“Why would a bunch of flying piranhas want me dead?” Red wondered, pulling bits of fish out of his beard.
Tameka shook her head. “That isn’t the question we should be asking. The question we should be asking is; when did piranhas learn to fucking fly?”
Vincent hoped the children were okay. She’d left them with a troll nanny while she came to talk with Tameka. She loved the nanny to bits, and she only looked after them when school finished, but she still felt anxious leaving them. The fear that they might get kidnapped again was on her mind constantly.
I couldn’t bear it if they were taken again.
She sighed heavily and tuned back into the conversation. She had to trust Trevor, her male nanny. He was a mighty gruff, even though he was in a profession that was typically taken up by pretties. He could fight off anything that dared to harm the children, though Vincent did prefer to do the protecting herself.
“I think it’s obvious who’s behind this,” said Red. “It’s the mermaids.”
“Why would the mermaids want you dead?” asked Tameka. “You’re not interfering with them in any way.”
“Mermaid witches can control sea creatures,” Red explained. “They can warp their flesh and change them in any number of disturbing ways. Look what they did to your sister. You think making a few measly little piranhas fly is a stretch for them?”
Vincent saw the sad look come over Tameka’s eyes. Her friend was conflicted. She knew what the mermaids were capable of, but the troll suspected she would stick up for them. She was right.
“The mermaids have no reason to want you dead,” Tameka stated again. “It has to be someone else. Surely there are normal human witches that can do this too? Witches that are working for Galina for instance.”
Red nodded, agreeing. “Perhaps. It’s just this stinks too much of mermaid magic for my liking.”
“I know the mermaids aren’t perfect, but they…they saved Asha, and they’re not involved in this. Galina is the problem. We need to focus on her.”
Why is she so adamant that the mermaids are innocent? It’s like she’s sticking up for them out of some kind of guilt.
Vincent hoped Tameka’s naivety when it came to the mermaids didn’t bite her in the face.
They must be on to the truth if Galina was sending more assassins to kill Red. Tameka knew it was only a matter of time before something else tried to kill them. They had to find Galina and stop her now.
Dragon invasion?
She still wasn’t sure about the dragon invasion. It made sense, but it was still only supposition. They needed hard facts.
“How are we in coming up with a plan to get that kraken bitch out of the holding facility?” she asked. The two brothers looked at each other guiltily. “What the hell happened?”
When Reiner reluctantly explained what he’d done she had to physically restrain herself from smashing his face in. He’d ruined any chance they had of getting to Galina without causing Annie any distress.
What is Annie truly capable of?
“What can Annie do?” Tameka asked.
Reiner paused before saying, “You’d rather not know if you want to ever sleep again.”
“You know what?” said Tameka, laughing nervously. “I don’t want to know.”
She stifled a yawn, realizing she was exhausted. Today had been a long day. Nearly dying three times took a lot out of you.
I count the piranha attack as one of those times.
“We should get some rest and start over tomorrow,” Red suggested, eyes on her. “We all need to be bright and bushytailed for when we come up with a plan. We WILL come up with a plan.”
Reiner looked awkward before saying, “I have nowhere to live.”
The apartment was so silent you could hear a spider rolling its eyes.
Red sighed. “Fine. You can stay with me. I mean, it’s not as if you’re a billionaire and can afford to stay in any hotel you want, but fine.”
“I don’t want to be on my own,” Reiner admitted.
Tameka could tell it took a lot of guts for Red’s brother to admit that particular weakness. It made her like him just a little bit more.
“What’s the thread count on your sheets?” Reiner asked. “The cheap stuff gives me hives.”
Tameka couldn’t help but grin. The man was still a prick.
Reiner took one look at Red’s dilapidated car and grimaced.
“What’s this?” he demanded.
“We can’t all afford our own private helicopters,” said Red, feeling inadequate. His brother always made him feel like this. “Would you rather walk?”
“I’m calling my limo,” Reiner announced, pulling out his cell.
Red started to object before realizing he’d never been in a limo before. He quite fancied the idea of cruising around Blue City in one, sipping champagne, taking a bubble bath. Limos had bubble baths, right?
Five minutes later a gleaming black stretch limousine pulled up. The tinted windows of the driver’s side slid down, revealing an attractive red haired woman in a chauffer’s uniform. She winked at Reiner. He winked back and gave her a cheeky smile.
“This is Candy,” Reiner introduced. “She drives my limo.”
Candy saluted him. “He likes to ride with me.”
Red groaned at the pun. “Let’s just get going. We need to stop off at Bethyl’s house first.”
“Who the fuck is Bethyl?”
Red grinned. His favorite gnome witch was going to help him solve a problem and prove once and for all that the mermaids weren’t to be trusted. He only hoped Tameka would forgive him for trying to break apart the trust she had in her sister.
Tameka closed her bedroom door. She’s sprayed the living room with air freshener to try and get rid of the fish smell. Now her apartment reeked of pine glade. She hoped real pine glades didn’t smell so garish.
