Page 14 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

How had he gotten so close without her sensing him?

“I’ve scared you. Please accept my apologies,” he said.

Amelia eyed him with suspicion. He had on heavy black leather ankle boots and black clothes to match. “Do… Do I know you?”

“I don’t believe so. I’m here on behalf of the Oracle. And Mikhail Korovin.”

The guy from yesterday? Amelia threw a desperate glance behind the man. Why on earth was nobody else around?

“He invited you to come to the Hospital. I’ll take you.”

She winced. “Who has?”

“Mikhail Korovin, miss.”

“Mikhail Korovin invited me to the Hospital?”

The man nodded.

“Thank you for the invitation, but I’m afraid I’m busy. Good day.” Amelia tried to brush past him, but he stood in her way.

“Ms. Amelia, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come with me.”

“I don’t think so!”

With that, she rushed in the opposite direction. Heartbeat in her ears, bag hitting her thighs, shoes slowing her down… Still, nothing made her pause until she emerged into the busy boulevard and headed down the sidewalk. She reached her building and darted through the front door. Only then did she allow herself to look over her shoulder and take a breath.

Ten, nine, eight… seconds passed by without any sign of him.

When she got to zero and the man was nowhere in sight, she climbed up the stairs to her apartment, opened the door, and froze.

He was in the middle of her living room.

“Ms. Amelia, you misunderstood. That wasn’t really an invitation.”

Then, he was behind her, pressing a cloth drenched with a sweet-smelling substance to her mouth and nose. Everything faded to black.

***

Zacharia pulled a little nylon piece out of the inside pocket of his leather jacket and unfolded it until it became a sack big enough to fit the skinny woman. With his other hand, he supported her limp body. He placed her in the bag, tossed her over his shoulder, and headed out.

An elderly woman in a yellow jacket and with a very grumpy face crossed his path at the building’s exit. Her bony fingers clutched a little wooden cane. “Who-o-o a-a-a-re you-u-u?”

“A simple haulier, ma’am.” Zacharia smiled as he pointed to the bag he was carrying.

“Hmm…” The old lady eyed him with suspicion. “Is so-so-someone mov-moving o-o-out?”

Thousand fucking devils! Nothing in her stance indicated she would be moving out of his way anytime soon.

“Yes, ma’am. The woman from flat number twelve is leaving.”

Zacharia tried to swivel past her, to no avail. The grandma leaned against her cane. “Ah! Tha-at girl! Whe-where is she go-go-going?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I don’t know. Like I said, I’m just a haulier.” He squeezed past her.

She turned her head and followed his every movement. “Hey, yo-oung man!” She shouted after him as he exited the building. “I ha-have an old she-she-shelf… How m-m-much to rid me o-o-of it?”

Zacharia showed his teeth. “For you, for free. Just let me throw this bag and I’ll be back for it.”

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