Chapter 310: The Key To Sanity
Having captured his attention, she lifted her hand and ran her fingers from his forehead through his damp hair, pushing the strands back before leaning closer to cup his cheek.
"And just where are you lost?" Her sweet voice filled the quiet room, reaching straight to his heart as she gazed at him, a few soft strands of damp hair falling beside her face like a dark, silken curtain.
Enjoying the gentle warmth of her touch, Ivan lifted one hand to curl a soft strand of her hair around his elegant finger, while the other settled at her lower back, feeling the heat lingering on her skin from her recent bath.
He did not answer with words.
Instead, he held her gaze, then pressed his hand gently against her back, drawing her down so that she fell against him, her soft form meeting the solid strength of his.
"Were you trying to sneak up on me?" Ivan’s low, deep voice brushed against her ears, sending a sharp thrill through her senses.
"Trying?" she replied playfully, trailing her fingers down to caress his lips. "Well, I think I succeeded, did I not?"
Ivan released her hair and wrapped both arms around her back, caging her completely against him before burying his nose in her hair and drawing in a deep breath of her fresh, floral scent. A low hum of appreciation escaped him at the intoxicating fragrance, and Evelyn could not help but melt further into his warm embrace.
Keeping one hand on his cheek, she lifted her head slightly and pressed a soft, loving kiss to the side of his forehead before sliding both arms around his strong neck, resting there for a while.
Neither of them moved or spoke for some time, simply listening to the steady rhythm of their heartbeats and the soft cadence of their breathing.
After a while, Ivan rolled onto his side, guiding her with him so she lay comfortably beside him, their eyes locking once more.
"Talk to me," she murmured softly, her voice low as she slid her hands from his neck to rest against his bare chest, quietly enjoying the way his muscles reacted to her gentle touch as she waited for him to speak.
Ivan released a tired sigh and closed his eyes. "I was thinking about the report Alex gave me about Rowan."
He opened his deep crimson eyes and noticed the spark of intrigue flash through hers, then went on to tell her everything Alex had reported.
Eve remained silent for a moment before asking, "He gave you a clean report... but it did not convince you. That is why you are bothered, is it not?"
She knew she had hit the nail on the head when she saw his jaw tighten slightly. That was enough to confirm her analysis was correct.
"Eve, I cannot read his emotions at all. That never happens." He paused, then continued. "And it was not just me. Cece could not feel anything from him either. When I spoke to her about it later, she told me something disturbing. She said that a similar thing had happened to her before, back in Dartmouth, when she tried to pick up any emotions or intentions from the soldiers stationed outside the chamber where Viva had kept her victims."
Eve’s brows creased as she listened, and Ivan continued, "Those people were under the influence of Viva’s dark magic, so they were practically like corpses, which is why she could not sense anything from them. Now something similar is happening with Rowan, but with him it is a little different."
"Different? How?" Eve asked.
"When I try to read him, it feels like I am hitting a solid wall. It is as though he has enchanted himself with something powerful that prevents me from breaking through whatever barrier surrounds him."
"Do we have a spell that allows someone to veil their mind and emotions like that?"
"We do, but it falls under dark magic....yet I cannot sense any dark energy within him, which makes me question how he is able to do it," Ivan replied.
"I cannot sense any darkness within him either. Maybe....maybe he has an innate ability that allows him to do this?" Eve guessed uncertainly.
"That could be the only explanation I can think of... yet something in my instincts keeps telling me that there is more than meets the eye. There is something about him that feels... off," Ivan said, clicking his tongue in displeasure.
When he said that, Eve could not refute him, even if she wanted to take his mind off the subject. She felt something off about the man as well, specifically during that one moment of eye contact.
Since then, Rowan had stayed close to Damien only during classes before disappearing to some quiet corner or away from the crowds, leaving no opportunity for interaction.
