A Gift from the Goddess by Dawn Rosewood novel Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five 

His shining eyes stared directly at me and I had to fight the urge to look behind to see if someone else was standing there. But no, I could feel the touch of his hand against my cheek, even the warmth emanating off his skin. This was real, he could see me.

“Aria…,” he said weakly.

“I’m here,” I replied.

I wasn’t sure how to react. I was still unnerved by the whole situation. All I could do was stare down at him confused and uncertain. Was this part of the vision or had something changed? “…Aria,” he called again. “Cai? Can you see me?”

I wrapped my fingers around the hand he was using to touch my cheek Maybe he was too weak to see me.

“.Aria.” 

I frowned at him. It was starting to feel more than just being unable to see me as he persisted i n trying to call out for me.

“Can’t you hear me? I’m right here.”

His eyes continued to bore into mine intensely before, finally, it was like he saw me. I watched as his expression changed to one of worry.

How could he be worried about me? He was the one who was dying.

“Aria… wake up.” “What....?” 

Wake… up? 

Suddenly my vision evaporated, and I was looking up at Cai, his concerned face close to mine a s he was bent over my body. It was just like in my vision, I could feel his hand was on my cheek as a few tears had escaped my eyes. Had he actually not seen me as held laid dying then? Was it just a mesh of the two realities as they transitioned? It had already been a frightening ordeal having to confront him like that without the added fourth wall breaking.

“Aria?” he asked, seeing that I was becoming more alert. It was too much. All of it it. My already weak body, the news of a ghost coming back to haunt m e… and then having to witness it for myself. I couldn’t do this anymore. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling him down towards me. He had to act quickly to use his arms to support himself so he didn‘t completely crush me during the sudden embrace. I didn’t care though. He couldn‘t have broken every bone in my body and it still wouldn’t have been enough. I cried into his chest, unable to process everything that had just happened. This gift was

becoming more like a curse every day. Had it really been necessary to be shown all of that? Caius Knight would die at the age of twenty–one with no Luna, mate or child. I already knew that was his fate if nothing were to change, I didn‘t need to be reminded. This wasn’t like Myra where being able to see it happen in a vision had a real benefit. This felt more like I was being reprimanded.

When I’d finally calmed down, I released my grip on him, allowing for us both to sit up. My eyes were painfully sore and puffy, my body ached still from the training.

“I’m sorry…,” I mumbled.

“Yeah, you might have mentioned that already once or twice… or ten times,” he joked.

I couldn’t reciprocate the joking half–smile he gave me though. 

“Aria, you need to tell me what the hell I just saw because I’m really confused.” He sat down with his back against the wall and drank from my water bottle. I could see a small frown on his face as he was trying to process the situation. “Is this like a medical condition you have? It was if you were asleep… except your eyes were open the whole time.” I shook my head. “I’m fine now, really. I’m sorry for worrying you.” I did my best to give him the best reassuring smile I could manage. “Aria! Enough,” he suddenly said loudly, a tone of annoyance in his words. “You’re clearly not fine. Stop feeding me that same bullshit line. You weren’t fine with Aleric and you’re not fine with whatever hell that was. If you don‘t tell me then I‘m marching you to your mum right now and telling her exactly what I saw.”

My face paled. If he took me to my mother then she would lock me up in the hospital for a few days in order to conduct extensive tests. And I could see I’d upset Cai, my chest tightening with the guilt of seeing him like that. He was worried and wanted to know what was wrong. I owed him at least some sort of explanation.

It had only made things more difficult. I was living with visions of graphic murders and was now having to fight harder for my right to be left alone. Not to mention that, if I somehow didn’t get assassinated by someone before my coming of age, then it would need to be classed as a miracle. This mark prevented me from ever being able to run away or even to live a peaceful life.

After we had finished talking, Cai helped me get back home and we agreed on a new training schedule. He had banned me from any physical exercise for at least a week to allow my body to recover some of the damage I’d already done, and he had even given me a new strict diet plan. I gave it to the cook at my house and told them to keep it quiet from my parents in exchange for a pay rise. Finally, a few days into my mandatory bed rest week, I was upstairs in my room when a small knock came from the door. “Come in!” I called out.