Eve: Ever-Tempting Thoughts

"You go on, kids. I'll catch up." Eve watched the hornet twins run off, Violet attempting to fly in short bursts. Her hand drifts to her belly, but she catches herself, shaking her head. No. I promised Kristhyra... She begins walking, skirting the forest's edge. No matter what...

After a minute or so, the goblin spots a relatively familiar face. "Eve?"

"Hi... You're Belinda, right?" Eve gives a slight wave.

The taller woman nods, a shimmer about her form in the moonlight. "I am here to administer your oath for Sir Dusk to Ramel."

The former elf furrows her brow, thinking. "Dusk never said anything about an oath..." She takes a step back.

"Our mutual slime friend told me about the quest, and Sir Dusk himself told me about the oath. If it would make you feel safer," she lifts up her shirt, revealing a patch of darker skin, the pattern looking familiar to Eve. "I, too, am compelled to follow him, as redundant as the mark itself may be."

Relaxing, Eve lowers the hand she wasn't even aware was resting on her sheathed dagger. "...what does this oath entail?"

. . .

Am I supposed to feel different?

"Thank you for your time, Eve. Goodnight." The lieutenant nods before making her way back into town.

"Goodnight..." She's...weird. She turns her gaze forward, back to the house she'd been staying in the past few days. Stepping forward and opening the door, she's surprised to find the interior almost fully furnished. Aren't these Camilla's things? Wait, that looks like Kara's... Stepping forward, she hears some movement on the other side of the bed. Walking around, she finds an...unusual sight.

From her right to left, Kara, Camilla, and Dusk were all sleeping against the bed, holding each other close. That was normal enough. On Dusk's right, the Empress hugged Violet on her left and Daisy on her right. Again, normal enough; it was a sight Eve had gotten used to over the past week. The weird part was that the Empress' head was resting on Dusk's shoulder, and his arm and wing were wrapped around her. It was a bizarre sight, and - I-is that a smile on the Empress' face?!

Eve stood stunned, her eyes locked on the family in front of her. No...no, I can't...don't pay attention to it... Her breathing quickens, tears streaming down her face.

"Eve..." She locks eyes with the nephilim, his own droopy. "...come here..."

Her legs begin moving on their own, and she kneels down, straddling her lover. "D-Dusk-"

Making as little movement as possible, he kisses her forehead. "Eve...whatever it is...I'm here for you...okay?"

The goblin breaks into a teary smile. She buries her face into his chest and hugs him. "I-I love you, Dusk."

Dusk pushes his chin into the top of her head, hugging her. "I love you too, Eve."

"You love him?"

Eve opens her eyes, no longer sleeping against her lover, but instead in a mass of darkness. "Hello?"

"Rinavahl, do you really love him? Or do you just feel indebted to him?"

Rinavahl? How does she know my elven name? "I...I do. I do love him."

Silence fills the blackness for a long moment. "Well that's great!" The feminine, serious voice seems replaced by a much more bubbly one. "That just makes our love-making even better! Now, let's talk sex, Eve." A shadowy, humanoid figure makes herself someone appear against the black void.