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.

doesn’t this guy look sort of familiar?" I

ignored him as I went digging through his different

membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know those

I found his driver’s

looks like

Zac continued.

a

reading the

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

guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

look at the man

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

to pull a fast one over

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

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 mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m y accidental lapse

pulled out the cloth

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

please," he

anything.Just...don’t kill

I asked, disregarding the

a moment before

"What about Miles?"

in the mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d

y dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him to jump in

hissed, pulling the knife back out to point it

repeat myself for

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

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

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

was the last time

bar on Saturday.I think he’s

but 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’.

held my curiosity and yet

I had already asked was already way

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

of me wanted to

his death sentence today was actually

so I asked the question I knew I shouldn’t

was Miles involved

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac

bad of an idea this

he was also under the same orders to not pry too

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The

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

I asked

if I

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a

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

...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 what going against him entailed? There were too many questions already asked and far too many

needed to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a

why, I was now left with a very important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I

the jobs I’d