Chapter 55: Follow My Instructions
While Eve was dazed, two men nearly bumped into her. Before she knew it, Ivan’s hand closed firmly around her, pulling her against his chest to shield her. The strangers brushed past, without touching her, but Eve felt like she might combust from the sudden closeness, her heart pounded in her chest like a wild folklore drumbeat.
Then came the scent, she inhaled it and felt heady from how absurdly good he smelled, that for a moment she was sure she’d been transported straight into heaven. Unable to resist, she pressed her nose ever so lightly against his chest, stealing another whiff.
Ivan, who was entirely oblivious to her sneaky antics, simply held her close as the crowd swelled, moving towards another street play nearby.
After a while, as the crowd began to subside, Ivan finally looked down, only to find her looking up at him at the very same moment and in that instant, the world seemed to fall completely silent around them.
Unfortunately the moment didn’t last long as it was broken by a chorus of shocking gasps and by the return of the one who lived to embarrass people. "Oh dear... I didn’t realise an adult theater was at play here. Come now, lovebirds, we have children present," Damien exclaimed dramatically, amusement sparkling in his excited eyes.
Cece all but choked on her own breath, her cheeks blazed scarlet while Edward stood frozen beside her, wide-eyed and crimson, as though he’d been caught watching something he wasn’t supposed to.
Eve broke eye contact with Ivan, her face burning to the roots and abruptly pulled away from his hold. Ivan, however, seemed completely unfazed by the whole situation, in fact he looked faintly amused by her flushed expression.
But this little exchange didn’t escape Oliver, who had just ended his conversation with the nobleman and was searching for Eve. He caught the entire scene, the way Eve seemed to melt into Ivan’s touch instead of stiffening as she so often did with him. A helpless sigh escaped him, ’Maybe I was a little late in mustering the courage to speak to her before him.’
His gaze shifted to Ivan, catching the ghost of a smile on the prince’s lips. Pushing down the faint ache in his chest, Oliver walked towards them, where Damien was still gleefully teasing the pair while Cece and Edward tried and failed to suppress their laughter.
As he approached them, his thoughts drifted back to the first time he had seen the princess of his kingdom, at a banquet hosted by Queen Elara. It seemed Evelyn wasn’t meant to attend it and when she appeared to speak with the queen, he clearly remembered how visibly upset the queen had become but quickly masked it behind her trained smile. He had sensed something was amiss in their exchange, especially when the queen excused both and whisked Evelyn away before anybody could greet her.
He was only seventeen then, yet he was instantly captivated by the beautiful princess. Still, he never got the chance to interact with her, as she was almost never present at any public gathering and Queen Elara always insisted it was due to Evelyn’s weak constitution. He had been disappointed at the time, but when she arrived at Blood Moon Academy, he saw her again during orientation, after an entire year.
He noticed how she kept to herself, moving with quiet grace. He wanted to approach her but hesitated, worrying his straightforwardness might make her uncomfortable, so he waited, hoping for the right moment.
However, what he hadn’t accounted for, was her growing closeness with the infamous vampire prince. That, he realised now, was a big mistake on his part. Because right now, watching them, he could clearly see the way they tiptoed around each other, their gaze lingering a little too long, their silence charged with something unspoken. And he could only blame himself for not mustering the courage to approach her sooner.
His gaze shifted to Ivan again, ’It seems this prince isn’t making much of a move yet, but if he doesn’t, he’ll be the biggest fool I’ve ever met. And if that’s the case, I won’t hold back.’ His eyes gleamed with conviction. ’Until then, I’ll remain her friend and ally.’
By late evening they decided to head back to the academy, marking the end of their outing. As their carriages departed one by one from Crimson Hollow, not too far away, two shadowy figures stood on the rooftop of a building, their dull red eyes glinting as they watched the carriages disappear into the distance. A sinister smile curved across their lips as one of them hissed, "Seems there are more lumens in this town than we expected."
"Yesss.." the other one hissed, almost savouring the word. "Students of Blood Moon Academy."
A sudden shift in the shadows announced the arrival of a third shadowy figure, materializing soundlessly behind them. His voice was colder and heavier. "We must tread carefully, the last two still haven’t been found."
And at once, the air thickened with unease, their twisted grins faltered, when one of them spat bitterly "We’ll find whoever is responsible...and when we do..they will beg for death."
"The master demands answers," another whispered fearfully.
"And sacrifices," the third finished, his voice low and hungry. "Fresh souls, the hunt shall begin soon."
The three of them cast one final look at the retreating carriages, their eyes burning with malice, before dissolving into the darkness like smoke swallowed by the night.
.....
The rest of the weekend passed by peacefully for everyone else, except for two restless souls who twisted in their sleep, ensnared by the dream of a man standing in a meadow of flowers waiting for a woman with golden hair running towards him, her figure radiant in the haze. But just as she reached his arms, the dream shattered, snapping them both awake.
This time it was not only Eve tormented by these mysterious dreams that haunted her since she entered the academy, Ivan was caught in them too. It unsettled him more than he cared to admit, the dreams were just too vivid, too real, as if borrowed from someone’s memory rather than imagination. Neither could see the faces of the couple, nor could they guess on who they were, yet both woke up with a lingering weight in their hearts, a sense of something lost, something forgotten.
Frustrated by the many mysteries surrounding them, both prepared in their respective rooms for the upcoming physical examination, now that the written tests were over.
As Evelyn stepped out of her room in her academy uniform, she heard a click beside her. Turning her head, she saw Ivan stepping out of his room at the same time. She offered him a soft smile and greeted, "Good Morning, Your Highness."
He gave her a slight nod before starting towards her, she asked, "Are you heading to the dining hall? I was just about to go there myself."
"Yes," he replied softly, and began walking towards the courtyard.
She quickly followed him, catching up when he subtly slowed his pace. "Are you prepared for today’s physical exam?" she asked.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and countered, "Are ’you’ prepared for today, princess?"
She blinked back at him, lifting up her chin confidence, "Of course, I think I did fairly well in the past training sessions in the class."
His mouth curved in a faint smile, "Those training sessions were only a fraction of what’s to come today."
Her eyes lit up with curiosity, "What do you mean?"
"Just know," he said evenly, "that today’s exam will be more than simply jumping through the hoops."
"Really..?" Her brows knit together before she asked, "Then what else will they have us do."
"You’ll see..." His tone carried a hint of mystery as he continued, "Just make sure you eat properly. There’s a reason why the physical exam is scheduled last, after all the others...so the students are in peak condition for what’s to come."
Dread crept over her at the way he phrased it. "That...doesn’t sound too good," she murmured.
Ivan’s gaze subtly shifted towards her, "You’ll be fine, as long as you stay close to me and follow my instructions."
She pressed her lips together, "So the exam has more to do with working alongside our partners, then?"
As they entered the dining hall together, Ivan said in a low voice, "My guess is yes, which is why I ask you to follow my instructions and remember whatever you do will affect my grades as well."
Eve slightly rolled her eyes, ’Yeah yeah...as if I want to fail my subjects,’ she thought dryly.
While Eve’s thoughts were still occupied with the upcoming exam, she and Ivan headed to the table where Cece, Damien and Edward were already seated. She didn’t notice death glare fixed on her from a table not too far away, where a woman with fiery red curls sat, her long polished nails wrapped around a glass filled with blood.
