Page 72 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

Constantine had never minded the general mistrust, disgust, and fear directed at necromancers, but the idea Diana found him revolting didn’t sit well with him.

The fight began with some warm-up blows. As expected, Balthazar was much more agile than Swan, darting back and forth, circling his opponent and landing more hits. It was a strategy that would only work if the fight ended soon; otherwise, all those unnecessary movements would wear him out.

Swan, on the other hand, moved at a languid speed, his attacks slow and almost lazy.

Balthazar had the upper hand and got in three consecutive hits. During the third one, Swan ducked and sprang up so quickly that Balthazar couldn’t avoid the uppercut – Swan’s fist connected with his chin.

The blow sent Balthazar flying. The crowd erupted. He crashed onto his back, but was back on his feet in seconds. Withoutmissing a beat, he launched himself at Swan with a series of blows, forcing him backwards. Balthazar leapt up and landed a hard kick to Swan’s stomach on his way down.

When Swan recovered, Balthazar unleashed another impressive combination of acrobatics and strikes. His last move, however, fell short, allowing Swan to land a series of brutal side punches that could crack a concrete block. A swift kick sent Balthazar sprawling again.

He barely got back up before Swan followed with three rapid kicks. Balthazar dropped to the ground once more, his cry lost amid the crowd’s cheers. His body began to transform.

After regaining his footing, he transformed into his lycanthrope form, towering over Swan on his hind legs. He lunged, jaws wide, but it was as if Swan had been waiting for this moment. In a blur of speed, Swan grabbed the wolf and hurled him against the cage.

The next few seconds were too fast to track, even for a superhuman eye. A flurry of quick and precise blows – a mix of jabs, crosses, front kicks, and axe kicks – left the wolf as helpless as a newborn kitten.

Swan backed away from his opponent’s bloodied body. The man was sprawled on his back, panting like a wounded beast.

“Ten, nine, eight…” The crowd counted down with the referee. “Three, two, one!”

The referee unlocked the cage. “Swan wins!”

On the way back, Diana remained silent until they reached the Hospital’s underground parking.

“I can’t understand how Swan can be both heavy and insanely fast,” she spoke after Constantine killed the engine.

“I agree, he’s impressive. That’s why I wanted you to see him.”

“Thanks. Incredible technique… I don’t have his mass, but the speed of those combinations… Damn! I should add some of those moves into my repertoire…”

Constantine turned to her. “Diana, I didn’t bring you to the fight to take notes on his technique. Swan will be in the Al-Hatib Tournament. And, if the rumours are true, he’s one of theweakercontestants.”

Her body tensed. The car lights dimmed, but she didn’t reach for the door. Instead, she leaned back and stared out the front window.

Constantine knew her profile well, but now, outlined by the shadows in the underground lot, her full lips seemed more tempting than ever. Deep down, he realised he had nothing to offer her. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to touch someone so different from himself.

Fate must be having a laugh at my expense… Just as he’d lost his ability to see, he longed to look into a woman’s soul. He’d give anything to know what was hidden behind those eyes. What motivated her actions. What she truly thought of him.

If he were an ordinary man, he’d woo her until he won her trust. But why waste time, if in the end, all she’d feel is disappointment, and he’d remain just as empty and bored?

Diana reached for the handle but paused. “Why are you so set on making me quit the tournament, Constantine?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.

He wasn’t sure how to answer.

“Because you don’t belong there,” he said.

One of her eyebrows arched like an incredulous rainbow. “Remind me again when you were appointed my guardian?”

It wasn’t like she didn’t have a million reasons to be wary around him, but this sarcastic-defensive tone was starting to wear on him. “I don’t want you to die, Diana.”

“I want that even less, but I don’t get why you’re so concerned…”

“Because I like you.”

His muscles tensed as soon as the words slipped out. He hadn’tplanned to say that.

Diana’s eyes widened in genuine surprise, her defences faltering for a split second. Then she laughed – a sharp, deflective sound. “You like a lot of women, Constantine.”