‘Catch what?’
‘Beingother.’
‘So then what the fuck is thisplasmaandejaculatestuff in the report?’
Zaitsev glances down.‘Snake bite poisons you.Does not make you snake.’
‘Look here, this part.Plasma and ejaculate contain compounds structurally analogous to human adrenergic transmitters.Confirmed in all three types, see?What does that mean?Plasma and ejaculate are blood and come, and human adrenergic transmitters trigger fight or flight.The fear response.’
‘What you want from me?’
‘Tell me the fucking truth!’
Silence falls for a beat.
Danya’s hand settles on Lachlan’s arm.‘You’re being a dick.’
Dicks can be brave.
‘Sorry.’He takes a breath.Danya’s touch steadies him enough to find his centre again.‘I’m sorry.This is all just fucking with my head.’
Zaitsev rolls his eyes.‘Paranatural, Resonant and Fraymorph.’
Lachlan looks at him.‘Those are the names?’
‘Yes.Government names.’
‘Are there other names?Like Brightling?’
‘Brightling, yes.Resonant isSway.Fraymorph isWildwane.’
‘Sway and Wildwane?’
‘Yes.’
‘OK, tell me about them.’Danya clears his throat.‘Please.’
‘I know nothing about Wildwanes and only a little about Sways.’
‘What do you know?If you wouldn’t mind telling me,’ Lachlan adds politely.He really doesn’twantto be a dick but having this much information and not understanding ninety percent of it is maddening.‘Please.’
‘Sways are kind of…’ Zaitsev gestures vaguely, then turns to Danya in Russian to ask for the correct term.Several words follow in quick succession, all of which make Lachlan frown because his Russian is decent, but apparently not decent enough to comfortably navigate mythical creatures.‘Lazorevy, nyet.Uh, sirena?’Danya nods.‘Sirena.’
‘Like… a siren?A mermaid?A fuckingmermaid?’
‘I said I know a little.’
‘OK.All right.Lazorevy,’Lachlan echoes.‘I’ve heard that word before.’
‘Is catch-all in our language,’ Danya waves away.‘Nickname.’
‘So what do they do?’
‘I don’t know,’ Zaitsev says quite comfortably.
Lachlan glowers.Danya takes pity.
‘Look, a lot of what we hear is rumours same as Brightlings.Even if you know one,’ he says, clapping Sergei’s shoulder, ‘you don’t know everything.So.Sway.I hear they have a… hmm, kind of influence and attraction they can weaponise.Like the pretty things who lure men to watery deaths, you know?’
