Three simple words ejected from the bleeding and swollen lacuna. They came out only as a wimpered muffle. Torrid tears built up inside her eyes as she stared at his image in the dim light. Surely she had to be dead to be witnessing this immense angel standing before her. He held out a small brown clay bowl in front of her in offering. It seemed like a mirage, the clear liquid taking shelter in the chasmal womb of clay. He flaunted the bowl in front of her, as it got closer she just stared at the object desired as it had to be unattainable. Small droplets of the crystal liquid escaped over the edge of the bowl and it spilled small portions of itself onto her lap.
 She trembled at the feeling of its coolness. She stared down at her dirty dress now stained with a mixture of terrible colours where it was once all white. She darted her fatigued eyes up at him as if she wasn't sure on what to do. His smile full of sympathy, he lifted the bowl to her lips and  carefully tilted it so she could drink the contents.
 The cool water dripped from the bowl and wrapped itself maliciously around her mutilated tongue and traveled down the weak fleshy pipes. The feeling was both painful and refreshing as she drank the entire element in the bowl.
 It was no illusion, before her the man knelt in front of her was no angel, but he was close enough to being such a creature. Mathur, one of the mighty temple guards that protected the gate that stood before four stony walls that surrounded the temple like a fortress. The honey eyes exploded with concern stared deep into the dark oceans her eyes had now become. Dark rings embraced her round glossy orbs securely, seeming to never want to let them go.
 "Lilia." He spoke hesitantly. "Lilia, the priest wants to see you. Can you walk?"
 She barely was able to shake her head.
 He got to his feet knocking the clay bowl aside and hovered over her, extending his arms to shelter her fragile form. He lifted her up with ease and held her body close to his. He ignored the neglect that her body endured being locked in the basement for these sickening days without food, water, or bathing.
 She nudged her face into her soft dark red tunic. The detailed fabric was an Elysium to her soiled skin. The soft masculine perfume that emit from his mass rolled into her nostrils sent her far away from this place as he carried her up the stairs. Oblivious to what was about to happen.
 
 They left the temple. A harsh blackness flooded over the thin skin that covered her eyes. Which revealed to her behind the closed eyes that it was nighttime. Every now and then a soft red glow bounced back and forth penetrating the thin layers as Mathur walked. The light from the torch he carried. She peered her eyes open slightly to see an eerie black night much like the night that took Lady Mayia away. She shivered.
 Mathur looked down at Lilia in his grasp. He assumed that the chill from the night air had licked its icy tongue across her delicate skin. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped the long part of his maroon tunic around her huddled body. Although that was not the case the warmth from his body and the soft fabric made her feel safely sheltered.

 He continued with his pace heading towards a small stone establishment not too far from the temple. It was the home of the Priest, the guards, and some of the men who worked there. Since it was a temple of the Goddess men were not allowed to live inside the temple, only women had that right.
 Mathur's steady pace had a lulling effect to Lilia. Her eyes were becoming heavy as she rested her chin on his massive shoulder. The odd heavy sighs she could hear deep within his chest were worsening the effect. She wasn't in the right state of mind to analyze them. They were calling her to slumber as a siren would call a sailor to sharp rocks. So she remained the broken doll she was lying on his enormous upper torso.

 The large birch door creaked open under his left hand and his large foot hesitatingly entered as the other unwillingly followed to enter the stone building. The Priest Baeddan could be heard laughing down the hall, he was with the other men in the dining hall. Mathur walked down the hallway, checking on Lilia's state, rubbing her cheek softly. She murmured unknown words in her slight slumber.
 The Priest was at the head of the table. He caught the light brown eyes of the large young man with the young woman in his arms. He stared at her, narrowing his brows. He got up from where he sat, his tan robe flowing like violent sand in a storm as he walked towards Mathur.
 "Come with me." He said, walking away towards his bedchambers.
 Mathur's heart stopped inside his thick chest. He did not know what the Priest's intentions were going to be, but he had heard about what had happened. He knew Lilia since he was hired here, and she was the young age of fourteen and since then she had been nothing but pure and innocent. He did not believe that she was guilty. He did not want to believe the things that he heard were true. They couldn't be. Besides, what would the Priest want with a guilty woman in his bedchambers?
 
 But he did as he was asked. He had to follow his orders. He went with the Priest into his room with the young girl in a diluted slumber hanging onto him.
 "Lie her down on the bed." He said as he sat on the corner of it.
 He did as requested.
 "May I ask what you are going to do with her?" He asked, staring at her almost lifeless body.
 "No." The Priest replied. "But you may go to the dining hall and get some food for her. I'm sure she is hungry."
 
 Mathur felt a little relief when he knew the Priest was indeed going to feed her. So she was going to be kept alive, but for what purpose or how long? That he was still very uneasy about. He did as he was asked and went into the dining hall decorated with lights and men's obscenities and laughter to get a huge plate for her very hungry palate.

 The Priest Baeddan stared at the young woman who appeared to be simply sleeping on his exquisitely decorated bed. She looked more beauteous than she had ever before. He slid his hand over her corroded face slowly. Taking in her framework into his mind. What he planned to do with her aroused his mind.
 
 Mathur stood in the doorway with the plate of delicious food in his hands staring at the odd behaviour of the Priest. He did not like this one bit. The craving look he had on his face was simply disturbing as he saw the way he stared at Lilia. The way he caressed her dirt smurged face so sensually provoked the darkest hostility inside of him. This was no way for a man who just lost his wife to be acting.
 "Lord Baeddan, I have her food." He spoke with an irritated tone.
 The Priest greedily took the plate from the young guard's hands. "Thank you. You may leave now."
 Mathur grumbled under his breath. He knew better than to question the Priest, the man with so many people behind him, but he feared for Lilia's safety. He cared for her deeply and he couldn't let anything else bad happen to her. He knew the Priest may not kill her, but the things that he thought he would do seeing what he saw could be much worse. He had to save her.

