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."

as I won the small victory,

me Raven," I called

I entered the bar before he could ask any

mostly a lot of people

would

of place I personally liked to have a drink,

wasn’t here today for that.I was here

his scent as it slowly became stronger the

every person I walked past, but none were

done a lap of the entire floor, I was

was he? I kept

that’s when I finally found

itself, but veering

door that held a sign saying ‘Staff

wasn’t going to

servers and staff weren’t looking, I slipped through the door and continued to follow his scent

for the most

question I had though was why was he here of all places...? It was almost as if he knew I

he would have to know I could trace

swimming in my head but, as I rounded the

found myself falling into that trance as [ met his

to explain, but seeing him again made

inside that had been scratching away was

because he

I was in front of him, within feet of being

a perfectly fitted

every

inside me to not just

if to embrace me, but it was that very same

to fix this exact issue, one which was causing me to feel

I took

almost relieved, and it caused a shiver

for you for days.Do you have any idea

losing my mind, and yet this guy was almost certifiable, acting a s though we were

Was I missing something?

to say, so extremely confused by this

before I explained a few things to you,

contact you, but out of everyone I spoke to, only one person seemed to know of you.Something that they even admitted to not knowing prior to the

have to be him since I didn’t end up slaying at

were you

then stalk her? Why

anything.What you’re

I said,

become infatuated.It doesn’t stop them from being able to function...or work...or

I needed it.I needed it more than anything if I

that.I can’t just undo

I pulled out

you did

would be a civil conversation but he was proving to be

it was between drawing blood or going back to my father empty-handed, the choice

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

it easy fora

me into another trance,

enough to scare him into taking me seriously.I

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

I could get my dagger anywhere near him, suddenly he was wielding one of his own

weapon that looked

definitely mine.He

"Calm down!" he yelled.

explain everything but you need to

But I was angry.

felt before

feelings bubbling inside that I wasn’t used to, all jumbling

at him, at my own

failures, at my situation… and I was

knowing I would b e losing both my father’s respect and my

dagger again, angry tears beginning to

don’t have to hurt you," I

we can go

deflected the dagger again and proceeded to be

fluidly as if he'd been doing this sort of

the first time facing someone who was anywhere near as skilled, if not more so, than I

both impressive and concerning at

this might not be as easy as

I thought he left open, and yet he

faster I moved, but nothing seemed to

was moving as quickly as I was at

that I

?" I yelled in