Page 18 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Amelia took a seat on the bed. She was losing her mind. A hundred per cent. There was no other plausible explanation for the voice in her head.

As if it had read her thoughts, the voice said, “I can connect with you telepathically. Remember one thing: never close your eyes when you must see.”

Auditory hallucinations are a sign of a mental disorder. It was possible that everything – the room, those men, the kidnapping – was some sort of twisted script, fabricated by her sick brain. For all she knew, she might have been back in her own bed, dreaming all of this.

“Senses lie. The eyes, never.” The voice was getting weaker.

This doesn’t even make any sense.

Amelia forced herself to remain calm and think.

Bad news? Something was very wrong with her.

Good news? She just needed to wait until they stuffed her with enough pills to cure her disturbed brain to a point where she would wake up and find herself in a straitjacket.

‘Patience, little seeker. Sometimes you just need to sit back and observe.’ Her grandmother used to say that. Amelia had never understood the meaning behind the saying, but this seemed like a suitable moment to remind herself of it.

***

A few hours later, the man who had introduced himself as Mikhail Korovin paid her a visit.

“Amelia… Well, it looks like you’re human.” His eyes travelled up and down her body inquiringly. Disapprovingly. “I suggest we start over. Do you have any connection to the Oracle?”

Amelia’s confusion caused her to frown at the mountain of a man. So, she’d heard him right the first time – he had called her human, and he was doing it again. As if it was something demeaning.

Her gaze crept over his black jeans and button-down shirt until it focused back on his face. His features struck her with their perfection. She held her breath at his approach, begging her knees to not weaken under the intensity of his stare. Her body reacted to his closeness in a way she didn’t appreciate.

“I’m sorry, darling. I’m not into humans,” he said.

Amelia frowned again. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

She braced herself. “Why do you keep calling me human?”

The corners of his lips twitched. “Aren’t you one?”

“I… yes, of course I am. Is that something bad?”

“Something bad? Hmm. Let’s just say some find you… cute. Me, personally, not so much.”

The way he said the word cute sent an unpleasant wave of goosebumps up her spine. And caused a weird warmth in her stomach. She needed to escape this crazy man and the strange influence he had on her as soon as possible.

“Sir, I think there’s been a huge misunderstanding. With all due respect… I believe you have the wrong human.” Amelia smiled. “And, clearly, you don’t have an affinity for humans, so why don’t you just let me go?”

He tilted his head to the side, seemingly considering her suggestion. A flicker of hope filled her.

“I promise, I won’t tell anyone anything. I’ll just pretend the kidnapping never happened.”

“Very well…” At his words, her hope grew from a flicker to a flame. “But there’s no way that’s going to happen.”

Just like that, any thought of escaping was doused with ice-cold water. “No, you don’t understand! You must have me confused with someone else. Someone to whom all of this would make complete sense.”

He crossed his arms. “Have you heard of the Oracle?”

God! He was starting it again. “No!”

“Do you know where you are?”

“I… A mountain?”

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