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 familiar?" I

I went

had a grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a

finally, I found his

sort of looks

Zac continued.

a few days ago.You

reading the name

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

is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, 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 or

to pull a fast one

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

in whatever Miles had been up to? ...Or was I sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that

pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

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

go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

a

"What about Miles?"

answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill of that

y dagger into the wall directly next

pulling the knife back out

me repeat myself for

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

"Howe"

brother,"

and pinched the bridge of my nose, already

the last time

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

but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

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

the questions I had already asked was

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

a part of me wanted

death sentence today was actually because

question I

Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before

how bad of an idea this was, just as I

was also under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

rare goods from all

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

I asked

looked at me as if I were

in this city would be shady enough to need a

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

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

was in them? If they were harmful, then what could make someone want to betray aman as powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city

to pause 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? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with

wasn’t like the jobs