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

ignored him as I went digging through

membership to a

finally, I found his driver’s

of looks like

Zac continued.

from a few days

the name on the

clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, we both then turned to look at the man tied up in the

I’d thought that Miles was

who'd tried to pull a fast

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

digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m y accidental

walked over to Noah and pulled out the cloth

the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing

me go, please," he immediately

do anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked,

a

"What about Miles?"

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

eye level and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to his head,

questions," I hissed, pulling the knife

myself for the

to huff out a

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

the bridge of my nose,

last

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

curiosity and yet I knew I shouldn’t

questions I had already asked was

my father’s dealings, it was just to

part of me wanted

or not his death sentence

the question

Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac

an idea this was, just as

was also 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 over.The best at what he

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

I asked

if I were stupid for

city

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find

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

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

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

the jobs I’d