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."

I won the small victory, and I

can call me Raven," I called

bar before he could ask any

mostly a lot of people sitting close together having

atmosphere one would expect

kind of place I personally liked to have a drink, but I was familiar with the vibe

wasn’t here today for that.I was

his scent as it slowly became

person I walked past, but none

a lap of the entire floor, I was beginning

he? I kept

when I finally

not within the room itself, but

door that held a

obviously that wasn’t

I slipped through the door and continued to follow his scent until it led

untouched for the most

he here of all places...? It was almost as if he knew

I could trace his scent, which was already

questions were swimming in my head but, as I

I found myself falling into that

but seeing him again made me start to

been

because he was

within

first met, he wore a perfectly fitted suit, his dark brown hair styled to

every possible

everything I had inside me to not just

eye, he instantly moved forward as if to embrace me, but it was that very same movement

which was causing me to

quickly stopped himself as I took

shiver to

looking for you for days.Do you have any idea how

my mind, and yet

Was I missing something?

" was all I managed to say, so extremely confused by this

to cool down before I explained a few things to you, but it’s almost

contact you, but out of everyone I spoke

him since I didn’t end up

the hell were you looking

a girl then stalk her? Why are you

do anything.What you’re experiencing is

I said,

work...or do anything.I tracked you down for the sole purpose of

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

can’t just undo it.It

and I pulled out my

did to

would be a civil conversation but he was proving to be stubborn, giving me

drawing blood or going back to my father empty-handed, the choice Was

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

it easy

lull me into another trance,

enough to scare him into taking me seriously.I was quick and had training, so it should have been a piece of

skilled, proving that back when we’d met the first

suddenly he was wielding one of his own

weapon that looked awfully

definitely mine.He must have kept it this whole

"Calm down!" he yelled.

explain everything but you need to just chill for

But I was angry.

felt before in m

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

him, at my

at my failures, at my situation…

I would b e losing both my father’s

swiped my dagger again, angry tears beginning

don’t have to

fix me and we

dagger again and proceeded to be on the defensive as

doing this sort

who was

and

that this might not be as easy as

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

I moved, but nothing seemed

as quickly as I

speed that I

are you! ?" I