The Eventide Child by C.A Hines

suddenly seemed so hilarious to her. This was the way of the world—no good deed went unpunished, and for their faith, the men of Arkadia were met with death, disease, and desolation at the hands of foreign enemies. Her push toward the top of the mountain was driven by a desire, a desire for answers, a desire for revenge, but most of all by her own anger. Anger at being spared. Anger at being kept in the dark. Anger at the silence of the Gods. She couldn’t pick a single anger to focus on, but it drove her on, faster than any feeling of hope or solace had ever done.
    What would she find at the top of the mountain? The Gods? Death? She didn’t know, but it was one answer she was determined that she would receive. Every ounce of pain, exhaustion, and cold she took within herself and used it to fuel her drive.
    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she pushed beyond that last step and through the cover of clouds only to have her eyes deceive her. The finest of ornate marble gleamed in the sunlight; lush green grass and sparse trees surrounded what she could only guess to be a temple.
    A figure clad in a black dress paused upon her arrival, the kindly old man offering a small smile, his hand extending toward her. She reached reluctantly, grabbing for the hand and clasping it tight as the man helped her forward.
    “We have been expecting you.” His voice was smooth and quiet, as if a whisper upon the wind. No matter how she tried to hold onto the feelings of hatred and anger, she felt lulled into a sense of security. Was this magic as well? She couldn’t be sure. She steeled her mind against the influence, her hand retreating from the other’s grip as she stood upright.
    “I wish I could say the same,” she admitted, “But I have no idea who you are.”
    “We wish only to conduct a test, a moment of your time,” he insisted.
    Curiosity bit at her like a ravenous flea, starved for months, its teeth finally finding purchase in her skin. She inhaled a deep breath, giving only a momentary nod.
    He smiled, his teeth missing in several place, but it was a gentle smile no less. Everything about the man seemed nonthreatening, and he led her inside.
    The Temple was grander than any she had ever seen before. Figures wrapped in black robes stood around the temple, some chanting, others reading. Where the outside of the temple was chilled, the inside was warm. Columns upon columns stretched forward, the temple seeming larger on the inside than it was on the outside. Truly impressive. Her eyes wandered, glimpsing various figures captured in statue along the walk, until her gaze finally fell to the altar and the unnatural blue-purple fire burning there.
    Do not trust them. Do not be a fool, girl. The voice inside her mind whispered again, giving her pause once more as a small chill rolled up her spine. Something seemed off. A sense of dread rose within her gut once again as the massive wooden doors to the temple closed behind her with a thud. The Temple interior was unusual, why did it seem so pleasant when the exterior was so worn down? The inside showed none of the usual symptoms of decay but the wafting perfumes of the incense quickly filled her senses.
    “We will perform a simple test first,” The old man spoke, guiding her toward the altar. “If the results are less than positive, we will have other tests.” His voice dripped like sweet honey into her mind. The incense, or perhaps something more sinister plying itself upon Alexandra’s mind.
    “Hm? Oh. Very well.” Suddenly the sense of dread had quieted within her stomach and a sense of calm was all that remained. It was relaxing. Comforting. There was a lovely fragrance in the air that she couldn’t quite place a finger on. In spite of her calm state, there was still a part of her mind that told her this wasn’t right. A smile soon spread across her face from ear to ear as the old man lifted her hand up and those doubts fluttered away just as quickly as the