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.

of familiar?" I heard Zac

I went digging through his

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

then, finally, I

looks like

Zac continued.

a few days

the name on the

few days ago?" I slowly

Zac...Kennedy is this guy’s last name,"

"Noah Kennedy."

look at the man tied up

connection to him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground businessman

to pull a

documents relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how this

had been up to? ...Or was I sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that

Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

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

me go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t kill

related to Miles?" I asked,

a moment

"What about Miles?"

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

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

pulling the knife

myself

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

"Howe"

brother," he

pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going to hate where this was

the last time

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

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

was something that held my curiosity and yet I knew I

already asked

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

a part of me

out whether or not his death sentence today was actually because of

so I asked the question I

business was Miles

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before

of an idea this

the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

have stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted

businessman?" I

as if I were

city

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a goddamn

criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

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 something he shouldn’t

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

tunnelling down a thought process that had

do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped

wasn’t like the jobs I’d had