Page 104 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

“The Tatas,” Mikhail murmured. “One of the most renowned traditional witch families of all time.”

“So much for the assumption that there’d be no black magic…” Amelia said.

“Shhh.” Mikhail gestured for her to keep quiet.

“… the official start of the game will be at sunset, and the winner will claim the Tata family’s special prize…”

“It must be the necklace!” Amelia whispered excitedly.

Balian continued, “… each year, we welcome brothers and sisters from all over the world to delve into the history of our kind…”

“Have I ever mentioned that I hate witches?” Mikhail muttered in her ear.

“…you’re eager, and so are we, given everything we’ve prepared. We’ve invited some of the best musicians in the world, and the dancing…”

“So, it seems we’ll have to win this game,” Amelia said through gritted teeth, waiting to hear the rules. But Balian was merely warming up the crowd with promises of festivities set to begin after sunset.

After sunset.

“… when we’ll also revisit fascinating facts about our kind through a witchcraft trivia contest…”

The creatures in the crowd started murmuring amongst themselves, sending a wave of unease rippling through Amelia.

“That’s right,” the witcher declared. “This year, the game will be a trivia contest…”

Amelia held her breath.

“Enjoy yourselves!” he called out just before transforming into a flock of crows.

The birds took off with a cacophony of caws, vanishing into the sky, and the crowd erupted in applause. Mikhail and Amelia took advantage of the distraction to find a quiet spot, away from the lake.

“A trivia contest with witchcraft questions…” Mikhail turned to her, his expression critical. “How much do you actually know about witches?” The look on her face must have answered him. “Nothing at all?”

Placing her hands on her hips, she snapped back, “Despite what people say about my bloodline, I’m not a witch, and until six months ago, I wasn’t even aware immortals existed.”

Mikhail pressed his lips into a thin line – the prelude to yet another lecture, Amelia would bet. “You’re the Oracle. Can’t you turn to… whatever it is you consult and find the answers?”

“No, it doesn’t work like that.” She could have lied about her abilities, but it wouldn’t have helped them escape. “On rare occasions, I’ve thought of a question and received an immediate answer, but that’s not reliable, and it definitely won’t work in a trivia contest.”

Mikhail frowned, mulling over the problem. “Every time I visited the previous Oracle, it seemed like she had instant access to knowledge…”

“Yes, she was powerful, and I don’t have her skills. Besides, her letter said that visions aren’t my forte.”

“Then what is?”

“Do you think I’d hide it if I knew?”

For a moment, they stared at each other, as though he were trying to gauge her worth once more.

“This Tata family... There must be some connection to the necklace.” She steered the conversation away from the tensionbrewing between them.

Mikhail shook his head. “I have no idea, Amelia. All I’ve heard is that this kind of ‘magic’ – where you’re pulled through a portal with some sort of condition, in this case, presented as a note – can only be undone if you fulfil said condition.”

“So I have to prove I’m the worthiest, whatever that entails.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do we do until sunset?”

“Stay here while I check something.”

“What?”