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 heard Zac say

I ignored him as I went digging through his different

shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know

then, finally, I found his

sort of looks

Zac continued.

a

the name on the

he the guy from the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind now racing

this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at the man tied up

connection to him? I’d thought that Miles was

a

have acquired problematic documents relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how this

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

and pulled out the cloth

the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing

go, please," he immediately started

anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I

for a moment

"What about Miles?"

not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill of that

to his eye level and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next

asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the

myself for

squirmed in fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’,

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

nose, already knowing I was

the last time you heard from

on Saturday.I think he’s

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity

I had already asked was already way too

investigate my father’s dealings, it was just to carry

of me wanted to

or not his death sentence today was actually because of

asked the question I

business was Miles

"Rae—."

Zac

know how bad of an idea this was, just

also under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what

I should have stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted to keep going....But I couldn’t seem to stop

businessman?" I asked

as if I

in this city would be shady enough to need

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

wasn’t some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

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

would know better than

stop tunnelling down a thought process

was I going to do about Noah? And

wasn’t like the