Page 41 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species
As soon as Mikhail sat on the edge of her bed, her room felt impossibly small. Choosing the spot furthest from him, Amelia positioned herself against the wooden desk, gripping its edge. Her eyes sought the black figures encircling Mikhail’s arm.
He extended his hand. “This is the Council’s tattoo. It has always been there, but it’s only visible to Council members and those who serve the Council. For example, the hybrid twins, Zacharia, and other beings who have pledged their loyalty.”
Loyalty.Amelia suppressed the rising panic crawling up her spine. She hoped the title of Oracle didn’t oblige her to serve the Council, which would mean being officially subordinate toMikhail.
“Why do I see it now?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. Maybe because you’re the Oracle?” His green-brown eyes drifted over her thighs.
Amelia ignored the flutter in her stomach. “What does it mean?”
“Come closer and take a look.” Mikhail patted the bed beside him, smiling that smile that, a few months ago, had made her forget he wasn’t just an ordinary man.
Not a man, but a beast, Amelia.
She gripped the edge of the desk, refusing to let him cross the boundaries between them again. “I prefer you tell me.”
A spark flickered in his eyes. “All right… These are the intertwined images of the six immortal species. Here’s a winged lion, the secondary form of the manticore.” He bent his arm, pointing with his other hand. “This is the necromancer’s skeleton. The wolf symbolises the lycanthrope, and the face with sharp teeth represents the vampire. The hand with elongated fingers belongs to the nymph, and this face here represents the witch species. The idea is that the Council has no place for division or prejudice. We work together for the good of the immortal world. At least, that was the original idea.”
“It’s… nice.” Amelia longed to examine the intricate weave of symbols from up close, but she recalled the last time her curiosity about Mikhail had taken over. She kept telling herself that their moment of intimacy had been an impulsive incident. But that impulse had been brewing long before, wrapping her senses and thoughts in desire.
Now, he was standing before her, and she couldn’t decide what to do.
She could simply walk away – this time, he had no hold over her – and forget about him and Ana forever. And hope her conscience wouldn’t eat her alive. But if she didn’t help Mikhailand address the impaired regeneration, what was the point of becoming the Oracle?
Another option was to stay and act as if the situation with Ana had never occurred. And live with the fear that the Hospital could be attacked at any moment. Which, realistically, would leave her with many sleepless nights.
Of course, she could search for the ring. The idea made her cringe – just as it had yesterday, after writing the note. Trusting the woman was out of the question. Yet, the threat remained real, and Amelia had agreed to fulfil the demand. In the end, circumstances had brought her here. But if she explained this to Mikhail, would he believe her? Chills ran down her spine. Based on her experience with him – unlikely.
As much as she hated to admit it, her single option was to proceed with Ana’s plan. Mikhail would hate her, but at least she would have helped the immortal world.
Feeling awkward for her thoughts, she resorted to the first topic that came to mind. “Why didn’t you hand over Elisanda to the Tribunal?”
Mikhail wrinkled his nose. “When we received Kaliope Gazis’ decapitated head, I didn’t want to involve the Tribunal because of nosy hounds like Kane. His goal is to catch the perpetrator, but not their motives. If he got to Elisanda first, he’d lock her up in Prokaliya without caring about what led to the murders, nor would he give me a chance to interrogate her. Alas, despite receiving partial information about reptilians and a woman she’s been serving, I haven’t had much success with Elisanda.”
Amelia swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “A woman?”As in, the Mother of Reptilians?
“Elisanda said ashewould conquer the Earth. Or something to that effect.” Mikhail shrugged.
She clutched the desk behind her, her heart beating fast. Avoiding his gaze, she asked, “What will happen if the Tribunalfinds out Elisanda is behind it all and you were keeping her locked up?”
“We’ll know soon enough. At least the first part of your question.” Mikhail’s face was devoid of emotions. “Since she’s no use to me, I decided it was time I call Presyian and let him handle her. One of his men came to take her during the night.”
She shouldn’t care if Mikhail was holding some nymph captive and inflicting pain on her. But, she did. An unexpected surge of relief rushed through her at his admission. “What did you tell Presyian?”
“That she was missing for a while before yesterday, and she came to me and admitted having committed the murders, and threatened the Hospital.”
Amelia raised her eyebrows. “And if she says that you’ve had her locked up this entire time?”
He shrugged once again. “It’d be my word against hers.”
“Mikhail, I think you’re underestimating the situation…”
“I’ll handle it.”
He rose to his feet and closed the distance between them in a few quick strides. She braced herself for his touch, but he simply stood before her, his expression serious. “Amelia, I need to tell you something else. You – being the Oracle doesn’t force anyone to follow a set behaviour. Many creatures are sceptical of the title’s legitimacy. Some even see it as a sham. The previous Oracle always carried a distinct aura. I caught a trace of it in you when you entered the Council chamber… But it’s faint, only detectable by those who knew the previous Oracle. And trust me, meeting her was no easy task.”
Amelia crossed her arms over her chest. As if it wasn’t enough that she struggled with her new identity, she also had to convince others. “Agent Kane knew I was the Oracle.”
