Page 162 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

“We’re done for today,” Mikhail told the members of the Council. Nobody moved. “Meeting’s over. Scram!” he yelled and waved his hands around. He surely resembled a madman, but he couldn’t care less.

Rattling and screeching filled the room as the creatures left their chairs one by one and headed for the exit.

Viktor approached him. “Brother, saying I’m shocked would be an understatement.”

“Then don’t.” Mikhail sidestepped him and hurried for the door.

“Mikhail, don’t do anything stupid!” The lycanthrope shouted after him.

Too late, Vik. Too fucking late.

Mikhail rushed down the hallway, letting his senses guide him to follow the track. Amelia was the Oracle. And she had left. He couldn’t keep her here against her will, not any more. If she didn’t want his protection, he would give it to her the only other way he knew how.

His target was speeding away, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. She had flung a black leather bag over her shoulder, from which she pulled out a phone.

Mikhail caught up with her. “Elisanda, may I speak with you?”

Her eyes moved swiftly from him to the surrounding walls, and back to his face. “I’m busy, Mikhail. Can’t it wait?”

“Won’t take long, I promise.” He managed to force out a smile.

Elisanda offered a phoney smile of her own. “I suppose I do have a few minutes. What a day, huh?” She tucked a red lock behind her ear.

They crossed the hallway together and headed down to Elisanda’s room in silence.

“Come.” She opened the door and gestured for him to enter.

Mikhail relaxed onto the same couch he had been sitting in the last time, and the nymph settled opposite him.

“I hope this isn’t regarding my suggestions for improving the Hospital. You know I have nothing against you. I just want what’s best for this place,” she hurried to say. Her face was soft, but her posture reeked of tension.

“Of course,” Mikhail retorted. “I do have one question, however. Why Kaliope Gazis?”

“Excuse me?”

“I lied. I have more than one question.”

Elisanda crossed one of her long legs over the other, affecting a blank expression. “I don’t understand.”

“Kaliope’s murder was first, right? Of course, that one you didn’t commit yourself, because it was too precise. It was at random. They wanted a member of the Council and you gave them Kaliope.”

“Are you accusing me of murdering Kaliope Gazis?” Elisanda’s features twisted.

“Not exactly. Let’s go back to my meeting with the Oracle, when she told me that someone would need my help. The Hospital lit up with rumours, and when I went down to the city, you knew that something was happening. Only, unlike me, who was too ignorant and questioned my understanding of the Oracle’s words, you had no doubt. You were probably unpleasantly surprised that after so many years of silence, the Oracle had spoken. Surely, nobody expected it, even myself, although I visited her every ten years.” He sighed. “Not wanting to take any chances for further revelations, you decided to kill her, unsuccessfully. Bad luck. On the other hand, you did manage to put her in a coma, which also helped your cause. But you do everything so immaculately, to the last detail. That’s why I’ve always liked you. You didn’t miss the minuscule particularity that the Oracle sent me to help a human woman. A detail the other members, including myself, had thought of as the Oracle’s latest game. Either way, you couldn’t find her. After all, only I knew who she was.”

“This is ridiculous!” Elisanda yelled.

“But it was enough for you and those you work for to sense something was going on. Something important. And you decided it’s time to make a statement. Scare us off. And what could scare us more than the murder of a Council member? Such a disrespectful act that at the same time declared superiority. These reptilians have a kink for drama, right? The entire circus – the portal, the box, the head, the blood message…”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mikhail!” Elisanda’s voice was now up a few octaves.

“Let me return to my initial question, then: Why Kaliope Gazis?” Mikhail pretended to ponder that. “I hope you don’t mind, I did a little digging of my own and was very surprised to discover that you and Kaliope fought over some stolen jewels many years ago. At least, that’s what you accused her of.”

“So? She was a thief. That doesn’t mean I killed her.”

“Hmm. All right, let’s move on. You thought your little blood message would scare me? Seriously, Elisanda? Or, this just came to me, maybe your goal was to shake the Council and weaken my influence as its leader. You know, whatever the reason was, I don’t give a shit about it anymore.”

Elisanda’s eyes drooped and her voice lost its fire. “Mikhail, this is stupid. I’ve always supported you.”

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