A Gift from the Goddess

"Are you ready to follow the rules now?"

...Rule number one...obedience.

Always follow the orders from the boss.

No questions asked.I'd broken that rule.I knew I was breaking it the moment I’d chosen to run that night.I knew it would land me here.And yet I still did it.I pulled my body upright from the old bed, more sluggish than I would have liked, and hated how] still felt so sore from the injuries inflicted several days earlier.

‘Days’. That was the key word.

That was how long I’d been trapped in here, alone with my thoughts as it forced me to reflect on every decision I’d made leading to this point.

Because, at its core, that was the true punishment.

It wasn’t the pain.

No, that was always over quickly.

Gavin did a great job of making sure the damage inflicted was swift yet efficient.

Always enough to get the point across and never seeming to even flinch as h e did what he did.

But it was the psychological punishment that truly made it horrific...

‘Days’.I'd been in here...for days.

Alone.

In pain.

Wondering how I’d managed to convince myself that running had been worth it.

Wondering how much longer it would take before punishment was finally over.

And now this was the first thing spoken to me after all that time.

This voice of my father on the other side of the door, asking if I was ‘ready to follow the rules’.

Yes, I was ready.Of course, I was ready.I was about ready to do anything, to say anything, if it meant finally getting out of here.I’d learnt my lesson the minute Gavin had ripped me from my bed.

There was only one authority in my life and that was my father.

It had always been my father.

..Someone I just wanted to be free of.I forced that thought away as quickly as it sprung to mind.

It was thoughts exactly like that which led me t o this moment.

Testing the patience of a man who had none.I wasn’t exempt from the rules because of our relationship.

If anything, this punishment had been necessary.I’d clearly become too complacent in its absence and needed the reminder.

Really, it was my fault.

All my fault.

"Raven?" prompted my father.

Slowly, I swung my legs out of the bed and stood up, taking a deep breath.

The first one I’d done in so long, my chest having felt too sore earlier.

..And I committed to this decision to obey.To obey *him*.

“I’m ready," I replied.

It didn’t take long before I heard it.

The sound of a key clinking for a few seconds before the satisfying click of the lock.

Within moments, I found myself face -to-face with my father after all this time.

"Good," he said, entering the room towards me.

"Because there is work to be done."

..Already? So soon? But, no, that was another incorrect thought.I should b e thinking ‘thank you’, praising how lucky I was to be given another chance.

This was a good thing for me.

A moment to redeem myself.

A moment to show that I was still loyal.

My father held out a manilla folder towards me and I took it, giving a small nod to show how grateful I was.

Forcing myself to believe that very thing.

clean-up job," he simply

what

of course, I

had packed my

anyone to recognise me; this being accomplished via a moveable cloth mask that could be pulled

the most important things when completing a mission like

no

at least, if they did, then

one wanted to be recognised at a

location, choosing to stick to the shadows of the night and alleys along the

easier, but I'd be lying if I said my injuries weren’t interfering at

even back in the fresh air and with slightly faster healing, I knew

But I persevered regardless.

mind of proving

that nothing

made it to the location perfectly on time, intending t o enter the run-down looking apartment

in my mind, the

on the night of the

I wished would never

times.I gritted my teeth against the pain

deal with i t

now, I just needed to

slipped through the front door silently, making no

the easy part; entering the public area without

people wouldn’t still be around, coming home from the local pubs and

knew this wasn’t that big of a deal when this side of

all things considered.I hadn’t been given

name, a brief description, a time and a

hadn’t wanted to press for more details

to push my luck, having broken

follow the orders

was no need to

made my way up the stairs, choosing to avoid the elevator, until I finally came upon the room

around the corner and somewhat away from the eyes of anyone arriving via the

my head hadn’t subsided, something I was doing my best

fact, it made lockpicking the front door harder as concentrating

a little bit longer though.I had to hold out for just

from aT.V.and smelt the scent of someone located in

the target’s exact

to do was sneak up

complete with the new dagger I’d acquired

few cautious steps, testing the floor for any weakness that may

Moving closer until—.

‘—you don’t have to..."

a faint voice suddenly spoke behind me, and I instantly crouched to

one was

hell had that come from? It was almost like a whisper

it were right next

they were close

wasn’t just

a new

focus a s I looked

for whoever had

was definitely nothing

on the T.V could now be heard, along

whoever had spoken, it wasn’t stemming from the man I was here to

the name of Noah.I persisted through the pain and stood

quietly until I stood right behind the

now or

dagger, going for a spot that would

cause unnecessary pain, I just

have to do this...You don’t need

again.I instantly spun around and lashed my dagger out towards the voice, hoping to silence whoever it

the intense, sharp pain it seemed to

make it stop haunting

yet only empty air filled the space around me.No, there was no one there...but I thought

thing that had been messing with my head only

...It was that drug.

Kieran Lycroft

effects of whatever he’d done to me must have still been in

it was interfering with my work Scaring me out of doing what I needed

wrong and I simply was just losing my mind finally? Had this last punishment been the straw that finally made me break? But I didn’t get a chance to think on it further as I was dragged back into reality, the sound of another mistake

fuck?"

the hell

once more and, sure enough, there was

Awake.

in his