Page 6 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

Amelia raised an eyebrow. “And which side is this?”

“The good side, of course.”

Amelia thought back to everything Dave had told her.‘Ana didn’t respect any rules and loved to play with people.’

“According to The Origin of Immortal Species story, you’re evil,” Amelia said.

The woman’s brow furrowed. “My sister conjured those stories up to belittle me.”

“Sister? I thought you only had two brothers.”

“I did. I no longer have any.” Ana’s features twisted with sorrow. “Now I only have one sister, who has decided to destroy this world. Perhaps you’ve heard of her? She calls herself the Queen, Mother of Reptilians. She’s gaining more and more power. I doubt she will remain in the shadows for much longer.”

The mention of reptilians piqued Amelia’s curiosity. Mikhail had never mentioned them as a species, in all theirconversations. Had he kept this from her on purpose? Or was he unaware of their existence?

And if he had kept their existence a secret, did that even matter? It would be just one more secret, just one more way he’d manipulated her.

With effort, she willed all thoughts of Mikhail away and focused on the woman.

She’s lying to you. Leave, while you still can.Ignoring her intuition screaming at her, Amelia asked,“Reptilians?”

“They’re the unknown immortal race. The reason behind all the troubles for the rest of the immortal species. And your troubles, as well.”

“What do you mean?” Amelia’s heart pounded as she tried to maintain her composure.

The stranger’s green irises bore into Amelia’s. “My sister is behind the murders at the Hospital.”

Amelia’s breath hitched. Those murders – a Council member, a chambermaid, and the attack on Dave – had been committed to force Mikhail to get rid of her. But Mikhail hadn’t succumbed to the manipulation. He had promised to protect her…

“Why do you think the regeneration abilities of the immortals continue to decline?” Ana asked.

Amelia was silent. She’d had conversations around this with Mikhail, but could not brag about knowing the answer. That whole line of questioning had driven them apart – if it hadn’t been for Mikhail’s obsession and duty-bound desire to save the immortals, if she hadn’t omitted to tell him about her telepathic conversations with the Oracle…

Should, could, would… What is the point of thinking about any of this? What’s done is done.

And anyway, in the end, it had all come down to the fact that he saw her as just another means to achieve his goal.

“The cause of it all is my sister, Amelia. She did something thatcreated the problem with the regeneration. These changes will only worsen with time. Something must be done, otherwise the species will disappear.”

Amelia hesitated, her mind racing. Could this be true?

And should she care?

Ana leaned forward slightly, her voice gentle but urgent. “I want to stop it. With your help. Together, we can stop my sister from eradicating the immortal species. Only by killing her can we save them all.”

Amelia realised she was still standing by the bench, her legs poised to take her away, but something held her back. She didn’t trust this woman, didn’tlikeher, but she had to listen. Because if Ana could really help with the regeneration, the immortal world would finally return to its normal state… and Mikhail would have his salvation.

“My sister, like me, is the daughter of a god, and carries a small part of each species inside her, except for the witch kind that has inhabited this Earth since before my family and I even existed. To destroy my sister, we need to destroy every single part of her. The vampire speed. The necromancer senses. The manticore strength. The lycanthrope ferocity. The nymph trickery. And, of course, the adaptability of the reptilian. Strong qualities that could nonetheless be destroyed easily with the right weapons. And you are going to help me collect them.”

“Me?” Amelia’s voice faltered.

“Well, you are the Oracle, right?”

Amelia stared at Ana’s flawless features. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help,” she admitted. “I don’t have the skills of the Oracle. My visions… I have no control over them, so if you expect me toseesomething for you, you might as well give up now.”

Ana raised an eyebrow, her eyes glinting with amusement. “I don’t need visions. I want you to get something for me.”

Amelia stiffened even before hearing the next part.