Kennedy hovers over Reed as he gains his composure. Reed slides up with great effort, using the wall to straighten his back. Galen doubts the trembling of his hands is fake.

The biologist lightly tosses the lock back and forth in front of him, keeping it in Reed’s line of vision. “I shouldn’t like this as much as I do. I suppose that makes me a bad person. Maybe it’s all the years I’ve spent as a laughingstock in my profession, eh? All the disapproving looks from my colleagues. The invitations to parties and award ceremonies that stopped coming. All the grant requests for research denied. No one wants to throw their lot in with a crazy mermaid hunter, right?” He nudges Reed’s ankle with the tip of his boot. “But you won’t deny me, will you, Reed.”

Reed groans. “Please stop. I’ll show you. I will. Just please stop.”

Still, Kennedy raises the lock, taking aim again.

“Enough!” Galen barks. “He’s had enough.”

Kennedy spins on him, scrutinizing his face with malice. “You’d spare him, Galen? This pathetic girlfriend stealer? I’d think you’d be the first to see him suffer. Perhaps, you don’t know the extent of their relationship, hmm? How accommodating Emma has been?”

Galen swallows the unvarnished fury spreading through his veins like hot liquid steel, fortifying any cracks of brokenness he had left in him about the kiss. Reed kissed Emma. She didn’t kiss him. And if Galen gets out of here, Kennedy will pay for what he said.

Kennedy can tell he’s hit a nerve, an entire army of nerves really, and his mouth smiles in a way that says he has more where that came from. Galen’s body is near shaking with contempt, but he strains against it. Allowing himself to become provoked is not a good strategy for this game they’re playing. Or maybe it is. Rage tends to be useful.…

Through clenched teeth, he says, “Reed is just a Half-Breed. He can’t take hits like that. I can. Take your anger out on me.”

Reed flashes him a questioning look. Galen offers the slightest of shrugs. Telling Kennedy about the existence of Half-Breeds is not a great idea, Galen knows. But telling him fragments of information to lead him on is.

“A Half-Breed,” Kennedy says, interest sparkling in his eyes. “Very well, Galen. Tell me about Half-Breeds.”

Galen leans his head back against the wall and grunts as if he’s disappointed in himself. Kennedy falls for it. “Oh, now,” he chuckles, “you’ve spilled the beans, Galen. You might as well tell me.”

Galen doesn’t hesitate to answer. “You’re supposed to be studying the town of Neptune, and you haven’t figured that out yet? Some marine biologist.”

Reed nearly brains himself on the wall in frustration. This was not the plan and Galen knows it. Somehow, he needs to put everything back on track. Which means keeping his mouth shut. I’m the quiet one. I’m the quiet one. I’m the quiet one.

Kennedy presses his fist against his chin, cracking his neck from side to side. Galen has seen this done before on television. The actor did this to intimidate someone. To Galen, cracking joints just shows how fragile humans are.

“I’ll tell you if you don’t hurt him,” Galen blurts as Kennedy takes two slow steps toward him.

Kennedy’s nostrils flare. “Truth be told, Galen, I was thinking about testing your pain tolerance. You have a few wounds I could easily reopen, don’t you think?”

Galen relaxes against the wall, exuding as much cockiness as he can—a trick he learned from Toraf. “By all means. Whenever you’re ready.” He can take countless hits from a human and recover without much effort. After all, he’s just been through worse—Tyrden’s hard Syrena fists do much more damage than a mere human’s—and even Reed seems sturdy enough against the wrath of a lock-wielding scientist.

The two dilated orbs that used to be Kennedy’s eyes narrow down at Galen. “If it weren’t a waste of time, I’d be tempted to call you on your bluff. As it is, you have five seconds to explain.”

Galen nods. “Half-Breeds are half human, half Syrena. The result of the two mating together. As such, their bones and skin are weakened by their human genes. Not like a full-blooded Syrena. I could take blow after blow from you.” Galen laughs for effect. “I’m afraid you’d tire out before me.”

Not entirely true, especially given his all but fresh bruises already, but at least the somewhat altered facts appear to slow Kennedy’s rage. “A cross species? Really?” Now the man looks like an eager, attentive child. He turns to Reed. “So that explains the stark contrast in coloring. You’re not two separate species, but a mix of two. Fascinating.”

Reed allows his lips to quiver. “He wasn’t supposed to tell you those things.” He casts Galen a defensive look.

Galen rolls his eyes. “Show him how you Blend before he beats you senseless. My patience only goes so far, Half-Breed.”

Kennedy gives off what can only be described as a cackle. “You two are delightfully at odds, eh? But now now, Reed. Let’s see about all this Blending business.”

Reed’s shoulders slump. “I’ll need a glass of water.”

37

NO ONE can really get comfortable when they have a gun pointed at them.

Yet Tyrden sits and talks as if we’re in his living room and I am his guest. As if we have cookies and milk before us, instead of an unconscious injured man who is now bleeding from the nose.