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?" I

ignored him as I went digging through his different

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

I found his driver’s

sort of looks like

Zac continued.

from a few days

I said, reading the name on

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

this guy’s last name," I

"Noah Kennedy."

turned to look

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

who'd tried to pull a fast one

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

whatever Miles 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 lapse in control? "Ah

and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into his

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

please," he

anything.Just...don’t kill

I asked, disregarding the

blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

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

and sunk m y dagger into

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

repeat myself for

in fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing up

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose,

last time you heard

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

for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet I knew

the questions I had already asked was already way

my father’s dealings,

part of me

whether or not his death sentence

asked the question I knew I shouldn’t

was Miles involved with?"

"Rae—."

Zac before he

know how bad of an

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

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

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

I

as if I were stupid for

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a

some random criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on

were harmful, then what could make someone want to betray aman as powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than

for a moment and stop tunnelling down

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

like the jobs I’d