Page 108 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species
It could be anything. Or it could be nothing.
“In the meantime, I have another task for you both,” the Queen said, directing her attention to Sevar. “I want you to leave for Sofia with your entire crew as soon as possible.”
Sevar lifted his eyes from the window. “Theentirecrew, Your Majesty? Isn’t it a bit cruel to pull that idiot away from his honeymoon so soon?”
Heavens!Kathrine moved with unease in her chair, fearing for him. Sevar was exasperated about Branko’s addition to his crew, but he couldn’t display such behaviour. Sometimes, he acted like a child who provoked his mother. But when he succeeded and the threat of punishment loomed, he realised what he’d done and backed down.
However, the Queen exhibited a good mood today, and Sevar didn’t get the reaction he was so brazenly asking for.
She poured each of them a glass of raspberry juice from the jug in the middle of the table and began outlining the upcoming mission. While she spoke, the venison Kathrine had eaten during the ceremony threatened to come back up.
The Queen hadn’t blessed Branko and the butcher’s daughter’s marriage to make them happy – she had done it to obtain an alibi if someone accused her of cruelty. After all, why would she bother to celebrate Branko’s wedding if she had planned to use him as a sacrificial lamb?
PART III
41
Kathrine perused the surroundings. The atoll with the islands where the Al-Hatib Tournament was being held was part of the Maldives. However, no one could get near it without paying an exorbitant fee in advance.
The tournament’s participants were scattered across the small islands and would learn the location of their battle at the last moment. Spectators would follow the tournament from their luxury houses – spread throughout the islands – or perched on their expensive yachts in the Indian Ocean. Small sports boats roamed the area, offering quick transport between islands.
The tournament’s owner, Al-Hatib, lived on a separate island. Even Kathrine, who loved the cold, dark lands of Antambazi, could not remain indifferent to the wild paradise the Arab had acquired for himself in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Palm tree crowns intertwined to form an impenetrable canopy of greenery over the island. Pristine sand encircled the land while sun rays penetrated the translucent waters around it and created a magical palette of reflections.
If anyone approached Al-Hatib’s residency by water, armed guards rushed out in motorboats and politely explained the island had restricted access. Kathrine and her team had spent the last twenty-four hours surveying them.
“Magnificent yacht! I envy its owner…” Lina pouted. “And I do feel a bit sorry for him, knowing he’ll never see it again.” In a tiny bikini, she stretched out at the rear of their boat, letting the sun trace her body’s every curve. The mirrored lenses of hersunglasses reflected the turquoise veils of the Indian Ocean.
Kathrine failed to comprehend how Lina needed her sunglasses, even on a cloudy day, yet in complete contradiction, her body absorbed the sun’s powerful rays and suffered no damage.
“Those like you, ‘the blessed,’ who’ve inherited a perfect set of genes and have no problem with the Earth’s sun, have never heard of it, but we, the rest, use sunscreen,” Lina said, as if she had read Kathrine’s thoughts. After so many years of working on the same team, she probably had.
“Stay focused. I don’t want any complications.” Kathrine checked her diving suit and fastened weights around her waist.
Lina grumbled, “I’m undercover, after all. No one should suspect that I’m a rich witch, here to spend millions in the stands of Al-Hatib and sunbathe between the fights.”
Kathrine put on the vest with the oxygen tank and secured the backpack to her chest. “I want everyone ready. The moment I finish, you must besiege the islands. But notbeforethat. I don’t want the Arab suspecting anything and fleeing.”
Kristo emerged from inside the yacht. “And what about his guards?” He was dressed in special attire that could stretch during the transformation into his secondary form. In his hand, he gripped his lucky Heckler & Koch handgun.
They would needluckto execute the entire plan.
“Al-Hatib is the priority. Then the contestants. The guards, if necessary,” Kathrine said. She didn’t wait for his confirmation – she knew everything would be carried out according to her specifications.
She approached the edge of the platform. “Are the others in position?”
Lina adjusted her earpiece. “Everyone is ready. Waiting for the signal.”
Kathrine secured the diving mask to her face and breathed inthrough the regulator.
“Good luck, Commander!” Lina shouted.
Kathrine disappeared into the ocean’s depths. When her vision cleared, the compass on her left wrist directed her towards Al-Hatib’s island. With swift movements, she approached it underwater.
About twenty feet from shore, Kathrine resurfaced to scan the waters around the island. She let her gear sink and, taking her backpack, swam to shore. She quickly crossed the beach, slipped under the palm trees, and stripped off her neoprene suit. It would be easier to remain unnoticed if she didn’t wear clothes.
A light breeze caressed her damp skin. She adored the feeling of sea salt on her body, its scent in her nostrils. It reminded her of home – and Sevar.
She allowed herself a five-second pause before transforming. Unlike most other immortals, her body didn’t change size during the transformation, but it gained remarkable agility and speed. Her skin took on a greenish-yellow hue, and her hair vanished, replaced by the same reptilian skin as the rest of her body. Numerous small spots coloured her face in the shape of tiny droplets under one eye, almost like tears. Her facial features changed to a serpentine appearance, but her eyes retained their violet hues. Despite the altered contours, her femininity was still discernible in the shape of her breasts and the curve of her butt.
