Day Ten, Dusk

"Me?" Eve asked. "What do you mean?"

Markium kissed her softly, running his fingers through her wet hair, and smiled. "I was thinking earlier, maybe I could build a little place near your cottage and live out there with you. Or maybe, move in?"

Eve stared at him, her first thought being to say yes, but her second was Ronim. She hadn't spoken to him since she and Markium had left for Ommaxam and his only condition of Markium being there was he never set foot in her cottage.

"Well?" Markium asked, pulling her from her thoughts. "Do you think I could move out there?"

"Well, it'll be nice to have someone there," she started. "But what about Ommaxam? You wanted to move out here and start your life here."

"But my life isn't here." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"What about your plan?"

"Plans change. If you don't say yes, I will for you."

"Then how can I say no?" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

They swam back to the shore for more to eat and drink and talked about the garden and a possible farm plot.

"There's a farmer in town," Markium explained, pouring more wine into her cup. "He's willing to sell some chickens ready to lay, a heifer, and some seeds you don't already have."

"I always wanted chickens," she answered taking a sip of wine.

Markium smiled, setting his cup down, and began kissing on her neck, making her giggle. He watched her milky breasts bounce as she laughed and slid his fingers up up her thighs slowly.

She grabbed his hand gently and pulled her dress over herself.

"What?" he mused, placing softer kisses on her shoulder and neck.

She softly pushed him back, looking over his shoulder at Ronim watching them from the cover of trees. She felt a rush of warmth run over her as his eyes shined through the branches toward them.

"We should head back before it gets too dark," she whispered, standing slowly and slipping the linen cover over her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked pulling his pants on. "Did I say something?"

"No, no I'm just tired."

"I've heard that before," he muttered, pulled his shirt on and started packing up the dinner.

She looked down at him, his back turned to her, knelt next to him and kissed his cheek, whispering, "I need to go take care of something. I'll be right back."

"Be careful," he whispered back and squeezed her knee softly.

She stood slowly and walked through the grass into the trees in search of Ronim.

"Ronim?" she called out quietly.

"You lied to me," a voice sounded around her. He didn't sound mad or vengeful, just hurt.

"I didn't lie," she answered, looking around her for him

"Markium is just a friend," her voice echoed.

"He was, he's still... I don't know what he is now but he's still my friend." The warmth she usually felt with him was gone, only a cold breeze surrounded her.

"I've heard you lay with him, I've seen you." His voice was adopting an angry tone; there wasn't much more she could say, his mind was made up.

"Ronim," she soothed quietly but couldn't get another word out.

"Don't lie to me!" his voice boomed. A force pushed Eve to her knees suddenly. 'I didn't lie,' she thought. A cold wind blew around her, her hair flying up around her, snow began to fly and sting her exposed face and neck.

"I won't hear your lies!"

'I didn't lie,' she thought loudly, trying to yell but no sound came out, just fog. 'Please, stop!'

The wind blew against her back and a cold hand pushed her down on the ground. 'Ronim, stop!'

"You're mine, I've marked you!" A cold burn seared on her shoulder where he used to put his gentlest of kisses. She opened her mouth the scream but no sound came out. "You will not go back on a god!" The freezing burn grew around her, her vision continued to blur until it was dark and everything around her slowed and the wind blew her dress up.

A warm tear rolled down her cold cheek. 'Please stop,' she mouthed, crying silently. 'Please.'

But he didn't respond, he didn't stop, he didn't listen. And, for the first time, he hurt her.