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.

doesn’t this guy look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say behind

as I went digging through his

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

then, finally, I found

looks like that

Zac continued.

one from a

said, reading the name on the

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

is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at the man tied up

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

tried to pull a fast

else would he have acquired problematic documents relating to

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?

Noah and pulled out

victim was possibly the dumbest thing

please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked,

for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

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

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

hissed, pulling the knife back out to point

me repeat myself for the

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

"Howe"

brother,"

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

was the last time you

the bar on Saturday.I think he’s missing," he

like he’s just disappeared....Is that

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

curiosity and yet I knew

I had already

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

a part of

his death sentence today was actually because of

I asked the question I knew

Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before he

would know how bad of an

all, he was also under the same orders to not pry too

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my

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

businessman?" I

me as if I were stupid

else in this city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the

...I killed an employee*.

I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have?

Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against him entailed?

to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process

hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up

like the