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.

look sort of

I ignored him as I went digging through his different

rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I

finally, I found his driver’s

sort of looks

Zac continued.

a few

reading the name on

slowly spun around

guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

then turned to look at the man

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

tried to pull a fast

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

Miles had 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?

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

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

let me go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t

Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

a moment

"What about Miles?"

I really wasn’t in the mood for people not answering my

his eye level and sunk m y dagger into the

pulling the knife back

repeat myself for

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

"Howe"

brother,"

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

was the last time

on

for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have something to do with him?

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity

had already

my father’s dealings, it was just to carry

of me

whether or not his death sentence today was actually because

question I

business was Miles

"Rae—."

Zac

bad of an idea this was,

was also under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all

I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted to keep going....But I couldn’t

businessman?" I asked

at me as if I were stupid for not

in this city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

some random criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or

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

and stop tunnelling down a thought process

to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with a million

the jobs