Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem ( Elysia and Tarquin)

Tracey paused what she was doing and called Tarquin over.

"Have a seat, honey."

She poured two glasses of water-passing one to Tarquin and taking a sip from her own. Setting the pitcher down, she looked Tarquin dead in the eye from across the table.

"So, who are you trying to dig up info on?"

Tarquin's voice was calm, almost too calm. "The person who created this virus."

Her eyebrows shot up and she gave him a long, searching look before responding, her tone slower and more cautious.

"And what makes you think I know them?"

He didn't hesitate. "I can tell, Grandma. You weren't surprised by the virus. Not really. It was more like you recognized it."

Tracey had been shocked when she saw the virus, but not because she hadn't expected someone to develop it. No, the real shock was that she was already familiar with it. She'd seen it before, which meant she'd been involved with it somehow—and probably knew who was behind it.

She furrowed her brow, staring at Tarquin in silence for a moment, then took another sip of water, eyes never leaving his face.

"All right then, what do you know? Let's hear it from your side first."

Tarquin didn't beat around the bush. "From what I've got, the virus originated in Karl Town, Alerasia. There's an OE News Agency there-looks like an ordinary newspaper, but under the surface, it's got a massive underground research lab."

"I don't know the full extent of their research, but I'm pretty sure the virus is their handiwork."

Tracey's face darkened, and she leaned forward, voice edged with urgency.

"You're sure it came from there?"

Tarquin shrugged. "I can't say one hundred percent, but it's highly likely. Our first identified case came straight out of that town. He grew up in Karl Town and told me the newspaper staff and even other townies were basically guinea pigs for that underground lab."

Tracey pressed on, "Isn't that town mostly zhinorians? The paper, the whole town?"

"Yeah, it's almost all zhinorians. Karl Town's famous for it-biggest zhinorian community around."

Tracey clenched her jaw, something clicking in her mind. She slammed her palm

on the table with a bang, making the old wooden thing shiver.

"Bastards!" she spat. "They think they can wipe us out? Dream on!"

She was visibly shaking with anger.

Tarquin's eyes narrowed as something dawned on him.

"Grandma... are they experimenting on zhinorians? Testing out viruses to hurt

us?"

Tracey shot him a look, but didn't answer directly. Instead she asked, "How did you catch wind of the first infected?"

Tarquin laid it out straight.

"He's my aunt's kid-my cousin, sort of. We don't get along. He came back from Karl Town, and honestly, I think he was looking for me."

"But I happened to be out of town, in Oceanopolis with Elysia, so we never crossed paths. Still, my people were watching him. The moment be got sick, I knew."

Tracey looked suspicious.

“So the first carrier comes looking for you? You got beef with the person who made this virus?"

Whoever unleashed thenoveldrama

virus-whatever their

reason-sending an infected person

after Tarquin was clearly a threat. If

Tarquin had met him and caught the virus, who knows what would've happened?

Tarquin nodded, voice low. "Yeah... We have a personal vendetta. My mom and

dad might've died because of this person."

Tracey's eyes narrowed even more.

"And what exactly did your parents do to get on their bad side?"

When Elysia got together with Tarquin, theyd run background checks on him-mostly looking at his reputation and love life. They hadn't taken a deep dive into the Bradfords, or really looked into Tarquin's parents at all.