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

him as I went digging through

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

I found his

of looks

Zac continued.

a few

said, reading the name on the

ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac,

guy’s last name," I

"Noah Kennedy."

look

Miles

to pull a fast one over my

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

was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then

over to Noah and pulled out the cloth

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

let me go, please," he

anything.Just...don’t

related to Miles?" I asked, disregarding

a

"What about Miles?"

the mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my

into the wall directly next to his head,

I hissed, pulling the

myself for

to huff out

"Howe"

brother,"

of my nose, already

the last time

the bar on Saturday.I think he’s

where he is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have something to do with him? ...Or

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity

the questions I had already

my father’s dealings, it was just

part of me

not his death sentence today was actually because

I asked the question I

business was Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

Zac before he could stop

bad of an idea

all, he was also under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

and rare goods from all

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

I asked

if I were

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch

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

and stop tunnelling down

to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with

wasn’t like the jobs I’d