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?"

ignored him as I went

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

then, finally, I

of looks

Zac continued.

a few days

the

clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

we both then turned to look at the man tied up in the

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

tried to pull a fast one over

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

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

walked over to Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d

agreed that talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I

please," he immediately started

do anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I

blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my

dagger into the wall

the knife back out

myself for the last

squirmed in fear but managed to huff out

"Howe"

brother," he

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

last time

never showed up at the bar on Saturday.I think he’s missing," he

like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have something to do

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and yet

I had already asked was

to investigate my father’s dealings, it

a part of me wanted to

death sentence

asked the question I knew I

was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac

would know how bad of an idea this was,

all, he was also 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

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

I asked

looked at me as if I were stupid

else in this city would be shady enough

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He

...I killed an employee*.

to run away or snitch

make someone want to betray aman as powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too

stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no end in

‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up

wasn’t like the