 The incense of food infiltrated Lilia's nostrils. Her eyes opened up wide in a jolt as she did not recognize where she was. The beautiful place with all its rich decorations was totally unfamiliar to her. Then she saw his face staring back at her seriously yet  serenely. She jumped back in fear like an animal protecting its wound or children. He smiled at the fear he placed upon her and put the plate in front of her. Without a second thought she dove at the matter of the plate.
 She ignored the macabre pain in her mouth as she chewed through the food rapidly. The juices of the meat mixing with the strings of the vegetables cried in ecstasy on top of her taste buds. Some of the intermixed strew dripped from the starving orifice down her chin to her chest. The Priest watched this scene curiously with delight.
 Lilia finished the large meal quickly, almost wanting more. Then realized where she was and who she was sitting before. With newly forming strength behind her she just stared at the man staring back at her. The sadistic look behind his eyes scared her. She was unsure of what to do or how to escape if she could.
 "You should get cleaned up Lilia." He said. "You've been in the cellar for a few days haven't you?"
 Her eyes narrowed.
 "Because you put me there." She mumbled in a growl.
 "You deserved to be put there. You deserve worse."
 "Says who? You? Who has no proof whatsoever that I deserve to be punished at all. I told you that I did nothing to Lady Mayia. I came in and it was too late."
 It was not entirely a lie. It was too late for her to stop anything, but what she was sure he didn't know was she was inside the room, hiding inside the trunk the entire time. Knowing that his wife was committing adultery with the strange being.
 "I, we, consulted the Goddess, she showed us what happened Lilia." His eyes drifted down. "I know what happened, and I know you did not kill my wife."
 She let out a sigh of relief.
 "But I know you lied. You lied about that man in her room."
 A terrified expression came across Lilia's face. Her breaths became more shallow. The Priest looked back up at her with his hideously sad green eyes.
 "You also said you hated our Goddess. You have to be punished for that Lilia."
 "How...?" Lilia looked confused.
 A half wicked smirk came across his face. "You didn't learn anything in the temple did you? Don't you remember, everywhere you go, you leave an imprint, a memory in time, a fingerprint. With the right teaching you can access such things and view them as if you were there. I saw you Lilia. I saw you stand before the statue of the Goddess and say you hated her."
 She looked down. There was no denying it. She of course said it, and indeed meant it. Her eyes darted back up at him but face remained down.
 "If you were there, you'd know that I said it because the Goddess did nothing to save Lady Mayia. Someone who worshiped her more than anyone on this earth!"
 "My wife was punished for fornicating with a demon!"
 His moves were swift and he grabbed her harshly by the arm. The force echoed from his grip and gnawed deep into her arm, but she didn't let out a sound. Her eyes watered, simply fixed upon his green shells. Hiding the terror behind her own.
 It was an easy effort to drag her from the bed and over his shoulder in the weak condition she was still in. The food and drink had sustained her life, and was beginning to give her strength once again, but it was working slowly. Whatever complete nurishing ability it could ever give to her could never compete with his anyway.
 "Put me down!" She yelled in protest.
 Of course her demands were not obliged by him. He continued by walking towards the corner of the room where there was a large tapestry. He moved it and there was a thin line in the wall signifying a doorway. He pushed on it with all his might with his free hand. The wall moved to reveal a gloomy stairway. He walked through and pushed equalily hard to shut the doorway. Then set Lilia down.
 "What are you going to do with me?"
 He just laughed a little under his breath. "Wouldn't you like to know."
 He grabbed her by the hair and began dragging her down the thin stairway lightly lit by small torches. Thin sticks wrapped with rags drenched in oil. The only means to seeing in the dank passage. She tried to fight him, but still was much too weak, and the pain was excruciating from the hair pulling.
 "Let me go!" She screamed.
 He entwined his fingers in her haire and pulled harder. She let out a scream as her body went into the stony wall. The scream, stifled by the collision of stone and flesh. His other hand quickly clamped itself around her neck. He came towards her, the massive figure of man. His eyes focusing on the scared woman.
 His thumb gently rubbed up and down her jaw as he stood there motionless focusing on the fear he inflicted, sucking it in. Feeding upon it. She moaned, dazed from the impact. Yet aware enough to be repulsed by his touch. She tried to move, but he pressed his body against hers forcing her back into the wall.
 The hand tangled in her hair made its way from the twisted and knotted raven strands to her waist for added insurance that she would not escape. But he knew he had the strength that there was no way she could. He wanted her to know this fact. Even so Lilia gasped and tried to push the hand away, but it was fully aware that he was much more stronger than she could ever be.
 "You'll never see the light of day again Lilia." He said. "You are mine."
 The Priest pressed his face forward and his lips intruded onto hers. His hand resting harshly on her waist moved down to her hip and slid up her tattered dirty dress. His tongue forced itself an entrance into her mouth fraternizing with the unwilling injured muscle.
 A tear rolled down one of Lilia's granite eyes. Hot and boiling it ran down her cheek and touched his. She stood there motionless as he kissed her tenderly. Caressing her skin gently with his gargantuan hands softly. Making her feel filthy inside as well as out. Only to stop and to stare, narrowing his emerald eyes at her.
 He abruptly grasped her by the hair and began dragging her down the stairs again.
 "You need to be cleaned. You are disgusting."