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

him as I went

one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even

I found his driver’s

of looks like that

Zac continued.

from a few days

reading the name on

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

this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

then turned to look at the man tied up

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

tried to pull a fast

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

disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that

walked over to Noah and pulled out the cloth

possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already past

me go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I asked,

for a moment

"What about Miles?"

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

crouched down to his eye level and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to

I hissed, pulling the knife back out to

myself for

but managed to huff out a ‘yes’,

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

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

was the last time you heard

the bar on Saturday.I think he’s

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity

had already asked

wasn't to investigate my father’s dealings, it was just to

of me

his death sentence today was actually because

asked the question I

was Miles involved

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before he could

an idea this was,

the same orders to not pry too

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

stopped there.I knew I should have stopped.No, I *definitely*

businessman?" I

looked at me as if I were stupid for

course.Who else in this city would be

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

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

...I killed an employee*.

had I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did

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

tunnelling

‘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

wasn’t like the jobs I’d had