6

Mikhail hated involving himself in this type of shit. Kidnapping people? That was a thing of the past…

And all because of the damned clairvoyant, who was now in a coma; as useful to him as a vegetable. She could have warned him that someone would try to kill her. She must have foreseen it, hadn’t she?

In his nescience, Mikhail had done the only thing he could think of. He wasn’t sure whether that woman, Amelia, had any role to play in his mission, or if he’d misjudged the situation, but at least this way he’d keep an eye on her. If the Tribunal found out, he’d concoct some reasonable explanation for the kidnapping. Such an infringement of a human’s rights had been forbidden for over fifty years now, and was considered a threat to the anonymity of the immortal world, true. But he could always say the Oracle had forced him. She’d hardly be able to deny it in her current condition.

Mikhail exited the reception and headed for the concrete tunnel that led straight to the Hospital’s courtyard. He’d instructed Zacharia to keep the woman in a storage unit. The last thing he needed was someone noticing her presence and asking questions.

As he entered the room, a sudden influx of vexation rose inside him, stirred by the thought that he hadn’t moved even an inch closer to the answers he was seeking despite decades of trying.

All too soon, however, his anger was put on hold. His nostrils picked up a rich mixture of citrus and rose geranium in the air. Every living creature had a scent, as characteristic of an individual as their given name, features and voice. Manticores, as well as lycanthropes and necromancers, could detect it. For Mikhail, the smell of humans was always unpleasant, reminiscent of a failed attempt to mask the stench of a stuffy, unventilated room with expensive perfume.

But now, he couldn’t ignore the intensity of this human’s scent and the way it awoke his senses, without a trace of the expected unpleasant undertone. He’d sensed it when they’d first met, but hadn’t given it much thought among the millions of other smells drenching the city.

His curiosity peaked even more as he studied her. She was the only bright thing in the entire space. Zacharia had tied her to a chair in the middle of the room. When Mikhail met her eyes above the tape that covered her mouth, there was a hurricane of shock, horror, and anger in her deep blue irises. And recognition.

With so many emotions visible in a single gaze, he almost felt sorry for her. Then again, humans, due to their lack of life experience, were quite emotional.

Mikhail frowned. “Why’s she tied up?”

Zacharia, who was leaning against the far wall, spoke while staring at his phone. “She’s a fast runner.”

“And the tape?”

Zacharia shrugged. “Women talk too much.”

Mikhail approached her. “My name is Mikhail Korovin, as you already know.” Though he attempted to sound as unthreatening as possible, the wary glint in her eyes didn’t fade. “I’m the chairman of The Council of the Twenty and founder of the Hospital for Immortal Creatures.” Nothing in her expression showed that this information meant anything to her, but he’d caught on to that the first time. “I apologise for having you kidnapped, but experience has taught me that humans never come here of their own volition.” In her features, he recognised a mixture of astonishment and confusion. “I had to be sure… How can I put this… That you don’t fall into the wrong hands. I have reason to believe that someone might hurt you and, as small as that reason might be, I had to act on it. You see, the Oracle sent me to save you, but I have no idea why. And there was an attempt on her life right after she sent me to you. Of course, I could have just lurked around and won your trust until you agreed to come with me willingly, but I believe we don’t have time for that.”

Amelia’s eyes grew wide. How could he explain everything that was happening? More to the point, why was he even trying to in the first place?

“I’ll be blunt. You’re staying in the Hospital until I decide it’s no longer necessary. You won’t want for anything. I guarantee that you’ll be completely safe.” Her eyes kept getting bigger. “I need to warn you, however,” Mikhail’s voice became near-growling, “that if you do something stupid, I’ll get very angry.”

She shivered in response to that threat.

Good. They were getting along well.

“Now, I will free you of your restraints and you’ll answer some questions. Clear?”

She nodded. Mikhail leaned over her, untied the ropes and gently removed the tape.

“What’s your name?” He knew the answer, of course, but he had to start easy.

In a hoarse voice, she said, “Amelia.”

“Full name.”

After a second of hesitation, she answered, “Amelia Nikolaeva Dragova.”

“All right, Amelia. How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.” She turned to Zacharia, who hadn’t moved from his spot.

Mikhail followed her gaze. “That’s Zacharia. He doesn’t talk much.”

“He drugged me.”

“Just a little soporific. One of Vik’s concoctions. Don’t worry, it’s much better than the garbage you humans usually use to induce sleep.”

She squinted, focusing back on him. “What do you want from me?”

“Exactly what I said – to stay here for a while, that’s it. Think of it as a little holiday.”

“I don’t have any money! Or relatives to pay you off!”

He waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m not looking for money.”

“There must be some mistake. You have the wrong person, I’m sure of it.”

Mikhail shrugged. “It’s possible. Does anyone in your family have unusual abilities? Someone… immortal?”

“Someone what ?”

“Someone who might seem a little different.”

She looked from him to Zacharia and back. “Is there a camera hidden somewhere? You guys are actors, right?”

“Um, no.”

“I can’t think of anyone who would want to play such a trick on me, but…”

“Amelia, calm down. Your pulse is escalating.”

She continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “Were you following me? How come you showed up the other day?”

“The Oracle told me to be there.”

She took a deep, long breath of air. “The…who?! No, never mind. I don’t want to know. I promise, you have the wrong person. ”

Though she forced her tone to sound calm, Mikhail caught her laboured breathing. “Amelia, calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Her legs trembled on the chair in a nervous rhythm. Her breathing became loud and uneven.

The annoyance from before resurfaced in Mikhail and clouded his vision. “That’s enough. Knock her out again.”

“What? Don’t you da—”

She dozed off in the chair.