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.

look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say behind

ignored him as I went

store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know those had

finally, I found

of looks like

Zac continued.

from a few days ago.You

the name on the

ago?" I slowly spun around to look

is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

then turned to look at the man tied up in

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

pull a fast

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

had been up to? ...Or was I sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m y accidental

and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into his

victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we

let me go, please," he immediately started

anything.Just...don’t

I asked,

face blanked for a moment

"What about Miles?"

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

eye level and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him

asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back out

myself for

squirmed in fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his head

"Howe"

brother," he

of my nose, already knowing

the last time you heard from

on Saturday.I think he’s missing," he hurriedly

he is, I 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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet I knew

I had already asked was already way too

my father’s dealings, it was

a part of me wanted to

not his death sentence today was actually

I asked the question I knew

business was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac

how bad of an idea this was, just as

the same

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what

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

I asked

he looked at me as if I were stupid for not

in this city would be shady enough

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

a rivaling businessman.He was on

...I killed an employee*.

him in at all? Was he trying to run away or

would know better than most in this city what going against him

stop tunnelling down

to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with a million different thoughts as for what

like the jobs