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.

guy look sort of

I ignored him as I went digging

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

I

looks like

Zac continued.

a

reading the

the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to

is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

simultaneously, we both then turned to look at the man tied up in the

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

tried to pull a fast

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

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

out the cloth

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

please," he immediately started

do anything.Just...don’t kill

to Miles?" I asked, disregarding

for a

"What about Miles?"

really wasn’t in the mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had

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

I hissed, pulling the knife back out to

myself for the

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

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going

the last time

up at the bar on Saturday.I think

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?

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity and

questions I had already asked

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

a part of

whether or not his death sentence today was

asked the question

Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac

of an idea this was, just as

was also under the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods

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

I asked

me as if I were stupid for

course.Who else in this city

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

a rivaling businessman.He was on

...I killed an employee*.

to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have? And those documents allegedly

want to betray aman as powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this

moment and stop tunnelling down a

was I going to do about Noah? And I

wasn’t like the jobs I’d