“I suspected, but she never outright told me.” Reiner smiled. “So she is the last kraken. I had sex with the last kraken! That’s that ticked off my bucket list.”
“She’s involved in a vast conspiracy. I need to know where to find her.”
“And what do I get out of this?”
For some insane reason Red had assumed his brother wasn’t a selfish prick anymore. He was wrong. He should’ve known better. Reiner didn’t change. He would never change.
“I can persuade mother to un-disown you,” said Red.
Reiner appeared interested. “What makes you think you can do that?”
“Mother misses you.”
“I miss her.”
“You can come back, Reiner. You can come back to your family.”
Red wanted this so much. He and Reiner were totally different, but they were still brothers, still connected by a complex shared past. They’d been through so much together, even before they came to this world.
“It’s nearly the anniversary,” Reiner stated.
“Why are you bringing this up?” Red demanded.
“You don’t talk about them, do you? You pretend they never existed.”
“I can’t talk about them. I just can’t.”
Reiner sighed and pulled his brother into a hug. Red felt overjoyed, even though his mind was desperately trying to bring back memories of his lost wife and children.
I can’t think about them.
Reiner grinned. “Brothers, together again!”
“We can celebrate later, but for now…Reiner, Galina is responsible for the massacre of thousands of humans. She’s up to something big.”
“I thought she was ruthless, but not something like this.”
“We need your help, Brother.”
“And my help you shall receive.” Reiner looked his brother up and down, curious. “So why are you naked again?
Tameka smiled as Red entered the apartment. He was wearing some of Vincent’s clothes. They were obviously too big for him but it was better than watching him walk around naked. It was cold, and shrinkage was only too obvious.
Am I a pervert because I kept trying to get a peek at Red’s penis?
She grinned wickedly. She had been right. He was very, very well endowed indeed. Perhaps all dragons had colossal cocks?
“How do I look?” Red asked.
Tameka shrugged. “I preferred you butt naked.”
Red smiled and sat down next to her on the couch. Yenay was with Vincent at the kitchen table, talking about muffin recipes, and Raquel was fussing over Reiner, patting him and touching him like an overprotective mother. He looked severely embarrassed.
Tameka found Reiner intriguing. He was sort of like the dark mirror image of Red. They looked alike, certainly, but Reiner was a little rougher around the ages, maybe taller. He seemed more dangerous, more alluring. He was attractive, certainly, but he wasn’t her type. He dressed like a sleazy movie executive, which was very off-putting.
“Stop making a fuss,” Reiner complained. “I’m fine.”
Raquel said, “Reiner, I never would’ve been able to forgive myself if…”
“Sit down and shut up.”
The troll did as she was ordered and sat down on the floor next to Reiner’s chair. She made herself comfortable, eyes on her master the entire time. She looked ready to pounce in case anybody made any sudden movements.
“So what the hell happened to my apartment?” Reiner demanded.
“We thought you might know,” said Red. “We were just coming to see you when it exploded with dragon fire. I nearly died.”
“We both nearly died,” Tameka added.
Reiner shrugged, as if the death of a mere human was inconsequential.
“Do you have any enemies?” Red asked.
Reiner grinned. “I have more enemies than I dare to count, but none of them are dragons. Besides, what dragon could cause that much damage with one burst of fire? None.”
“None that we know of,” Red stated.
He explained Tameka’s theory of dragons from another dimension coming to this realm, including dragons that were a lot more powerful than they were. This idea seemed to make Reiner scared, which scared Tameka. Red’s brother hadn’t seemed the type to have his feathers ruffled so easily.
Could it be true? Could this be some kind of dragon invasion?
“Could these new dragons be working with Galina?” Tameka asked, thinking about this logically. “It does seem a coincidence that they attacked Reiner just when we were about to ask him some questions about her.”
“But why would these hypothetical dragons want random humans killed all across the globe?” Reiner mused. “None of it makes any sense. It doesn’t make any sense why Galina would want this either. She’s intelligent. She doesn’t do things for the thrill of it. She has a plan.”
“We know that,” snapped Red. “We just can’t figure out what it is.”
“I wish I knew,” Reiner admitted. “Galina and I never talked about business. It was all acrobatic sex games and orgies.”
Tameka stood up, fed up of sitting down. She tried to think and come up with a theory but nothing would come. Nothing made sense. Nothing at all.
She mused aloud. “A red dragon killed my parents. There’s no denying that. There are no red dragons in this universe apart from Red, and I believe that he didn’t do it. Another powerful dragon tried to kill Reiner. Therefore, we’re certain, absolutely certain, that there’s a new type of dragon in town, one so powerful it dwarfs even your powers.” Reiner and Red seemed humiliated by this. She just ignored their flayed egos and carried on. “Galina Trade is a black-market dealer. She steals magical crap from here and other dimensions. Right?” Red nodded, and so did Reiner. “There we have our link. Galina travels dimensions, and new dragons are coming here from other dimensions. It’s not illogical to assume the two are linked, especially after what happened at Reiner’s apartment.” She started pacing, feeling the pieces of the puzzle fitting together. “The only thing we need to know is what the killings have to do with the new dragons and Galina. Are they working for her? Is she working for them? Are they equal partners? What does she get out of it? What do the dragons get out of it?” She grinned, feeling adrenaline coursing through her. She felt on her game. “Galina sells very expensive, rare items. Therefore, her motive has to be money. I assume then that her scheme with the suicides somehow ends up with her getting rich off it. Does that then mean that someone else is paying her?” She nodded. This made sense. “But who would be paying her? The other dragons?”
