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 flashed before her eyes, but as soon as she blinked, the image was gone.
His hands tightened around her. They were strong, creating a deceptive sense of security. It was the coldness radiating from his body that kept her from closing her eyes and giving in.
“I’m convinced that very soon you’ll begin to like me,” the stranger murmured. His voice was soft, but beneath the gentle tones lay an unmistakable threat.
He wasn’t lying about the small dose. As he wrapped his hands tighter around her, Amelia sensed her body’s awareness returning.
Her strength, hopefully, would follow. “Who are you?” she asked, trying to buy time.
She might be able to replicate the kick from before once her legs were back to full power.
“You’ll find out soon enough, love. Just don’t run again, all right? You’re in for a mind-blowing trip, I promise.” He started down the narrow path around the building.
“Where are you taking me?”
“A place you’ve never been before.”
“Where is this place?”
The man’s arms tensed, and his eyes darted to the corners of the yard. Then, he looked back at Amelia, his gaze burning with anger. “Who’s with you?”
“Nobody?” she said, just before he tossed her to the ground. Amelia twisted mid-air, her palms and side of her butt slapping against the asphalt. “That hurt!” she grated out, rubbing her butt.
“Silence!”
Amelia clenched her teeth. “I probably won’t start liking you anytime soon…”
“I said, silence !”
The man dug his claws into her shoulder and yanked her up. An icy pressure on her neck forced a gasp from her lips.
“One move, and you’re dead,” he hissed in her ear.
She froze. Immortality meant nothing with a blade pressed to her jugular.
“Walk!”
He started to push her towards the street, then stopped. A tall figure blocked the exit.
“Let her go.”
Mikhail.
He surveyed the man’s posture and the blade at Amelia’s throat, then met her gaze. His eyes were golden.
“I thought you’d left, manticore.” The man’s breath whooshed past Amelia’s cheek as he squeezed her tightly between his body and the knife.
“What do you want to let her go?” Mikhail’s even tone sent a chill down Amelia’s spine.
“I want her ,” the man replied, pulling her closer. A flash of that same desolate land penetrated her mind when their bodies touched.
Mikhail stepped forward. “Your feud is with me. Let Amelia go, and we can talk.”
“I’m not here for you today, manticore, so scram. But don’t worry, I’ll be seeing you again.”
“Haven’t you heard? I’m an impatient man. Tell me what you’re after, and I might give it to you freely.” Mikhail’s lips curled into a thin smile, his gaze shifting back to Amelia. “I doubt you came here only to seek a girl with no particular talents.”
Her heart clenched at his words, but she forced herself to maintain a stony expression – a challenge with a knife at her throat.
“A girl, you say?” The stranger leaned in, studying her profile. “I’ve yet to discover her talents. As for you, manticore, you’re so beneath me that I won’t waste my breath bartering with you.”
Angry flames flickered in Mikhail’s eyes. “Then why do you keep attacking my Hospital? The chopped-off head? Pathetic, if you ask me. Devoid of any originality.”
“And here I was, thinking you were impressed. If you disapprove so much, I’ll make more of an effort next time.
Maybe you’ll receive someone else’s head.
” He placed the blade in front of Amelia’s face, waving it from one ear to the other.
“A happier, smiling head…” He leaned forward, rubbing his smooth chin against her cheek.
“And perhaps something else in addition? Would you like that, manticore?” He pointed the tip of his knife at Mikhail.
Amelia gathered all her recovered strength and slammed her elbow into his stomach.
The man didn’t even flinch. He only tightened his grip on her. “Ouch!” he mocked. “I can’t say I didn’t see that coming this time. Isn’t she cute?” He traced her jawline with a finger.
She hit him again, in the same spot.
“Stop it!” Amelia didn’t listen. Instead, she drove her one good heel into his foot. “I said, stop !” he repeated, still holding on to her.
A wheezy, husky laugh interrupted them. “That chick beat you up bad, dude!”
All three turned towards the pile of rags on the ground, from which a puffy face emerged.
The homeless man, whose presence Amelia had completely forgotten, had woken up.
His smile vanished as quickly as it appeared.
“Where’s my vodka?!” Dirty fingers crawled out from under the pile, searching the ground around him.
“You drank it all, you fuckers! You drank it! It was right here.” His eyes widened. “MAFIA!” he chanted. “MAFIA! MAFIA!”
Mikhail pounced on Amelia and the man, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Somehow, Amelia was pushed aside, while Mikhail landed on the stranger. Leaning on her bruised elbows, she propelled herself up onto her feet, realising that Mikhail had been the one to shove her out of harm’s way.
Her eyes fixed on his broad figure struggling for control over the reptilian.
Mikhail’s fingers clamped around the man’s wrist, still holding the knife.
He twisted the blade forward while the man struggled to break free from the manticore’s weight.
Mikhail’s face twisted with tension, and the muscles on his back strained against the seams of his jacket as he fought to overpower the stranger.
For a split second, Amelia thought Mikhail might shift into his secondary form – the winged lion, the spirit inside him that was an integral part of who he was.
Then the knife clattered to the ground. The stranger freed his fist and slammed it sideways into Mikhail’s jaw.
For the next few minutes, they were nothing more than a blur of hits and roars, rolling over one another in a vicious struggle, each trying to gain the upper hand. The stench of blood hung thick in the cold air, while Amelia hovered like a helpless observer, unsure of what to do.
“Right! Left!” the homeless man cheered, occasionally shouting out advice.
The stranger tore himself free from Mikhail, rising to his feet as if the fight had barely cost him any strength. He brushed a flattened lock of hair from his forehead and smiled, revealing two sharp teeth.
“Let’s get to business,” he said, his smile widening as those sharp teeth gleamed.
Amelia swallowed the panic rising in her throat. A moment ago, those fangs hadn’t been there. And neither had the thin, long, forked thing now flicking between them. A forked tongue.