Chapter 9
Brad stared down at the baby, not quite sure what to do now she’d been fed. How did one entertain an infant?
Lyrian had said to talk to her, show her things.
Brad sat her up in his lap, and said, “Hi, Anarian. It’s me, your dad, again.”
He felt kind of silly talking out loud to her. She stared at him, no idea what he was saying. But her little blue eyes were wide and interested, so he kept talking.
“I’m from America. You probably don’t know about that yet, but it’s a big country on the other side of the world. I’ll take you there some day.”
That idea filled him with excitement and trepidation.
Would Lyrian ever come with him? What would he do if she didn’t? That thought didn’t even bear thinking about.
Anarian though, just blinked.
Brad kept talking, feeling less and less strange the more he talked. He told her about his home, his job, his twin brother. Anything he could think of.
After a while, he wasn’t sure how long, her eyelids began to droop. He eased her back against his shoulder, and kept talking until she was fast asleep. Then he laid her down on the bed in the other room and stared at her for a moment.
It had been one of the strangest days he’d ever experienced. And also one of the best. He couldn’t even begin to put it into words. It was hard to believe this was his daughter. It had all happened so suddenly that it was too much to take in.
He knew this meant his life was going to change. Right now, he couldn’t guess how much. But there was one thing he knew. It was going to take more than a week to figure it out. He needed to stay longer.
With that thought in mind, he pulled out his phone to call the hospital and let them know. Then he remembered, no reception.
He fetched the landline handset from the other room, then returned to the bedroom to watch over Anarian as he talked.
It took only a few minutes to call the hospital and tell them he needed another week. He didn’t mention Anarian, just that his uncle’s estate was more complicated than he’d expected.
Probably he should have said longer. He wasn’t convinced two weeks would do it. He suspected that convincing Lyrian to move to America with him was going to take longer than that. But he wasn’t sure how long.
Then he stared at the phone.
He should call Nate. His twin brother would want to hear about Anarian.
But he didn’t even know how to begin to explain.
So instead, he let himself watch Anarian sleeping. There would be time to explain to Nate later, once he understood himself what was going on.
But his thoughts wouldn’t leave him alone. He couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen next. Would Lyrian find her brothers? Would she even consider coming to America with him?
Could he possibly move here?
He didn’t have answers to any of them. So to silence his mind, he turned to the internet. He delved into one of his other concerns, how to be a parent. So many conflicting opinions on everything from food to discipline. Overwhelming.
Before he could make up his mind on any of it, Anarian started to stir again.
Brad frowned, and glanced out the window. More than a few hours had passed. Where was Lyrian?
Anarian stared at him, her eyes wide. She wasn’t crying yet, but Brad was pretty sure that wouldn’t last. She’d be hungry, and Lyrian had only taken out one bottle of milk.
She obviously hadn’t planned on being this long. Was something wrong?
Brad took a deep breath. He couldn’t worry about her right now. He needed to take care of his daughter. Luckily he knew where Lyrian kept the milk.
This time, he managed things much better. He warmed up the milk while he changed Lyrian’s diaper, and in no time at all they were sitting on the bed again while he chatted to her. She listened intently while he asked her all about her mother, and where she thought she was.
By the time Lyrian drifted off to sleep again, Brad’s initial concern had worked itself up into something approaching panic. It was getting dark outside, and she still wasn’t back. Had something gone wrong? Was she lost?
Should he go looking for her?
He didn’t even know where to start. And he couldn’t leave Anarian any more than Lyrian had been able to. If that wasn’t enough, he’d told her to take the working car. There was nothing he could do.
Brad felt helpless. A feeling he disliked intensely.
So to distract himself, he picked up the phone and dialled Nate. His brother couldn’t help at all, of course. Brad wasn’t even sure how much he was going to explain. But hearing his voice would make him feel less alone. Less helpless.
Even if he didn’t have all the answers yet, he had to share at least Anarian’s existence with his twin brother.
Maybe that would ease some of the turmoil in his chest.
“Hey, Brad, what’s up? You made it to Australia safely?”
Nate’s voice was warm and comforting. A rock in Brad’s spinning world.
“Yeah, the trip was fine, other than being pulled over by the police when I arrived in Mungaloo.”
