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.

of

I ignored him as I went digging through his different

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

then, finally, I found his

of looks

Zac continued.

from a few days ago.You

reading the name on the

slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind

guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

we both then turned to look at the man

thought that Miles was an underground businessman or some sort

who'd tried to pull a fast

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

I sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s

and pulled out the

the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already past the point of no

me go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t

I asked,

a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

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

and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to

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

me repeat myself for the

huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing up

"Howe"

brother,"

eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already

the last time you heard from

on Saturday.I think

it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity

already asked

father’s dealings, it

part of me wanted

not his death sentence today was actually

so I asked the question I knew

was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before he

know how bad of an idea

was also under the same orders to not pry

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my opinion.Even better than

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

I asked

if I were

city would

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

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

...I killed an employee*.

at all? Was he trying to run away or

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 answers left unknown that I

for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no end in

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 a million different thoughts as for what I

the