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.

sort of familiar?" I heard Zac

as I went digging

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

I found his driver’s

looks

Zac continued.

from a few days

the name on

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

this guy’s last name," I

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at the man tied

him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground businessman or some sort

who'd tried to pull a fast

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

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? Because of m y accidental lapse

to Noah and pulled out the

murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing

me go, please,"

anything.Just...don’t kill

I asked, disregarding

for a

"What about Miles?"

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

dagger into the wall directly

I hissed, pulling the knife back out to point it at

me repeat myself for the

fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing up and

"Howe"

brother,"

my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going to hate

was the last time you heard from

at the bar on

for him but it’s like he’s

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and yet I knew I shouldn’t

already asked was already

dealings, it was

part of me wanted to

not his death

I asked the question I knew

business was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before he

bad of an idea this was, just as I

also under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at

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

businessman?" I asked

he looked at me as if

course.Who else in this city would be shady enough

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

a rivaling businessman.He

...I killed an employee*.

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

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

stop tunnelling

do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with a million different thoughts

like the jobs