When Eve came to, she was lying by the shore, and it was night. She did not know how long she had been unconscious for, and she did not know who had taken her back to the cove. It might have been a dream, but for the fact that she now knew the sweet, insidious fragrance of the terrible, wonderful fruit, and the hidden fires within her body that had been discovered and kindled by Lucifer. She closed her eyes and saw him in her mind's eye, and she could sense him now and almost taste him; feel his cool breath upon her cheek, his lips upon her neck, his body upon her and around her and between her, and always his soft, enveloping mouth. She trembled violently, and sat upright, and hugged her knees to her chest.

The memory of Adam's face returned to her, like a talisman, and her body relaxed involuntarily as she thought of him. She knew that he would be unhappy if he discovered her rendezvous with Lucifer, if he knew that another man other than him had touched her like he did, and kissed her like he did. He would not understand the storm of emotions that had besieged her then, nor would he understand the fire that Lucifer had unleashed within her, and that it was that white-hot storm of desire that she pursued, not Lucifer, nor the forbidden fruit. Then she wondered desperately if Adam or Jehovah would smell the scent of the fruit upon her, and of Lucifer. What if Adam loved her no longer? What if Jehovah renounced her? She was so horrified by the thought that she plunged into the water and proceeded to wash herself thoroughly, scrubbing at her skin until it was raw, and even then she was not satisfied that she had washed clean every last vestige of Lucifer and the forbidden fruit from her.

As Eve pushed back her wet hair and gazed in the direction of the cliff, she was suddenly overcome by weariness, and she threw herself upon the ground and gazed up at the pitch black of the sky, thinking vaguely that night-time today seemed to be much longer than usual. She lay there, watching the piercing stars that dotted the velvet blackness of the night panorama, and wondered at how everything seemed to be the same. The stars had not changed, nor the sky. Still the cormorants circled the sea and wailed their desolate cries, and still the waters of the sea lapped the shore lazily. But I am different, because of Lucifer and the fruit. What does the fruit do? He never answered my question..

And within the confines of her troubled heart, yet another seed of discord was sown, but it lay dormant for the time being.

She returned to their clearing and Adam was there waiting, as she knew he would be. There was no sign of Jehovah, and when she realised that he was not there, a knot in her stomach dissipated, though she knew not why.

Adam rose to greet her in his happy, wonderful, infinitely innocent manner, and everything was the same in his bearing, and he did not sense anything different in her demeanour, and Eve was astonished at how easy it was to play along, to pretend that nothing had changed. When he touched her she closed her eyes and saw Lucifer instead, his cool skin and lips parted like a lover's. Adam kissed her, and pushed her down, and she waited for the forbidden sensations that Lucifer seemed to be able to command at will, yet when he entered her she still felt nothing.

She wondered if it would be different if she ate the fruit. Or if Lucifer made love to me..

Afterwards they talked, and Adam told Eve excitedly about the new fields that Jehovah had found, some new animals – his new favourite was a creature that he had whimsically named horse. He and Jehovah had ridden them to far-off lands where the stars were strange and the seasons were different. He asked her what she had done in his absence, and if she had found any new plants or creatures. He also wanted to know if she had missed him.

"I went to the cove several moons ago," she answered, and she could see the flicker in Adam's eyes, an expression of disquiet passing over his face but gone in a heartbeat.

"No, I didn't go anywhere near the cliff or the forbidden tree," she added, and in her mind's eye she saw Lucifer's strange, glittering eyes, and the lies came easily to her lips, as if by second nature. It was as if Lucifer had passed into her mind and indeed her body, and was speaking with her mouth and her voice.

Adam relaxed slightly, but she could see that the darkness had still not passed wholly from him.

"I love you best, Adam, and yes I did miss you, very much," she said, a little petulantly this time, and she threw herself upon him and kissed him ferociously, and now she could see that the shadow had gone from him completely, and he returned her passion with equal fervour.

