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 say

as I went digging through his different

grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I

finally, I found his

of looks

Zac continued.

a

said, reading the name on the

slowly

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

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

his connection to him? I’d thought that Miles

a fast

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

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? Because of m y accidental lapse in control? "Ah

walked over to Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

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

please," he

anything.Just...don’t kill

to Miles?" I asked,

face blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

my questions plainly.I’d already had

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

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

me repeat myself for

out a ‘yes’, his head

"Howe"

brother," he

closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was

last time you

showed up at the bar on Saturday.I think he’s missing," he

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet

questions I had already asked was already way too

father’s dealings, it was

part of me

out whether or not his death sentence today was actually

so I asked the question I knew I shouldn’t

was Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he

bad of an idea

he was also under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

rare goods from all over.The best at

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

I

me as if I were stupid for

in this city would be shady enough to need

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

some random criminal or 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 out something he

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 unknown that I shouldn’t go looking

to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that

I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood

the jobs I’d