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

ignored him as I went digging through his different

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

I found

looks like that

Zac continued.

a few

I said, reading the

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

this guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

look at the man tied up in

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

a fast one over my

to him? But...‘clean

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

pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already past the point of no

go, please," he immediately started

anything.Just...don’t

to Miles?" I

a moment

"What about Miles?"

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

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

I hissed, pulling the knife

myself for

fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his

"Howe"

brother,"

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

last time you

never showed up 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 you’re here? Does this

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

curiosity and

I had already asked was already way too

my father’s dealings, it was just

a part of me wanted

death sentence today was actually because

question I knew

was Miles

"Rae—."

repeated, interrupting Zac before he could

of an idea this

all, he was also under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

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

businessman?" I

me as if I were stupid for

in this city would be

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a goddamn

random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He

...I killed an employee*.

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

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 already asked and far too many answers left

stop tunnelling down a thought

why, I was now left with a very important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up

wasn’t like the