Chapter 316: A Kiss Before The Storm
The weight of her request was unmistakable as her steady, serious gaze moved between Aden and Oliver.
Oliver replied immediately, "You don’t have to worry about that at all, Princess. None of this will leave my lips. I swear it on my family’s honour."
Eve gave him a small nod before her eyes shifted to Aden.
"You have my word, Princess," Aden added solemnly. "Not a word of this will be spoken. I, too, swear on my family’s name."
She gave them both an appreciative nod. Oliver then asked, "But this does not make any sense. To find something like that buried inside the late queen’s grave. Did it belong to her?"
"No. I have never seen my mother wear it or show it to me," Eve replied, shaking her head, which only deepened the mystery.
Aden spoke hesitantly. "What if it was something the king decided to bury with your mother?"
Silence settled over the table. Surprisingly, it was Ivan who answered, his expression unreadable. "We considered that possibility, but it cannot be true. King Solan is a Lumen king. He cannot touch dark magic. When a Lumen comes into contact with dark magic, there is a high risk of aura corruption. It interferes with their ability to use light magic, so the king would never do such a thing."
"Dark magic? The locket is imbued with dark magic?" Oliver asked.
"Yes," Ivan replied, meeting his gaze.
"And not just any dark magic," Eve added quietly. "It was the strongest we have encountered so far."
Oliver and Aden stared at them, their eyes wide with disbelief. The thought of something so tainted being found inside a pure-blooded Lumen queen’s grave was nearly impossible to comprehend.
Before anyone could process it further, a faint breeze swept in from the direction of the market. A black-cloaked figure suddenly materialised behind Ivan.
Eve and the others stiffened instantly, but Ivan remained calm. He turned slightly towards Eve and murmured softly, "Relax. It is only Alex."
"Oh," she breathed, turning towards him.
His hand rested over his chest. "Your Highness." Alex inclined his head respectfully at both of them.
Eve offered him a bright smile, while Ivan remained composed. "What is it?"
Alex stepped closer and whispered into Ivan’s ear. Ivan’s stoic expression hardened, displeasure flickering across his face.
Eve watched Ivan’s expression closely. "What is it? Is... everything alright?"
Ivan pressed his lips into a thin line before replying, "There has been another massacre in one of the nearby villages."
"Oh no! Do you have to go now?" she asked, her face turning solemn.
Ivan stared into her eyes and gave a small nod. "Yes."
"Oh." Her expression saddened for a moment before she quickly masked it. "It’s alright, go on. We will be returning to the academy anyway."
Ivan looked at Damien.
"I assume you want me to remain behind, brother?" Damien asked, tilting his head slightly. He already knew the answer. There was no possibility of Ivan leaving Eve alone at the academy unguarded.
At that moment, another figure appeared beside Alex. It was Caleb.
"Caleb, you are to prioritise Eve’s safety above everything else while I am away," Ivan commanded.
Caleb straightened at once. "Understood, Your Highness."
"Wait! No! Let Sir Caleb go with you! Either that, or you let Damien go. I am not letting you go somewhere dangerous alone, Ivan. Besides, I will only be at the academy where there is already a barrier protecting us," Eve protested immediately, meeting his gaze.
"Eve, I will be fine. You know I don’t really need protection from anyone..."
"And why do you think I need so much protection? You know what I am capable of, Ivan," she retorted, her eyes burning with fierce determination.
They stared at each other without blinking.
Before anyone could process what was happening, Ivan leaned in and captured her lips in a brief but deep kiss right in front of everyone.
"Oh, my, my....looks like the adult theatre is starting again. Look away, kids," Damien commented dryly, rolling his eyes.
Ivan pulled away and stared at her breathless, beautiful face. He looked very much like the cat that swallowed the canary.
"Told you I would take it when you least expected it," he murmured shamelessly, his thumb brushing the corner of her lips.
