Page 33 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Startled, Sal jumped back, clutching his arm to his chest and wincing in pain.

Rosa rushed to him. “Ya all right, pickle?”

“So, we have a deal?” With that, Zacharia headed for the door, certain that the couple wouldn’t cause him any more problems.

A short click made him pause and reconsider. He dodged the following shot thanks to his supernatural speed and threw himself at Rosa, who was aiming at him again. He knocked her down and grabbed the little pistol from her bony fingers. With his other hand, he parried Sal’s blow and pushed him against the wall. Pointing the gun at them, Zacharia instructed them to go to the radiator, and then tied them both up to the pipes with some zip ties he found peeking out of a nearby drawer.

When he was done, Zacharia shook his head in mock disappointment. “And here I thought we had a deal…”

“She said to shoot at anyone she hasn’t told us ‘bout!” Rosa cried.

The sight of the most unusual couple he had ever come across left him with a raised eyebrow and a hint of admiration. “Loyal to the death? I like you guys.”

That didn’t stop him from leaving them tied up while he made his way to Kaliope’s house to snoop around.

An hour later, Zacharia left the house with a bunch of love letters from the so-called lover that proclaimed his deep feelings for Kaliope and nothing else that could be of service to him. Her laptop, phone and the rest of her body weren’t there. He didn’t find any sort of documents or correspondence, either. He checked the garage and, as he’d suspected, it was empty.

He then returned to the two humans and freed Rosa from the zip ties. “From here on out, you’re on your own.” He threw a knife at her feet. “And, by the way, those little gifts that the mistress’ boyfriend left her, they’re all still in the house.”

He placed their weapons at the far end of the room before departing, wondering if the information he’d received was of any use. As far as he’d been able to put together, Kaliope had been in a relationship with a minister who, by all accounts, was human.

Worthwhile information or not, at least he now had something important to look forward to – a high-level meeting.

12

Amelia opened her eyes, and fell right back to sleep. Over and over, this pattern repeated. Sometimes warm sun rays skimmed her face. At other times, impenetrable darkness blocked her view. Once, there was a woman in a chambermaid’s uniform cleaning off dust from the table. She’d approached Amelia and leaned over her.

Angel! An angel came to take me away, she’d thought.

Hours, or maybe days after that, the angel still hadn’t taken her because she’d woken up to quench her thirst and found herself in the purple bathroom again. Then she’d dozed off once more.

“Amelia…”

Someone was speaking her name. Maybe the angel was back?

Or… Am I dying?

“You will not die today.”

But I want to…

“No, you do not. Open your eyes.”

No.

“Amelia…”

What do you want from me?

“I want you to be unafraid.”

I’m not afraid. I’m sick.

“You are not.”

Are you in my head?

“Yes and no.”

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