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

as I went digging through

a grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know those

then, finally, I found

sort of looks like that

Zac continued.

from a

I said, reading the name on the

guy from the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly

is this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, we both then turned to look at

Miles was an underground

a fast one over

have acquired problematic documents relating to him? But...‘clean

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

Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into

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

go, please," he

do anything.Just...don’t

related to Miles?" I asked,

a

"What about Miles?"

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

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

the knife

me repeat myself for

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

"Howe"

brother," he

and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I

last time you heard from

on Saturday.I

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and

the questions I had already asked was already

my father’s dealings, it was

a part of me

or not his death sentence

question

Miles

"Rae—."

Zac before he could stop

would know how bad of an idea

he was also under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from

I should have stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn’t have

I

looked at me as if I were stupid

this city would be

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a

or a

...I killed an employee*.

away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find

powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against him entailed?

a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had

hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly

like the jobs I’d had