A Gift from the Goddess

"Rae...I do believe this guy is alive," Zac said.

The two of us were peering into the cupboard, looking at a very tied up and very terrified looking Noah.

"Yep," I replied.

"Right...right....And, just to make sure we’re on the same page here, you are aware that normally I don’t see this part, right? That I come in afterwards?"

"I’m aware."

At the sound of the conversation, Noah immediately started to squirm and plead to Zac with his eyes, hoping that he would help free him.

Not that it would do him any good.

"So, what's the hold up?" Zac asked, still confused.

"Isn’t this just another Thursday for you? I’ve seen you do worse."

He was right.This really wasn’t that abnormal of a job for me to do.

But I gritted my teeth at his question nevertheless, hating how I had ended up in this situation.

"I...can’t," I said, deflating in defeat.

"I can’t do it."

"You can’t...do it...," Zac repeated slowly.

"And why is it—."

"Look, I just can’t, okay?" I said, cutting him off, irritated at all the questions.

"I’ve tried.I even tried again before you got over here.I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it.End of discussion."

"...So why am I here? Just tell your dad that —."

"No."

Of course, Zac would suggest that.He didn’t know about every dark secret my father was hiding, only ever seeing as far as he needed to.

"No, I can’t tell him," I said.

"...And you can’t tell him either."

"Rae, the boss is expecting this guy dead," he said, taking a step back to look at me.

"I’m not really sure what’s going on, but you do realise he’ll find out sooner or later, right? You can’t just keep him locked up in a cupboard forever."

"Okay, fine! Fine...," I sighed in frustration, before slowly locking up to meet his eyes.

"...Then you do it."

Immediately, his face paled.

"What?! Rae, no! No," he blurted out.

"I don’t do that."

"c’mon, Zac," I whined.

"It’s not that different from cleaning up.Both have a lot of blood.I can talk you through it.Here...just grab this dagger like this...and then hold it in your hand facing—."

"Raven, stop!"

I'd been trying to get him to wield the weapon but he immediately held his hands up and stepped away.

"Just...chill," he said.

"I’m not going to kill someone."

"Argh! I spun around and angrily started pacing the room, beginning to get more worried as every second passed.I didn’t understand why this had to be so difficult.It shouldn't be this hard.Any other day, I could have done this job with my eyes closed.Why was I struggling to kill one random man? Who even was this guy? A small brown wallet then caught my attention as it sat on top of a table, and I walked over to inspect it.

guy look sort of familiar?" I

ignored him as I went digging through his

had a grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know those

I

of looks like that

Zac continued.

from a few

I said, reading the name

clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around

is this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

to look at the man tied up in

thought that Miles

who'd tried to pull a fast

to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how this job

been up to? ...Or was I sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today

to Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into his

victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already past the

me go, please," he

do anything.Just...don’t

I asked,

for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

really wasn’t in the mood for people not answering my

into the wall directly next

questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back out

myself for the last

in fear but managed to huff out

"Howe"

brother," he

and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going to

was the last time

the bar on Saturday.I think he’s missing," he

it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and yet I knew

I had already asked was already

father’s dealings, it was just to carry out his

part of me wanted to

out whether or not his death sentence today was actually

question I

was Miles

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he

know how bad of an idea this was, just as I

he was also under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my

I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted

businessman?" I

me as if I

this city would be shady enough

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

criminal or a rivaling businessman.He

...I killed an employee*.

been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have? And those documents allegedly pertaining to the

they were harmful, then what could make someone want to betray aman as powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too many questions already asked and far too many answers left unknown that

for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process

of the why, I was now left with a very important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and

wasn’t like the jobs