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.

doesn’t this guy look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say

I went digging

rental shop...a membership to a laundromat?

I found his driver’s

sort of looks

Zac continued.

one from a few days

reading the name on the

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

guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

to look at the man

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

who'd tried to pull a fast

would he have acquired problematic documents relating to

he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m y accidental lapse in control? "Ah

to Noah and pulled out

was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already

me go, please," he immediately

anything.Just...don’t

related to Miles?" I asked, disregarding

a moment

"What about Miles?"

really wasn’t in the mood for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had

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

the knife back out

me repeat myself for the last

managed to huff out a

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing

was the last time

showed up at the bar on Saturday.I

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

that held my curiosity and yet I

the questions I had already asked was already way

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

a part of me wanted

his death sentence today

I asked the question I knew I

Miles involved

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before

know how bad of an idea this

was also under the same orders

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

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

I *definitely* shouldn’t have

I

as if I

course.Who else in this city would be shady enough to need a

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the freaking

...I killed an employee*.

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

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

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

in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and

like the