A Gift from the Goddess by Dawn Rosewood novel Chapter 56

Chapter Fifty–Six 

I walked up and approached the stump slowly, unsure if I even wanted to proceed. 

Just being here made me feel sick. Ever since coming back, I’d always purposely avoided this place, knowing it would dredge up memories that already haunted me more than enough. 

And that‘s exactly what was happening. 

I could see flashes of it all happening before me again as if it were real. An alternate reality where I was convicted of a wrongful death. 

I saw the faces of the pack members as they stared at me with such malice, parting the crowd to let me walk up. I saw the Elders sitting in the chairs assembled in a semicircle… and, of course, Aleric and Thea. Thea who was seated in the Luna‘s seat. 

In a daze, I continued to walk forwards, the large oak stump beckoning me on like an old friend. Hadi become delirious? When was the last time I had even slept? The combination with my weakened state probably wasn‘t doing me any favours as it all felt so real. 

But nevertheless, I kept walking forwards until I stood before that stump and, immediately, I sank to my knees, just as I had in the past. The ground felt just as cold as I remembered and that same shiver went down my spine. 

This was it. This was the place it had all ended. I could hear as the voices around me recited the words of the trial as if I were there once more. Usually, I did everything I could to block out the memories, to repress it, but this time I sat and listened quietly, letting it all play out just as it had. 

‘*“I think the evidence here has weighed in an obvious result. Do you have anything to say in your defence, Ariadne?“*‘ | heard Aleric‘s voice ask. 

It was my line next. I still remembered the words perfectly. 

‘*” sincerely hope the Goddess smites you all for the murder of an innocent you are about to carry out,“+‘ || said quietly to the panel of ghosts trialling me. My voice only held sadness now, not the bitterness I‘d felt when I‘d first spoken these words. ‘*“There is nothing I can do anymore to prove myself not guilty against the stacks of false evidence you have brought forward, but deep down... I hope you all suffer. When I am gone and you are alone, I hope I haunt you. I hope my face is what you see when you finally meet your demise. My only mistake was in loving someone.”*‘ 

It was strangely true that I had come back to haunt them, just not in the way they would expect. I suppose they should consider themselves lucky I didn‘t make it my goal to kill them all as soon as I returned. 

A small smile tugged at my lips humourlessly over that thought as I gently reached out, placing a hand on top of the stump that had held my last moments. So much pain I‘d felt at that time, so much betrayal and hurt… so much emptiness. 

And I realised it was similar to how I felt now. It was as if I‘d gone full circle having become someone I was finally proud of... only to revert back. I‘d reverted back and become someone so much worse. 

But this didn‘t need to be me. Whoever this was now.. it was dark. It was someone... unpredictable, scared, and seeing enemies in even those I cared about. So terrified of the past reoccurring that I‘d pushed everyone away and tried to kill Thea myself. 

I was acting insane in my desperation to prevent the same future. 

In a weird way, Thea had been right. I was meant to be smarter than this, a logical thinker, and yet I‘d done several stupid things tonight without a second thought. I‘d always felt my strengths were aligned in 

my ability to think out a strategy but it was clear I was still weak when it came to my own emotions and other people. 

Sighing, I calmed myself in my mind, letting go of the things I‘d been holding onto. This wasn‘t the past anymore and I needed to focus on the future. 

...Including learning to accept Myra was dead... and move past it. 

‘*“Therefore,“*‘I heard Aleric‘s voice once more, the trial having continued the duration I was in thought, ‘*” with the power held within me, I, Aleric Dumont, Alpha of the Winter Mist Pack, sentence you, Ariadne Chrysalis, former Luna of the Winter Mist Pack, to death. Your sentence is to be carried out immediately. “* 

I didn‘t feel scared though. This trial wasn‘t real and it didn‘t need to hold power over me anymore. 

Instead, I turned around and rested my head on the stump as I stared up into the sky. It was a cathartic experience, one that left me feeling... peaceful. 

I knew this darkness was something I‘d need to be careful about from now on. It was clear just how quickly I could negatively impact everything around me and lose my ability to think logically. 

...And it was clear just how quickly I could become dangerous. To both myself and others. 

At some point, I must have fallen asleep as I laid on the ground by the stump. Because the next thing! remembered was a voice calling out to me. 

“Aria?” 

| stirred but didn‘t wake up. I still felt so exhausted from the night before, my body feeling too heavy to move. 

