SPELLBOUND

"Gav?" Evie called his name softly while they were cuddling, with Evie's head on his arm and Gav spooning her. "What were you guys talking about while Vera and I were having out chat inside the tent?" She was actually curious at what had transpired between the two brothers.

She felt him stilled at her question, but she did not push him and waited patiently for him to be ready to tell her. She wanted him to tell her about it. "You and your brother finally talked, right?" she finally prompted him.

"Yes." Gav replied and after that, he recounted to Evie everything about the things that they had talked about.

"He didn't answer?" Evie asked after hearing all of her husband's narration, her eyes widened in question.

"No, he didn't." Gav shook his head slowly, and Evie could feel the slight disappointment in his movements.

Evie turned and faced him. The story he told intrigued her so much.

"Gav… I think… I think the reason he could not answer you was because Gideon was actually planning to die." Evie told Gav solemnly. She needed to inform Gav about his matter. "I think that back then, he had thought that he's going to be able to seal the abyss by sacrificing himself alone. I think that in his mind, that was the best outcome as it would only be involving him alone and no one else."

Gav's eyes stretched wide at what she said.

"Thankfully, I think that is no longer part of his plan right now, thanks to Vera coming into his life and now bonded to him as his mate." Evie added, "However, I still couldn't find the answer to why he had wanted you back in the Under Lands. When I first set foot here, he had told me that he wanted to lure you back. I had thought at first that he wanted you back here because he thinks that you'll be the one who could kill him. But then I realized that the idea was questionable and a bit nonsensical. He definitely wanted you here, but not because of that reason. But what could that reason be? That is the question that I'm still pondering about."

"I can't think of any concrete reason right now, but I'll try to figure out something. I don't think he'll answer me even if I asked him." Gav answered, letting out a soft sigh.

"I think it's better if you can ask him directly, Gav. You need to make him talk. Because I feel like the answer to this issue might be crucial to the plans that we make later on. I don't why, but my gut just tells me that it would be. So you must ask him, Gav… just to make sure." Evie insisted, "You and him needed to cooperate with each other now, Gav. And don't worry because I think after Vera tells him everything about what she saw in their future, I believe that Gideon will finally become more open. Because he'll be desperate in wanting to change the future too."

"Vera saw their future?!" Gav quickly turned to Evie and stared at her, wide eyed.

"Yes, Gideon's future." Evie's gaze became sullen, then she started narrating to him everything that Vera had revealed to her.

Gav could not find words to speak for a long while.

"I strongly believe that you and Gideon have something to do with the Abyss, Gav." Evie broke the silence, her eyes gleaming. "And I believe there's a connection going on between you two. Vera said that Gideon was alright and his dark magic was calm and stable whenever he's there with you. So I want the two of you to talk more and discover whatever this connection between you both is. And preferably, as soon as possible before those things Vera saw start happening. I also strongly believe that if we can deal with this, our future…" Evie swallowed and her throat clenched tight and stung again as she was reminded at the sight of her husband's face, dying in her arms.

Suddenly, Gavrael hugged her close, his strong hands caressed the back of her head and her back in a soothing manner. He did not know what it was that she had seen, but the desolation in her eyes and agony within her stiff frame told him that it must have been something really horrible.

"Don't worry Evie… whatever you saw in the future will not happen. Nothing will happen to your husband." He whispered comforting words into her ears as he continued caressing her.

Evie pulled away from his embrace, her eyes wide as she looked at him. "You…"

"Gavriel told me." He caressed her cheek gently. "He said that you might have witnessed us dying in the future."

"H-how did h-he know…" Evie stammered, not able to believe that Gavriel could even guess this fact.

"Gavriel said that he deduced that based on your reaction when you had woken up that day. He said that you looked like you've seen someone who had returned from the dead whenever you look at him that morning. And right now, I think you've just confirmed it."

A tear fell from Evie's eye and Gav quickly panicked. He hugged her close to him again.

"Shh… please don't cry, Evie. It's alright. Don't worry, that will not happen. Gavriel and I will never let that happen, Evie. I promise you that. I'll tell Gavriel about the things you said, I'm sure he'll come up with a clever way to make Gideon talk once I confront him again."

Evie nodded and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. This was not the time to break down and panic. She needed more than ever to be strong and courageous.

"I believe you." She whispered as she hugged him tighter, even trembling a little. "I will never let that happen to you… to us! I will do anything and everything it takes to change that future."

Gav planted a kiss on her forehead. He knew exactly the fear and the horror of seeing your beloved's dead body. He had been there before when it was Evie that he held, lifeless in his arms. And that vision still haunts him up to this very day even though she was right here with him and in his arms. It just made him angry that Evie had to experience it at all.

…

Meanwhile in the castle, Gideon and Vera were seated together inside a large room.. It was Gideon's room – the place that he had abandoned as King Belial's and Queen Beatrice's son, the royal chamber of the eldest prince of the dark faes, a long time ago.