“Galina is a billionaire,” said Reiner. “What does she need with more money?”
“Rich people always want more money,” said Tameka. “That’s just who they are.”
Reiner nodded, agreeing with her. “Galina certainly loves money.”
She continued pacing, rearranging everything in her mind, trying to make the remaining pieces fit. She knew was coming upon an answer. It was on the tip of her tongue.
She stopped, an idea popping into her head. “Invasion.”
“What invasion?” Red asked.
“It’s the only explanation that makes sense.” She felt sick. “These other dragons are invading our world. They want to conquer us.”
26
It made so much sense to her now. Maybe these new dragons needed a new world to live in after destroying their own, or maybe they needed to flee because of asteroids or nuclear war or any other apocalyptic scenarios. They needed a new home, and hers just happened to be the one they chose.
“Invasion?” Reiner scoffed. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Our father invaded and successfully conquered another realm with only himself and half a dozen subordinate dragons,” said Red. “Imagine what these new, powerful dragons could do.”
Reiner seemed curious for a moment. “You don’t think this is Father’s work, do you?”
Red shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”
“Why would a group of powerful dragons want all these random humans dead?” she asked, more to herself than to those listening. “Maybe they don’t want a big fight when they invade. But wouldn’t they send someone through to nuke us all instead, or unleash some type of killer virus?” She sighed, realizing she was wrong. An invasion didn’t make sense, not unless they were doing it the really slow way. Red and Reiner were still arguing so she continued. “I’m starting to get confused. Really confused. The secret that will unlock everything we don’t know lies with Galina. We need to find her.” She locked eyes with Reiner, who about to launch another argument. Something occurred to her about the attack on his penthouse suite. Something didn’t add up. “How did you escape?”
Reiner looked up at her. “The apartment? I didn’t escape. I wasn’t there.”
“Why?” Tameka asked. “Did you, perhaps, know something was going to happen?”
“I started to feel a little off,” he admitted, looking away. This confession seemed to shame him. Tameka wondered why. “I’d just had lunch, and I was feeling off. When I’m feeling off I go for a flight. Red knows. Even the feel of the air beneath your wings is enough to shake off most ailments.”
Red nodded. Tameka said. “You just happened to take off at the exact moment we were coming to see you and someone blew up your apartment.”
Reiner’s eyes shone with malice as he said, “What are you accusing me of, human?”
She walked up to him, calming her own racing heartbeat. This powerful dragon shifter scared her. Unlike Red she knew this man would hurt her if she pushed him too far. She had to act like she was in control.
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Tameka shouted, anger fuelling her. She’d almost been burnt alive. She deserved to be pissed. “You knew we were coming to see you about Galina, and you arranged it so we’d die and suspicion would be pulled away from you.”
“Reiner would never kill me,” Red defended. “Never.”
He didn’t seem so sure of that, and Reiner knew it. Red’s older brother looked shifty and uncomfortable, but for some reason she believed him. He was lying about something that shamed him deeply, but it wasn’t about Galina.
Reiner hung his head and said, “I have irritable bowel syndrome. I was out at the time because I was taking a dump in the ocean.”
She saw Red smirk and gave him her most disapproving look. She’d never mock Reiner, for she had her own confession to make.
“I have IBS too,” she admitted. She heard Yenay gasp in shock. “It’s painful, right?”
Reiner nodded. “I just know that one day I’m going to die taking a fucking shit and it makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.”
“Have you tried high strength probiotics?”
They started a conversation on the merits on probiotics and prebiotics before Tameka realized they’d gone off topic again. Reiner now trusted her a little. They had something in common, a disease that most people found funny.
Having the shits in the middle of a school exam is not funny.
“You know where Galina is,” Tameka stated.
Reiner shook his head. “I have an idea of some places where she could be, but…”
“Don’t give me that crap. She wanted you dead to stop you talking. You know exactly where she is, and you’re going to tell me. Now.”
Reiner looked more intimidated than indignant. Tameka had to admit to the secret, almost orgasmic thrill she got from scaring this big bad dragon.
I love bringing down assholes a peg or two.
“You think you can scare me, human?” Reiner asked.
She came closer, peering down at him as if he were a tiny insect, and said, “Tell me what I want to know. Now.”
Reiner looked to Red for guidance, but he just smirked and shrugged his shoulders.
“Fine,” said Reiner. “I know where she is.”
“You’re a lying piece of shit,” Red spat.
