Page 145 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Viktor furrowed his brow. “It could be dangerous.”

“Non-negotiable.” Constantine wasn’t a huge fan of Diana’s idea either, but it had been the only way to convince her to come here. At least she would be under constant medical supervision and they would get an insight into the properties of the regeneration vial.

“My brother died for this thing!” Diana fired up. “I’m drinking it, all right!”

Viktor held up his palm. “Let’s think this over. What if you drink it and you’re poisoned?”

“I don’t believe they would have tried to get it back so badly if it was just mere poison.”

“All right, you might have a point… But what if ingesting it drives you mad?”

“Why on earth would it drive me mad?”

Constantine decided it was time to interrupt again. “Viktor, hear me out. Diana will drink the vial, and you’ll be next to her the whole time, supervising. That’s her wish.”

Throughout their bickering, Mikhail sat calmly in his chair, listening. When Viktor gave up trying to change Diana’s mind, Mikhail asked her, “Why are you so insistent on drinking that thing?”

“I have my reasons. I need to unlock my secondary form.” The sharpness in her voice would have deterred any other creature from probing further.

Mikhail, however, only narrowed his eyes on Diana. “I thought it was your brother who wanted to unlock his secondary form. Now you’re saying it was you who wished to do this, all along?”

“Yes.” Diana lifted her chin in the air, defiant. “My brother died for this vial. His desperation to try his secondary form caused his end. The least I could do is not let his sacrifice be in vain and see what it is he died for, and whether it works or not.”

She’d shared the whole story with Constantine, but another condition of hers was that she wouldn’t divulge any information outside the necessary with anyone else.

Mikhail stared at her for a long while, with an expression Constantine knew meant he was debating whether to continue pestering her. He must have given up in the end, because he said, “You do know that what you’re talking about is in practice impossible, right? For years, we’ve been trying to enhance the New Generation bodies to endure the first transformation. We never succeeded.”

“I know. I also believe there has to be something special about this vial. Otherwise, whoever gave it to my brother wouldn’t go through all this hassle to take it back.”

“I agree. But I consider it a very bad idea to drink it.”

Constantine shifted in his seat. Did he have to argue with Mikhail, too? “We discussed this. Diana drinks it.”

“As you wish. Just keep me posted.” Mikhail rose and left the room without another word.

Viktor whistled at the painted ceiling. “And he says I’ve been acting weird lately…”

46

Amelia counted thirteen doors down the length of the corridor. Doors she had become well-acquainted with, after roaming about the emptied rooms over the last few days.

She couldn’t believe Mikhail had been so severe with her. He’ll change his mind, she’d thought, during the first twenty-four hours. As the clock had ticked on by, she’d begun to accept he would not be inclined to reconsider. He had already considered.

Whatever.

An all-too-familiar feeling of emptiness started creeping up. She wasn’t upset or mad at him. She was simply disappointed, but not with him. It was just the way it always ended for her – she lost everyone she allowed herself a little closeness with. Why would it be any different now? Because Mikhail was immortal and couldn’t be killed as easily in a car accident? He’d still shut her out the moment he could, blaming her for things that were so out of her control, it was laughable.

Well, to hell with Mikhail. To hell with his Hospital. As far as Amelia was concerned, she was done with both.

An unusual idea came to her. She sat on the edge of the bed, recalling how her dreams had come spontaneously to her at first, but then she’d managed to conjure them herself. What if the answer to escaping lay in one such dream?

I want to see! She wished to herself, unsure whether her choice of words would achieve the desired outcome.

To her surprise, the vision hit her within seconds.

“I’ll wait!” A woman called out over the rumbling of the storm.

The feeling of lightness was the happiest sensation she remembered. Her legs danced freely through the air. It wouldn’t be long before her whole body would join in, just as soon as Katherine let go of her hand.

---