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.

sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say behind

him as I

shop...a membership to a

finally, I found his

sort of looks like

Zac continued.

from a few days

said, reading the name on the

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

is this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at the man tied up in

I’d thought that Miles

a fast one over

problematic documents relating to

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

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

victim was possibly the dumbest

me go, please,"

do anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I asked,

face blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

the mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill of that from

and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to

the knife back

myself for the

but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing up and

"Howe"

brother," he

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

when was the last time

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

don’t know where he is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity and yet I

had already asked was already

to investigate my father’s dealings, it was just to

of me wanted

death sentence today was actually because

asked the question I knew I

was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

Zac before he

an idea this was,

the same orders to

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my opinion.Even

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

I asked

looked at me as if I

in this city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on

...I killed an employee*.

he trying to run away or snitch on my

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 and far too many answers left unknown that I shouldn’t go looking

tunnelling down a thought process

was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back

like the