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 to a laundromat? I didn’t even

I found his driver’s

sort of looks like

Zac continued.

a few days ago.You

reading the name on the

clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind now racing with new

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, we both then turned to look

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

a

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

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

pulled out the

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

please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked,

face blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

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

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

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

repeat myself for

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

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

pinched the bridge of my nose, already

the last

showed up at the bar on Saturday.I

looking for him but it’s like he’s

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity and yet I knew I

already

to investigate my father’s dealings, it was

of me wanted to

find out whether or not his death sentence

question I knew I shouldn’t

business was Miles

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac

would know how bad of an idea this

under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

and rare goods

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

businessman?" I asked

as if I were stupid

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

or a

...I killed an employee*.

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

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

for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no end

very important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah?

wasn’t like the