Chapter 68: Chapter 68

IRIS

The week went by too quickly, and although we seemed quite unorganized at the beginning, things looked very different now.

Evangeline was proud of the progress we had made. She prepared the defense so well that she had to show off to Aidan and Noah all the time.

Avery focused on the attack with Devas, always trying to find combinations that could help us. But with every combination, they called Evangeline in to ask for her advice.

She was so strong and so good at what she did that Aidan had to easily admit she was the perfect commander for the army.

Evangeline didn’t seem certain about the suggestion, but Avery was. Her doubts about whether the army would accept orders from a woman were blown to the winds.

Not only did they accept Evie, they kept looking to her for reassurance and advice. I often watched her give lessons to individual soldiers.

Her power was a force to be reckoned with.

“Come at me… follow my instructions exactly. And don’t hold back,” she told one of the soldiers.

He looked back at Avery, who just nodded softly.

“Anyone who manages to hit her will be promoted,” Devas shouted into the crowd.

Evie and Devas’s gazes met as he grinned playfully.

But they did not hit Evie; not one of them managed to get anywhere near her. Evangeline moved like a storm surge—powerful, elegant, untouchable.

Each of her steps, every stroke, was like a perfectly choreographed work of art. I couldn’t help but follow every one of her battles breathlessly.

And just like me, Devas also followed her every move. As soon as a soldier was close to her, Devas’s eyes were on her.

“Are you okay?” I asked Devas.

He just nodded, his face an icy stare into the crowd.

“That guy over there… won’t stop looking at her,” he suddenly said.

Avery looked amusedly at Devas, and I couldn’t help but smile too.

The preparation for war had taken too much already. Hardly anyone smiled, and this jealousy from Devas was a change of pace in all these days.

We watched as the young man approached Evie. At the same time, without another word to us, Devas immediately stormed towards him.

Just as the young elf was about to speak to Evie, Devas interposed himself between the two. His temper was rising into the sky because of his jealousy.

Devas’s body blocked the soldier’s path before he could say a single word to Evangeline. His broad back blocked all access to her, as if he were a living wall—impenetrable, demanding.

His gaze was a single knife, sharp and warning, as he fixed his eyes on the other man.

“What do you want?” he asked him.

The question sounded less like a request for an answer and more like a silent threat.

His jaw muscles were working, his teeth clenched so tightly that the veins in his neck were dangerously visible.

But as he half-turned to Evangeline, his expression changed. The icy severity in his eyes gave way to something softer—a hungry, almost possessive gleam as he looked at her.

His gaze swept over her features, as if he was trying to read her every emotion, to capture every reaction to his dominance. His posture remained aggressive, his shoulders slumped forward as if he was about to throw himself between her and the rest of the world.

One hand twitched slightly as if he was considering pulling her towards him, but he controlled himself. Instead, he stood still, an immovable shield signaling… She is mine.

At least at this moment.

And yet, despite all his strength, all his jealousy, there was something in his gaze that revealed he knew how ridiculous this was. Because Evangeline didn’t belong to anyone, especially not him.

“I just wanted to ask something,” the man replied, confused.

“Then ask… she’s not deaf,” Devas replied.

I could hear Avery laughing loudly in my head. And I knew, just like him, that Bael would have liked to see this.

Evie’s head was lowered, her cheeks burning a shade of red that you could see even in the darkness.

“I wanted to ask when my turn comes for one-to-one training,” the young elf said, much more cheekily this time.

Devas took a deep breath, as if he had to hold himself back again to avoid becoming rude.

“You can train with me,” Aidan called out, smiling broadly.

“It’s no problem… I’m happy to take over,” Evie said.

Devas turned towards her, his eyebrow rising as he looked over her face.

“Aidan said he would do it… why don’t you practice with me?” he asked her.

Evie’s face was serious when she looked at Devas. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Because soul mates couldn’t attack each other, they couldn’t hurt each other.

“I can’t,” she replied to him.

“And why can’t you, Angel?” he asked her with a grin.

She glanced from Devas to the young elf, who was looking back and forth between them.

“You know exactly why,” she told him.

“Oh… do I?” Devas asked playfully.

Evie glanced over Devas’s shoulder and found my gaze. But what she saw was not the serious face of a queen; it was the smiling face of a friend who knew everything.

“Perhaps you should explain that a little better,” Devas suggested.

The two stared at each other without saying anything.

The young elf turned away from them with a sigh and walked over to Aidan.

“If you want to tell me something, then go ahead,” Evangeline said to Devas.

“I don’t want to,” he replied.

Her face was almost hurt at his words. She opened her mouth a few times, but no words came out.

“I would only ask you not to practice with the fireballs around my forest anymore. No one is allowed to burn it… not even you,” Devas said.

Avery sat down beside me as we watched the two of them. And it wasn’t just us; most of the army had their eyes on them.

Everyone knew that no one was allowed to touch Devas’s forest. He had forbidden anyone to enter it for decades, and yet Evie had dared to train with fire there, of all places.

“I won’t burn down your forest,” she replied sharply.

“But is that what you’re going to say to Abaddon’s army? Oh, please, don’t burn my forest down!” she said angrily.

To each of his questions she had a quick-witted answer. To each answer, Devas had a perfectly sarcastic retort.

They were now standing so close to each other that their breaths were mingling. For a moment I thought she was going to back away.

But then he grabbed her chin, leaned down, and she froze.

“What are you trying to do here, anyway?” he asked, his voice rough.

Avery nudged me. I realized I had my mouth hanging open.

My mate was visibly fighting back a laugh, but the attraction between them was obvious. Evangeline had no answer.

And Devas just exhaled sharply.

“I need some rest…” he said softly.

Then he turned away and disappeared between the trees of his forest.

Rest. We all needed that right now.

The preparations had sapped us of all our strength. I thought, before the attack began… we needed to get some rest.

“You’re right,” Avery told me gently.

“Aidan… post guards, and take turns. The rest of you get some rest before the battle,” Avery ordered.

I was still looking at Evie, who was gazing after Devas. As I walked over to her, she reflexively turned to me and put on a fake smile.

“My queen…” she began, but I put my hand on her shoulder.

“Stop punishing yourself for carrying this burden,” I said quietly. My voice nearly broke under the urgency of my words.

“You can’t save everyone from dying. To truly live, you need love, Evie,” I added.

She flinched, as if I’d pushed her. Her eyes, usually so determined, were suddenly filled with doubt.

But there was no doubt about my words… she doubted herself. I felt her tremble under my touch.

“You’re not just closing yourself off from destiny, you’re closing yourself off from yourself. You don’t have to carry everything on your own. Because you’re not alone anymore…” I said gently.

Her eyebrows drew together, as if my words physically hurt. Yet I didn’t stop.

“You can travel through spheres. You can fly. You can fight. But you are also allowed to feel what you feel,” I explained.

My voice became softer but no less insistent. “You deserve to be loved. You deserve to show who you truly are. You deserve to be… just to be yourself,” I whispered.

It was as if I’d flipped an invisible switch. Her protective shield shattered—not with a bang, but with a quiet, almost painful sigh.

And then her wings spread, brilliant white, so overwhelmingly beautiful that even the most hardened soldiers held their breath. The army stared at her, spellbound by her unveiled, painful grace.

But all I saw was Evie… not the fighter, not the protector. But the woman who had forgotten how to let herself fall.

“Go,” I whispered.

And then she ran.

Not away, but after~him~. Without hesitation, without looking back.

Finally free.