A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two-Ch.# 37

“NO!” Kieran roared.

And right as the dagger pierced the surface of my shoulder, Daniel was promptly pushed off me.

“I said *don’t touch her*,” he growled.

The weight of his words fell over everyone in the room, and once again I experienced the tangible sway of his order.

“Kieran,” Daniel huffed out, unable to get back up to his feet. “She-.”

“No, enough! You’re hereby forbidden from moving until further notice,” Kieran said. ” That goes for you too Allison. Sit down. Now. And I don’t want to hear another word from either of you.”

Allison gritted her teeth but did as she was told.

“What… What is that?” I asked. “What did you do to them?”

Kieran looked defeated as he straightened back up, unable to meet my eyes. He simply stared at two people he held dear as they were trapped on the floor.

“An Alpha heir order,” he said. “It’ll only hold them long enough until a full ranked member arrives though.”

“Kieran-.”

“Leave… Rae,” he said quietly. “I can’t do anything else for you now.”

The pain in his voice was clear, an echo in it that stung me. I didn’t want to upset him further, and so, with one hand covering the shallow new wound to my shoulder, I hobbled back to my feet to grab the book and dagger.

“There’s a cupboard to your left which has an emergency hidden staircase inside it. Use that and follow it all the way down. It’ll take you to the car park outside safely without being seen.”

Just as he’d said, upon inspecting the cupboard, there was indeed a staircase inside. But as I stared into the dark passage ahead, I hesitated once more.

…This was the last time I might see him. Did I really want to leave things like this? With lies intended to push him away and a head full of questions?

“Kieran… I…,” I said, my voice trailing off.

So many things I wanted to say, to explain, to ask about. All of which would take too long to get through. And so, in the end, I settled for one thing.

Just one line.

“…I’m sorry,” I whispered.

And I slipped through the doorway without another word, beginning the descent down.

“This isn’t over, Rae,” he called out behind me. “I’ll find you. I promise.”

But I just wiped at the stray tear that had escaped my eye and kept walking.

There were a lot of promises that were made lately. Too many.

“Do yourself a favour for both our sakes, Kieran,” I said quietly. “…Forget about me. My survival might just rely on that very thing.”

I knew what awaited me now. The only remaining path left.

A path that would lead me to the one place I ever truly belonged.

Back into the shadow of my father.

But first… first I had a job to do.

of Ashwood, I was reminded of the fact that my absence had been long. Perhaps too long for an impatient man such as my father. I knew it would be punishable to return like

wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge everything that had happened, simply just trying to

Kieran anymore. He didn’t

was only me vs…

my naive days of the past. Now, I’d need to work even harder to hide my presence, an entire species probably soon intending to hunt me down. Because if a war could span over fifty years because of one

face still haunted me every

you are…,” I said to myself in the confines of a

thing that had started all of this. What my father had been desperate

never existed, I could have lived my life in ignorance until death came for me. That sounds better than this… than now living with this pain.”

a girl doing

a couple of minutes to crack into the lock, Miles clearly not investing enough in security, but soon

father had been after.

I could see

other pieces of evidence that would be enough to crumble my father’s business to dust. Yes… Miles was a smuggler, but at some point he must have switched sides. Probably working for someone who had it in their best

all to get back… even if it meant

thing. Something that wasn’t quite like everything else. It looked almost like a journal entry in my father’s handwriting, one dated a

the passage pertained to an associate or partner in crime

am reminded of that fact every day by my fortune; with my business and my Raven. It is through her continuous instruction that I have loyally served and

talking about. Because for as long as I could remember, my father had always been alone; both in business and in personal life. Never even so much as bringing a casual one-night stand over to the house, let alone ever speaking about a woman with such adoration; not like in the way he did in this entry.

knew of. Not the cold-hearted, business focused father who I’d

Not Eric Reid.

snapped the folder of documents closed, no longer wanting to read anymore.

gone looking through it to begin with, such a thing would get me in trouble. But I’d figured since I’d already

it seemed I’d been wrong about that, if only for unexpected reasons.

And I sighed.

world, the more dark truths I discovered. Truths that would only lead me into situations I was better avoiding. Just like how chasing after

a mistake. Undeserving.

documents on the passenger seat. My father could have them back and secure his business, just

that the juxtaposition

fell next to the book

picked up out of curiosity at the time but then somehow hung onto during the chaos.

me

choices as they laid side by side.

book with a title topic I was slowly

Council of the Silver Mist’ the front cover read. ‘A history of The Winter Mist and

Silver Lake’.

bias I would find inside upon reading. Though some information was better than nothing. Better than… being spat. at for being a Devil.

chase down another

Kieran for the millionth time. It felt as though I’d had a part of myself torn away

My other half.

My… mate.

I lo-.

No.

down this path.

Rheyna… I

was time for me to go

exactly what

driving before I finally got back to Lockdale City. The familiar scent of my home greeted me as I entered the house, the place quiet now within the late hour of the night. This was my longest time being away and it felt almost… safe being back here. An odd feeling considering the nature of my life, but

A needed one.

shone brightly through, emanating from down the hallway. I knew what

father was awake.

nervous confronting him. Would he be angry? Had he somehow