Page 16 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Mikhail followed her gaze. “That’s Zacharia. He doesn’t talk much.”

“He drugged me.”

“Just a little soporific. One of Vik’s concoctions. Don’t worry, it’s much better than the garbage you humans usually use to induce sleep.”

She squinted, focusing back on him. “What do you want from me?”

“Exactly what I said – to stay here for a while, that’s it. Think of it as a little holiday.”

“I don’t have any money! Or relatives to pay you off!”

He waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m not looking for money.”

“There must be some mistake. You have the wrong person, I’m sure of it.”

Mikhail shrugged. “It’s possible. Does anyone in your family have unusual abilities? Someone… immortal?”

“Someone what?”

“Someone who might seem a little different.”

She looked from him to Zacharia and back. “Is there a camera hidden somewhere? You guys are actors, right?”

“Um, no.”

“I can’t think of anyone who would want to play such a trick on me, but…”

“Amelia, calm down. Your pulse is escalating.”

She continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “Were you following me? How come you showed up the other day?”

“The Oracle told me to be there.”

She took a deep, long breath of air. “The…who?! No, never mind. I don’t want to know. I promise, you have the wrong person.”

Though she forced her tone to sound calm, Mikhail caught her laboured breathing. “Amelia, calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Her legs trembled on the chair in a nervous rhythm. Her breathing became loud and uneven.

The annoyance from before resurfaced in Mikhail and clouded his vision. “That’s enough. Knock her out again.”

“What? Don’t you da—”

She dozed off in the chair.

7

Amelia was dreaming of flickering snowflakes falling on the ground and gathering in fluffy piles. She was lying atop one of those mounds, moving her arms up and down, and up, and down. Snow angels.

‘You’ll catch a cold,’ her mother would soon say.

‘No, Mommy, just a little more, please.’

The dream came to its inevitable end. She stretched, running her fingers through the pleasant fabric of the covers.

Memories rushed in like an avalanche crushing everything in its path. She leapt up, remembering where she was. Her wrists and ankles were free from the ropes, but she didn’t recognise her surroundings.

Beautiful colours in shades of purple covered the four walls and extended to the luxury sheets on the king-sized bed. The high ceiling made the space feel enormous. At the far end of the room, a couch and two armchairs surrounded a little wooden coffee table. Outside, tiny drops of rain danced on the bars of the three Venetian windows, creating a rhythmic melody.

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