Gavriel stood up where he fell, as if turning himself into the wall that would be protecting and shielding Evie and his men from any attacks of the dark fae itself.

"All of you… enter the dungeons! Leave this creature to me!" Gavriel said without turning back to look at them. His gaze was firmly fixed on the slowly approaching dark fae.

"No! You're coming with us!" It was Evie who screamed out with a broken voice. "We're not going to leave you!!! Gavriel!!" Evie who was held back by Leon, had her arms outstretched, trying to rush forward and grab Gavriel.

Gavriel was silent for a moment but when he turned to look at her, everyone held their breaths. Gavriel's eyes were now looking even more strangely different. It was incandescent but there was just something different and inexplicable about it. Evie had seen him looking like that when she saw him back in the dungeon. However, as she observed, it somehow seemed similar, yet something was terribly off.

"You will go without me. I will stay here and block this passage until all of you escape. Zolan, you know what you need to do. There is no need for me to remind you. Bring my wife as far away from here! Accompany her all the way to the forbidden land!" he commanded his men, and Evie's tears fell like rain.

She struggled within the hold of Leon's arm to go to him, but Leon silently held her back.

"No… we can't leave you! Gavriel! Please! Come with us!" Evie continued to shout out, desperation tinged her voice. She was straining against Leon's iron grip on her.

Gavriel looked at her. Seeing the tears in her eyes shattered his heart but he there was no other choice. He could feel that this battle here was now or never. He must stay here to stop this dark fae in order for his wife to escape safely. Gavriel had received a message from one of the Dacrian soldiers who was sent to the forbidden land that the guardian was only possessed by the Dark Fae the moment they stepped out of the forbidden land. The soldier had said that the guardian was fine during the entire time when they were still in the grounds of the forbidden land.

That news made Gavriel thought that there was a possibility that the dark fae must not be able to enter the land. And that must be what was behind Caius' and his army's delay in their attack. The dark fae was unable to enter the forbidden so he could only wait for the moment Caius and the guardian walked out of the land. This was the only sensible explanation that he could come up with, and since that night he had brought Evie in the forbidden land, Gavriel had a feeling that the safest place for Evie now was there. She must get into that area, where this dark fae's malicious intents could not reach her!

And this dark fae seemed to know what Gavriel was trying to do. He seemed to realise that Gavriel would be sending her there through this passage and thus, this dark fae was now hellbent on capturing her.

He had unleashed all of his power now just to stop her from leaving.

Now the only way for this escape route to succeed was for Gavriel to stand his ground and become the impregnable wall blocking this passage. That was at least only until his wife reaches the forbidden land! He was the only who could do this!

He had felt that this dark fae at his full strength was something beyond anything he had ever known or came across. But he would never allow him to touch his wife. Never!

Gritting his teeth, Gavriel moved and faster than a blink of an eye, he was holding Evie and kissing her. Evie herself was shocked and could not respond in time. However, when she registered what Gavriel was doing to her, her eyes widened.

The next thing she knew she was being pulled inside the secret door.

"GARVIEL!!!" she screamed as she reached out for him. But all she saw was him, smiling tenderly at her as the door closed.

"NOOOOO!!!" Her agonizing scream ricocheted inside the cave. But Gavriel's men did not waste any more time. Their hearts were being crushed as well in leaving their prince and lord behind. However, it seemed to have helped somewhat that their princess was screaming out their frustration and fear on their behalf as well.

They could not believe they were leaving their prince behind. They would rather die fighting honourably beside him than leaving him in the lurch like this. But they had no choice. They had to fulfil the duty he had given them and that was to bring the princess to a safe place.

It was the most painful thing they could do but they would swallow this hurt, for the sake of their princess and probably the heir that was growing inside of her.

…

Back in the library, the dark fae laughed hysterically.

"What made you think you can stop me? I can still reach them you know?" he scoffed. But Gavriel smirked in return. He let the dark fae feel victorious for a moment longer.

"Why don't you try it then?" Gavriel replied in confidence as he lifted his sword.

Then suddenly, Gavriel's body blazed in blue flames that were as hot as the surface of the sun itself. His eyes burned with what seemed to be the devil's own blue flame, causing the dark fae's eyes to slightly widen.

"Oh… so I was right… I am not the only one hiding in someone's body, I see. Now this is very interesting. But too bad, I truly don't have much time left . I can't let that woman escape from my grasp –"

Before the dark fae could finish his words, Gavriel attacked him and this time, it was the dark fae who was thrown away like a ragdoll.

"Damned vampire!!! It seems my only choice now is to kill you!!!" the dark fae screamed and his darkness flared out as he rushed forward to attack Gavriel.

___

A/N: follow me on instagram @kazzenlx.x