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.

look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac

him as I

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

then, finally, I found his

looks like that

Zac continued.

from a few

said, reading the name on the

days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

then turned to look at the man tied up in

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

pull a fast one over

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

digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because

walked over to Noah and pulled out the cloth

talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest

please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

a moment before

"What about Miles?"

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

m y dagger into the wall directly next to his head,

asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back out

repeat myself for the

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

"Howe"

brother," he

eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing

last time you heard from

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

him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity and

had already asked was already

father’s dealings, it was just to carry

a part of me

out whether or not his death sentence today was actually because of

I asked the question I knew I

business was Miles

"Rae—."

Zac before he could stop

would know how bad of an

was also under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

in supplies and rare goods from all over.The

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

businessman?" I

he looked at me as if I were stupid

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

wasn’t some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

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

Someone who would know better than most in

stop tunnelling

I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up

wasn’t like the