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

I ignored him as I

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

then, finally, I found his driver’s

of looks like

Zac continued.

a few days ago.You

I said, reading the name on

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

is this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, we both then turned to look at

I’d thought that Miles was an underground

to pull a

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

his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t

pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into his

future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I

let me go, please," he

do anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I

a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill of that

y dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him to

the knife back out to

myself for the last

to huff out a

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

my nose, already knowing I was going to hate where

when was the last time you heard

on Saturday.I think he’s missing," he hurriedly

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity and yet I knew

already asked was

to investigate my father’s dealings,

a part of me

find out whether or not his death sentence today was

asked the question I knew

was Miles

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before

know how bad of an idea this was, just as

under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

for that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does,

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

businessman?" I asked

looked at me as if I were

in this city would

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

wasn’t some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the freaking

...I killed an employee*.

Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have? And those

my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going

to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no end in

regardless of the why, I was now left with a very important ‘what’; As in, 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 thoughts

the jobs I’d