Hand of the Goddess ✔️

Chapter 9: Milk

"Lord Cedric Philips," the girl said, her red eyes flashing. "Is that any way to greet your sister? Mother and Father taught you better than that."

Nicole does a double-take. His sister? At first glance, the Lord looks nothing like the girl dressed in black. The girl had straight, platinum blonde hair while Cedric had wavy umber locks. But the longer she stares at them, the more she sees the resemblance. They had the same full lips with a prominent cupid's bow and deep-set eyes.

"I thought I wasn't family anymore," he said, keeping his distance from his sister.

"Mother and Father are reconsidering that," she said. "They want you back in the Family."

"I find that very hard to believe," Cedric said, his voice dripping with acid.

"Our Family has gotten much bigger ever since you left," his sister said. "They need your help to manage the new members."

Nicole had a feeling that their so-called "family" wasn't anything like her own. There was something off about this meeting. She sensed a lot of unresolved issues between the siblings, issues that created a tension so thick she could slice through it with her dagger. Too bad therapists didn't exist in Victorian England, at least not the kind of therapists she had in mind.

"You came to tell me to babysit?" Cedric asks, incredulous. "This has got to be a joke."

"Have I ever been known to joke about serious matters like this?" she asks. Despite her smaller stature, she clearly held the power in the conversation.

He glares at her. "Then why shoot me? You said they needed me." He takes off his glove, using it to wipe the blood off his face.

She shrugs. "I wanted to test your instincts. It seems that you're still slow as ever. You're lucky that bullet only left a cut. I should've expected nothing more from someone so weak and talentless."

Cedric fires a bullet at her. Nicole thinks it's going to hit his sister, but the girl dodges it easily, moving faster than her eye could see. Her mouth hangs open in surprise.

"Tsk tsk, Cedric," his sister said. "You know better than to do that. Guns are my forte."

"Leave," the Lord commands. "Consider that bullet my answer to the Family's invitation."

"You should think about it before you give me an answer so quickly. You were always the Family's disappointment. They're giving you a chance to redeem yourself," she said, moving closer to him. A small smile graces her face.

Cedric hesitates. Nicole could see that his sister's offer appealed to him, but something was holding him back.

"Rick, I miss you," she said. "It hasn't been the same since you left, you know? The Family is powerful, but they need order. You were always good at managing stuff."

The Lord flinches as his sister's nickname for him. He backs away from her, holding on to Nicole's arm. Nicole could feel Cedric's tight grasp on her and the way his hands shook. She wasn't used to him being unsettled by anything. He was the type of person to smile in the face of danger. But now, he was cowering near her, clinging to her like he was a kid.

"Cedric will think about your offer," Nicole said, speaking up for him, addressing his sister. "But you need to leave and give him some time." She stands taller, hoping she appeared more confident than she felt.

"You've changed," the girl said, ignoring Nicole. "Are you really going to let a maid speak on your behalf?" Now it was her turn to glare at Cedric's sister.

"She's not just some maid," Cedric said, straightening his back. He loosens his grip on Nicole. She blinks, surprised that he defended her. "And she's right, Alice. You need to leave. I will give you an answer within a fortnight."