A Gift from the Goddess novel Chapter 146

“My name is Rheyna…,” I said. “Rheyna Knight.”

How strange to say it after all this time. It wasn’t something I felt all that connected to nor had any particular fond memories of. It was simply the only thing I could recall when the orphanage had asked me who I was. Just my name and nothing else. Not even my parents.

“Allison?” I asked when she still hadn’t spoken.

Something about the whole situation seemed off. The alarms in my head were still screaming at me to run… and yet I did my best to keep ignoring it.

Only… Allison now hadn’t moved. Almost as if she were frozen in place.

“Allison? Did you hear me?” I asked. “Aren’t you… aren’t you going to check your book?”

But with her eyes cast down, her lips started to whisper something very quickly that I couldn’t hear.

“…Allison? What are you….”

And it was as I took a step towards her that her eyes then suddenly snapped upwards, staring at me with an expression that took me aback. A hatred within them unlike anything I had ever seen.

“…A Devil of the Mist,” she finished quietly.

“What? What do you mea—.”

But before I could ask, she then stood up and began talking as if reciting from an old book.

“Beware the Silver Saintess, her hair as silken thread. With her consort mate of power, the people wept and bled.”

“Alli—.”

“And beware the Siren’s call, his eyes as gold as ore. With whispers of manipulation, they’ll hold you in their thrall. And if you breathe despite this, a devil still awaits. Because forever lives another, the deathless angel mate.”

“Allison!” I yelled, beginning to panic. “Stop!”

And I took a step back in confusion, unsure what was happening.

“You were meant to be dead,” she hissed. “All of you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just stop and—.”

“NO!” she screeched. “Your words won’t work on me. I should have seen it earlier, the signs were all there. But I see you now. I see what you’re doing. Your power won’t work so long as I stay true to the Goddess’ path.”

And before I could do anything else, she then walked over to a glass cabinet, only turning back around to face me once she had retrieved a dagger.

“You’ve been influencing all of us to accept you. You with your silver tongue and golden eyes,” she spat. “Is this some sort of infiltration mission? Here to finish us off in revenge? Because I already lost my mother because of you. I will not go down easily.”

She moved into what looked to be an amateur defensive position, shakily holding the dagger up towards me. Me… who was still frozen in shock over what the hell was happening.

Because my mind was trying to piece together what she was saying… why she suddenly wanted to attack me… and the reason slowly dawned on me.

My family, the pack I must have once belonged to….

I was… a Devil of the Mist.

The same pack who had gone to war with Ashwood, who had apparently caused countless deaths and tarnished their traditions. Who were all allegedly insane.

…The ones who had caused the death of Kieran’s mother.

But there were bits I didn’t understand. Allison was talking about some sort of manipulation... only I wasn’t sure what that meant. I couldn’t remember ever doing such a thing.

Maybe she was mistaken or… or I was like some distant, twice removed cousin. Maybe I didn’t even share the same blood and was just a child of someone married into the family name.

…Though I’m not sure if that mattered right now.

Because it was clear that Allison had made up her mind… and she took a few steps towards me.

“Allison… don’t do this,” I warned. “I don’t want to accidentally hurt you.”

But she merely screamed at me angrily.

“Enough! That aura around you… That presence of reverence. Adoration. I’d thought this whole time that you were just easy to get along with, somehow feeling as if we were always meant to be best friends. Sisters. But it’s… it’s all a lie. Everything.”

“I’m not intentionally doing anything, Allison, I swear.”

“Were you even my brother’s mate or was that just another trick? Does he know? Did you bewitch him as well, Child of the Siren?”

She was getting closer and closer now, too close for comfort. Soon, I would run out of room within the small space of the archives. A situation that would demand a decision being made.

…Fight or flight.

Neither of which felt right.

“Stop, Allison, please.”

But as my back then hit a shelf, I knew it was too late.

She approached me slowly, her intention clear, and moved to strike. A sloppy attempt if I ever saw one, but I did my best to dodge it, using the book still in my hand as a shield.

“Die Devil!” she screamed at me, forcing me to push her away.

A little too strong as she almost fell.

What the hell was I meant to do here? Attack her? She was blocking the exit now so running would mean more conflict.

However, as the archives door then swung open, I was relieved to see the guard, Finn, come to hopefully intervene.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, shocked by the sight he was seeing. “Allison? What are you…”

“Help me, plea—.”

But during my focus on the guard, I hadn’t paid attention to Allison’s advance. And before I could plead for assistance, her dagger then came swiping towards me. Something I didn’t have time to properly deflect… and I caught the blade in my hand.

“Fuck!” I cried in pain, persevering through it to pull it out of her hand.

The cut was deep as my blood began to flow, but it had been worth it. At least I’d disarmed her for now.

“She’s a Devil of the Mist!” Allison yelled to the guard. “Her real name is Rheyna Knight. This entire time she’s been deceiving us with her siren’s call.”

“I haven’t been doing anything!” I argued. “I didn’t even know what The Mist was prior to a few days ago. Please, you have to help me. Allison has gone insane. She’s—.”

But it seemed my pleas fell on deaf ears as Finn’s face immediately changed. A darkness falling over him as he listened to Allison’s words.

“A Devil…,” he said, taking a step closer, and I cursed under my breath.

…I was screwed. Based on this reaction, it was clear that it wasn’t just Allison who would prove to be a problem once the information got out.

And I knew that this was it. I was done.