“Aria, are you okay?” they called again. 

I begrudgingly opened my groggy eyes finally and saw Cai standing near me. 

He sighed in relief when he saw I was okay. 

“Do you have any idea how worried I‘ve been?” he stressed. “I went to your house a few hours after you left and the attendants told me you still hadn‘t made it home yet. With how you were acting, I freaked out thinking the worst. I‘ve been searching all night for you, tracking your scent, terrified something had happened to you.” 

I could see that behind me the sunrise was starting to dimly light the area around us. It lit up his features enough that I could see how angry he looked but I knew it was just out of fear for me. I couldn‘t help but find my breath catching slightly at the sight of him though. The warm orange tones of the light made him look almost otherworldly. 

I smiled at him a little, something that only deepened his frown, but I couldn‘t help it. His concern only heightened how I was feeling. 

I sat up and reached my hand out towards him silently, indicating for him to come closer and take it. He hesitated for a second, regarding me warily, before finally giving in. 

Immediately, I could feel how warm his hand felt in mine as I pulled him towards me, drawing him in until he was next to me on the ground. 

“What the hell, Aria, you‘re freezing,” he said and quickly wrapped me up in his arms, rubbing them downt o warm me up. “Were you here all night?” 

I sighed contently and nestled my head into the crook of his neck sleepily, gently grabbing onto his shoulder. I could feel him begin to relax at my touch, just the same as how his presence made me feel calmer too. 

“Yes,” I answered quietly. 

“...Why?” 

I shrugged my shoulder slightly. “I did some stupid shit and fell asleep here.” 

He pulled away slightly in surprise, trying to look down at me to see if I was being serious. A part of me whined inside as he moved away and I grabbed onto him a little tighter. 

“Are you in danger? Do you need help?” he asked. 

I shook my head and smiled. “I‘m fine. Genuinely, this time. Believe it or not, my camping adventure was very therapeutic. Maybe it can be a new hobby. I‘ve never really had one of those.” 

He looked at me incredulously as he gauged my seriousness and I could see how it might be hard for him to trust anything I was saying based on our last conversation. But to my relief, he finally cracked, his lip twitching at the side into a small smile at my joke. 

“I‘ll have to give it a try sometime,” he said. “Though, if I‘m being honest, the trial grounds in my opinion would be like camping in a haunted house. Why would you come here of all places?” 

A quiet half–hearted laugh escaped me and I reluctantly pulled away to rest my head back on the stump. The stars above were starting to fade as the sun rose higher and I gently entwined my fingers with his, hoping some of his strength would pass to me. 

“Because I‘m connected to this place. A piece of me lives here, reliving the same memories. I guess you could say that I‘m one of the ghosts haunting this place,” I said softly, feeling too exhausted for more excuses. “... This is where I died, Cai.” 

I didn‘t turn to look at him but I felt him tense up, his fingers pressing harder against my own. 

It was time. Even if he thought I was insane, even if he never wanted to see me again, telling Cai was well overdue. If he knew then at least he could understand what was actually happening and what I was currently going through. Or maybe he‘d just call me crazy and that would be that. 

“What...?” 

“I died here,” I repeated. “Eight years from now I get wrongfully convicted of poisoning Aleric‘s mistress and causing a miscarriage. The pack condemns me and in my final moments, I die here alone, scared and in pain… and at the hands of my own mate.” 

I turned to look at him, meeting his gaze so he could feel how genuine I was being about this. But it wasn‘t an unpleasant moment. It was the first time I‘d been able to talk, or even think of the past, without immediately bawling my eyes out. 

“And the mistress...?” he finally asked. 

He understandably looked incredibly confused as he frowned, trying to comprehend exactly what I was telling him. 

There was a pause in conversation as I turned my eyes away. What was he thinking? He‘d told me he would be there for me even as a friend and it was something I‘d been willing to accept as a risk once opened my mouth. But even friendship was more than I had a right to ask for right now after pushing everyone away in my life. 

Tears stung at my eyes over hearing him say that. He believed me. He actually believed what I was telling him. “I know,” I whispered. 

I frowned, unsure what he meant, and worried whether he felt used by me keeping my secret for so long. 

“Well, you‘re… what? Twenty… six now?” he said, his lip curling in one corner as he failed to hide his smile. “Aren‘t I a bit young for you?”