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."

courtesy anymore and just wanted to leave as soon

something about this entire encounter that

standing up.I turned around

to bite back my instincts telling

nothing to be worried about.She was just an

to be pushed over by

"Wait, amoment," she repeated.

turned back around

seemed to hold an intelligence there that I

so low that I almost didn’t

you know the true story

expression was completely serious as I

I could feel her scrutinising me, analyzing my face for any sort of

of course, I

a fairy tale?" I

you used to

only continued

really wanted

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

a step forward and I could close the gate between

me that I

she wasn’t right in

at the sound of bird wings loudly flying into the air somewhere, she finally turned away, pulling the hood

her," she

walking back down the

I didn’t waste any more time in stepping through the gate and locking it behind me, my chest still pounding slightly from the

caused by just one

far more terrifying than the old crone, I would have to answer that it was the man

door, I saw a light had been left

in the house should

intention of just ignoring it and heading

...

couldn’t help but catch the familiar scent of someone

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.

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

greeted me,

his arma s he held a drink in his hand, the chair facing away

"Father," I replied.

the call from Zac not long ago," he said, taking a sip

later than expected."

this old lady

she was lost.Kept trying to talk to me and

the job.The agreed upon time should have seen you

"Ah..." 

"Did everything go...smoothly?" 

No.No, it had not.

think of many ways in which it could have

have, opening a door to a liability

by failing to take care of

because

mention any of this to

I was already in far

I knew I shouldn’t be...but I couldn’t help but

that smuggler managed to find out? Was it

ah, it all went smoothly," I

crowd of people were drinking outside and,

so...?"

he? But then again...there

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