"You..." She couldn’t even manage a retort; she felt as though she were about to combust into ashes from the heat of her blush.
Standing up, he said, "You guys should head back now. The curfew is about to start."
He reached out and grabbed Eve’s hand. "Come, I will drop you off at the carriage before I leave." When she only gave him a flat stare, he relented, "Fine, I will take Caleb with me." Eve gave him a smile and stood up.
Once they reached the carriage and were about to depart, Eve felt a wave of uneasiness. She fidgeted with her robe and bit her lip, trying to ease the growing tension in her chest.
Ivan sensed it immediately and held her hands to stop her from fidgeting. He then cupped her face, tilting it up so he could look into her eyes.
"What’s wrong?" he asked gently.
"I don’t know....do you really have to go?" she asked, worry lacing her tone.
Ivan’s eyes softened even further. "Do you want me to stay?"
Yes. Even as her mind shouted the word, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. She knew something so grave as a macassar happening called for his attention. Ivan was a man of responsibility; she couldn’t ask him to turn his back on those who needed him.
Yet, the unease clawed at her. She reasoned that perhaps because so much had happened lately, she was letting her fears get the better of her. She forced the feeling down, willing it to disappear.
Shaking her head, she replied, "No... .I am sure Alex wouldn’t have approached you if it wasn’t important enough to require your presence...so I won’t stop you."
"Stop being such a worrywart. Come here," he replied with a soft smile. He tugged her toward him, enveloping her in a tight, warm embrace. Evelyn wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned in, inhaling his calming scent.
She heard him whisper, "I promise I will be back as soon as possible. Take care of yourself, and do not worry, alright? I will punish you if I find you in anything less than perfect condition," he added playfully.
Eve simply tightened her grip around him in response.
"I will punish you if you get even the slightest scratch. Do not forget that you are mine, and you had better take care of what belongs to me," she replied.
His smile deepened at her bossy tone, and he loved every bit of it. Bending slightly, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and murmured, "I love you."
"I love you too. Come back soon. I’ll be waiting," Eve said before finally pulling away, though with visible reluctance.
Steeling herself, she stepped into the carriage. Damien followed after telling Ivan, "Do not worry, brother. I will keep watch over things. You had better return soon."
Ivan gave a small nod, then turned his gaze back to Eve. She watched him through the carriage window as it began to move. Once the carriage disappeared from sight, Ivan vanished with his squad.
By the time the group returned to the academy, the sun had almost dipped below the horizon, welcoming the night once again. Damien, Cece, and Edward walked Eve back to her room after parting ways with Oliver and Aden.
When they arrived at her door, Damien noticed that she had been subdued and quiet since Ivan’s departure. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her head, causing her to look up at him in surprise.
Meeting his kind gaze, she heard him say, "Don’t worry, Evelyn. I am sure he will be back as soon as possible."
Eve was taken aback. Was she really being so transparent that everyone could read her so easily? Not wanting to worry any of them, she managed to muster a small smile. "I... I am not really worried. It is just that... it is just..." She struggled to find the right words to express the nagging unease in her chest.
Cece and Edward, standing beside Damien, shared a knowing smile, assuming she was simply missing Ivan already.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a deafening explosion reverberated throughout the academy grounds, jolting all four of them where they stood.
Students poured out of their rooms at the deafening sound, as though something massive had collided with the academy itself.
The ominous feeling Evelyn had been harbouring heightened tenfold, and then, all at once, she felt it: a surge of malevolent dark magic radiating from the academy entrance.
"Dark magic," she whispered in dread. The three companions standing alert around her heard her clearly.
Driven by a sudden, ominous pull and a desperate need to find the source, she bolted before any of them could stop her.
"Evelyn, wait! Don’t rush in!" Damien shouted behind her. He reached out to catch her, but she suddenly streaked away like a flash of lightning, out of his reach and heading straight toward the source of the power.
Damien hissed a curse and rushed after her, with Cece and Edward close at his heels.
