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.

doesn’t this guy look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say

I ignored him as I went digging through

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

I

of looks like

Zac continued.

one from a

said, reading the name on

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

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

to look at the man tied up in the

his connection to him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground businessman or some sort of gang

pull a fast one over my

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

pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into his

victim was possibly the dumbest

please," he

anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I asked,

face blanked for a

"What about Miles?"

answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill

eye level and sunk m y dagger into

hissed, pulling the knife back out

repeat myself for

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

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing

last

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

was something that held my curiosity and yet I knew

I had already asked was

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

a part of me wanted to

or not his death sentence today was actually because

question I

business was Miles involved

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac before he could stop

would know how bad of an idea

all, he was also under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

for that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from

knew I should have stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted

businessman?" I

looked at me as if

city would be shady enough to need a

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a goddamn

random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the

...I killed an employee*.

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

make someone want to betray aman as powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against

and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had

what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with a million different

wasn’t like the jobs