Page 17 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

“Not. Interested.” Amelia enunciated every word, forcing herself to remain calm. Sure, the bus stop was empty, but people were approaching already. She glanced at the board, whichindicated the next bus was six minutes out.

The man’s eyes roamed over her face. “Playing hard to get, huh? My kind of woman. Had I known you were this attractive, I would have come sooner.”

“And you would have wasted your time.” Amelia stared atthe reptilian. Dark locks cascaded around his manly features, enhancing the black in his bold gaze. His thick lips were curled into a sarcastic smile.

“Darling, let’s go somewhere and talk. I’m a friend. You shouldn’t fear me,” he said.

“Thank you, but I’ll pass.”

“I insist.”

“Some other time.” Amelia tried to distance herself.

He followed. “You either come voluntarily, or I wreak such havoc that you’ll be chased by the Tribunal your entire life, and convicted of threatening the confidentiality of the immortal world.”

“And they won’t chase you?” Amelia asked, buying herself time.

“They cannot chase someone who does not exist.” He offered his hand gallantly. “Coming,Oracle?”

“No,love.”

Amelia dashed down the pavement.

5

Navigating the narrow curb was challenging with the flood of people rushing to catch the next bus. Amelia avoided multiple collisions, almost brushing against a plump man in her haste. She could only hope her pursuer – much larger in bulk – wouldn’t be as fortunate.

Sure enough, within moments, shouts from bystanders erupted behind her. It sounded like the man had fallen. Someone was urging others to call an ambulance.

Amelia didn’t dare look back. Her pursuer’s delay was the chance she needed.

Serves me right for foolishly thinking I could handle Mikhail!Not only had she bolted before getting a chance to execute her plan, but her arrival at the cemetery had also put reptilians on her trail. Getting caught was not part of the plan. One of the advantages of her transformation was her enhanced agility, with more athletic and nimble legs. Not to mention the added bonus of a better sense of direction…

She gave in to the temptation and glanced over her shoulder. That’s when it happened – her ankle twisted, the sound of a heel breaking echoed in her ears, and she lost her balance, crashing to the ground. The impact jostled her body, but she jumped back to her feet, the adrenaline coursing through her and dampening the pain.

“That was very bad luck.” The man’s voice was far too close now.

Amelia spun on her broken heel and slammed her other foot into his groin with full force.

He groaned. “Fuck!”

Without wasting a second, she took off, her broken shoe still on her foot. The endless stream of evening traffic created a chaotic blur of headlights and taillights, illuminating the pavement and making her an easy target.

She shoved a man out of her way.

“Hey, careful!” he exclaimed, but within moments, she had disappeared into the crowd.

It was rush hour, and the overcrowded curb made it difficult to move. What if she stopped and screamed for help? Would the man dare attack her among so many mortals? But then, what if he didn’t care about the Tribunal’s laws? She didn’t care much for them either, but she knew attracting human attention could be dangerous, especially when she had no idea what her pursuer was capable of.

A sharp pain stabbed at her neck. She tapped the spot with her palm, but there were no traces of an arrow or something… Before she could comprehend what was happening, her strength drained away, her vision blurred, and the world spun around.

Poison… She spotted a narrow driveway between the nearest building and its concrete fence. She stumbled towards it, finding herself in a small, secluded backyard. She could barely make out a small bin, an empty beer bottle, and a homeless man sleeping beside them. In the far corner, a forgotten car without tyres rotted away.

With her last ounce of strength, she hid herself under the lowest balcony on the inside of the building, pressing her body against the wall. Her breath was shallow, and she knew it wouldn’t take long for him to find her.

“Not so hard to get, after all.” He approached. “Don’t worry, love. Just a little dose. Enough to slow you down.”

He gently took her into his arms, and her head lolled, resting in the crook of his elbow. A vision of a monotone, grey land flashedbefore her eyes, but as soon as she blinked, the image was gone.