“There are things you don’t know about us.” Reiner looked away, almost emotional. “Galina and I had more than some affair. We got married. We had a child together.”
Red couldn’t believe it. How had he not known this? He thought he’d kept up with the events in his brother’s life (the irritable bowel syndrome didn’t count). He thought, despite everything that had happened between them, that he knew him. They’d even had the odd conversation every decade or so when their paths accidentally crossed.
“How is that possible?” Tameka asked, sitting back down. “Aren’t you different species?”
“Annie was a beautiful child. She was born with such black hair…She was a surprise to the both of us. Galina suddenly went into labor one day. We didn’t even know she was pregnant! Yes, it was a shock, but we grew to love her, even when she did start to present problems.”
Red said, “What happened to her?”
“Annie is in a facility we had specially made for her,” Reiner explained. “Her care is second to none. She wants for nothing. She just can’t ever leave because she…she can’t control herself. She has severe mental disabilities, and coupled with the kraken and dragon DNA inside her it makes her unpredictable.” Reiner paused before saying, “She’s insane, okay? She’s insane. If she ever got out…”
“I’m sorry,” said Red.
Reiner shrugged. “It is what it is. I love her, but I can’t be in the same room with her with too long. She scares me.”
The atmosphere in the room descended into awkward silence. Red didn’t know what to say. He knew what it was like to have children and see them die, but to have them locked up and descend into madness? It was incomprehensible.
Mother would weep if she knew.
He knew now he had to see his family reunited. Reiner needed the support of their mother.
Now my brother’s relationship with our step-father is another thing. They never got on.
“You think Galina is at this facility with Annie?” Tameka asked.
“I know she is,” Reiner stated. “I spoke to her on the phone last night.”
“We can’t descend on this facility like a mob,” said Red. “Not if it would scare Annie.”
“I wouldn’t let you,” said Reiner, his eyes boring into his brother, almost daring him to disagree. “Annie means more to me than life itself. I don’t want her hurt.”
Red looked towards Tameka, who seemed as bereft of ideas as he was. There had to be a way to get to Galina without putting his niece in harm’s way. But what if they had no choice? What if their only option was to grab Galina and hope Annie didn’t get hurt in the crossfire?
It won’t come to that. I refuse to allow it to come to that.
“I need a piss,” said Reiner, heading for the bathroom. Raquel followed him, standing outside the bathroom door like an obedient dog.
“What do you think?” Red asked.
“I think Galina is at the heart of everything and we need to go into that facility and grab her,” she stated. “But that would be wrong. What do you think’s wrong exactly with Annie? He was pretty vague about the while thing. He was scared of her.”
“Hybrids are powerful, but they rarely ever survive past birth. I don’t really have any information on this.”
“You need to call the prime minister.”
“My step-father and Reiner don’t get on.”
“Fuck their macho egos. This is more serious than them.”
Tameka joined Vincent and Yenay at the kitchen table. They were currently eating the last of her chocolate chip cookies and talking about some soap opera they were addicted to. She hadn’t seen the troll this excited before. Perhaps she was finally moving on?
“What’s going on over there?” Yenay asked.
“Red is talking to the dragon Prime Minister, and Reiner is in the bathroom,” she answered, sitting down by t
he table. “It’s not gone well.”
“I know,” said Vincent. “We heard everything.”
“This apartment isn’t that large,” said Yenay. “Plus, you were shouting a lot.”
Tameka grabbed the last cookie before Yenay could demolish it. She needed the sugar. Today had been one long fight. Either she was nearly being blown up, falling to her death, or learning about a potential dragon invasion. She missed the old days.
“The only case of a hybrid that I’ve heard about in my hundreds of years of existence is a human who had a troll’s baby,” said Vincent out of the blue. “It lived to about four years old. It killed its parents and ate them.”
Tameka winced. “Paranormal hybrids are that dangerous?”
“They’re dangerous, but usually they can’t control their actions. They’re quite mad.”
She dreaded to think what the offspring of a kraken and a dragon could do. She imagined a colossal flying reptile, attacking the city and smashing skyscrapers like they were made of building blocks. The very thought that something like that could happen made her want to get in her bed and weep.
“So it wouldn’t be a good idea to storm into the facility where Annie lives and kidnap her mom right out from under her,” said Tameka.
Vincent laughed. “You do make me laugh.”
Tameka was just glad her own family were relatively sane.
Asha!
She’d forgotten all about her sister. They were supposed to meet at the abandoned marina over an hour ago. She must be thinking Tameka didn’t care. She had to go to her now before Asha decided never to come back.
She walked up to Red, who’d just finished his conversation with his step-father. He looked about as pleased as a cat who was allergic to chicken.
“I told him everything, and he urged me to keep as far away from Annie as possible,” Red explained. “He was frightened, Tameka. He was really frightened.”
“Did he have any other info about other hybrids?” she asked, eager to get going.
“He’s known a few in his time, but they’ve all been…insane, destructive, and violent.”
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