A Gift from the Goddess

The plan was simple; Track down Kieran and demand he fix whatever he did to me.

With Noah tied up and locked inside a cupboard, I would head towards the hotel which had been listed i n Victor Lycroft’s information folder.

With any luck, his son had the same taste in accommodation.

Once I found him and got my answers, I’d then just have him undo the effects before going back to Noah t o finish the job.I'd complete my mission tonight and get back home without any issues.

As a result, Father would begin to trust me again and Gavin wouldn’t need to drag me back into the basement.

Everyone will be happy.

Well...except probably Noah.He’d be dead.

But that was unfortunately just the way it had to be.

‘C'est la vie’ some would say.Now to just pray that nothing went wrong.I hailed a taxi and gave the driver directions to the hotel, doing my best to make my clothes seem more casual on the way over.

There wasn’t much I could do but I worked with what I had.

By the time I arrived, there was nothing on me that would stand out too much in a public setting.

Upon stepping out of the car though, I found the hotel was surprisingly large.

The kind of place only the very wealthy could afford which, given he was the son of a literal mayor, I guess that made sense.

Though for a small town I’d never heard of before, they sure seemed to have the cash to spare.

Whilst this was an interesting thing to note, it unfortunately meant that sneaking in was going to be difficult.

The place would have security cameras and staff walking around everywhere.

So how was I meant to...And then I smelt it.

That intoxicating scent that I could recall so vividly now.

The one belonging to Kieran.

He was here or, at least, he’d been here sometime recently.I would just need to follow it and hopefully scope out the area before entering his room.

But the scent didn’t lead me towards the elevator as I expected.

No, it led me to the hotel’s bar area.

A place where far too many people would be around to witness.

Certainly not an ideal development in this plan.

"Apologies, madam," a man at the entrance said, holding a hand out to pause me.

"I just need to quickly confirm your name and room number, or the room number of the person you're here to see." I stared at him blankly, confused.

This hotel was apparently far more exclusive than I’d realised.

However, I’d had to deal with far worse obstacles than this before.

"Oh! Is that so?" I asked innocently.

"That’s a little awkward...You see, I was sent here to surprise Mr Lycroft but no one told me his room number.I guess i t was just a mix-up.Isn’t there any way I could still g o inside? Just this once?"

He looked uncertain and taken a little off guard.

This wasn’t the kind of job where you’d want to accidentally insult the wrong influential person.

"Oh ...Well I suppose I could quickly go in and find him to confirm.Mr Lycroft you said?"

He took a step away as if to enter, but I knew if he did that and Kieran told them to not let me in, then this whole plan would become messy.

"That won’t do," I said a little too quickly.

I then walked over to gently touch his arm.

"As mentioned, it’s meant to be a surprise.We haven’t seen each other in the longest time and his father, Victor, told m e Kieran was in town."

"Madam...we have precautions in place to ensure the safety and privacy of our gu—."

"The whole family will be so disappointed if it’s ruined.We’ve been planning this for a while now.I know Victor likes to come here regularly when he’s here for business.It would be a shame if this one unpleasant experience tarnished that...Especially if I have to call the family so late for something so petty "

Immediately, he became flustered, but I didn’t give him any more time to process the situation.

After all, bad decisions were always made under pressure.

"Please...," I repeated, giving him my best smile.

And it only took a few more seconds before, finally, h e cracked.

"Okay...very well.I’ll just need your name for the record and you can head on inside."

giddiness rose inside me as I won the

call me Raven," I called

entered the bar before he could

mostly a lot of people sitting close

of atmosphere one would expect

to have a drink, but I was

for that.I was

as it slowly became

faces of every person I walked past,

the time I’d done a lap of the entire floor,

where the hell was he? I kept walking, heading towards

I

scent, not within the room itself, but veering off through a door to

door that held a sign saying ‘Staff

wasn’t

I was certain all the servers and staff weren’t looking, I slipped through the door

untouched for the most part, clearly not

he here of all places...? It

know I could trace his scent, which

but, as

found myself falling into that

but seeing him

something inside that had been scratching away

because he

I was in front of him, within feet of being able to

wore a perfectly fitted suit, his dark

in every

took everything I had inside me to not just immediately

me, but it was that very same movement that made me

issue, one which was causing me to feel this way about

I took a step

shiver to spread through

been looking for you for days.Do you have any

the one losing my mind, and yet this guy was

Was I missing something?

was all I managed to say, so

you some time to cool down before I explained a few things to you, but

you, trying to find out how I could contact you, but out of everyone I spoke

to be him since I didn’t end

were you looking for

then stalk her? Why

you’re experiencing is completely

I said,

doesn’t stop them from being able to function...or work...or do anything.I

I needed it.I needed it more than anything if I wanted to stay in my

that.I can’t just undo it.It has to

and I pulled out

you did

civil conversation but he was proving to be stubborn,

or going back

"Woah...slow down," he said.

take it easy fora

let him lull me into another

him with the intent of holding him up at knifepoint; just enough to scare him into taking me seriously.I was quick and had training,

skilled, proving that back when we’d met the

dagger anywhere near him, suddenly he was

weapon that

inspection, it was definitely mine.He must have kept

"Calm down!" he yelled.

need to

But I was angry.

I’d ever felt before in m y

wasn’t used to, all jumbling around confused with whatever

at my own new inability to

my failures, at my

losing both my father’s respect and my usefulness t

beginning

have to hurt you,"

fix me and we

and proceeded to be on the defensive as I

as if he'd been doing

me, it was the first time facing someone who was anywhere near as

both impressive and concerning at the same

meant that this might not

for areas that I thought he left open, and yet he somehow managed to defend perfectly every

moved,

moving as quickly as

that I knew wasn’t

are you! ?" I yelled in