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

him as I went digging through his different

membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know

then, finally, I found his driver’s

of looks

Zac continued.

from a few days ago.You

said, reading the name

slowly spun around to look at Zac,

guy’s last name," I

"Noah Kennedy."

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

that Miles was an underground businessman or some sort

pull a

would he have acquired problematic documents relating to

Noah involved in whatever Miles had been 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?

over to Noah and pulled out the cloth

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

go, please,"

do anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked, disregarding

face blanked for a moment

"What about Miles?"

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

sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him to jump in

the knife back out

repeat myself for the last

fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

bridge of my nose, already

the last

at the bar on

I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and yet I knew I

questions I had already asked was already way too

my father’s dealings, it was just to

a part of me

find out whether or not his death sentence today was

question I knew

was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

Zac before

know how bad of an idea this was, just as I

also under the same orders to not pry too

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my opinion.Even better than

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

businessman?" I asked

as if I were stupid for

city

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

or a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

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

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 answers left

needed to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a

important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And

wasn’t like the