A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 120: Book Two - Chapter 13

I left Noah in Zac’s capable hands and got his word that he’d call my father to say the job was completed per normal.He was risking a lot for my sake, I knew that.

A lot of risk for what seemed like absolutely no reason.

The level of danger associated with this insane plan wasn’t lost on me.

After all, the last thing 1 wanted was for Zac’s name to end up in my next manilla folder.I headed home as soon as I could, leaving enough time to arrive well before daylight, and walked towards my front door.

But it was as I was entering through the front gate to our property that something caught my eye.

It was an old lady, huddled up in a shawl, standing just on the street outside.

She had grey hair and eyes to match, clearly at an age that would suggest a retirement home or carer was required.

And yet she stood randomly outside my house at three o’clock in the morning, staring directly at me.

I paused for a moment and looked around, trying to see if she was with someone.

But when the empty street was completely silent and devoid of all other life, I started to wonder if maybe she’d gotten lost.

...Did I really have the energy to deal with this right now though? I was already so exhausted and just wanted to go inside to sleep in my own bed, something that would be a first after many days.

I could already perfectly visualise how soft my pillow would be...

just begging to be laid on and—.

"I can save her," the old lady suddenly said.

"I can save the girl." …

What? I took my hand off the gate handle and turned back around to fully face her, part of me still wondering if she was even talking to me.

"..Pardon?" I called back.

Wasn't it common for older people to lose their minds at a certain age? What if she was a dementia patient who wandered off? I should probably just look up where the closest hospital or retirement home was and tell them where to find—.

"The girl.Clarissa," she said.

As if that was of any real help.

I blankly stared back at her.

"I’m not Clarissa," I clarified.

"I think you’ve—."

"I know that," she snapped sharply, making me flinch a bit in surprise.

"Oh...kay.Well, is that...your daughter?" I asked, still trying to be polite.

"Or your carer? Do you want m e to call someone for you—?" 

But then she started to walk towards me, her stride more steady than I would have expected given her appearance.

There was something oddly strange about her too.

A weird atmosphere around her.

Or maybe I was just slightly unnerved by the whole creepiness of the situation.

"Do you not know who I am?" she asked once she stood within a few feet of me.

"Ma’am, truthfully, I’m not even sure if you know who you are.No offence," I said, starting to get more uncomfortable the longer this drew out.

"If you just wait here a moment though, I’ll head inside and wake up one of the maids.They can maybe help you out or something."

care about courtesy anymore and just

was something about this entire encounter that just rubbed

hair at the back of my neck standing up.I turned around and tried to open the gate, but she quickly moved

I had to bite back my instincts

was nothing to be worried about.She was just an

to be pushed over

"Wait, amoment," she repeated.

I reluctantly turned back around to meet

hold an

in a tone so low that I almost didn’t hear

the true story

completely serious as I shuffled uncomfortably under

I could feel her scrutinising me, analyzing my face for any sort of recognition that I knew what she was

of course, I

a

a book you used to read to your grandkids or something?"

she only continued

I really wanted

was so close to home, merely a foot away from being back on

forward and I could close the

so close to me that I wasn’t sure what

right in the

flying into the air somewhere, she finally turned

can save her," she

And she started walking back down the

through the gate and locking it behind me, my

caused by just

the old crone, I would have to answer

I walked through my front door, I saw a

people in the house

had every intention of just ignoring it and heading upstairs

...

the familiar

foot had been on the first step of the staircase as I came to this realisation, so close to finally being able t o go to bed, but I

He was expecting me.

sigh, I stepped back...and headed towards the

he greeted me, sitting in a

was standing, I could only see his arma s he held a drink

"Father," I replied.

not long ago," he said, taking a

than

was this old lady outside,"

talk to me

the job.The agreed upon time should have seen you home a long time ago."

"Ah..." 

"Did everything go...smoothly?" 

No.No, it had not.

couldn’t think of many ways

opening a door to a liability of my own

an employee for a kidnapping job...then by

was continuing to hide that consequence because I

mention any of this

already in far too deep to come

I couldn’t help

had that smuggler managed to find out? Was it related

all

building, is all.A crowd of people were drinking outside and, well, intoxicated o r not, they'd

so...?"

he? But

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