12
Mikhail had delayed meeting Amelia over the past few days. Given his unstable physical state after the reptilian attack, it had been all too easy for him to lose control over his primal spirit. And the beast within him harboured special feelings for her.
Yet now, having her before him, all Mikhail longed for was to touch her.
As soon as he pulled her into his arms, her body tensed at their closeness. He leaned in, whispering in her ear, “Thank you, little beast. You saved my life.” He breathed in her scent of geranium and citrus, and his desire stirred.
Amelia stepped back from his embrace, raising her eyebrows. “Why do you thank me? That man was aiming at me. If his knife had stabbed me, I wouldn’t have survived.”
Mikhail suppressed a growl. Whenever he remembered how close the reptilian had come to taking her away, his blood boiled and his senses sharpened for battle. If he let his animal instincts take over, Amelia would see a side of him he didn’t want her to – a reminder of what he bore within.
“He was never aiming for you. He wanted to distract me so he could escape,” Mikhail said.
Her pale face, half illuminated by the fireplace’s glow, tensed. “I made a mistake going to the graveyard.”
Mikhail smiled. “I would have been surprised if you’d acted differently. Honouring your deceased loved ones is not foreign to me. And because of that, I was able to find you.”
For a split second, silvery streaks flickered across her blue irises. When the scent of mirabelle pierced his senses, Mikhail recognised her transformation – a subtle change she seemed unaware of.
Suddenly, he found it difficult to keep his hands to himself. What he truly wanted was to whisk Amelia away to a secluded place and make love to her in all the ways he had imagined every second since he’d first tasted her.
His eyes travelled across her face, from the discreet scar above her left eyebrow to her pale lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t see what was happening to you sooner – not until it was almost too late.”
“There’s no need for apologies…”
Mikhail reached out, taking her hand and pulling her closer until their bodies were just inches apart.
This time, though, he didn’t embrace her, but held her gaze.
“On the contrary. I have more than one reason to apologise.” He stroked the inside of her wrist with his thumb, feeling the rhythmic pulse under her skin. “We’ve left much unfinished, Amelia.”
Her eyes widened. She held her breath, staring down at their intertwined hands. Then she shook her head. “The circumstances brought us together, and we succumbed to primal instincts, which I suppose is normal given the uncertainty of the situation.”
“Uncertainty of the situation?” Mikhail’s eyebrow shot up.
Amelia tried to pull away from his touch, but he didn’t let go. She hesitated for a second. “In a situation of uncertainty, humans cling to what is familiar. The carnal.”
This time, he released her hand. “I’m no human, and neither are you,” he said, though irritation simmered beneath his calm. “And I don’t recall ever being afraid.”
Her voice trembled. “I was frightened, and you, perhaps, needed to… relieve some tension. It doesn’t matter what it was. Once I became the Oracle, I realised we were meant to work together. I am obligated to assist you in your work restoring the damaged regeneration, but that’s all that binds us.”
“ Obligated ?”
Amelia gave a firm nod. “Indeed.”
He looked away, gritting his teeth. “I understand…”
Mikhail willed himself to remain composed. He had been awaiting this conversation for days, and now all they had managed were a few muddled lines?
He observed her stiff posture. She had to be hurt by his treatment at the end of last year, but the subtle, involuntary reactions of her body never escaped him – not during their first encounter, nor now.
Her features twisted with worry, shallow breaths, and dilated pupils, while she’d fought for his life the other day, was a sight he would forever treasure.
It had been her image haunting him between the stopping of his heart and the final, decisive jolt of the defibrillator that had brought him back to life.
He had always imagined death as nothing more than a black void, but those few minutes had been far from it.
He knew he had died. The walls of his perfectly ordered world had collapsed.
He would no longer be the master of his fortress.
During those moments, Mikhail didn’t regret losing control – he regretted only that he didn’t have more time to spend with the one being who had made him lose that control in the first place.
But could he make her forget last year and start anew? Could he have both Amelia and the Oracle?
He forced his hands to stay at his sides. “I’m glad you’re back. Do you like the room Stella gave you?”
Amelia seemed to relax with the change of topic. “Yes. Stella is wonderful. She never misses bringing me food,” she said, curling her lips slightly. “Though I’ve hardly had any appetite lately.”
“Ah, the transformation…”
“Yes…”
He was well aware of the physiological changes during the transition to immortality, and a shift in eating habits was just one sign.
The state decreased the craving for most foods but awakened all kinds of other appetites.
Excitement crawled up Mikhail’s spine when he thought the changes in Amelia’s body might be one of his main advantages in winning her back.
But not yet. For now, he needed to make her comfortable in his presence.
After a few more exchanges, he walked her to her room, discussing C.’s journal and the reptilians along the way. When she closed her door, leaving him alone in the corridor, he realised it was the first time in weeks he had breathed with ease.
***
As soon as she was alone in her room, Amelia called Stella and requested a pen and paper. Writing it all down was a struggle, but she owed Ana a report.
On the anniversary of my parents’ deaths, I visited the graveyard as usual.
Her pen halted on the paper when Amelia realised she might never visit her family’s grave again.
She had bid them farewell. Complete closure might forever elude her, yet a part of her grief seemed to have perished on that tombstone, easing her into acceptance. With reluctance, she continued writing.
Seeing Mikhail there didn’t surprise me. I fled because leaving with him would have been too conspicuous.
Her lack of surprise at his presence was one thing, but how she felt near him was wholly unexpected. She had hoped the time apart, coupled with her disappointment in him and her transformation into the Oracle, would diminish his impact on her. That part, she wouldn’t write down.
A reptilian tried to kidnap me. Mikhail intervened and stopped him, but got severely injured. I had to accompany him to the Hospital. On the way, he died, but I did everything I could to save him. He survived.
Reflecting on the incident, Amelia was astounded by her fear for Mikhail’s life and the agony of those ensuing five days. She had considered leaving, but not before seeing him again.
And now that she had seen him, she didn’t want to leave at all – a ludicrous sentiment, considering everything she knew about him.
Today, he told me I am among the creatures he trusts most. Perhaps I have a chance to take the –
Abruptly, she tore the paper from the notepad and crumpled it. Clutching the ball of paper, she lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She knew she should leave the letter under the gazebo in the courtyard, but doubted whether she could bring herself to do it.