A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 51

Chapter Fifty–One 

Three days. 

It had been three days since Myra had died... and I felt suspended in time, unsure over what to do next. 

After that night, I had arrived home and walked straight into the shower. The process had taken a while since I had needed to peel off all the clothes that had stuck to me; their condition no longer salvageable a tall and would need to be thrown out. 

I‘d stood under the showerhead and watched as the hot water turned red all around me, washing away all the evidence of what I‘d done. But it wasn‘t enough. Even when the water had begun to turn clear, I started to scrub at my body. I scrubbed… and scrubbed… and scrubbed… until my flesh was almost as red as the water had been. 

But even then, I could still see it. I could still feel it. 

It hadn‘t been enough. 

*I* hadn‘t been enough. 

For three days, I‘d done nothing but lay in bed, barely eating or moving. It was all I could do. 

My parents had tried to talk to me, but I didn‘t know what to say. I didn‘t even have it in me to lie and make them feel reassured like I might have done normally. Inside, I had now lost all sense of motivation t o keep going. 

Since coming back, I‘d been working so hard to keep myself alive, to stop whatever impending doom was yet to unfold, but I‘d been so focused on saving myself that I‘d now sacrificed someone else for that cause. 

And Thea? Well, if this was a game of chess, then I felt I‘d just lost one of my most important pieces. This whole time I’d thought Thea was playing as a king, ruling from behind the scenes and keeping safe. But I was wrong. Just like her ambitions in life, it seemed Thea was actually playing as a queen; able to adjust and change depending on the situation... and able to go the extra mile to strike or kill if necessary herself. 

I shook the thoughts off instantly, feeling sick at myself. There I had been going again... thinking of others as pieces in my game of survival. This was exactly how I‘d gotten Myra killed. She‘d even pointed out to m e how I‘d been acting so selfish and yet, not even ten minutes later, I‘d sent her out to die for me. And she did so with a smile on her face, happy to be helping me. 

Around my neck, I could distinctly feel the weight of Myra‘s necklace, now heavy with the guilt I carried. A t times I felt like it stopped me from breathing as if it would slowly crush me, but it was always just in my head. I was sometimes disappointed once I realised that fact. 

And so, for the thousandth time that day, I traced my fingers along the stone embedded on the chain, consumed in my own thoughts, just as I had been every single day that had passed since her death. 

So focused in my head that I almost didn‘t even notice the sound of knocking coming from the bedroom door. 

But I didn‘t turn to see who it was. There was no point. It was either my parents or Lucy since everyone else had been told I wasn‘t taking visitors. 

“Miss?” 

Lucy. 

I stayed still, staring up at the ceiling, and waited for her to tell me whatever it was she had come to say. 

Chapter Foily One 

“Miss, you had another visitor today.” 

That wasn‘t unusual. Apparently, Aleric had shown up yesterday to check in but my mother had explained that I still wasn‘t well. Several other people had also come by over the last few days, either out of concern or to ask more questions, but all of them were asked to kindly give me some space. 

I wasn‘t sure why Lucy was still bothering to tell me. 

“It was a boy,” she continued. “His name was... Caius? That Alpha heir from the Silver Lake pack.” 

I froze up at the sound of his name. 

Cai. 

deliberately avoiding him this entire time because I didn‘t know

know what I‘d done? Had he

he say?” I

once. “He said h e wanted to check in on you. Apologies, there was no real message other

so hard to save Myra, almost dying ourselves in that process, and yet I‘d somehow managed to get her killed anyway. Did he hate me now?

still under the impression

a sitting position, my head pounding with

you getting up? Did you

bridge of my nose. I was needing to take a second to concentrate on calming the disarray

get me something to wear, Lucy... I‘m going

for a moment in shock before quickly rushing to the wardrobe to

friend too, after all. If it were me,

was staying. I‘d enquired about which house he was currently occupying from the managing office that oversaw the guest residences. Given my rank, they thankfully gave the information over

minutes and still hadn‘t worked up the courage to knock. Was I making a mistake?

long now that I

but the

me. I could see his eyes had faint traces of dark circles under them and could only assume this was due to the news of Myra‘s

“It was that or I‘d gone insane being able to smell your scent for

make light of a situation.

Chapter Fifty–One 

feel that

to face him yet and my body began to shake, tears starting

my face away when I couldn‘t look

“Aria?” 

rushed forwards, trying to comfort me. It took a few moments before he finally spoke

to lead me through the door.” Then

guest houses were purposely self–contained since we had the means and budget to offer

couch, throwing a blanket around my shoulders ash

to me,” he said, sitting down next to

before I could trust my voice enough to not completely

sorry... I‘m sorry about Myra,” I said, tears falling down my face. “I couldn‘t save her this time. I couldn‘t... I sent her to do

silent for a few seconds, trying to process

killed by the

It was a girl named Thea. Probably working with the rogues, for all i know. But no one believes me. No one believes me that it was definitely her. And I knew Thea was shady and I still let Myra go talk to her. It‘s all

again, clearly still very confused. “... Did you know she was that dangerous? That she might physically

but 1–,”

your fault,” he said plainly. As if that was enough to make it all better.

Cai, I

He rested his hand on my cheek to make me meet his eyes. “It‘s. Not.

as I gave in to my grief. He pulled me into his side and held

freeze itself back over as the seconds ticked by.

clear, I became painfully aware of

felt in the last three days. Three days where inside I‘d been devoid of anything that felt living. And so, as I looked up into his incredible golden

Chapter Fifty One 

a part of me started to wonder if there

he was close. So close. Close enough that I could see every line and detail

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