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.

look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say

him as I

rental shop...a membership to

I found

sort of looks

Zac continued.

from a few days

the name on

the guy from the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around

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

"Noah Kennedy."

we both then turned to look at the man tied up

Miles

who'd tried to pull a fast one over my

have acquired problematic documents relating to

his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me?

and pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed into his

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

me go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t

Miles?" I asked, disregarding the

a

"What about Miles?"

mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had

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

the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife

myself for

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

"Howe"

brother,"

of my nose, already knowing I was

last

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

it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here?

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet I knew I

questions I had already asked was already way too

investigate my father’s dealings, it was just to carry

of me wanted

his death

I asked the question I knew

business was Miles involved

"Rae—."

I repeated, interrupting Zac before he

know how bad of an

all, he was also under the

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

for that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my opinion.Even better

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

businessman?" I

at me as if I

course.Who else in this city would be shady

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been

criminal or a

...I killed an employee*.

all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have? And

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

a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no

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

the jobs