Page 122 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

Amelia had cut his overgrown hair – the last physical reminder of his time in Prokaliya. At first, she’d been hesitant with the scissors, but she’d soon realised she had the freedom to do whatever she wanted with his hair, just as she did with him.

“The new Oracle has hidden talents.” Mikhail settled on the sofa and, in one swift motion, moved Amelia onto his lap. He thought she might be embarrassed by such a public display of affection, but she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and settling herself on his knee.

Perfect, because he wanted everyone to know exactly what his relationship with the new Oracle was.

He pointed to the book on Viktor’s lap. “Have you found anything interesting?”

“Nothing we don’t already know. This isThe Origin of Immortal Species.” The lycanthrope tapped a finger on the page in front of him. “I’m not sure if it’s a true story, but it’s the most popular version among immortals. According to it, many years ago, Earth was inhabited by humans and witches, but they were too ‘weak’ for the immense energy of the planet. Earth was on the verge of exploding into a ball of fire, threatening to destroy not only its residents but also nearby planetary systems. So, a council was held in the Pleiades. It decided the Earth would be populated with more species whose existence will absorb this immense free energy.”

“What are the Pleiades?” Amelia asked.

“A cluster of stars where it’s believed various deities live.” Mikhail knew the story of their predecessors’ origins well, but wasn’t sure if Amelia had heard it all. “It’s supposedly where the god who spawned Earth’s immortal species hailed from.”

Constantine smirked. “Can you imagine that this guy, Gord, came to Earth and his single goal was to screw as many earthly women as possible?”

“Poor thing…” Zacharia rolled his eyes.

Viktor clicked his tongue. “If I were you, I’d be more careful with comments about deities, because they hear everything you say about them. And they might get curious…”

“Really?” Amelia asked.

“Some stories say he was not a deity, but a strong creature from a different planet. I doubt he has a god’s hearing,” Constantine said.

“Then I suggest we call him by a code name, ‘Poor Thing.’” Zacharia grinned. “Just in case.”

“Guys, let’s be a bit more serious,” Viktor scolded them. “We need to figure out who this woman is, the one who tried to manipulate Amelia into stealing the ring. And you’re wrong about Gord’s task being to father as many children as possible. He had three offspring, which means he impregnated, at most, three women.”

“Actually, it was two.” Mikhail’s fingers traced small circles on Amelia’s thigh. “One human female, who gave birth to his two sons – Sandir and Calan. And one witch – Ana’s mother. From those three, the other five immortal species emerged. From Sandir came necromancers and vampires. From Calan, lycanthropes and manticores. And from Ana, nymphs.”

Viktor ran a hand over his forehead, frowning. “Why are we taking it at face value that the woman who threatened Amelia really is Ana?”

Amelia’s muscles tensed under Mikhail’s fingers. “She had the face of the statue downstairs.” She rose and grabbed the book from Viktor’s hands. “The same face as this.”

Mikhail had seen Ana’s drawing enough times. The first nymph was always depicted with long, fair hair, jade eyes, and the features of a goddess. “Maybe this woman is Ana and isn’t lying that the Mother of Reptilians is her sister.”

“Then why are there no records of a second sister or thereptilians?” Viktor asked.

“Ana must be working with the reptilians,” Mikhail said. It was hard for him to believe thattwodaughters of a deity had chosen to target him – andindependentlyof each other. After all, he didn’t believe in coincidences.

Amelia glanced at him. “If she’s working with them, why was I being chased by reptilians in the cemetery? It doesn’t make sense. Ana’s goal was to get me back to the Hospital, not to abduct me.”

Viktor nodded. “I agree.”

Constantine leaned against the wall, a thoughtful expression on his face. “How are you supposed to deliver the ring to Ana?”

Amelia closed the book and handed it back to Viktor. “Ana said she would contact me with instructions once I had the ring. In the meantime, I was supposed to leave her progress notes under the bench in the central gazebo in the courtyard.”

Constantine gave Mikhail a questioning look before turning his attention back to Amelia. “And what have you been writing to her so far?”

“That I have made no progress in finding the ring.”

“Who was taking the notes from the gazebo?” Constantine asked.

“I don’t know…”

“Weren’t you curious?” he pressed, which made Mikhail sit up straight.

Amelia regarded the necromancer with a stony expression. “Of course, I was. But I couldn’t figure out who it was. The gazebo is a popular spot for many creatures to rest.”