COST OF RELIANCE

Samantha's POV Lila's smile was sharp, like a razor just ready to cut. Her eyes contained secrets far deeper than the room we were in, and the way she fixed Alex made me uncomfortable. Though I had never seen her before, something told me this woman flourished in anarchy. And we were about to enter her universe. "I see you haven't lost your flair for dramatic entrance," she murmured, her voice as silk. She turned momentarily to me then went back to Alex. But presenting yourself like this here? You have to be absolutely desperate. Alex seemed to be oozing anxiety; his shoulders were stiff as he approached her. Lila, we need knowledge. Information only you can provide us. She laughed softly, a sound that chilled me from the back. And what would you say I should simply turn over? You among all people ought to know better. Watching the trade, my heart hammered. Lila was obviously someone with history with Alex, a convoluted one. And that history was further destabilizing already unstable circumstances. "We have no time for games," Alex remarked, his voice strong yet tinged with anxiety. Marcus is scheduled to see us. You are aware of what that entails. Lila's smile wavered momentarily, but her composure held true. She murmured, "Marcus," the word slinking from her mouth like a venomous hiss. "Of course. When you mentioned him, I was wondering when. I could not restrain myself any more. "Who is Marcus?," My voice was more forceful than I felt, I asked. "Why does everyone appear so terrified of him?" Lila's eyes turned to mine, and for a split second I felt as though I was under her microscope. She asked, her tone tinged with laughter: "You don't know? Ah, Alex, you really ought to have told her by now. "Lila," Alex cautioned, his tolerance obviously fraying. But Lila merely shrugged, unconcerned by his tone. She started, her voice going frigid, " Marcus, is more than simply a man. He has force. He rules the invisible, the elements of this planet you are not even aware are under his hand. His range is long; once you are in his sights, it is nearly impossible to get away. As I listened, my tummy turned over. This was the man behind Jared, who had directed all from the shadows. And right now he was here for us. "But you know, already, don't you?" Lila went on, never looking away from Alex. "After all, you have been avoiding him for some time. Tension permeated the words as they hung there. I looked at Alex, my mind flying. He had been running from Marcus? All this time? Jared seemed to me the last threat, the end of the line. But then I understood just how far we were in— Hearing Lila talk about Marcus as he was, seemed considerably worse. Alex's face was blank, but his eyes glowed with a flutter of perhaps shame. Mistake? Whatever it was, it was rapidly buried behind the steely determination I had become very accustomed with. Alex responded, his voice low but steady: "We're not running anymore." "We have to stop him." Lila arched an eyebrow, her laughter . Stop him, please. Oh, sweetheart, that is really rich. You let Marcus go without stopping. If luck favors you, you survive him. My breath seized in my throat, and I experienced a frigid wave of terror. Was this truly the struggle we were facing? a man whose stopping was impossible? Then, "Why are you still alive?" With a harsh tone, Alex asked. Once, you belonged to his inner circle. You took off. How are you breathing right now? Though it missed her eyes, Lila's smile came back. That is a tale for another era. But, believe me when I say I stayed with Marcus. I just figured out how to live without his direct control. For today, too. "Then you know how dangerous he is," I replied, my voice full of the urgency I could no more control. "You really must assist us." Lila observed me for a time, her eyes narrowing slightly as though she were considering my words, or maybe myself. "Support you? And what do I get back? Hmm? Why do you suppose I would be ready to risk my life for you? I knew nothing about how to react to that. In return for risking her life against someone like Marcus, what could we possibly give her? Alex, meantime, looked ready for this. Lila, you already run a danger. Marcus does not leave free ends, you know. Should he be following us, he will also come for you. Join us; everyone of us has a better chance of surviving. Lila said nothing for a protracted moment. She simply watched Alex, as though weighing whether he was worth the risk. The quiet stretched, and the knot in my stomach tightened with every second that passed. Everything hung on this: on whether Lila would decide to assist us or abandon us to fend for ourselves against an apparently relentless man. At last Lila sighed softly, her smile dimming. Alex, you always knew how to press the correct buttons. Alex swiftly covered it, but there was a flutter of relief in his eyes. "So you will assist us?" Leaning back, Lila crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him cool-headed. "I'll help you," she responded, her tone turning to something more somber. "But let me be clear: this is not about rescuing the two of you. It's about survival. Marcus threatens me just as much as he does you. Though the weight of what we were up against tempered it, I nodded and felt a surge of thanks. "What are we supposed to do right now? Lila's face clouded. "We now have plans. Before Marcus can round your necks with a rope, we manage to cut off his power. But it will not be simple. Alex mumbled, "Nothing has been easy," with obvious struggle in his voice. Lila turned aside his remark, now staring at me. "And Samantha, you. Here the wild card is you. Your absence will be Marcus's one advantage. He won't see you arriving. Me? Confusion coloring my words, I asked. " Why me?" Lila's smile came again, but this time it seemed nearly empathetic. "Because Marcus neglected you as the one item he had not scheduled. He knows Alex, understands his perspective, behavior. Yet you? To him you seem to be a mystery. And in this game, unpredictability is strength. About it, I was not sure how to feel. One side of it seemed like I was being thrown into a fight I wasn't ready for, one I didn't even really understand. Conversely, though, there was a tiny flame of will developing within me. Should my strength be unpredictable, I would take advantage of it. Then let's apply it, my voice is more forceful than before. "Let's use whatever advantage we have." Alex looked at me, surprise darting across his face, but also there was something else—something like pride. He nodded slightly, as though he sensed my change. Lila turned to Alex after staring at me for a bit more. "It's resolved then. We'll cooperate. Remember, though, we are all dead if Marcus smells even a hint of what we have in mind going wrong. Her comments served as a terrifying reminder of the stakes we were negotiating. But I felt like we had a shot, first since this dream started. a tiny, risky possibility but nonetheless a chance. The weight of our goal pressed strongly on me as we started to plan. But Lila's phone chimed as I was starting to process the scope of what was ahead. Her face darkened as she looked at the television. "He's already moving," she remarked softly. And he is knowledgeable above our expectations. The tension building, the room appeared to get colder. Marcus already led one stride ahead. We were now running against time as well.