A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 91

Chapter Ninety–One 

There was only one choice. 

Only one that would allow me to salvage what little I did have left. I‘d already burnt bridges, destroyed faith... ruined any chance of having the life I used to so desperately crave. I couldn‘t necessarily fix what I‘d already done but I once used to believe that more bloodshed wasn‘t the way to solve the past, and that was probably still true now. Even if Thea made it harder to see things that way. 

No, I needed to save him... even if it proved more difficult than worthwhile. 

Calm down and think. I needed to consider this very carefully. 

There was always a logical explanation for these things when analysed, some sort of strategy. She could mess with my emotions and how I perceived things, but she couldn‘t change the hard facts. They were there if I just focused enough. I just needed to push past what I felt I needed to do, and concentrate on what the situation was actually telling me to do. 

I needed to put myself in her shoes... and see the incentive behind her actions. 

And so, I quickly closed my eyes and tried to see myself as her, thinking through what her decisions might have been that led her here, to this very moment.... 

*...I entered the vault and grabbed the sword because I need it to break the protection... but I’m caught. The young boy who came with Aria isn‘t with her but instead is in the weapons section... but maybe I wanted that to be the case. Maybe I waited so long because I needed to catch him alone.‘* 

*‘I don‘t kill him... because there is something else I require to break the protection. Something Aria has or is located next to. If that wasn‘t the case, I would have just disposed of him and attacked her immediately. But, no, I need him alive and to come with me because I still can‘t injure her directly; I need collateral. Something to use as a shield... someone to be a hostage.‘* 

*‘l approach Aria with the boy and talk to her... Partly because I want to... partly because there is another reason. I try to force her into a situation where she has two options; to attack me or to flee.‘* 

*... Why though? Am I gambling that Aria will do one over the other? And how would either of them help m e?‘* 

| opened my eyes again and looked at the scene in front of me, frowning in thought. Without more key information, I wasn‘t sure which path was the one she was betting on. Both of them were plausible and yet had their own issues. 

... But then I realised something. Something I was overlooking.... 

She was talking to me. 

It might not be in my head anymore but it was still the same thing she‘d always done; bringing up memories, making me lose hope... trying to make me scared and angry. Her weapon of choice was, and always has been, her voice. 

So maybe I didn‘t need to know which one she ‘wanted‘ me to do. Maybe all I needed to know was which one she didn‘t. 

...Which left only one thing I could do. 

“I surrender,” I suddenly said, standing up from the table in defeat. 

“...What?” 

A look of surprise and confusion immediately crossed her and Brayden‘s faces... though Brayden‘s erring 

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Chapter Ninety Ono 

more on the side of terror than shock. 

“I surrender,” I repeated. “You got me. I‘m contained in silver, underground, my bodyguard hostage... What am I supposed to do? You win.” 

“What is this? You don‘t care whether I kill him, is that it?” she said and proceeded to throw Brayden to the ground before her, sword still pointed to his throat. “You think I won‘t?” 

I paused for a second, taking in her abrupt reaction calmly. “No... I don‘t doubt that you will. I just don‘t know what you expect me to do here. I‘ve fought long enough, am both mentally and physically drained to my limit. I surrender, Thea. You win. Give Selene my regards when you finally face her.” 

Hesitation. She‘s hesitating, unsure what to do here. But, more importantly, it proved my theory correct; she couldn‘t hurt me yet. Which meant she couldn‘t kill Brayden either, her only leverage against me. Not yet anyway 

She had tried to push me to act out of emotion, to elicit a reaction that would make me flee or attack her. Which meant there was only one option left. By process of elimination, surrendering was the only thing! could do, the only thing I knew she didn‘t* want me to do. I was basically having to read myself and do the opposite of what I felt I was being persuaded to do. 

‘Your move, Thea.‘ 

Quickly, she then looked around the room, scanning the area around us before her eyes finally settled on a book stacked by the table. Was that what she was after? A book? But why would a creature as old as time need a book? 

I didn‘t get a chance to think on it more though as suddenly she kicked Brayden towards me, sending him flying across the ground. 

was it... she was going to try and run. I called

started sprinting towards the exit. But she made a fatal mistake though, one crucial

Brayden alive.

her. Do not

packs in the whole country. If a kick to

he didn‘t disappoint.

quickly got up to his feet and, without saying another word, ran after her, shifting mid–air to take advantage

the hard part.

down gravely at the handcuffs encircling my wrist and gritted

3...2… 1… 

*Pop.* 

pain, all the while wasting no time in sliding the handcuffs over my now

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UTUPILY UNC 

already once before, I made a point of learning how to escape from them in this life should I ever find myself in another life–threatening emergency. I‘d told myself that, if they were going to send met o the trial grounds again, it wasn‘t going to be while wearing them. Luckily for me, werewolf anatomy meant our joints were a bit more flexible

small part of me wondered if maybe I should be

this though. It meant one of my hands were now out of commission. I would only be able to defend myself with just my left; the hand that wasn‘t my dominant one. It also meant I couldn‘t

the scents of both Brayden and Thea as it led me towards the

staying hidden this whole time. That she‘d found an entrance that wasn‘t through the packhouse door upstairs. This meant | couldn‘t rely on her

though Brayden had engaged in battle, despite my clear instruction nott o get involved. The idiot was just meant to follow her,

outside, only to see Thea had him

the defensive but that wasn‘t going to work now. He would need to shift back if he was planning to do close combat like that. Wolf form was better for battle when you

Thea would just

shift!” I ordered as

I was a second too

realised that his wolf wasn‘t going to be enough to win and

was going to wait. She‘d already made the error of letting him live once, I doubted she was going to do that twice.

up, ready to strike, waiting for the moment he‘d be

as she did so, Brayden‘s face then turned to me as

of terror as it was too late to

of a man who knew he was

only thing I thought would work....

brought the sword down, I threw myself in front of Brayden, using myself a sa shield. If

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Chapter Ninety–One 

–Sillliiiiiiickkkk. 

shoulder, slicing into me as though I were made

in shock. Frozen

up to where Thea was looking down at me with

fulfilled. In fact, I didn‘t understand how this was possible at all. I‘d thought through everything so carefully. If she‘d been able to hurt

then the pain finally

and fell to my knees, tears starting to fall down my face. The silver mixed in with the injury was one of the most excruciating things I‘d ever felt. Perhaps it had been a blessing that this sword had killed me with just one strike in the past. Death would have been a kinder

would be a reality soon enough.

now finished with his

wall for support but

that,” Thea then said and quickly pulled the blade back out, forcing another cry of paint

My expiration

much blood before I had time to heal. The poison from the silver would prevent my accelerated healing from closing the wound quickly. So even if she decided

could muster, I then grabbed Brayden‘s shirt with my one good hand and pulled him down to look me in the eyes, forcing contact so he wouldn‘t be able to refuse me. That there would be no questioning my very clear order this time.

Of. Here,” I commanded through gritted teeth, pouring as much authority into it as

it to be possible to retrieve both the sword *and* save Brayden. But it resulted in

Brayden and I quickly kicked his legs out from under him, forcing him to hit the ground just as he narrowly avoided her attack. The difference in speed between the two of them was obvious. There was

get out of here, idiot! Now!” I yelled

look of hesitation towards me, he finally carried out my instructions, jumping back and shifting mid–air

He was safe.

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