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.

look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say behind

him as I

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

finally, I found

sort of looks like that

Zac continued.

one from a

I said, reading the name

a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind now racing with new

is this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, we both then turned to look at the man tied

to him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground businessman or

to pull a fast one over my

documents relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how

disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m y

and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into

agreed that talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt

please,"

do anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I

face blanked for a

"What about Miles?"

answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my

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

the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back out to point

myself for the last

to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing up

"Howe"

brother," he

of my nose, already knowing I

the last time you heard

on

like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have something to do with

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity and yet I

I had already asked was already way too

dealings, it was just

a part of me

or not his death sentence today was actually

the question

Miles

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he

how bad of an idea this

he was also under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

supplies and rare goods from

*definitely* shouldn’t have

businessman?" I

if I were stupid for not

Reid, of course.Who else in this city would be shady enough to

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a goddamn

criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something

them? If 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

needed to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought

going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up

wasn’t like the jobs I’d