A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two – Ch.# 35

“My name is Rheyna…,” I said. “Rheyna Knight.”

How strange to say it after all this time. It wasn’t something I felt all that connected to nor had any particular fond memories of. It was simply the only thing I could recall when the orphanage had asked me who I was. Just my name and nothing else. Not even my parents.

“Allison?” I asked when she still hadn’t spoken.

Something about the whole situation seemed off. The alarms in my head were still screaming at me to run… and yet I did my best to keep ignoring it.

Only… Allison now hadn’t moved. Almost as if she were frozen in place.

“Allison? Did you hear me?” I asked. “Aren’t you… aren’t you going to check your book?”

But with her eyes cast down, her lips started to whisper something very quickly that I couldn’t hear.

“…Allison? What are you….”

And it was as I took a step towards her that her eyes then suddenly snapped upwards, staring at me with an expression that took me aback. A hatred within them unlike anything I had ever seen.

“…A Devil of the Mist,” she finished quietly.

“What? What do you mea-.”

But before I could ask, she then stood up and began talking as if reciting from an old book.

“Beware the Silver Saintess, her hair as silken thread. With her consort mate of power, the people wept and bled.”

“Alli-.”

“And beware the Siren’s call, his eyes as gold as ore. With whispers of manipulation, they’ll hold you in their thrall. And if you breathe despite this, a devil still awaits.

Because forever lives another, the deathless angel mate.”

“Allison!” I yelled, beginning to panic. Stop!”

And I took a step back in confusion, unsure what was happening.

“You were meant to be dead,” she hissed. All of you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just stop and-.”

“NO!” she screeched. “Your words won’t work on me. I should have seen it earlier, the signs were all there. But I see you now. I see what you’re doing. Your power won’t work so long as I stay true to the Goddess’ path.”

And before I could do anything else, she then walked over to a glass cabinet, only turning back around to face me once she had retrieved a dagger.

“You’ve been influencing all of us to accept you. You with your silver tongue and golden eyes,” she spat. “Is this some sort of infiltration mission? Here to finish us off in revenge? Because I already lost my mother because of you. I will not go down easily.”

She moved into what looked to be an amateur defensive position, shakily holding the dagger up towards me. Me… who was still frozen in shock over what the hell was happening.

Because my mind was trying to piece together what she was saying… why she suddenly wanted to attack me… and the reason slowly dawned on me.

My family, the pack I must have once belonged to….

I was… a Devil of the Mist.

The same pack who had gone to war with Ashwood, who had apparently caused countless deaths and tarnished their traditions. Who were all allegedly insane.

…The ones who had caused the death of Kieran’s mother.

But there were bits I didn’t understand.

some sort of manipulation… only I wasn’t sure what that meant. I couldn’t remember ever doing such a

mistaken or… or I was like some distant, twice removed cousin. Maybe I didn’t even share the same blood and was just a child of someone married into the

if that mattered right now.

it was clear that Allison had made up her mind… and she took a few steps towards me.

I warned. “I don’t want to

she merely screamed at

That aura around you… That presence of reverence. Adoration. I’d thought this whole time that you were just easy to get along with, somehow feeling as if we were always meant to be

anything,

even my brother’s mate or was that just another trick? Does he know? Did you bewitch him as well, Child

of room within the small space of the archives. A situation that

…Fight or flight.

of which felt

“Stop, Allison, please.”

my back then hit a shelf, I knew it

saw one, but I did my best to dodge it, using the book still in

at me, forcing me to push her away.

little too strong as she

do here? Attack her? She was blocking the exit now so running would mean more conflict.

I was relieved to see the

sight he

“Help me, plea-.”

her dagger then came swiping towards me. Something I didn’t have time to properly deflect… and I caught the blade in my

through it to pull it out of her hand.

it had been worth

is Rheyna Knight. This

was prior to a few

as Finn’s face immediately changed. A darkness

a step closer,

it wasn’t just Allison who would

that this was

no longer

And now…

I needed to leave. Leave quickly and hopefully with my head still attached.

gasp left Allison’s lips then, drawing my attention back over to her, and I found her staring at my hand.

blessed silver. Such an injury should take hours before our ability to heal works. And yet

I’ve been on medication to counter it ever since I arrived at

screamed, and she tried

only this time I’d had enough.

there was only one way out of this, and it entailed getting the hell out of here by any means. And so, with one injured hand, the other holding

dodged her attack… and countered with a kick to

“Allison!” Finn yelled.

to me, a warning growl rumbling through him as he walked

to hurt anyone,” I said. “Just let me go and I’ll leave. I promise.”

not be leaving here alive,” he

Goddammit.

sort of combat herself. Finn was a warrior, someone

to avoid his attacks, manoeuvring around them, but I knew at some point I would either need to counter or make a run

I quickly brought my hand up to prevent a jab from hitting my shoulder, it momentarily left me in a defenceless position. Because the wound instantly opened back up, causing me to cry out in pain. This was my first time experiencing a silver

me and throw me to the

go…,” I struggled.

of course, that wouldn’t

here until the Alpha arrives,” he said, pulling something

a glimpse of the shiny silver cuffs as they came out, dangling with a

could not allow him