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

him as I went

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

then, finally, I

of looks like that

Zac continued.

from a few days

the

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

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

we both then turned to look at

Miles was an underground businessman or some sort of

tried to pull a fast one

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

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

Noah and pulled out the cloth

would have agreed that talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I

me go, please," he immediately started

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

blanked for a

"What about Miles?"

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

y dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him to jump in

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

me repeat myself for the

squirmed in fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’,

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

pinched the bridge of my nose, already

the last time

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity and yet

I had already asked was already way

my father’s dealings,

of me wanted to

out whether or not his death sentence today was

I asked the question

business was Miles

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac

would know how bad of an idea this

he was also under the same orders to not pry too

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

a smuggler for that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods

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

businessman?" I

he looked at me as if I

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

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

...I killed an employee*.

to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or

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

stop tunnelling down a thought

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 brain swimming with a million different thoughts as

the jobs I’d had