Page 133 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

“I picked and invited each creature to be a part of the Council because of their strength and abilities. They never had another choice but to comply. Whoever doesn’t like my rules is free to leave. Things have changed, however.” Mikhail turned to face her. “I can’t make sense of anything that’s happening, and I can’t point to the perpetrator. The building is compromised, which means my leadership is threatened. They see the lack of leads and closure as a failure on my part. And they’re right.”

“That’s not exactly fair. None of this is your fault.”

“You’re young, Amelia, but you’ll soon learn. A leader’s throne is the least stable and the most wanted. Show them a cut on your finger and they’ll tear off your head. In the immortal world, the stakes are even higher and the gains, greater. That’s why success is for all, and loss is only for the leader. You fail alone, you get back up alone.”

Her chest tightened. “That sounds lonely.”

Mikhail was silent for a while before speaking again. “I founded the Hospital with a single aim – to save immortal creatures until we find the reason behind the regeneration issue. Years have flown by, the Hospital has grown, and so have our medical advances, yet we aren’t even a step closer to finding the answer to our question. We’ve grown so weak, becoming anatomically similar to humans. Before we realised it, we had got so used to this way of living, that it was no longer vital to recover our healing abilities.”

“But you never gave up?”

“I stopped actively digging for answers, so some might say that I, too, gave up. Until recently.”

Until the Oracle had sent him after her, she guessed. “Does the Council know about me?” The question had been on the tip of Amelia’s tongue for so long.

“No. Only a few of my trusted creatures know of your existence and true identity. The ones who saw you in the OR think you’re a vampire, the chambermaids think you’re a human ‘visiting’”—at that, Amelia raised her eyebrows—“the Hospital on medical duty.”

She pursed her lips. “And one of those chambermaids was murdered.”

“Yes…” Mikhail sounded pensive. “The official version is that the murder was committed by the boyfriend and the roommate, as I told you the other day.”

Amelia realised the alternating hot and cold waves had dissipated. She threw the thick blanket off herself. “And are you certain those two are the real murderers?”

“I can’t be sure.”

He was keeping something from her. She settled more comfortably on her elbow and said, “Mikhail, I was thinking… If the Council doesn’t know about me – actually, you claim that almost nobody knows about me – then how does the woman from my vision of Dave know about me? She had thoughts about you and me… Doesn’t that mean the killer is one of those trusted creatures of yours? Or that one of them is feeding information to the killer?”

“Of course, little one,” Mikhail’s voice was heavy with gloom. “There’s always a traitor. And it’s usually the person you trust the most.”

His words resonated deep within her soul, stirring a sense of empathy and understanding. She could almost feel the weight of his past betrayals, the scars that still lingered beneath his tough exterior. And as strange as she found his nickname for her, when Mikhail used that low, husky tone to call her little one, the hot and cold waves in her body roused again. Her pulse raced, her senses came alive, and it somehow made her feel braver, wilder.

“Do you suspect any of them?” she asked.

“I suspect everyone and no one… Did you eat today?” His sudden need to change the subject didn’t go unnoticed.

“No, I wasn’t hungry.”

“You’re too slim. I want you to feed.”

“Why?” The corners of her lips twitched. “Are you planning to feast on me?”

“Not yet.” He sounded serious, but the slow smile that curved his lips gave him away.

“You said you don’t eat. Do you sleep?”

“Sometimes. But don’t worry, I won’t sleep now that I’ve promised to protect you.”

“Are you implying the murderer might attempt something here? While we sleep?”

“I hope so. That’s why I’ve left the doors unlocked.”

She jerked upright. “Are you serious?”

His expression remained solemn. “You told me you trust me. Right?”

“I do.” She trusted him with her safety, that much was true. And perhaps it was time to stop hiding her true self from him. Perhaps it was time to tell him everything. Gulping, she tested the waters by saying, “I… I saw your scars.”

Mikhail’s face twisted at the mention. He wasn’t going to like hearing how much she actually knew about them.

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