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.

guy look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say

him as I went digging through his

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

I found his driver’s

sort of looks

Zac continued.

from a

said, reading the

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

this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

turned to look at the man tied up in

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

pull a

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?

over to Noah and pulled out the

victim was possibly the dumbest

please,"

do anything.Just...don’t

Miles?" I asked,

a moment

"What about Miles?"

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

and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to his

questions," I hissed, pulling the knife

me repeat myself

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

"Howe"

brother," he

of my nose, already

when was the last time you

showed 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 something to

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

held my curiosity and

already asked was already

investigate my father’s dealings, it was

of

death sentence today

so I asked the question

business was Miles

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he

an idea this was, just as I

also under the same orders

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods

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

businessman?" I

as if I were

in this city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

wasn’t some random criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find

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

for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process

the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain

the jobs I’d had