A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter Sixty–One 

“...What did you just say?” I asked, my voice thick with disbelief. 

“I said they‘ve declared war,” Alexander repeated. “They‘ve said that if we don‘t release Caius before sunset tomorrow that they will officially announce their intent to bring him home by force.” 

Less than twenty–four hours. I had less than twenty–four hours to free him or we would be initiating a war. 

...And it would be my fault. 

“It‘s not enough time,” I whispered, the panic rising inside me once more. “...It‘s not enough time... It‘s not enough time.” 

I took a step backwards as my mind continued to whirl. This was it. Everything had been leading to this moment and it was finally here. 

“Is there anything else I need to know?” Aleric asked him. 

Alexander frowned as if he‘d expected him to have a different reaction.“... No? Just that we received a letter from the Silver Lake just now... —” 

“You can go then,” Aleric interrupted. “Thank you for telling me as soon as possible.” 

“What? ....Uh, yeah, okay...,” Alexander said, confused. 

He took a few steps backwards, still unsure as to why he‘d been dismissed so quickly, before finally turning around to leave. 

As soon as Alexander was out of sight, Aleric immediately turned his attention to me. 

Everything was spinning, making it hard to focus. What could I possibly do to stop this now? Maybe confronting Thea myself and trying to get her to confess again? But no... that energy inside me had become disconnected, like a flickering light whenever I tried to grasp it. I remembered how sick it made m e last time and didn‘t think I could force anyone to follow my orders right now even if I wanted to. A parto fme knew that doing so would be reckless... potentially deadly. 

“Aria,” Aleric said, his voice cutting through my thoughts. It was enough to make me look up to him, meeting his gaze directly. “Breathe. In and out.” 

As he said the words, I realised my breathing had become shallow, my concentration on thinking taking priority. Slowly, I breathed in deeply and back out again. 

“You‘ve got that same expression that worries me,” he said. “The one where I leave you alone to calm down, only to find out you’re acting completely insane a few days later. We don‘t have time for that anymore. I need smart Aria right now, not self–destructive Aria.” 

He was right, I needed to slow down and think properly. Confronting Thea myself was far too risky and 

almost certainly wouldn‘t work out in my favour. 

And so, I closed my eyes, my breathing still shaky, but I did my best to focus. 

I went over it all in my head, thinking through the different possibilities, the different outcomes... but with the limited time we had left, there wasn‘t much we could do. 

Shaking my head, I frowned. “There‘s no time, Aleric... our best hope is that Jonathan accidentally reveals himself tomorrow or Thea slips up.” 

“... That‘s cutting it pretty close,” he said. 

“I know... which is why I have one more solution as a backup plan that is almost guaranteed to work.” 

He crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. “If it‘s quaranteed then why don‘t we just implement that one first instead?” 

I bit my lip, unsure if I should tell him. I already knew what his reaction would be. 

“Well... because..,” I started hesitantly. 

His frown deepened for a second before finally, he understood what I meant without me even needing to finish. I could see the recognition on his face when he realised what I was planning. 

“No, no way,” he said, a tone of finality in his words. “You‘re not doing that.” 

“Aleric, I don‘t have a choice.” 

“You‘re throwing your life away,” he argued. “Everything you‘ve worked towards, everything you‘ve fought for. You‘re going to give it up for him?” 

“I‘m not giving it up for him... I‘m giving it up for the pack. Both packs. I‘m giving it up to save innocent people.” 

his head. “Aria, think this through

to confess. There is no other way. The side effects of my punishment do not

well the destruction they left behind. This time the cause wasn‘t even for power or territory... it was over releasing an innocent man. A man accused of my own

a breath, calming my voice back down to help him see reason. “Aleric, if you really cared about the Winter Mist, and I know you do... you‘d let me do this. Please don‘t ask me to stand by and let people die for me. I don‘t need

what if Tytus sentences you to death? What then, huh? I can‘t save you from that, Aria. You know as well as I

rest of my life before killing me. He likes the status image I provide too much. The

every Goddess devout nutcase on our doorstep demanding their Saintess‘ freedom. You‘ll become a martyr within your own oppression. We‘re potentially

scheduled for just after lunch tomorrow. In

said flatly.

Is this really due to dealing with the devout follower backlash or is this about something else? is it Cai? Do you really hate him that much? I know

giving up on whatever

what? What were you

“Nothing. Forget it.” 

Chapter Sixty–One 

defensively. “You always do this,” I said, not bothering to hide my irritation. “I say something or do something and you just go quiet instead of telling

making smart decisions and knowing when some things are better left unsaid. Would you

solve all your problems, Aleric. What are you really afraid of here? Is it that you‘re insecure over whether I‘ll usurp you one day? Gather followers of the Goddess around me and take over what you feel you‘re entitled to? Let me give you a quick tip for avoiding that future; don‘t piss me off. I never wanted the job anyway. Why do you think

just pick and choose which title you want whenever it

was right, I had overstepped that line. Instead, a moment of icy silence hung between us, neither of us wanting

his dark wavy hair. “Just... do what you think is right, Aria.

We had burnt ourselves out with this investigation the last few months, spreading our free time too thin with all the additional work it brought us. It was no surprise really that we were both now in each other‘s faces the second that war was finally at our doorstep. It was a

had to give him credit where it was due. If it hadn‘t been

put in, it was now just as much Aleric‘s choice as it was mine since it was technically his life on the line as well. He‘d lied about my involvement

too,” I mumbled. “It‘s not like I want to do this, Aleric. Just... trust me. You‘ll have

tiredly at his eyes. “Aria... that‘s not... Yep.

a small smile. “Maybe we‘ll catch Jonathon tomorrow and be dragging his ass into that meeting instead.”

“Hopefully.” 

I could see on his face that he looked as though he wasn‘t exactly pleased with the outcome, but I

I said, motioning towards the car. “I‘ll drop you off at the packhouse on the

you going?” he asked, starting to walk with me.

Chapter Sixty One 

I needed to go next. Only it wasn‘t somewhere I wanted

go prepare for

enough that I was now familiar

the last but my respect for him had remained. Those last moments he‘d gifted me with my father had been

heir,” he greeted me, inclining his head slightly in

acknowledgement. “James.

“Same as always.” 

and instead opened the door,

room beyond came into sight, my eyes immediately darted around, searching until they fell on a pair of familiar gold ones staring right back at me. He was seated at a small table that had been

his neck, and wish for the thousandth time that this wasn‘t real… but I couldn‘t. Not here, not today, and definitely not over the last few months, had I been able to do anything remotely close to that. We were forced to strict professionalism due to

how are you?” I

complaints even once since coming here but I knew it had to be hard. I could see the circles forming under his eyes and how he‘d lost a little bit of weight.

“It‘s good to see you.”

composure. I could see in his eyes what he was really telling me and it only made things so much harder.

and tried to refocus.

now, I couldn‘t bring myself to do it. He would know what that meant, what two paths would potentially be waiting for me now. But, more importantly, he

umm… I just wanted to check in and make sure you‘re still hanging in there,” I half lied, taking a seat at the table opposite him. “Are they treating you

at least feels a little less... prison –y. Kind of feels more like home arrest now… if my home was

bring myself to give him a

for some time, neither of us knowing what to say. I couldn‘t speak freely with him and yet there was so much I wanted to speak

silently. James was at the

he saw just how sincerely I meant that. How much weight I

looked at me with concern, as if he was sensing exactly what I was feeling, and inside I could feel that pit of guilt clench.

said, no longer having the strength for this anymore. I felt overwhelmed, like I couldn‘t breathe. “I should be going…

his hand suddenly shot out, clasping my wrist to pause