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 Zac

him as I went

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

finally, I

sort of looks

Zac continued.

a few days ago.You

said, reading the

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

is this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

to look at the man tied up in

Miles was an underground businessman or some sort of gang

tried to pull a fast one over my

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

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

and pulled out the cloth

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

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked,

face blanked for a

"What about Miles?"

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

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

hissed, pulling the knife back out

me repeat myself for the last

but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

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

when was the last

on Saturday.I think

don’t know where he is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have something to do with him?

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity and yet

the questions I had already asked

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

part of me wanted

or not his death sentence today was

so I asked the question I

Miles involved

"Rae—."

Zac before

know how bad of an idea this

he was also under the same orders to

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

rare goods from all over.The best

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

I

he looked at me as if I were stupid for

city

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a

wasn’t some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on

...I killed an employee*.

why had I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out

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 this city what going against him entailed? There were too many questions

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

going to do about Noah?

the