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.

of familiar?" I heard Zac

I ignored him as I went

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

then, finally, I

looks like that

Zac continued.

one from a few days ago.You

reading the name

a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my

this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at the man tied up in the

thought that Miles was an underground businessman or some

who'd tried to pull a fast one over my

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

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 was because of me?

to Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d

victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could

go, please," he immediately started

anything.Just...don’t

Miles?" I

for a moment

"What about Miles?"

I really wasn’t in the mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill

dagger into the wall directly next to his

hissed, pulling the knife

myself

out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing

"Howe"

brother," he

eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose,

the last time you

up at the bar on Saturday.I think

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

curiosity and

had already asked was already

wasn't to investigate my father’s dealings, it was just to carry

a part of me wanted to

whether or not his death sentence

the question

business was Miles

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he could stop

bad of an

all, he was also under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

town.Gets in supplies and rare goods

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

businessman?" I asked

he looked at me as if I

in this city would be shady enough to need a

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

or a rivaling businessman.He was on the

...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?

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 I

a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had

about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with a million different thoughts

the