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.

this guy look sort of familiar?"

as I went digging through

a grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know those had

then, finally, I

looks

Zac continued.

from a few

the name on the

days ago?" I slowly spun

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

then turned to look at the man

I’d thought that Miles was an underground

pull a

problematic documents relating to him?

that were true...then didn’t

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

the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could

me go, please," he

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill of

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

asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife

repeat myself for the

to huff out a ‘yes’, his head

"Howe"

brother," he

the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was

when was the last time you heard

showed up at the bar on Saturday.I think

where he is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity and

questions I had already asked was already

to investigate my father’s dealings, it

part of

find out whether or not his death sentence today

question

business was Miles involved

"Rae—."

Zac before

how bad of an idea this

he was also under the same orders to not pry

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he

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

I

at me as if I were

course.Who else in this city would be shady enough to need a

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a goddamn

a rivaling businessman.He

...I killed an employee*.

instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did

than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too many

to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down

in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away,

the jobs