Page 134 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her forehead against the glass to take in as much of the courtyard as possible, twenty stories below. Everything seemed normal…

Goosebumps prickled across her skin once again. Out of habit, Amelia glanced over her shoulder, searching for Mikhail, but he’d gone out earlier to patrol the other floors. Her eyes returned to the courtyard just in time to see the main gate swinging wide open. Several men lay on the road beyond. She recognised them as the building’s guards, but why were they on the ground, unmoving?

Her mind connected the gunshots from a few minutes ago to the fallen men. Someone… had shot them?

Stomach twisting with worry, Amelia reminded herself that she shouldn’t jump to conclusions – she just needed to find Mikhail and tell him what was happening. Though he must have heard the shots himself by now.

She was about to swivel around and rush downstairs when her peripheral vision caught movement in the woods. Soldiers in camouflage emerged from the trees near the main gate. Black masks covered their faces, and the raised rifles in their hands made it clear they hadn’t come in peace. It also confirmed her suspicion that the Hospital guards had been shot.

In swift motion, the soldiers entered through the wide-open gate and spread out across the courtyard, moving with perfectcoordination. Amelia stared at the invasion, horrified. From this height, the soldiers resembled ants that couldn’t reach her.

The Hospital was supposed to be impenetrable, wasn’t it?

The door behind her burst open.

“Amelia, we have to go!” Mikhail shouted, gripping her elbow. His voice was like an alarm, snapping her out of her stupor.

“Mikhail, what’s happening?” She tried to find answers in his eyes, but he was dashing around frantically, and it was hard to make out the contours of his face.

“Hurry up!” was all he said.

Her legs moved on their own when Mikhail pulled her through the corridor. They scurried across the twentieth floor, and Mikhail led her up the stairs to the tower. Once they rushed inside, Mikhail walked to the window and scanned the courtyard.

“Mikhail, what’s going on?” Amelia insisted.

He finally faced her. His eyes were wild with colours, but his face was pale as a sheet. “It’s humans and reptilians.” His voice cut through the narrow space of the tower like a blade, and every muscle in his expression twisted with tension.

They stared at each other while Amelia tried to process his words.

Humans and reptilians.

The Hospital was surrounded.

“Humans…? Aren’t they unable to see the building?” she asked.

Mikhail shook his head and returned to the window to observe. More gunshots rang out, and a scream pierced the air. When his gaze met hers again, his eyes were yellow, on the verge of transformation. “I have to go down! The creatures need me.”

He headed for the stairs, and the sight of him leaving filled her entire being with dread.

“Mikhail, there are too many of them, and they’re armed…” Her voice wavered. She knew that if Mikhail decided to descend, shewouldn’t be able to stop him. But if he did, they would kill him. She inched closer to him, clutching his hand. “Please, don’t go! What good will it do if they shoot you?”

Her touch gave him pause. He gazed at her as if weighing his options. Amelia prayed with all her heart that he would choose to stay with her.

He reached out and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”

She covered his hand with hers, pressing her cheek into his palm, savouring the instant calm his warmth brought her. “What did you lie about what, Mikhail?”

“About being safe here. About the Hospital being impenetrable. I really did believe it—”

Bile rose in her throat. “It’s not your fault…”

He pulled away from her, took out his phone, and dialled someone, but the phone on the other end was off. For a brief moment, a torturing silence ensued. And Amelia realised what Mikhail must have known from the start.

Their coming here, to the tower, had been a desperate move. They were trapped.

***

Zacharia lowered the visor in front of his face, released the clutch, and immersed himself in one of the things he loved most.