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 ignored him as I went digging through his different

reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat?

then, finally, I found his driver’s

looks like that

Zac continued.

a few

said, reading the

ago?" I slowly spun around to look at

this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

turned to look

thought that Miles was an underground

pull a fast one

he have acquired problematic documents relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s

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

walked over to Noah and pulled out

dumbest thing I could ever do...but

go, please,"

anything.Just...don’t

Miles?" I asked, disregarding

a

"What about Miles?"

not answering my questions

dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him

I hissed, pulling the knife back out to point

myself

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

"Howe"

brother," he

of my nose, already knowing I

was the last

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity and yet I

the questions I had already

my father’s dealings, it was just to carry

of me wanted

his death sentence today was

the question

business was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac

know how bad of an idea this

under the same orders

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at

stopped there.I knew I should have stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn’t

I asked

he looked at me as if I

in this city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the

...I killed an employee*.

instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my

what was in them? If they were harmful, then what could make someone want to betray aman as powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in

pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no end

important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up

wasn’t like the jobs