Page 27 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Amelia stepped into the hallway, all the while thinking that whatever this Tribunal was, it had to be better than her captor.

When they were alone once more, she turned to him. “Why won’t you let me leave?”

Mikhail’s features tightened. “Did you see Dave’s mother? The woman’s a witch. Five years ago, a berserk vampire tried to force her to perform some kind of black magic. When she refused, he got so mad, he smashed her skull in. She was brought here by another witch. Since she has no husband, Dave is staying here. He’s her only relative.”

Her throat went dry at the mention of witches and black magic.

“Dave still hasn’t reached immortality. He’s practically as helpless as any other child right now.”

“Why are you telling me this?” She shook her head, eyes darting around for help.

He stepped closer, forcing her to pay attention to his words. “So that you know why I do all this. I’m not a monster or a criminal. I don’t want to have anything to do with you, but it seems the circumstances require it.”

A rattling down the hallway made them both glance in that direction – a red-haired woman in a lab coat and stilettos was approaching.

Amelia waited until she was closer and stepped in her path. “Please, help me! This man kidnapped me!”

The redhead stared her up and down with her astonishing sky-blue eyes. “The human team is growing?” she asked Mikhail as if she were inquiring about the weather.

He side-glanced at Amelia. “Yes.”

“Don’t worry, honey,” the woman told her. “You’ll get used to us.” Then, the high heels disappeared as quickly as a fog.

What the hell is this place?

In a stone-cold voice, Mikhail said, “If you’re still not getting it, this is the Hospital for Immortal Creatures.”

Her brow creased. “What?”

He sighed as if she were boring him. “Let’s go back to your room and we can talk.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you!”

In a flash, he was next to her. His huge presence dominated her, robbing her of her breath. His male scent aroused her nostrils, and his closeness awakened shivers up and down her spine.

Distracted by his proximity, she didn’t realise what was happening until the sting in her arm made her wince. Soon, she was asleep once more.

***

She was in a dimly lit room. The place was filled with square tables, each with chairs turned over on top. At the far end, a sprawling bar counter occupied the space, while the shelves behind it struggled to maintain the weight of the full bottles.

A tall man was drying the clean mugs with a white cloth and piling them on the lowest available shelf. Amelia couldn’t see his face because it remained in the shadows, but the strong muscles of his forearms would occasionally leave the darkness as he moved around.

Light rushed into the room when the entrance door flew open. The man placed the last mug on the shelf and turned, allowing the rays of sunlight to outline his features well enough for Amelia to recognise him. Mikhail Korovin. His clothes were odd – a white cotton shirt and tight capri pants. His hair fell in thick long golden curls, framing his calm expression.

A stunning woman ambled inside. Her dark hair cascaded down her spine, creating a beautiful contrast against the ethereal ivory dress hugging her curves.

Before the woman could say anything, Mikhail was behind her. His hands traced her jaw, her arms, and ended up resting on her stomach. She tilted her head back and found his lips with hers.

After a long kiss, she turned to face him. “I have news for you, my love.”

Mikhail seemed in a daze, but forced his eyes to meet hers. “What news?”

In the blink of an eye, her beauty disappeared, and her features twisted into an evil, triumphant grimace. “Your parents are dead. Your brothers as well.”

Mikhail’s jaw tensed. “What are you talking about, Valeria?”

But he already knew. Amelia already knew. Because suddenly, she wasn’t only observing him. She was also sharing his emotions. His thoughts. She was him.

---