Lady in the Iron Mask

II: Chapter 26

"How does someone become corrupt?" Eve asked herself, while Ash took her palms and put them up to his face, blowing air into the wounds from his mouth.

It hurt more than anything she had experienced before, and she cried out.

"As I suspected; it's infected. You will die soon... I predict within around a week, or two at most. Eve, have you never learned to dress your own wounds?"

"Of course I have!" She snapped back, the pain throbbing in her palms. "I didn't exactly have time because I was too busy escaping from your followers!"

He winced, and she tried to rise, although she was dizzy.

"Speaking of your men, they must have followed me here. I cannot stay here with you, and listen to you like this-"

"Eve." He interrupted her, giving her a hard stare, and she settled back down onto the ground reluctantly. "You know you're just reacting in this way because you're afraid of death. I can sense it."

"So? Isn't everyone?" She looked at him. "Aren't you afraid of death?"

He looked around himself for something, and when he spotted it he plucked it from the ground with no hesitation. A daisy. He held it out to Eve, his nails brushing the stalk.

"Life is like this," he gestured to the daisy. "It seems like a perfect fantasy, but underneath there is something ugly." He pointed to the stalk, which browned quickly when he touched it. "I live in a land of death, where men and women who are corrupt go and burn in a fire of damnation. It is my duty to take them, and torture them, because they do not deserve to rise to a peaceful death. However, if they repent in the fire after it has burned their evil away, they can leave my land - Hell - and rise above."

"Why do you want to go back to somewhere like that?" Eve asked, her hands clenching up as he poked them to check for tendon damage.

"Because by being here, there is nobody to ensure that the evil souls from this world are contained. They're leaking slowly into this world, and fulfilling their sick fantasies through other people's' bodies. Soon, the fabric between the worlds will be torn, and this plane of existence will be dark. Nobody will rise above to a peaceful death in Heaven, and the world will become a dangerous, evil place. What has happened here will spread, my Lady. I need your help to return back to Hell."

"I'm sorry; I'll be dead soon, so I can't possibly help you, remember? But wait, am I going to Hell too?" She asked him.

He threw his head back, and laughed riotously.

"Of course not. You're about the purest soul on this Land. You will go to Heaven as you are now."

Strangely, Eve felt a pang of regret, although she shouldn't desire to be engulfed in flames.

"What's in heaven?"

He stared at the daisy's petals, smiling softly.

"It's a nice place, where you can get the wings of a bird and fly through the clouds. There is no evil there, and the sky is always bright, with golden gates and meadows of flowers, much like how this Garden of Eden used to look, before..." he trailed off as his gaze was consumed by intense hatred, and he crushed the flower before flinging it away. "Anyway," he smiled at Eve, although his jaw was locked. "You'd like it there. Everyone does."

"You didn't, did you?" Eve told him. "You've been there, and you hated it."

"Not at first," he admitted. "Not until my wings were torn from my body and I was flung from Heaven."

He leaned back, releasing Eve's hands which he had been gripping tightly. She stopped wincing.

"I desired power," he continued. "My father, God, had everything. He had the power that I desired. But when I tried to take it, I was humiliatingly defeated by my brother, Michael. And then, they cast me out. I fell, due to my pride and greed. And I am forever cursed to wander this mortal Land, unless I can find a pure forgiveness, and love."

"What do I have to do with any of this?" Eve asked. "I can't give you my love. I'm already dedicated to another."

Ash scoffed.

"Kieran? Do you honestly believe he loves you?"

"Yes..." Eve murmured, although she was uncertain.

At that moment, she remembered his gaze, which had appeared so kind and dedicated to her, specifically. Even if she had misread his feelings for her, she knew that Ash had no evidence against Kieran, and so she must stay true to him, at the very least as a loyal companion.

"Who are you to say that? You don't even know him!" Eve accused.

"He stands in the way of us; of everything we could be together," Ash alluringly stared at Eve and took her face in his hot palms.

"But I'm dying..." Eve's voice trembled.

His piercing orbs penetrated her own with a piercing gaze, as if calculating something.

"I can prevent your death," he suddenly broke the silence with the outburst.

"Well then, why haven't you done so?" Eve angrily shifted away from him, and he released her reluctantly. "Do you think my life is just a game?!"

"No; no, of course not," he reassured her seriously, "although if you take me up on the offer to save you, it will cost you greatly."

"What do you want?" Eve was apprehensive.

Ash stood up and took a moment to stroll around the tree, carrying his burden of knowledge like a weary and unwilling merchant. Eve allowed him time to do this, watching him and waiting.

He stopped, and turned to face her. By this time she was also standing inquisitively, the silence cutting through them both as an adversary.

"I need...your mortal soul." Ash swallowed. "And to do that, I need you to become entirely corrupt...but the only way for that to happen is...if you become consort to me, of your own accord, and become like me."

Eve's mouth dropped open, but no words fell out. She was utterly conflicted at this moment, and shocked.

"But I can't be with someone I hardly know!" Eve threw up her hands in the air in annoyance, although she was also nervous.

Ash quickly returned to her side and grabbed her by the shoulders, his tone quiet but powerful in its truth.

"You must find a way. Otherwise, not only will you die, but I will be trapped here forever and miserable, and your kingdom will fall, either to the wrath of the kingdom of Adam, or to Hell's citizens."

*********
A/N:

Hello my angels!!!
Thank you so much for your continued support despite my absence; it really means a lot!

I've been really struggling with creating a new book cover right now. I just feel like this one doesn't really inspire.

I entered this book into the Wattys casually... I don't expect it to win anything, since only the most popular books generally win. But as long as I can entertain you guys, that's all that matters!

Hope you're all enjoying it so far! I adore you all; even the silent and/or shy readers! *cuddles*

Ciao!