SPELLBOUND

Leon felt like his entire being had been frozen into solid ice. He could not seem to move his body nor breathe as his eyes slowly lifted to meet Zanya's sharp and piercing ones. His hand was still under her skirt and touching her thigh – frozen stiff. He knew he had to, no… needed to peel that offending limb off her deliciously silky thigh. But his hand was somehow not wired to his brain as it did not do as it was told.

"Err… Umm…" Even his vocal cords seem to have forgotten how to function. That blasted hand of his! In his mind, this situation that he had found himself in seemed to be worse than seeing death itself.

Zanya narrowed those alluring eyes at him.. "I can't believe you're this kind of man, vampire!" She bit out in anger, forcing her words through tightly clenched teeth. Hearing the censure in her voice, Leon finally managed to snap out of his frozen state.

But before he could make any movements or open his mouth to explain, Zanya suddenly yanked on his head with both hands, shoving his head straight into her bosom, before stretching out her hands and firing off a ball of light from her palms.

"…!!!" If possible, Leon had gone even stiffer and might as well turn into a block of wood. From his hearing and perception, he heard that her magic had hit the orc that was right behind him and realised that it had been about to strike him from behind.

Leon who had just snapped out of the shock was again feeling utterly flustered as well as guilty at what she had done. He figured that she did not have much time and had to react that way to deal with the orc behind him and the guilt filled him, knowing that he was the one who should be protecting her. However, Leon now found himself in a whole new awkward situation, an even worse one compared to the one from before. His face had been shoved into her soft mounds and his hand that was on her thigh just a while ago was now on her…

Within the next breath, Zanya's hands were fisted tightly in his collar as she turned and slammed his back against the wall. "You pervert! Where do you think you're touching?!" she snapped at him, her beautiful green eyes were flashing fiercely.

"I didn't mean to touch … there… you pulled… suddenly… it's… accident…" Leon was stuttering and could barely form a coherent sentence, not knowing what he should do next. The way he was behaving was as though this woman was scarier than any deadly opponents he had ever met. He could not even talk straight to explain himself.

"Ha! I pulled you? Accident? So, you're even putting the blame on me now –"

"No, I… I'm sorry… really –" Leon could not finish his line as he saw another orc launching itself at them. His arms wrapped around Zanya's slender waist, locking her against him and leapt to the side, avoiding the orc.

The moment he landed, Zolan's voice echoed. "Stop flirting in the middle of a battle you two! Get over here and help!!"

Zanya quickly pulled away from Leon, her face a little red with embarrassment at what she heard. "No one is flirting! This vampire is…" Zanya trailed off as she pointed at Leon, when she realized the long-haired blond was no longer listening.

She glared at Leon. "We are not done, vampire." She hissed at him. "Wait until all this is over. I'll make you pay for what you did, pervert." She threatened and turned her back on him.

Leon was speechless. He shook his head, sipping at his lower lip. He could not help but laugh in utter disbelief. Never had he ever encountered such embarrassing, awkward, and shameful situation where he did not even know how to react. His mother had always taught him about being respectful to every woman since he was young, and he had lived up to his mother's teaching his whole life. Even though almost all of the men he had been with in the imperial army back then, most especially his fellow half-bloods, were all treating women like they were toys for their sexual pleasures, he never found what they were doing as appealing. He had hated their blatant and excessive disrespect to the females. However, it was not his place to speak up during those times.

Yet now, he had actually gone and done it. Even though there was an explanation, what's done was done. It was just that being called a pervert for the first time in his life was a little unacceptable to him.

"Leon!" Samuel's voice sounded out and the man threw him Zanya's sword.

Leon easily caught it and he went on a rampage, trying to clear his mind for now. He would just think about how to clear things out with her after this war. Then he remembered that she said she will make him pay and he smiled again as he fought, wondering what she would do to him. He was surprised as he found himself smiling as if he was actually looking forward to it. What the hell is going on with him?

"Stop grinning there you, idiot, just because you touched heaven for a moment." Zolan teased him, raising a brow as the duo leaned against each other's back.

"I didn't know you are this type of a man Zolan." Leon retorted, annoyed that this all happened due to this irritating person. If he had not said anything, all these would not have happened,

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

"You're like a gossiping mother hen."

"Haha. I object though. Maybe a gossiping hawk, yes. My eyes are just pretty observant. I just can see everything's that is going on… no matter how small the matter is. You can't hide anything from my eyes, haha."

"And you're actually proud of it?" Leon was flabbergasted.

"Of course. An observant eye is helpful. And I have not been called 'pervert' yet… so it's all good."

"Damn you. There is no dagger in her thigh."

"Oh… there's none?" Zolan's voice was suspiciously innocent sounding.

"You did that on purpose…!!" Leon's eyes narrowed as he caught on.

"Of course not. Why would I tarnish the ever so pure and clean reputation of the great Leon, the half-blood warrior?" Zolan widened his eyes at Leon, before blinking as though he was an innocent bystander who was viciously maligned.

"Cut the crap! You know you're guilty as charged. Your time will come Zolan." Leon muttered sourly.

"Haha. I'll look forward to that. Watch out, they're coming." Zolan's eyes twinkled merrily as he changed the topic.

"I know."