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

ignored him as I went

shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t

finally, I found his driver’s

sort of looks

Zac continued.

from a

said, reading the name on the

clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac,

guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

look at the man tied up in the

thought that Miles was

who'd tried to pull a fast

to him? But...‘clean

his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was

and pulled out

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

let me go, please," he

do anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

face blanked for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

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

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

asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back

me repeat myself for the last

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

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

my nose, already knowing I was going to hate

the last time you

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and yet I knew I shouldn’t

had already asked was already way too

investigate my father’s dealings, it

of me

find out whether or not his death sentence

question I

business was Miles involved

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he could

would know how bad of an

under the same orders to

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

for that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my

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

I asked

as if

Reid, of course.Who else in this city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

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

...I killed an employee*.

Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find

know better than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too many questions already asked and far too

stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no

in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And

the jobs