Page 106 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

By the time they managed to push through the crowd of spectators, the Tribunal representatives were already disappearing down the dark path. Amelia quickened her pace, and Constantine followed. When they caught up, one of the men – the one with the red ghost mask – glanced back over his shoulder.

“Wait!” Amelia called out.

The red ghost halted in his tracks, but the other two continued moving away.

“I want to speak with Presiyan,” Amelia said.

The red ghost stretched out his hand in front of her. “Keep your distance, girl!” His voice was like a whip in the darkness.

He gave her his back, but Amelia didn’t plan to surrender until she’d done everything in her power. “I’m not a ‘girl.’ I’m the Oracle.”

The ghost’s heels dug into the ground, and he wasn’t the only one. Presiyan whirled around, walking towards her. Amelia clenched her fists, ready to face his terrifying mask. It wasn’t until he stood before her that she realised how enormous he was. His broad black figure blocked out everything around him. Amelia couldn’t see anything but the golden mask – couldn’t feel anything but his overwhelming presence.

She recalled the tattoo on her back. The mark that proved her affiliation. The brand that declared this world claimed her as its own and acknowledged her power. It was enough to ground her.

She searched his gaze behind the mask, knowing her eyes were white. And even through them, she could see the golden demon.

“What a surprise…” Presiyan said. “Do you have a prophecy for me, Oracle?”

The hint of sarcasm in his voice made her brow crease. She had assumed that behind the mask was nothing more than a talking statue, incapable of anything but absolute indifference – or cruelty.

Yes, she had a prophecy for him, but it did not come from the Beyond. Since she couldn’t get knowledge from the heavens, Amelia would rely on a basic skill: lying. After all, if a task could be done the easy way, why wait for enlightenment from the skies?

She addressed Presiyan by the name she knew he was alsocalled in the immortal world. “Master of the Earthly Demons, you tread on thin ice, and a being can only take so many wrong steps before it freezes forever. Step back and release Mikhail Korovin.”

A lie. She’d concocted the words and rehearsed until she could deliver them as if she believed in them more than in her very existence. She had made sure to sound vague and general, giving away no concrete information – except the Mikhail part.

The golden mask remained motionless for several tense seconds. Then Presiyan spoke. “Tell me, Oracle… When all masks fall, does the world stop, or does it spin?”

She pursed her lips, the words echoing in her head. Was that a riddle? Suddenly, an idea occurred.

“One world stops, another spins,” Amelia said. The answer was hazy enough to sound like an Oracle’s response.

“Thank you, but what you ask of me cannot be done.” He turned his back on her, and his masked companions took their places on either side of him.

Before Amelia could process his refusal, Presiyan was already moving away.

She opened her mouth to call after him, but Constantine’s voice stopped her.

“Don’t.”

***

After Constantine drove her back to the Hospital, Amelia locked herself in her room, undressed, and stepped into the shower. Emptiness engulfed her.

At last, her greatest fear – how she would flee from Mikhail once she had stolen his ring – was quelled. Because now it seemed she wouldn’t find the ring, and Mikhail wouldn’t return. Ana would carry out her threats.

But what could Amelia do? Would Constantine believe her if she warned him? Would he take the necessary precautions toprotect the Hospital? What measures could evenbetaken, to protect against a semi-goddess’ wrath? Evacuate the building? Search for the ring together? MaybeMikhail had mentioned its location to one of his friends.

Her skin heated, and Amelia reached out to turn down the hot water. A cold stream ran over her, yet she still felt like she was on fire. She stopped the water, but the sensation wouldn’t go away. Her eyes welled up with tears while she scanned her untouched body.

In a blink, she found herself in the middle of a cobblestone street. She grasped her surroundings. A grey sky loomed overhead. Nearby, a staircase rose into the clouds, disappearing in the murky greyness. In the distance, another set of stairs led nowhere…

At least her skin was no longer burning. She gazed down, and she was… naked! Her own body. It was hers… She wasn’t seeing through someone else’s eyes as in a vision, but she really was here.

Amelia took a step back, and her body erupted in pain. She pivoted on her heels, but a wall of flames rose, blocking her path.

“Are you scared, sinner?” A deep male voice boomed.