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

ignored him as I went

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

then, finally, I found his driver’s

looks like

Zac continued.

from a

said, reading the name

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

is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

to look at the

him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground

to pull a

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

...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

to Noah and pulled out the

future murder victim was possibly the dumbest

please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t kill

I asked, disregarding the

face blanked for a moment

"What about Miles?"

not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my

y dagger into the wall directly next to his

the knife back out

myself for the

to huff out a ‘yes’,

"Howe"

brother,"

nose, already knowing I was going to

when was the last time you heard from

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

where he is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet I knew I

the questions I had already

job wasn't to investigate my father’s dealings, it

of me

not his death sentence today was

so I asked the question I

Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac

know how bad of an idea this

under the same orders to not pry

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

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

I asked

as if I were stupid

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He

...I killed an employee*.

had I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on

in 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

a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no

about Noah? And

like the jobs