A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 121: Book 2 - Chapter 15 

"Raven."

Through the darkness I heard a voice, piercing through the haze.

It sounded urgent.

Someone calling out to me.

"Raven, shift back."

Every now and then I would see snippets.

Just stilled images flashing before me, showing pictures of a living room.

Of a broken table.

Of a boy.

It felt somewhat familiar but I couldn’t place it.

"Raven! —Ah, fuck."

..And pain.

So much pain.

The voice continued to call out to me, pleading with m e to do something...but I wasn’t ready.

No, instead, I rescinded into my mind further to escape.

To try and forget what was happening.

...To pretend everything was okay.

And so, I hid from it all, blocking out the images and voices.

Waiting until, finally, things didn’t hurt so badly.

..Until I was sure the pain had stopped.

".Raven," came the voice again.

Only, this time, recognition finally kicked in.

Kieran.

It was Kieran's voice and...and I’d shifted.Changing into the wolf and...—.

Oh...no, no...Instantly, my eyes flew open...and I found myself contained within his arms, wrapped up in a blanket.

He looked down at me with a face showing signs of exhaustion, his breathing heavy.

And I immediately knew something was wrong.

I wasn’t sure how long had passed but I was back to m y normal self, implying it had been at least a few minutes.

But...there was something else too.

Something I’d come to expect from these lapses.

..I could smell the sickly scent of blood.I squirmed out of his grasp, pushing away just enough to get a good look at him...and there it was.

The source of the smell.

A large gash down the front of his chest.

Blood flowing from it...increasingly becoming worse ...pooling on the ground around us.

And, suddenly, it was as if the whole world tilted.

Everywhere I looked there was blood.

Red painted on every surface, on every piece of furniture, on every wall...curtain...and lamp.

And as I frantically looked around, I felt my breathing quicken, my heart starting to race.

...Just what had I done? This was exactly what I had been afraid of and yet I’d let it happen.

I turned back to Kieran, finding his face now so pale, and I quickly moved my hands to his chest to help stop the bleeding.

Hands that were soaked even up along my forearms already.

"I’m so sorry," I whispered.

"I-I didn't mean to do this." I'd told him that this was dangerous and a bad idea.

Why hadn’t he listened to me?

 "Raven...it’s okay," he replied.

I looked at him incredulously, as if he were insane for not seeing the amount of blood he had lost.

It was a miracle he was even still able to talk.

"N-no...no it’s not okay," I stammered.

"Nothing about this is okay...You’re going to die because of me."

my entire body shaking, feel

knew what he was doing, that everything would be fine,

I actually a monster?

"Fine’?”

I repeated, my voice

don’t even have time t o call an ambulance.Goddammit, Kieran! Why didn’t you listen to

stop the bleeding but he then grabbed my hands

are you doing?!"

"Stop," he ordered.

barely even a

it’s not.How can you say that? You’re

calm down and look," he said, cutting

you...I-I didn’t mean

yelled this time, forcing me to meet his

"...I said I’m fine."

found

had already stopped bleeding a

"W-what...? I don’t understand..."

head around to look

from a few broken pieces of

No blood in sight.

had seen it so clearly, smelt the

that all be in my head?

to lift me onto his

first, still confused by what was happening, but it didn’t take long for me to realise what this meant.I threw my arms around him in relief, no longer caring if my sudden attachment to him

was that he

That he was safe.

"J-I’m sorry," I cried.

so sorry.I fucked

and gently stroked my hair, indulging my

the blanket, his warmth was

"You’re fine," he said.

didn’t do

did," I

whether it was minor, you

was still a failure.It

I’d never overcome.Somehow, it felt like I would forever be

this was my life now; useless to my father, and useless at things that should have been natural for me

another screw-up to add to the

didn’t seem to

pulled me away and held my face so I was forced

you did was your fault,"

"I mean it."

"But I—."

instantly

breath and repeat

not

opened my mouth to protest but he gave me a look that made

me this

I

he still seemed satisfied by my

in approval,

never seen

slowest, most painful changes I've ever witnessed.But...I don’t know.It’s giving me a

you mean? Are you saying there is actually something

you.But maybe more...something external affecting you," he

have anything metallic touching you like a piercing? It’d look something like silver." I thought about it for a moment before shaking my

for me given m

"No."

how about diet.Do you drink any teas? Or regularly

I replied again, becoming increasingly more confused by

in thought, visibly trying hard to come up with something else before, finally,

tell he was reluctant

"..What about medications?"

my body immediately

took for anxiety and post- shifting side effects; mostly the

By a doctor.

A professional.

least, they were a professional...employed by m y

he wouldn’t have though,

Kieran prompted when I still hadn’t

bile in my throat,

"Yes," I answered.

"Yes. I have medication."

you show it to

and walked to where I'd left my bag, finding it

bit of shuffling before I eventually could

everything happening so quickly, my fingers were

said, presenting

from

whole time, I silently watched as he worked, subconsciously pulling the blanket around

than anything that this really would be ordinary

rarely ever that

"These...these are suppressors,"

in shock, slowly looking up

and used in chemical warfare.I llegal

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