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.

guy look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say

as I went digging through

shop...a membership to a laundromat? I

then, finally, I

of looks like that

Zac continued.

from a few

the name on the

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

guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at the man tied up in

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

to pull a fast

documents relating to him? But...‘clean

that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s

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

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

me go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I

for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

not answering my questions plainly.I’d already

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

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

repeat myself

out

"Howe"

brother," he

pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was

was the last time

on

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’.

held my curiosity and yet I knew I

questions I had already asked

dealings, it was

of

out whether or not his death sentence today

asked the question I knew I shouldn’t

was Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac

of an idea this was,

he was also under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my

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

businessman?" I asked

me as if I were stupid for

in this city would be shady enough to

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

wasn’t some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the

...I killed an employee*.

in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something

in them? 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

to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a

the why, I was now left with a very important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my

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