Starve This Sin

{ Chapter Ten }

Ben stood behind the dining room balcony curtain, Henry at his side. They both were idly silent, waiting for Eva to show to take her place with Ben at his table.

"She may not come," Henry comments lowly. "She was lighting things aflame the last I saw her."

Ben sighed, "she'll be over it by now and she will show."

"Sure," Henry snorts.

A small rumbling shook the floor, making both men's heads snap around.

"The hell?" Henry comments, looking into the depth of the side hallway.

There came Eva, turning a corner, with each step sending shocks and tremors through the stone.

Henry stared in utter shock, seeing the black veins that pumped through her hands and wrists, the dark electric clouds circling hear head as they suffocated any fires lighting the hall. She stalked forward like a plague, ready to infect the room.

"Ben," Henry stuttered out, grabbing the sword at his side and arming it.

Ben looked from the adjacent hall, turning to see all the same Henry was. His jaw slacked, heart racing at the sight of her.

White Witch

His eyes bore into hers and they locked, neither faultering away from the other. As Ben looked over her with hunger, Eva looked him over with vengeance.

Ben thought he had finally broken her just enough, but he had no clue how true that thought was.

Eva entered the room and whisps of dark wind shook both the men.

"You," she pointed at Henry, "need to leave."

"What?" He squeaked, looking to Ben who only nodded him away. He could recognize that he should probably listen to her for the moment.

With one last look of shock, Henry began down the same hall Eva had entered, disappearing into darkness. A glistening wall of fire blocked the hall off, leaving Henry secluded away until Eva decided otherwise.

"This is a bit much for a dinner, don't you think?" He comments, keeping a calm demeanor, not processing the danger she pinpointed to him directly.

"You lied to me, again" she exhales, black worming veins igniting up her neck as she spoke.

Of all things for her to say, this sounded alarms in his head. Her close proximity made him suspicious now and he took a step back.

"I've lied about many things, yes."

"No, no, I don't think lying cuts it." She got close to him again, her dark voltage beginning to suck him in. The betrayer, his hopeful heart, wanted to leap in despite the clear danger.

Their faces inches apart, she stared him down and Ben could see the darkness that possessed her. He had only dreamed of this awakening, of her evils surfacing.

"You deceived me. You hurt me. You starved me for what was rightfully mine, what was rightfully ours!" She spat, as Ben tried to shrink away, realizing he was stuck in place by thorned vines that had grown from nothing in the stone and tangled in his armor.

"Eva." Ben said her name in a desperate tone.

"You will talk when I say you can talk!" She screeches, the fires left kindling in the room for light were blazing now.

Ben tightened his lips. For a moment, she scared him. He had to remind himself she wouldn't dare actually hurt him, she couldn't.