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.

sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say behind

I ignored him as I went digging through his

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

finally, I

sort of looks

Zac continued.

a

the name on

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

is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

to look at

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

to pull a

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

...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m y accidental

to Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d

the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already past the point

let me go, please," he

anything.Just...don’t

I

blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

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

sunk m y dagger into the

asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back out to point it

me repeat myself for

to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

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

last time you

the bar on

swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have something to do with him? ...Or

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and yet I

had already

my father’s dealings, it was just to carry out

of me wanted to

out whether or not his death sentence today was actually

question

Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before he could

an idea

all, he was also under the same orders to not pry too

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

a smuggler 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 to

I

as if I were

city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

some random criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have?

my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too many questions already

for a moment and stop tunnelling down a

what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain

like the