Page 78 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species
Five, Amelia’s mind echoed.
“Six…”
Six.
It felt like an eternity had passed before they reached twenty-three.
“We’re here,” Helena said.
Zacharia slowed down. They had just enough space on the roadside to fit the two cars.
Amelia stepped out of the SUV and glanced up at the slope across the road. Beyond the next curve, the mountain appeared to retreat slightly. About ten feet up, it jutted out at an odd angle before disappearing into the forest, concealed among the wide green treetops. Clutching her medical kit in one hand, Helena crossed the road. The others followed in silence. Even Nyavolski held his tongue, though he likely had at least one string of swear words ready to unleash.
Up close, what had seemed like a leaning cliff from the road, was another rock, positioned perpendicular to the cliff. A path formed between them, wide enough for a slender person to pass through.
Zacharia inspected the cliffs with a cool gaze, then raised his eyebrows. “Let me guess. This is the path to the bloody temple?”
Helena showed the others the map. “This”—she pointed to a spot—“is where we are now. The trail to the temple begins here. I guess we’ll have to squeeze through the cliffs.”
Nyavolski snatched the map from her fingers. “Lemme see!” His nose crumpled like a folded fan. “For heaven’s sake, woman! You know I’m claustrophobic!”
Alex approached them. “In theory, a vampire cannot suffer from claustrophobia, given that one of the fundamental characteristics of their animal spirit is inhabiting caves. Personally, I can’t think of anything more claustrophobic than a cave.”
“If you’re so afraid, why don’t you stay in the car?” Helena snapped.
Nyavolski pursed his lips. “And miss your show? No way,honey!”
The two locked eyes in a standoff. Alex raised a finger between them. “Speaking of psychology, a positive mindset is essential for accomplishing a task. Humans have an excellent idiom about the glass being half-empty or half-full—”
“Alex, shut up!” Viktor cut in. He’d been studying the surroundings, shifting his eyes from one detail to another. With his distracted demeanour and ruffled black hair, he often resembled a modern-day mad scientist lost in his theorems and formulas. Right now, however, his grey eyes were steel. He shook his head. “This is an insanely bad idea. I have a feeling it’s a terrible idea…”
“Fuck. Me, too. Let’s get out of here!” Nyavolski hopped from one foot to the other.
Helena shoved the map back in his face. “We didn’t come all this way just to leave empty-handed. We voted, for crying out loud!”
“I also want to go in. This is an incredible and interesting opportunity.” Alex’s words earned her a frown from Viktor.
He said, “I think it’s dangerous…”
“Mikhail didn’t approve, damn it! What are we gonna tell him when he gets out of that bloody hole?”
“That we found the reason behind the regeneration issues! That’s if he ever comes back…”
“And that we’ve enriched our scientific and spiritual knowledge…”
“I still don’t like it!”
“You don’t likeanything!”
Amelia met Zacharia’s gaze, silently asking him to intervene. The hybrid shrugged.
She knelt by the rock and focused on the rhythmic babbling of a brook in the distance. The sunlight warmed her back. She recalled that moment with Mikhail when he’d spoken to herabout sounds. Alas, the howling wind only brought back the memory of her failure in that endeavour.
She stood up. The others might not listen to her, but she’d suggest they retreat. After all, Mikhail had been against entering the temple, and she never should have agreed to it.
Then the wind carried a birdsong. She tilted her head back to locate the source, and her eyes settled on the rock above them.
It was there, once again – the Devil landmark. Below it, the rock was smooth. And this close up, the inscription carved into it was visible. Amelia had to study it a few times before she grasped the message.
