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 familiar?" I heard Zac

him as I went

rental shop...a membership

finally, I

of looks like that

Zac continued.

one from a

said, reading the

the guy from the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last name," I

"Noah Kennedy."

we both then turned to look at

what was his connection to him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground businessman

tried to pull a fast one

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

pulled out the cloth

talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already

go, please,"

anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I asked, disregarding

face blanked for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

mood for people not answering my questions

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

asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back out to point

repeat myself for

to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly

"Howe"

brother,"

bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going to hate

when was the last time you heard

on Saturday.I think

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 him? ...Or the

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

was something that held my curiosity and yet

questions I had already asked was

father’s dealings, it was just to carry out

part of me wanted

death sentence

question I

Miles

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac before he

of an idea

he was also under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

supplies and rare goods from all over.The best

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

businessman?" I asked

as if I were stupid

else in this city would be shady enough to need

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a goddamn

some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on

...I killed an employee*.

been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have? And those documents allegedly

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 were too many questions already asked

moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had

As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah?

wasn’t like the jobs I’d