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

I ignored him as I went digging through

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

then, finally, I found his

sort of looks like

Zac continued.

one from a few

said, reading the name on

few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind now racing

this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

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

that Miles was an

who'd tried to pull a fast

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

his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me?

out the cloth

the dumbest thing I could

please," he

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked,

for a moment

"What about Miles?"

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

dagger into the

the questions," I hissed, pulling the

repeat myself for the last

huff out

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

of my nose,

last time you

never showed up at the bar on

don’t know where he is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet I

the questions I had already asked was already way

father’s dealings, it was just to carry out

a part of

death sentence today was actually

question

was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac before he

bad of an idea this was, just

also under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

smuggler for that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does,

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

I

he looked at me as if I

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

all? Was he trying to run away or

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

moment and stop tunnelling

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

like the