It was good to be alone at long last. Vincent was putting Raquel up for the night; Red and Reiner had gone off to play housemates, and Yenay had returned back to her own apartment. She had the whole place to herself.
Five minutes later she called her mom.
“Hey mom,” said Tameka. She was sitting up in bed, her pillows piled behind her. She’d pulled her duvet up to keep off the chill. “What’s up?”
“You woke Nadya up,” Doctor Hamilton complained.
“Sorry. I just needed someone to talk to.”
“Hmm. I thought you might. I’ve hardly heard from you these past few months. When we do talk you sound distant.”
“I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”
“As much as it pains me to admit this you should never have quit the police. You had a purpose there. Acting doesn’t challenge you and, quite frankly, it brings out your bad side.”
“I’ve quit acting again. I’m going to be a private detective.”
Her mom went quiet. She heard something giggling in the background. When Tameka realized what it was she wanted to throw up. It was her dad. She’d interrupted her parents while they were having sex!
I’m jealous. I’m actually jealous my parents have an active sex life. I’ve almost forgotten what an orgasm is.
“Is this the right path for you?” Miranda asked.
“Nothing can steer me off this path,” Tameka stated. She was defiant. “Nothing.”
“Then I won’t even try. Remember to call around at Winter Solstice, and Nadya wants a new cell phone for her present.”
Tameka laughed. “Is she old enough for a cell phone?”
“It’s imperative for her social and cognitive growth.”
They chatted for a bit longer about Winter Solstice, and which far flung relatives were turning up, before Tameka hung up. She was too tired to talk any more. She just wanted this day to end. Tomorrow couldn’t be as nerve wracking and life threatening, right?
Red poked his head out of the limo’s side window, hesitant to step out. They were in one of the more run-down districts of Blue City. He could already hear
gun shots and fighting. He thought he saw a prostitute having a knife fight with a drug dealer across the street. He was about to mumble something about why the police weren’t doing anything when he belatedly remembered he was the police.
“Why would a witch live in this unwiped ass of an area?” Reiner complained.
“I guess she likes to live dangerously,” said Red.
They got out, locking the door behind them. They walked up Bethyl’s drive, finding her one story house a bit dilapidated. Someone had spray painted “witch” on her front door. A forlorn row of potted plants stood dying by the path. A failed sprinkler system was frozen solid. Red looked up into the heavens, knowing snow was due very soon. A dragon always knew when it would snow.
Red was about to knock when the front door flew open.
“You forgot my birthday,” Bethyl complained.
Red looked at the witch, confused. “What birthday?”
“You promised me a cake and a surprise party and a stripper with a cock the length of a boa constrictor.”
Red laughed and pulled Bethyl into a hug. She had arms so strong she almost crushed him, but he let her. It was good to see her again.
“I won’t let you in,” she said, stepping out and closing the door. They heard something scream inside before it was cut off. “I much prefer the fresh air.”
“I need your help,” Red stated.
“I figured as much,” said Bethyl.
Red took something out of his pocket. It was wrapped in kitchen towel, leaking blood. He opened it to reveal a dead piranha.
“A swarm of these things tried to kill me,” Red told her. “They were flying, Bethyl. They were piranhas…and they were fucking flying.”
She picked up the fish and sniffed it a few times before casting some sort of spell on it. She nodded her head sagely.
“Mermaid magic,” Bethyl revealed. “There’s nothing stinks so much as mermaid magic. Vile, evil creatures. My fifth husband was murdered by a mermaid you know. That was after I hired one to kill him, mind, but the fact’s there. Mermaids are wrong.”
“I knew it,” said Red.
Bethyl sighed. “Your Tameka doesn’t believe mermaids would do a thing wrong, hmm? Silly girl. She’ll soon learn. They all turn on you eventually. Even the nicer ones will gut you and wear your skin to a fancy dress ball.”
“I know she wants to get to know her sister. I don’t blame her. But mermaids…”
He felt like punching something. He’d never known Tameka to be so naïve before. It was killing him.
And one day soon her sister might turn around and kill her.
“Can you help me trace this magic back to its source?” Red asked. “I think Asha did this.”
“I know Tameka is getting way over her head with this mermaid sister shit, but she’ll never forgive you for interfering,” said Bethyl. She wasn’t unkind. “You have to let her discover the truth on her own terms my boy.”
“I can’t do that, not if she ends up dead.”
Bethyl patted him on the arm in a motherly way. “You love her.”
“Damn fucking right I do. She’s wonderful, and she’s worth it.”
Bethyl performed another spell on the dead piranha. After a while it floated into the night air, leaving a trail of sparkling dust in its wake.
“We follow this, and we find out the truth,” said Bethyl.
Red made up his mind. “Then let’s go.”
29
Tameka couldn’t sleep. She yawned every minute or so. Her limbs ached. She’d even scented her pillow with lavender oil, yet she couldn’t seem to nod off. She was still full of adrenaline and excitement and anxiousness. Her body wanted her to do something and fuck the necessary time needed for sleeping.
I might as well do something useful.
