Page 84 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

“Today’s meeting will proceed without Viktor Volk and the necromancer,” he announced. “Viktor is not feeling well and Constantine is away on business. And as you have already noticed, a new member has joined our Council, replacing Kaliope Gazis.”

He gave a brief introduction before diving into the grim details. As he recounted the story of the beheaded witch Kaliope Gazis and the strangled vampire Mary Clare, he withheld only one detail—his visit to Mada.

While he spoke, his eyes kept wandering towards Helena. He wasn’t sure if her addition to the Council had been the smartest move. The nymph listened attentively as Mikhail explained about the head in the box. Whatever thoughts swirled in her mind remained hidden behind her neutral expression. Even when he described the gruesome discovery, Helena remained stoic, unlike some of the others, who gasped when he revealed the blood-written message inside the box. Helena only sneered – a reaction he wasn’t sure he liked. Then, when he gave them the details surrounding the chambermaid’s murder, Helena turned her head to the side and stared out the window at Sofia, as if already bored.

The other members weren’t as subtle in their reactions.

“Is that why I’ve been following all the stupid rules for years?” one of the witches yelled. “To be slaughtered like an animal. Like a human!”

Mikhail told the Council the same story he planned on selling to the Tribunal – the box had arrived a few days ago, but he had opened it only an hour after he had found out about the murdered chambermaid.

“This has nothing to do with the rules,” someone wiser chimed in.

Platinum pursed her baby-pink lips, twisting her beautiful face into an evil grimace. “I’m sure it was for revenge. Nobody except humans would dare to fuck with us.”

“Most people don’t know that we even exist.” Jaguar glanced at her from his place to Mikhail’s left.

“Most…”

“Really? Are they truly so few and as harmless as we believe?” Elisanda Grace pointed a finger at no one in particular. “We’ve been working alongside humans for years. Maybe one of them gave us up.”

Jaguar exhaled. “Gave us up to whom, exactly? Other humans?”

“You think it’s not plausible?” The nymph winced. “Well, kitty, they have guns, armies and—”

“And I still don’t believe they could dispose of the old witch so easily.”

“If it’s not humans, who, then?” Elisanda looked around the room as if to challenge the others. “Who?”

Mikhail was asking himself the same question.

“I heard Babyhand isn’t so thrilled about Constantine’s last visit. He lost his good hand, too,” Vladislav joined in with a casual shrug.

Everyone turned their heads towards the necromancer’s empty seat.

“The witch’s head arrived before that,” someone replied.

“Yes, but the chambermaid was killed after.”

“And she happens to work on the fifth floor, where the Blood Bank is…”

“She didn’t work there. Someone called her over.”

“The killer!”

“Babyhand was in the Hospital?!”

“The vampire-chambermaid may have been the one who stole our blood reserves and delivered them to that asshole…”

“Well… It’s not that unexpected. They don’t call them bloodsuckers for no reason…”

“Hey!” Vladislav yelled in response to the insult. “We already caught the bastards responsible for the missing blood, and they weren’t vampires. They were witchers!”

Platinum waved a dismissive hand, focusing back on the killer. “Oh, no. Babyhand? That scumbag wouldn’t dare.”

“Of course,” Elisanda agreed, “it was humans.”

“This is where the stupid rules got us.”

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