A few days later, or it might have been several moons later, Jehovah came to them, and although Eve loved him, she shrank from his presence when she heard his footsteps approaching, positioning herself behind Adam and embracing him from behind so that neither of them would think that anything out of the ordinary had happened. Jehovah had come for Adam, as he always did, and Eve was struck again by how alike he and Lucifer were. The shadow upon her heart lengthened, and she wondered again why he had not told them about Lucifer.

I am afraid that there were a great many things Jehovah didn't tell you.

Jehovah and Adam were speaking now, and Adam was going over to see some new rocks that Jehovah had created, or discovered, or both. Eve relinquished her hold upon him unwillingly, and as Adam left her side and walked forth, Jehovah's bright eyes turned to her and pierced her, and she met his unwavering, clear gaze that flickered, actually flickered, as they looked directly at each other. And this time Eve did not, could not miss it; the way his eyes faltered and shimmered when he looked upon her, the change of colour upon his face, and above all, how her own heart quickened now when she saw him. And in that moment, she knew that it was not Jehovah she beheld, but Lucifer; and she knew that her secret was safe now. For the time being.

I see why he is tempted by you.

Jehovah withdrew his gaze and bent his will back to Adam, who had no eyes for anyone but Jehovah, and in that moment Eve felt an uncanny sensation, one that she had never felt before; a stabbing, persistent, bitter and sharp pain at the tip of her heart, as she watched them both. Adam's lips curved in a smile, then a laugh, and his eyes and face were lit up with joy, joy because of Jehovah, whom he was now turning to. And Jehovah was laughing back; both boys threw their heads back in pure, utter mirth, and they both flung themselves into the foliage, and Eve watched them, her heart cold and this new, horrible pain stabbing ever fiercer at her, tugging at her heartstrings.

Do you not know what the fruit of the tree grants?

Adam called to her, and the vision of Lucifer dissipated like morning dew before the young sun, and she returned to him, settling into his embrace as if she had never left. Jehovah smiled benevolently upon both of them, and Eve took care not to look him in his eyes again, whilst she absentmindedly arranged Adam's limbs and her own hair so that they hung over her, like canopies over the boughs of a tree.

"Is there really?" Adam was asking Jehovah now. "Then I must see it."

"See what?" Eve asked, looking up at him.

"There's a new apple orchard," Adam said, and she could already feel him restless, wanting to be on the move again.

"Again?" Eve said. "I just sat down. How long will you be away this time? – We've barely had any time together." She was acutely conscious of Jehovah's keen eyes on her, and she bit her lip.

"Adam, the orchard can wait, of course," Jehovah said, his manner as mild as always. "I do however have to go there now because there are some trees I need to tend to."

"Then I must go with you," Adam said, oblivious to Eve's discomfort. "I want to see it with you."

Jehovah turned to Eve, his mild eyes piercing through her, and she started as if he had physically touched her. She could not understand why, but she needed to leave him, or have him leave her. She could not be here with him – not here, not like this.

"I'm going to swim," she said, jumping up. "I thought the two of you had some new trees to look at."

"Do you want me to bring you back some apples?" Adam called after her, but she was gone. He frowned at Jehovah, the first vestiges of a shadow upon his heart, and he knew not why, but it seemed as if the world as he knew it was marred somehow, and it made him feel strange and sad and lonely, but he did not know what these emotions meant.

Then Jehovah smiled at him, and Adam felt the clouds of doubt and sadness flee away, and he returned the smile and gave no more thought to Eve or the shadow that had crossed his heart, and he rose and followed Jehovah whence he would lead him.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter is relatively short, and also for the unforgivably long delay in updating, once again! I've recently changed jobs and had to relocate to a completely new country, which is proving to be quite the adventure. Some of the later chapters have been completed, but I need to work up to those points. It's been almost 4 years since I started concocting and writing this story, and it's definitely one that's quite close to my heart. To all the fans and readers who are following this story, thank you for your support, and you're the reason why I'm updating!