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.

sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say

as I went digging through his

had a grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to

then, finally, I

looks like that

Zac continued.

from a few days

the name

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

this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

look at

thought that Miles was an

who'd tried to pull a fast one over my

else would he have acquired problematic documents relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how this job had been

into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today

Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

would have agreed 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

let me go, please," he immediately started

do anything.Just...don’t kill

to Miles?" I asked,

blanked for a moment before

"What about Miles?"

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

sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him to jump in

pulling the knife back out to point

repeat myself

in fear but managed 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

when was the last time you heard from

at the bar on

I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

curiosity and yet I

I had already asked was

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

a part of me wanted to

or not his death sentence today was actually

asked the question I knew

Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he could

an idea this

the same orders

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

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

businessman?" I asked

looked at me as if I

course.Who else in this city would be shady enough to

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

or a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

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

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 many

and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had

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

like the jobs