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.

guy look sort of familiar?" I

I went

reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a

I

sort of looks like

Zac continued.

from a

reading the

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

is this guy’s last name," I

"Noah Kennedy."

turned to look

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

to pull a fast one over

would he have acquired problematic documents relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how this job

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 in control? "Ah

Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d

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

let me go, please," he

anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I asked, disregarding

face blanked for a moment

"What about Miles?"

really wasn’t in the mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill of that from

y dagger into the

the knife back out

myself for

managed to huff out a ‘yes’,

"Howe"

brother,"

eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing

the last

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

curiosity and

I had already asked was already

investigate my father’s dealings, it was just

part of me wanted

not his death sentence today was actually because of

so I asked the question I knew

Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he could stop

know how bad of an idea

was also under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best

have stopped.No, I *definitely*

I

looked at me as if I were stupid for

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He

...I killed an employee*.

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

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

for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought

I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with a million different thoughts as for

like the