Page 93 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

The witcher raised his chin. “I’m not talking about her job as a chambermaid. It was something else. A ‘secret’. She didn’t want to tell me what it was, but it had something to do with a human.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

The witcher threw a haughty glance at Zacharia, seemingly forgetting all about the fear he’d been feeling at first. “No. May I go now?”

“No,” Zacharia said and headed for the door.

Daniel leapt to his feet. “You can’t keep me here! I haven’t done anything!” He raised his fists. “There has to be an investigation. You’re not the Tribunal!”

Zacharia turned to him. “That’s right, I’m not the Tribunal, so I don’t need an investigation.”

“I demand you release me this second!” Daniel pointed his index finger at the hybrid. “Or I promise you, I’ll ring up the Tribunal and you’ll be the one on trial for keeping me here against my will!”

“Yeah, good luck with that.” Zacharia made for the door again.

“YOU BASTARD!” Daniel darted towards him, his quiff swaying in sync with his steps. “You don’t think I can crush—”

Zacharia’s fist interrupted his tirade.

***

Mikhail entered the room where Dara was already waiting, her face a living embodiment of grief.

This had been Mary and Dara’s space – four walls with two beds, a desk with two chairs and a bathroom. All clean and neat. One of the beds was too neat. Probably Mary’s.

Dara occupied a chair and curled into herself under his scrutinising gaze. The manticore forced himself to appear less threatening as he sat opposite her. The rugged desk between them gave the woman some space which, Mikhail was hoping, would help her relax.

“Let’s talk frankly,” he said.

A glint of fear ran through her eyes. “I already told the other one everything I know.”

“I would like to know more about your relationship with Daniel.”

“We were friends.”

Mikhail cut straight to the chase. “Interestingly enough, he said you weren’t close at all.” She stared at him, wide-eyed. “Moreover, he claims that Mary and he were in a relationship and you were in love with him.”

Dara’s face seemed to age five years in a heartbeat.

“It wasn’t easy watching the man you love be with Mary, so you decided to get rid of her,” Mikhail continued without a trace of empathy. “And to us, you tried to sell that ludicrous story about Mary’s secret job.”

“It’s not true…” Dara whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.

“But you didn’t plan on Daniel running away right after Mary’s death.”

“I didn’t plan anything!” She hid her face between her palms and cried louder, causing her petite body to tremble.

Mikhail just sat there, watching her agony. There goes the don’t-be-so-tough-with-the-girl plan.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” he said after a while. “I want the truth.”

Dara lifted her head, and the sorrow written all over her face was unmistakable. “I’ve been in love with Daniel ever since I met him,” she spoke in a surprisingly steady voice. “At first, he was clearly attracted to Mary and I think she also liked him, although she never admitted it. The three of us were always together, as friends, but Daniel and Mary would find excuses to be near each other, to touch… I convinced myself it was nothing, that they were just friends and I still had a chance to have him fall in love with me… One day, I discovered that they had been together for a while but were hiding it.” Dara’s features twisted with resentment.

“Why were they hiding?”

Her shoulders sank in capitulation. “I don’t know. I guess he wanted it that way. But Mary… She was head over heels for him, I could see it. But then Daniel’s behaviour changed.” Dara glanced to the side, as if reliving something in her head. “He…” She paused. “He suddenly would notice me. As a woman. We started hooking up behind Mary’s back.” Her eyes met Mikhail’s and he read the truth in them even before she admitted it. “I was in love with him!” Guilt contorted her features.

Mikhail feigned understanding. “Why didn’t you tell us all this from the beginning?”

---