Even remembering that incident made him screw up his face in confusion. He still couldn’t figure out what that was about, but it did seem to fit neatly with the overall strangeness of his entire day. This one would certainly be remembered for a long time.
“Haven’t even been in the country for twenty-four hours and you’re already in trouble,” Nate teased. “Way to go, bro.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Brad heaved a sign, and looked down at Anarian, sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed. He couldn’t help his heart skipping a beat.
Nate must have heard something in his voice, or maybe his sigh echoed down the line, because when he spoke again, his voice was serious. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know,” Brad said honestly. “But…” he hesitated. He hadn’t said much about Lyrian when he’d left Henry’s, not even to his twin brother.
Nate had respected him not wanting to talk, but Brad knew he was curious.
He was sure his brother remembered.
“The girl you met last time?” Nate asked, and Brad could almost picture the raised eyebrow that went along with the words. “The mysterious one who broke your heart?”
Brad let his breath out in a sigh. “Yeah. Her.”
“Look, bro. If she doesn’t want a relationship, there really isn’t anything you can do.”
“She had a baby. My baby,” Brad interrupted.
His heart was thumping as he said the words.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then Nate gave a whistle. “Woah, that’s heavy.” He was silent again.
Brad knew exactly why.
What did you say to that?
“Her name’s Anarian,” Brad said softly. “My daughter.”
He stared at the baby’s blue hair, not sure how to even begin to explain that. He had trouble enough understanding it, and he’d met Lyrian.
“Congrats, bro,” Nate said softly. He was silent for a moment, then asked, “How are you doing?”
“A little shell shocked, to be honest,” Brad admitted. “I don’t know quite how to feel.”
And the bits he did know, he couldn’t explain to Nate.
He never would have believed how completely his heart could well up with love for this tiny being that he’d never even met before. How could he expect his brother, who was as childless as he had been, to understand?
The closest Nate had come was the puppy he’d adopted at a bachelor party recently.
That didn’t even compare really.
“How can I help?” Nate said immediately. “Do you want me to come up there?”
Brad shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I just… needed to talk.”
He couldn’t imagine Nate here.
Well, he could, but it wouldn’t help matters. His brother’s presence was larger than life, and Lyrian was already flighty enough.
It wasn’t like there was anything Nate could do anyway.
Brad needed to sort this one out for himself.
“I’m here anytime you need to talk,” Nate said. “Twenty-four/seven. You know that, right?”
He did know it. And it calmed some of the turmoil in his heart.
He would figure this out somehow. Find a way to make it all work.
Even if he couldn’t see how yet.
There were too many questions still unanswered. Why was Anarian’s hair blue? What was Lyrian’s story? How was he going to convince her to come home with him, and then how was he going to explain any of this to his family?
Where was she?
That was his most pressing worry right now. He hesitated for a minute, wondering if he should mention it to Nate. There wasn’t anything his brother could do, but…
“What is it?” Nate prompted, as though he could hear Brad’s thoughts.
Sometimes, having a twin was awkward.
Brad heaved a sigh. “She’s out. She asked me to look after the baby while she went to see her brothers.”
Nate gave a muffled laugh.
“What?” Brad demanded.
“Nothing,” Nate said a little too quickly. “Just… have you ever looked after a baby before?” His voice sounded a little superior, as though he knew something Brad didn’t.
“I managed just fine, thanks for the support,” Brad said stiffly, glad Nate hadn’t been around to see his screw ups. But he couldn’t be angry at his brother for long. “It’s just that she’s not back yet, and it’s been hours.”
Nate was quiet for a while. Just when Brad was about to prompt him to speak, he said quietly, “Do you think she’s done a runner and left you with the baby?”
That thought hadn’t occurred to Brad. Until now. For a second, panic squeezed his heart. He most certainly couldn’t do this alone.
Then he took a deep breath and shook his head. Lyrian was far too concerned about Anarian for her to abandon her. He didn’t believe it.
“No,” he said firmly. “I’m worried something happened to her.”
“Like what?”
Brad frowned. That was the question he couldn’t answer. Lyrian had gone to see her brothers. What could possibly have gone wrong?
He heaved a sigh. “I don’t know.”
Somehow, the thought didn’t bring him any peace. Nate couldn’t possibly understand. He was about to thank his brother and find an excuse to get off the phone when he heard a sound outside.
A car.
