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

him as I went digging through his

reward one...a rental shop...a membership

finally, I found

sort of looks

Zac continued.

from a few days

reading the name on

I slowly spun around to look at Zac,

guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at

what was his connection to him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground

to pull a fast

acquired problematic documents relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how

into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m

Noah and pulled out

dumbest thing I

go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I asked,

a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

my questions

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

pulling the knife back out to point it at

repeat myself

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

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going to hate where this

the last

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity and yet I knew I shouldn’t

already asked was already

my father’s dealings, it was just to carry out

part of me wanted to

his death sentence today was actually

the question I knew I

business was Miles

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac before

an idea this

under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

have stopped.No, I *definitely*

I

at me as if I were stupid

city would be

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

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

...I killed an employee*.

why had I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have? And those documents

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

pause for a moment and stop tunnelling

about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain

wasn’t like the