hand. A little surprised by her action, he heard speak curtly, "I can walk by myself, Your Highness."
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He simply stood there stunned for a moment at her sudden withdrawal. He observed her as he tried to make sense of her abrupt behaviour, only to notice that she was refusing to even look at him. She began to walk away quickly, giving him no chance to question her.
As she walked, a storm raged inside her…anger, disappointment and jealousy clawed her chest. Leah's words of her serving Ivan, echoed repeatedly in her mind, eliciting rage within her that she couldn't curb or ignore.
Evelyn's anger was directed more toward herself than at Leah as she let it get under her skin. She thought, 'How dare she say that? How can she think I'm anything like her? And Ivan…he didn't even deny it! He never promised me love, or even offered me a hint of it. All there has ever been is an unspoken pull between us… or perhaps that was only from my side… but that's meaningless, I suppose. He could have at least said something, instead of letting her believe I was just someone meant to serve him…as like her. Why am I even letting this affect me in the first place?'
The anger she felt surged like a living thing, fierce and blinding that for a split second, she wished she could march right back there and unleash her magic to obliterate Leah where she stood, scorching the insolence from her very soul. But why was she feeling so disappointed in Ivan? Was she truly expecting him to say she was different, to defend her in front of that obnoxious woman? But why would he? After all, who was she? She was nothing to him. And yet, the fire inside her refused to die quietly.
Ivan noticed that Eve, who was usually optimistic and curious like a playful kitten, had gone completely quiet. On top of that, he could sense a storm of negative emotions swirling inside her, that he couldn't quite understand. Whatever the cause, he didn't like it one bit, he couldn't stand seeing her so uncharacteristically silent.
So he reached out and held her hand, "Evelyn," he called softly.
She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn to face him, her voice cold and distant, "What is it, Your Highness?"
Ivan was taken aback by her icy behaviour, his jaw clenched, as an unpleasant weight settled in his chest before he finally asked, "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean, Your Highness?" she replied in a clipped voice.
Above them, the sky roared, thunder and lightning weaving a violent dance that echoed across the academy grounds.
His grip on her hand tightened, "You're not acting like yourself…" he struggled to find the right words, but the sight of her giving him a cold shoulder left him more unsettled than he wanted to admit.
"And how exactly should I behave?" her voice dropped low.
Suddenly, a droplet of water slipped from the countless leaves above and fell onto Ivan's cheek, followed by several more, until the sky bellowed and heavy rain started to pour down on them.
Before he could say another word, a massive wolf with a low guttural growl lunged at them out of nowhere. Ivan, who was still reeling from Evelyn's cold behaviour, had failed to sense its approach in time. He yanked her toward him and leapt back just as the wolf's claws slashed through the space they had occupied.
They skid back on the wet ground in the cramped clearing, surrounded by countless trees and shrubs, creating a safe distance from the menacing wolf. Its yellow, slit-like eyes glared at them as it bared its jagged, deadly teeth and snarled at them viciously.
As Ivan and Eve stabilised, they quickly took their stance and drew out their swords, readying themselves to attack. But the wolf didn't move forward, instead it turned its head to look at Evelyn and then sent out a primal howl up in the air.
Ivan's brows drew together, as he knew exactly what the howl meant. He wasn't worried about himself or what was coming next, his only concern was whether Evelyn could withstand it.
Soon, rustling erupted from every direction and then, all at once, massive wolves, each half Ivan's height, emerged from the shadows, surrounding them completely. But one thing stood out, not a single one looked at Ivan. All their attention was abnormally focused entirely on Evelyn, making him grit his teeth.
Evelyn, on the other hand, also noticed she was the center of the wolves unwanted attention and swallowed hard, pushing down the panic rising in her chest, as she silently cursed her luck. Her gaze flickered to Ivan, reassuring herself that he would be there to protect her, but then Leah's face and everything that happened a few moments ago flashed in her mind. Ugly feelings surged within her again, souring her mood further.
She realised she couldn't go on depending on Ivan to save her every time, that she needs to save herself. She thought if this were real life, she couldn't possibly rely on a man who wasn't hers. That he wouldn't be there for her, instead he would possibly be out there saving someone else, someone who wasn't her.
Her eyes flickered golden at the thought and she heard a soft voice deep within her soul, 'Believe in yourself, Evelyn..' The words filled her with the steely courage she very much needed in that moment.
Ivan's voice cut through the pounding rain beside her, "Defend yourself at all costs, they're extremely fast, so you need to be quicker. Kill without thinking."
She heard him but remained silent, her blue eyes turned fierce as she locked on the dozens of wolves circling them.
Though Ivan noticed her silence, he kept his thoughts to himself, as the first wolf lunged at Eve, Ivan moved at a lightning speed, stepped in front of her like a shield. He ran his blade straight through the beast's maw, splitting it open before the wolf collapsed onto the soaked ground with a dying whimper.
All the other wolves, enraged at the death of one of their own, howled in unison and launched forward, this time not only at Eve, but at Ivan as well. As a wolf leapt midair towards her, Evelyn's eyes flared gold, she bent low and slashed her sword across its chest, ripping it open before yanking the blade free. Almost immediately, she sensed another one behind her, she spun on her heel and cleaved straight through its neck.
A fierce battle erupted, with Ivan and Eve moving in perfect rhythm, blades cutting through their flesh, as they matched the wolves' vicious onslaught. Yet, even as he fought, Ivan couldn't ignore the strangeness, as to why the wolves kept directing their frenzy towards Evelyn. But she met them head on, cutting them down mercilessly before they could even touch her. He could feel the steely ferocity radiating from her, as if her earlier storm of emotions had triggered something deep within, fueling her to fight with every ounce of her strength.
And Ivan wasn't wrong in thinking that way, because Eve was using this fight to purge her negative emotions. She used it more as a channel to release her anger, frustration and confusion, appearing every bit a fierce warrior woman, as if she had done this countless times before.
After driving her sword through the last of the wolves, she exhaled heavily, her breath ragged as the adrenaline started to ebb. Her eyes shifted back to clear deep blue as she stood beneath the downpour, tilting her face upwards to let the rain wash away the blood that clung to her skin, her hands, her blade and uniform.
Ivan stood silently not too far away from her, his molten-red eyes fixed on her rain-soaked appearance, with blood pooling beneath her feet, mixing with the pouring water. He felt his heart skip a beat as he took in her fierce form, making her become even more attractive than she already was.
He was about to take a step towards her when, out of nowhere, a smaller wolf burst from the bushes and clawed Eve's shoulder before anyone could react.