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

ignored him as I went digging through

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

then, finally, I found his driver’s

sort of looks like

Zac continued.

one from a few days ago.You

the name on

the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind now racing with new

this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, we both then turned to look at the

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

a fast one over my

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

sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then

out the cloth

dumbest thing I could ever do...but I

go, please,"

anything.Just...don’t

I asked, disregarding

face blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

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

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

pulling the knife back

myself for the

to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing

"Howe"

brother,"

my nose, already knowing I

was the last time

up at the bar on Saturday.I

don’t know 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 this have something to do

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

curiosity and

the questions I had already asked was already

dealings, it was just to carry out

part of me wanted to

not his death sentence today was actually because of

I asked the question I knew I shouldn’t

was Miles

"Rae—."

Zac before he

of an idea this was,

under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all

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

I asked

he looked at me as if I were stupid

else in this city would be shady enough to

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

wasn’t some random criminal or a

...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

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

for a moment and stop tunnelling

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 as for what I should

the jobs I’d