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.

this guy look sort of familiar?"

him as I

grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership

then, finally, I

looks like

Zac continued.

a

the

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

guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

then turned to look

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

pull a fast one

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

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

Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

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

let me go, please,"

anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

face blanked for a

"What about Miles?"

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

to his eye level and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly

hissed, pulling the knife back out to point

repeat myself for

huff out a ‘yes’, his head

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

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

when was the last time you heard

showed up at the bar on Saturday.I think

looking for him but it’s like he’s

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet

had already asked was already way

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

part of me

whether or not his death sentence today

question I

was Miles involved

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he could

an idea this was, just

also under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted to keep going....But I couldn’t seem

businessman?" I asked

looked at me as if I

course.Who else in this city would be

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on

...I killed an employee*.

or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t

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 answers left unknown that I shouldn’t go looking

for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that

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

the jobs I’d