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

I ignored him as I

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

then, finally, I found

of looks

Zac continued.

one from a few

reading the name on the

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

this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

we both then turned to look

connection to him? I’d thought that Miles was

a

he have acquired problematic documents relating to him?

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

and pulled out

that talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I

let me go, please," he

do anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I asked,

for a

"What about Miles?"

mood for people not answering my questions

m y dagger into the

the knife back out to point it at

me repeat myself

in fear but managed to huff out

"Howe"

brother,"

my nose, already

last time you heard

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity

I had already asked was already

investigate my father’s dealings, it was

part of me

not his death sentence today was actually

so I asked the question

business was Miles involved

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac

would know how bad of an

all, he was also under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods

I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted to keep going....But

businessman?" I

if I

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

some random criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

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? And those documents

what could make someone want to betray aman as powerful 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 too

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 with a million different

wasn’t like the jobs