Read Online [M__M 03] Misery Loves Company by Tracey Martin - Free Book Online Page B

stomach, however, was knotting in spite of being forewarned, and I forced myself to wash the bite down with unfortunate-tasting tea before responding. “So long as what you’re asking doesn’t violate the rules we agreed upon, I’m ready.”
    Those rules were fast and loose, something I thought I’d done well with until Gunthra had agreed to them easily. Thereby making it clear to me that I must have screwed up.
    One favor that did not involve me hurting, killing or otherwise ruining an innocent person’s life. Including my own. Yeah, in retrospect, I should have done a better job of that.
    “I think you’ll see your concern is unwarranted.” Gunthra smoothed a wrinkle on her skirt. “All I want is for you to retrieve some information for me from the Gryphons.”
    “Oh, that’s all? You realize—”
    “Information you should be able to access.”
    I’d almost forgotten about Gunthra’s talent for talking over people. “I’m not exactly in good standing with the Gryphons.”
    “That, Miss Moore, is not my problem. You are consulting for them, are you not?”
    “You’re lucky. I went back to work for them this morning.”
    Gunthra clasped her hands together, and the diamonds on her fingers caught the sunlight streaming in through a gap in her blue, brocade draperies. “Consider this serendipity then. What I want you to bring me is whatever information the Gryphons have on the furies’ recent actions. You don’t need to give me any original documents. Copies of whatever they have will be sufficient. But I want all of it.”
    “The ‘furies’ recent actions’ means what exactly? If I’m going to try to steal case files, I need to be clear about what I’m supposed to be stealing.”
    “Is it stealing if you’re not taking the only copy of the files, nor depriving the Gryphons of any monetary value they might have?”
    I rolled my eyes. “Fine. It’s sharing information you’re not supposed to see, whatever. Either way, you need to be more specific.”
    “Very well, if you want me to spell it out. I want to know whatever intelligence the Gryphons have gathered on what the furies were scheming when they used one of their addicts to frame you for murder and tried to start a pred war.”
    I didn’t choke on my muffin, but I did almost drop the delicate china plate it sat on. I’d suspected those were the “recent actions” Gunthra had been referring to, but to hear her state plainly her suspicion that the furies had been trying to start a war…that was something else.
    Lucen had speculated on it at the time, but idly. In the end, the satyrs had gone with the simplest, most likely-to-be-true assumption—the furies who’d framed me had been working alone. There had been no larger conspiracy.
    Were they wrong? If so, it raised the very good question as to why the furies might have been trying to start a war.
    Gunthra cocked her head to the side. “Thoughts, Miss Moore?”
    “Many.” And when she chose to continue with her unblinking stare, I merely smiled. Thoughts didn’t come for free around here. Just because she’d shared a theory didn’t mean I needed to share questions about it.
    “I’ll refrain from imposing a deadline on you,” Gunthra said at last, breaking the silence, “unless I feel you’re taking too long.”
    “Good. Because you do realize it will take me some time to figure out how to get hold of that information.”
    “Acceptable and acknowledged.”
    Really? She was being disturbingly agreeable, so I pressed my luck. “Do you mind if I ask why you’re interested?”
    Gunthra shook a finger at me. “Actually, yes. Let’s say it’s a topic I find fascinating. Information is a commodity, Miss Moore. Scarcity is what creates value. I believe I explained the same thing to you when you came asking me about your heritage.”
    “Yeah, I believe you did. Speaking of which, it’s been suggested to me that calling me a part satyr, as you did, wasn’t entirely accurate.