Hidden In Shadows, A Fae and Vampire Romance: Shadow Court Chronicles, Book 1

Chapter 3.2: A Tricky Ally

 She thought about her next words carefully. She needed help desperately. She couldn't go against Maguis and his followers with just her and Kieran as the attacking force. It would be a suicide mission. She needed information. She had no idea what went on during the night of the coup. She didn't know who was aligned with Maguis, if she had any allies left in the courts who was still alive. She was five large steps behind her opponent and hated every moment.

She tried to wipe all emotion from her voice as not to sound desperate. Desperation led to skyrocketing prices. "How far are you willing to align yourself with me?"

Sam sat back in her chair and folded her hands in front of her as she pondered the question. "I find myself between a rocky cliff and lynch mob; both are difficult choices. Maguis wandered into my space with an offer to buy information leading to your location. I found myself having difficulty finding the information in all these vast books with his offer at such an insulting low level. Though I will admit to you that I have known exactly where you have been hiding."

An impish smile appeared on her face, bringing out her dimples and making Lyss feel a little more at ease. She had been worried about Sam not being able to help her, not that she would have admitted that to Kieran. She understood that Sam was a broker and a business associate first, and a friend second, but it eased her worry knowing that perhaps she would be willing to become an ally.

She decided that it was time to lay her cards on the table and gamble that Sam was willing to be more of an ally than a business broker. "I will get straight to the point. I'm trapped. I've been dealt a shitty hand, and I am jumping through hoops to fix it." She knew that her walls had slipped, and she sounded desperate, but she didn't care. She would go on her hands and knees and beg if that got her what she needed. She had left her pride at the Fae hill the night she had fled into the darkness.

"Because you allowed your arrogance to get in the way." Sam's voice was firm as she verbally filleted Lyssa. "You thought you were smarter than him and better at the political game. I will tell you a secret for free." She leaned over the table and her voice took on a conspiring tone. "The Seelie Court trumps the Unseelie Court every time in deviousness. You Unseelie are proudly darker and flaunt your games openly, knowing that it is expected of you. The Seelie Court, on the other hand, is supposed to be the 'pretty and happy side of things.' They have to hide their deviousness under the guise of sunshine and unicorns."

Lyssa hung her head in shame. Every word Sam had uttered was correct. She had been outplayed, but she refused to continue to be outplayed. Her head snapped up, and she met Sam's gaze with determination. "You are right, and I've paid the ultimate price for my arrogance. Now the question is: are you going to help me or not?"

She smiled brightly. "For a price, I am willing to help you. First, we need to discuss the details. What is the deal you are willing to broker?"

She had learned after her first deal that she had to be as specific as possible with Sam. The woman would find a loophole in any dealing and exploit it. It wasn't out of malice, or so she hoped, but the need to play the game of wits. She thought out her words carefully and tried to find any loophole in the beginning that Sam could later use to her advantage.

"I need information. More specifically, I need to know who died in the coup, who participated in crafting the coup, and who my enemies are within the hill. I need to discover if I have any allies who remain in the courts, and I need allies outside of it. More importantly, I need allies who are not part of the Seelie Courts. I need a Nightwalker."  

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