She got out of bed and dressed in a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. She padded barefoot into her living room, thinking of something she could do. They needed to find a way to force Galina to come out of hiding at the care facility. What would do that? What would be so important as to make her do something that might put her in danger?
She pulled out her laptop and Googled the woman. She had her own Wikipedia page. Tameka clicked on it and read her life story. Most of it was fake. Galina Trade was definitely not forty-six, she most certainly was not born in New Jersey, and she didn’t inherit her billions from an oil tycoon grandfather. One of the things that did interest her, though, was the information listed on her business interests. She owned a lot of legit businesses around the world from auction houses to a chain of fried chicken restaurants. The thing she was most famous for, hence the glowing Wikipedia page, was her dedication to the welfare of children with mental disabilities. She even ran a charity for the cause.
And the charity’s main HQ is in Blue City.
Tameka knew without a doubt that the charity was very important to Galina. She had a daughter herself with mental health issues. It was her life. She’d have to come out of hiding if someone jeopardized it.
“Do I burn down a building that helps children?” she pondered.
She shook her head. Doing such a thing would be an evil act, no matter what Tameka was trying to accomplish. There had to be another way.
Then again, she probably has lots of insurance, right?
Vincent turned away as Tameka threw the smoke bomb through the window of the charity building. They waited for a while for the smoke to start massing before they made a run for it.
“Are you sure there was nobody inside?” Tameka asked, climbing inside her car. Once they were both inside she started driving away. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” said Vincent. “I have sensitive hearing. They have no human night guards. The place was warded with magic, though ironically they didn’t count on someone throwing a smoke bomb through the front window.”
“That’ll teach the bitch to be more thorough.”
They crossed a few blocks before pulling into a side road. Now it was time to wait. She only hoped Galina showed up.
“Where did you get a smoke bomb from?” Tameka asked the troll. “It’s not something you carry around in your handbag.”
Vincent looked at her, appalled. “I don’t own a handbag.”
The magical trail created by the piranha had led them past a couple of baffled drug dealers and into the restaurant district. The air was filled with the aromas of pizza, pasta and pastries. It reminded Red that he hadn’t eaten in a while. Time flew by when you were fighting for your life.
“Nobody noticed flying piranhas flying through the streets?” Reiner asked them as they passed a packed Indian restaurant. “They’re hardly normal.”
“They were probably invisible until they got near their target,” Bethyl suggested.
When they turned into an alley Red realized they were only a block away from the old abandoned marina. He knew where it was because he’d arrested several dealers there in the past two years. It was an eerie, ancient place that reminded him of an old movie set. The deck creaked, and sunken boats could be seen half sticking out of the sea. Dead fish somehow ended up on land and there was always a pervasive smell of rot and decay. The place should’ve been condemned and turned into an entertainment complex years ago.
“This place reminds me of that dimension we passed through on the way here,” said Reiner.
Red felt his stomach churn. “That place was awful. It smelled like a sewer.”
This dimension wasn’t the first one they’d come across as refugees. They’d actually gone through half a dozen before settling on this one, mainly because they were tired of running and wanted to settle down. Sometimes Red wondered what was just beyond the next horizon. Could there be a place out there where dragons lived free and at peace with humans and other supernatural races?
Bethyl came to a halt. “It ends here.”
There was a bench next to an old shack. Red walked up to it and looked around. All he could find was old fishing gear and a bucket full of stag
nant water. He could smell mermaids though. A mermaid had definitely been here.
“Well this does us no good,” Red moaned. “There’s no mermaid here.”
Bethyl grinned and picked up something stuck on the bench. It was a long, curly black hair. Red recognized it instantly. Only one person he knew had fabulous black hair like that.
“This is where Tameka meets Asha,” he said.
“It’s very dark and gloomy,” Reiner added.
“They probably have set meeting times,” said Bethyl, eyes examining every nook and cranny of the broken marina. “We won’t be seeing her again until Tameka turns up.”
“We have to tell Tameka that Asha sent those mermaids,” said Red.
“But do we really know that?” Bethyl asked him. “Maybe Tameka does meet her sister here, but that doesn’t mean that she was the one who sent the piranhas.”
Red nodded, agreeing. This wasn’t proof.
I know in my gut that Asha is bad and she’s working with Galina. I know it.
But what if his own prejudice against mermaids was interfering in his ability to be unbiased? What if Asha truly was trying to be a good sister, feeling emotions, even putting herself in danger? It was a possibility he had to mull over.
“I know why you feel this way about the mermaids,” said Reiner. “I understand. I feel the same. But maybe…”
They turned to find a beautiful mermaid slowly walking up out of the water. She regarded them with contempt as her legs glittered with scales and she regarded them with ice cold eyes. This was Asha.
“You set off my alarm,” said Asha, coming to a stop. “Why are you here?”
Red was astonished. “You really are her twin.”
“You mean Tameka? Of course I am her twin.”
Despite the differences this mermaid was most definitely Tameka’s twin sister. They even talked the same when they were pissed off.
Is pissed off an emotion? Am I actually witnessing a mermaid express emotion?
Sirens and Scales Page 340