Page 132 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

“Yes.”

“But I’m still no closer to understanding.”

“Oh, but you will.” Her figure began to blur. “I almost forgot! When you meet the man with bi-coloured irises, ask him for a pen and paper, would you?”

With that, she disappeared. Amelia blinked and found herself back in her bed, the covers over her head. The sky was grey again, but this time she could see no shapes. Hours passed while darkness engulfed the clouds, but Amelia didn’t dare crawl out and turn on the light.

***

At some point during the night, Amelia was roused from sleep by the sound of Mikhail’s footsteps echoing through the hallway. She was eager to ask about Dave and confess all about her dreams, visions, and conversations with the Oracle.

But what if he asked her why she hadn’t said anything before?

The truth was, she hadn’t been convinced whether she could trust him. Would he blame her for having doubts? After all, she had never wished for this; the visions had invaded her mind without warning.

Her stomach fluttered, a sensation she could no longer deny was caused by Mikhail’s approach. She had never wished for those dreams, not at first; but the more they had intruded on her, the more she had longed to see, to understand. She’d grown hungry for glimpses of his history, of the moments that had shaped him into the complex, captivating person he’d become. And lately, it felt as if her own will was bringing them on, which confirmed she wielded power over them, to some extent – and that her connection to him was deeper than she dared to admit.

A small measure of guilt crept up her spine. Instead of stopping the visions or admitting to him what she was seeing, she had continued to dig into his past. ‘Ask and you shall receive.’ At least she comprehended this part of the Oracle’s riddles.

Suddenly, her body stiffened. What if it wasn’t Mikhail, but someone else heading for her room? Someone who was coming to kill her?

The door creaked gently when someone walked in. Fear rooted her to the bed, her limbs heavy with dread. She pressed herself further into the mattress, her body still facing the window. If she died now, she wouldn’t scream. She would imagine reuniting with her family.

Someone moved through the room. It sounded like Mikhail – the air crackled like it did when filled with his presence. Then the other half of the mattress sank a little under someone’s weight. Her pulse quickened.

“Don’t worry, Amelia. I won’t do you any harm. I only wish to protect you,” Mikhail said in the dark room.

Amelia sighed with relief. A sudden wave of heat rushed through her, followed in an instant by another, colder wave that threatened to crush her. Heat and cold started taking turns running up and down her body. It was a sensation like no other, intoxicating and sobering at the same time.

She turned towards Mikhail, finding the outline of his massive silhouette on the bed next to her. He had leaned his head against the headboard and stretched his long legs to the other end of the mattress.

“I feel weird,” she confessed.

“Weird how, exactly?”

“As if someone is constantly filling my veins with ice cubes. I feel cold, like a fever. My heart needs to pound faster and stronger until it melts the ice. The wave of warmth that follows feels heavenly, but dies quickly. Then it all begins again…”

“Are you ill?”

“I don’t know.” Amelia placed her palm over her chest. The rhythmic pulses of her heart didn’t feel torturous anymore, but resembled a dance. “Despite the intensity inside me, on the outside everything seems calm. No panic attacks.”

“How long have you felt that way?” Though he wasn’t looking at her, his gaze aimed somewhere in the room, his words enveloped her like a comforting blanket.

“A few hours. It’s probably nothing serious.” Amelia propped her head up on her elbow. “Did you see Dave?”

Mikhail nodded. “He’s good. He asked about you.”

“I would like to pay him a visit.”

“You will. Unfortunately, a Tribunal agent is sniffing around him, and I don’t know how to protect you from him.”

She winced at his words. It was not her safety that concerned her. “Dave hates the Tribunal…”

“Yes, but he was also a victim of a crime, and there’s no way to avoid him being questioned. The problem is that the agent they sent is a complete asshole. And to make matters worse, according to most members of the Council, I’m the main reason for Agent Kane’s presence in the Hospital, and therefore the ‘invasion of the staff’s personal space.’” Mikhail laughed. It was a deep sound and completely unexpected, and Amelia enjoyed hearing it. “But when you have twenty powerful creatures in one room, you can’t expect them to be placid and compliant. Each one of them needs to dominate. It’s in their nature.”

Until recently, the idea of other immortals existing out there had made her skin crawl, but now curiosity sparked. What did these Council creatures look like? Were they as threatening as Mikhail? Or just as fascinating? Did they have his rich laughter?

“Have you had trouble with them before?” she asked.

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