Page 139 of Red Fury

“Your brother was crazed and tormented when he abducted me the second time,” Shadow says, her eyes going hazy.

“Ivan is having to detox, much like a human addicted to hard drugs,” Roman continues. “He’s in a world of pain. He may not survive the detox, and if he does, he will, more than likely, never be the same. It cannot happen to any more of my coven. You smell good to us. Your blood tastes like life itself, only it is a sure path to death. Therefore, dragons cannot be here among us. We do not mix well together as a species.”

“I agree with you on that note,” I tell Roman. “But the fact remains that Shadow and I are needed on the Mainland. You can’t expect our people to trust blindly. End of story.”

Roman shakes his head. “That’s not true. You’re not needed. I will protect my own people, and in doing so, I’ll protect the dragons too. I will take care of Harrison.”

“And I’ve made it clear that we can’t trust you or your kind,” I tell Kozlov. “You can’t expect us to just sit back and do nothing. You’ll have the interests of vampires at heart. Screw the rest of us.”

Roman leans forward, his expression intense. “I need you to leave and stay gone. I understand that you have a hard time trusting me. I have information that might change your mind. Information you can look into. In no time, you will see that I’m telling the truth.”

“And you’ll tell us all of this now, so that we stay away?” Shadow asks.

“Yes. The government has worked hard to suppress dragon shifters and keep you under Mainland control. I never interfered because it suited me and my people to have you stay put on the islands. Things have changed. You being here is a threat to my people. The government has since become a threat, too.”

He pauses, letting that sink in. “I’m about to give you the inside information you need to thrive. I’m going to tell you how to get out from under the human government. Long term, I will help you as a species. I promise to protect you, but the only caveat is that you can never return to the Mainland. If you do, I will declare war on your kind.”

The threat hangs in the air between us.

“That’s a bold statement to make,” I say, my voice low.

“I mean it. We’re in an age where supernatural creatures such as us need to work together, not—”

“That’s what I’m suggesting.” I sound frustrated.

“You can help us by staying away. I will help you with information and by destroying your enemies,” Romancontinues. “I know exactly what the Mainland has been doing for years and years. Do you want the information or not?”

I look at Shadow, seeing the conflict in her eyes.

She pulls in a deep breath and then nods once.

I turn to Roman. “We’re listening.”

43

Shadow

“You’re shitting me,” Fury all but snarls; his eyes are blazing.

I bristle, hearing blood rushing in my ears for a few long seconds before finding a semblance of calm.

Kozlov holds up his hands, his expression remaining neutral. “I assure you that I am very serious.”

“And you know this how, exactly?” Fury adds, frowning. His pupils look elongated instead of round. It won’t be long before there are scales.

I put a hand on his arm.

My heart is pounding with the revelation. My mouth feels dry, and my hands feel clammy. I can barely process what I just heard.

“I have spies within the government. I have had them there for many years now,” Kozlov says, settling back in his chair. “I’ve been working hard on getting the right people – my people – into positions of power. As discussed, we’re now reaching a point where I have them high up within the organization. Make no mistake that the intel I have received over the years is rock solid and damning. Up until now, the Mainland government has manipulated you so that they can control you.”

I try to swallow, but my throat feels like sandpaper. “So, to be clear, you’re saying that these annual vaccinations we’ve been getting for all these years for Hemorrhagic Fever are bogus?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. They work alright, but they’re not for Hemorrhagic Fever.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Fury says, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. “People died from that disease. There was a huge outbreak years ago. My grandfather still talks about it.”

I nod, my mind racing. “My great aunt has talked about it as well. She lost a sister to the disease.”