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 heard

as I went digging through his different

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

finally, I

of looks

Zac continued.

one from a few

the name

ago?" I slowly spun around to

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

look at the man tied up in the

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

to pull a fast

problematic documents relating to him?

sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s

Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest

go, please," he

anything.Just...don’t kill

Miles?" I

for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

answering my questions plainly.I’d already

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

the knife back out to point it

me repeat myself

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

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

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

last

on Saturday.I think he’s missing,"

know where he is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet I knew I shouldn’t

I had already

father’s dealings,

a part of me wanted to

his death sentence today was actually

I asked the question

was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac before he could

of an idea this

was also under the same orders to not pry too

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

and rare goods from all over.The best at what he

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

I asked

me as if I

this city

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on

...I killed an employee*.

he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have?

as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too many questions already asked and far

tunnelling down a thought process that had no end

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

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