SPELLBOUND

While the vampires were all just sitting around in the stream, allowing the magical properties of the water to heal their wounds – both major and minor ones – Evie looked at the dragon who was still crouching down next to the stream. It looked as though it was purposely waiting right at that spot to stay and guard them, allowing them to heal without needing to worry about anticipating any attacks.

She smiled at it when all the adrenaline from all the things that had happened settled. Knowing that most of her men would have perished without this dark dragon's aid, Evie's eyes gloss over in gratitude as she approached it. Her heart felt full and was overflowing in thankfulness.

Since Evie could not leave the water until her men were fully healed, she had walked in the stream until she stood before it. She made sure she was still standing by the edge of the stream, her feet still fully immersed in the water.

The men who were still a little weak and tired out from their exertion watched her as she stood so close right in front of the dragon. Then she stretched out her hand towards it.

As though it was a domestic giant pet, the dragon lowered its head until Evie touched its tusk. And when the princess caressed its spikes as if she were petting it, the large dragon let out a purring growl.

The men were all startled and they all felt alarmed at the dragon's sound that they quickly scrambled from their sitting positions and leapt to their feet. Their body seemed to react instinctively from that deep and dangerous sounding growl. However, when they saw that their princess was smiling and still petting the dragon, they blinked and fell back into the water again. It seemed that they need to train their bodies soon to not react negatively towards every sound and movement their princess' dragon makes. Because from here on, there was no doubt now that their princess was the absolute master of this dragon. Perhaps, she might be even greater than that. They were excited and could not wait to see what else the princess would be surprising them with. She seems to have secrets like multiple layers which are slowly opening, revealing more and more startling things each time.

They could only think so because they have not even reached their destination and their princess was already doing wonders that had rendered them all speechless.

Looking at her in wonder, the men suddenly thought of their prince. And they wished he was here too to witness all these wondrous things the princess is doing all on her own. How mind-blown would he be to find that his beloved wife was now such an incredible dragon warrior, and most probably an unparalleled one. Somehow, they had a feeling that she would continue to grow into one.

"Thank you for helping us," Evie whispered to the dragon. The feeling she had towards the creature was just the same as what she had felt towards the first ever dragon that she had encountered in Dacria… no, for some reason, Evie felt stranger towards this one. The feeling was somehow… much more. It was as if she was already attached to it. And that attachment was not something that was newly formed but as if it was already there a long time ago. As if she met this very dragon once before and had formed that bond since then.

Her smile faded as she creased her brows in deep thought. Why was she feeling all these emotions? There was no way she had seen this dragon before! So, what was with all these emotions she is bombarded with?

Evie thought hard and long on it, but she could not come up with a sensible answer. In the end, she decided to stop trying to figure it out and thought that she might get an answer about this too once she reached her destination. That was right… she must be patient. Besides, she had the feeling that she was very close to her goal now.

When the men were finally fully healed and were once again energetic, Evie sighed out in relief. She was so thankful for this magical water too. Since without it, she would not know what to do at all to help the wounded men heal up.

"We're totally fine now, Princess!" Levy grinned at her as he bounced around on the ground as though to feel out his newly repaired body and testing it. "It's really amazing! I feel like I have already rested for weeks and now am back to my full vigour! I'm speechless!" he exclaimed, looking beyond impressed. They were literally bleeding out and poisoned to death just nearly an hour ago but now, their bodies had recovered as if nothing had happened!

Evie just smiled back with a small smile, not knowing how to even respond to the man's exultation. She was not even sure if they were fully healed because of her since there would not be any healing if this magical water did not exist.

Elias then took her hand and helped her out of the water before letting go. The butler was about to lead her to a hidden spot where she could change her clothes when all of a sudden, the scent of her blood quickly filled the air.

Leon was quick to stand before her as the other vampires immediately covered their nose.

Their eyes widened in shock and the pure blooded vampires eyes started to turn red in hunger! What was going on? They all saw that the princess' wounds healed up the moment she soaked herself in the healing waters?! How come her wounds reappeared?!

With a worried look on his face, Leon checked over Evie and saw that her wounds that had healed when she was in the water had since reopened. They even started to bleed as though they were once again fresh cuts.