Lyrian returning.
Brad heaved a sign of relief. “She’s back.”
Except something wasn’t right. The car was driving far too quickly.
Brad took one last look at Anarian, then headed to the front door, phone still in his hand.
“That’s great, bro. Should I leave you two to talk?” Nate’s voice was distant, and Brad barely listened.
The rental ute skidded to a stop in front of the steps, the porch light just bright enough to show that its paint was blackened as though burnt. Lyrian jumped out, looking back over her shoulder, her hair and eyes wild. “The shotgun. Get the shotgun,” she screamed.
Brad’s heart skipped a beat.
Behind her, a shadow moved on the dark road. Was that another car chasing her?
It was about the size of a car, but that was where the similarity ended. Its shape was wide and tapered at the ends, and it appeared to be floating a few metres above the road rather than driving on it. Two silver lights glowed, too close together to be headlights.
Brad squinted. It was too dark to be sure, but it looked like…
Was that a dragon, flying down the road towards him?
Brad blinked, and rubbed his eyes, but the image didn’t change.
“Brad? Is something wrong?” Nate’s voice on the phone sounded concerned. “Did I hear someone say shotgun?”
“I’ll explain later,” Brad said, and threw the phone somewhere into the house.
The dragon opened its mouth, and a bolt of lightning flared from the opening, hitting a tree and setting it on fire. Brad gaped at it, his mind blankly refusing to take it in. That couldn’t be a dragon. Dragon’s didn’t exist.
Lyrian pushed past him, into the house.
Shotgun. She’d said shotgun.
Could a shotgun even harm a dragon?
Somehow, he suspected that if anyone would know, Lyrian would.
The whole experience felt surreal. It had to be a dream. That was the only way any of this made sense.
That thought pulled Brad out of his stupor enough to consider acting.
If it was a dream, that dragon couldn’t kill him, could it?
“Do you know how to use this?” Lyrian demanded, thrusting the shotgun and shotgun shells into his hands.
Brad nodded, opening the barrel and slipping two shotgun shells in.
The dragon was almost at the house.
It shot another bolt of lightning, hitting the porch pillar next to him.
Brad flinched, and snapped the shotgun closed.
He’d only fired one a few times before, Uncle Henry had insisted on showing him how. He hadn’t understood why then. Hadn’t wanted to take time out of flirting with Lyrian.
Had his uncle known?
He aimed down the barrel. It would be hard to miss at this close a range.
“Shoot! Shoot!” Lyrian was shouting. She shook him, throwing off his aim.
Brad shook her off. Aimed, and fired.
The dragon gave an unearthly screech, its wings backpeddling. It shot another bolt of lightning, this one missing wildly.
Brad fired again, this time aiming at one of its wings. They were thin, like bat wings. Hopefully an injury there would do more damage.
He was pretty sure the shot couldn’t do any serious damage, the pellets were too small.
Hopefully it stung enough that the dragon retreated before it realised that.
Hopefully it didn’t know that he couldn’t shoot again until he reloaded.
It gave another screech.
“Don’t think you can escape. I know where you are. I’ll be back, and this time I won’t be alone.”
The words were loud in Brad’s head, as though the dragon had somehow gotten inside his skull and was speaking to him directly.
The words sent a chill up Brad’s spine that radiated out, until his whole body shook. He hoped that meant it was leaving, because he wasn’t sure if he could make his fingers obey him enough to reload the shotgun.
He was certain he couldn’t do it before it reached the porch and fried them.
He heaved a sigh of relief as the creature turned around and lifted into the air, disappearing into the darkening night sky in a matter of minutes.
Brad stared after it, waiting to wake up.
How much of this was a dream? Was he really here? Was Lyrian? Had he dreamt Anarian’s existence?
All of it seemed so real, the memories too vivid to be a dream.
But none of it could be real, could it?
He wasn’t waking up.
Brad turned around to stare at Lyrian.
“Was… Was that a dragon?”
Lyrian was looking at him solemnly. She didn’t seem surprised.
Suddenly, things started adding up in his head. The police pulling him over, the man waffling on about a dragon, Lyrian’s strangeness, his baby’s blue hair.
Either this was a very detailed and very long dream or…
“That was a dragon,” Lyrian said seriously. “And he wants to kill me and our daughter. We need to get out of here.”