A part of her was relieved by his elusive behavior because she was not keen to interact with him either. Having had her share of experience with psychopathic men, she had enough to last her for decades. With a possessive and protective partner like Ivan by her side, she wanted nothing to do with another ordeal. No, thank you.
Still, the nagging feeling at the back of her mind was hard to ignore. She knew Ivan was experiencing the same thing, so she remained silent, unable to offer any empty reassurances.
When Ivan noticed the slight frown between her brows, he suddenly leaned in and captured her lips in a heated kiss, not pulling away until she was left breathless.
"Do not think of other men when you are with me," he paused, then added, "Or even when you are not with me." She saw the possessive streak in his eyes and let out a soft chuckle that sounded like the chime of bells in his ears.
Cupping his handsome, displeased face in her hands, she playfully pulled at his cheeks. "Weren’t you the one who was thinking about him in the first place?"
"It is fine when I do it, since I am a man," he stated firmly.
"Oh? But weren’t you the one who told me that people can have their own preferences?" she asked playfully, her eyes shining with mischief.
He narrowed his eyes at her before pushing her onto her back against the mattress. He pressed his weight on top of her in a sudden motion, causing her to gasp.
"It seems I need to remind my naughty little princess exactly where my preference lies," he murmured seductively. His low voice made her toes curl before he leaned in to bite her earlobe gently.
"Ah, Ivan... wait..." She did not get the chance to finish her sentence before he silenced her protests, overwhelming her with the full force of his affection. Before they realised it, the temperature in the room had risen, and their discarded clothes lay scattered across the floor, while only the sound of their passionate groans and soft moans filled Ivan’s spacious academy room.
While the two lovers were busy losing themselves in each other’s embrace, tangled within the sheets, in the corridor just beyond Eve and Ivan’s room stood another door, reserved exclusively for royalty.
A lone figure approached it with silent, measured footsteps, attempting to conceal their presence within the darkness. A black shawl covered their face, ensuring that no one would be able to recognise them.
After pausing in front of the door, the figure looked around once more to ensure the hallway was empty before delivering three silent knocks against the wood. Not a second later, the door creaked open. A low voice hissed from the darkness, "You are late today!"
The figure stared at the man before them. "As you know, it is not easy to move around at this hour," they whispered back. "If I were you, I would keep my voice and attitude to myself. You know well that I hold the key to your sanity."
The person extended a hand, revealing a small glass vial filled with a shimmering red liquid.
The man inside gritted his teeth and hissed, "Do not be late next time."
With that, he slammed the door in the cloaked figure’s face.
The figure sighed at the man’s poor attitude. They wanted to barge in and give him a piece of their mind, but they held back, remembering the greater purpose of their mission. Not wanting to risk being seen in the students’ quarters in the middle of the night, they quickened their pace toward the faculty wing.
While crossing the courtyard, the person suddenly halted. They turned their head toward a specific door.....the room belonging to none other than Evelyn.
"So close that I can feel the excitement running in my blood," the person whispered.
The wind picked up, driving thick clouds across the sky until they hid the moon. As if in a trance, the figure took a step toward Evelyn’s quarters.
Suddenly, a low growl jolted them out of their greedy haze. Turning, they saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes and dagger-like teeth snarling viciously.
Without waiting a second longer, the person bolted toward the far side of the courtyard with the hound in hot pursuit.
Just as the beast’s jaws opened to snap at them, the figure crossed the threshold back into the corridor. They knew the hounds were magically forbidden from entering the castle interior.
Without looking back, the cloaked figure sprinted toward the faculty wing, ducking into their room and slamming the door shut.
"That was close," the person whispered, breathing heavily before moving toward a table where a heavy black box sat. Upon opening it, several other glass vials were revealed. They were neatly stocked and filled with the same mysterious red liquid.
A hand caressed the edges of the box as the figure rasped again, "The key to sanity."
A wide grin spread across their face before they broke into unbridled laughter. After a few minutes, the laughter died down.
"Oh.....Princess Evelyn. The clock is ticking."
