Page 111 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

The witch smirked, condescending as ever. “How sweet,” shebegan... before letting out a scream that tore through the forest as if she were in the throes of immense pain.

At first, Amelia didn’t understand what was happening. The witch’s body twisted with pain. The necklace dropped to the ground, and the witch clawed at Amelia’s hands, her nails gouging deeply.

Amelia’s nostrils filled with the sickening scent of decay. Necrosis.Death.

“Let me go!” Zara shrieked.

Amelia released her, not out of pity but because confusion and fear overwhelmed her. When she pulled back, she saw the cause of the witch’s torment. Two hand-shaped burns marred her dress, decaying the underlying flesh, as if dissolved by acid.

Did I do that?

Amelia grabbed the necklace and scrambled to her feet, locking eyes with Mikhail. He was leaning against a tree, watching.

“A little help would’ve been nice!” she snapped.

“You seemed to handle it just fine.” His golden irises suddenly shifted, focusing on something behind her. His features sharpened.

Amelia pivoted. Zara was lunging at her, fury blazing in her features.

And in that instant, Amelia knew what she had to do. Gripping the necklace with one hand, she balled the other into a fist. As Zara closed the gap, Amelia sidestepped the attack and pressed her open palm against the witch’s back.

This time, she felt theflowfrom her fingers – whether it was magic or something else, she couldn’t tell. Whatever it was, it burned through the witch’s gown and seeped into her skin, eating away at her flesh.

The smell of rot and death returned, and Zara’s screams were even more harrowing than before. Within moments, thewitch collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. Amelia knew she wouldn’t rise again, but she crouched beside the twitching body and continued her assault until the witch drew her last breath.

When it was over, she faced Mikhail. He stood as still as a statue against the tree, his eyes shining with a brightness she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her trembled, and her head spun.

It was happening again.

She reached for Mikhail’s hand but hesitated at the last moment. What if she hurt him, too? His expression was calm, without a trace of fear. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, squeezing firmly, as if to say everything would be fine.

A heartbeat later, the portal’s pull enveloped them both.

***

Amelia

Amelia tumbled down the stairs, coming to a stop beside a sand-filled basin that reeked of urine. Sitting up, she rubbed the back of her head and frowned – she’d come close to landing headfirst in a litter tray.

Both her hands were empty. She reached for her neck, and relief washed over her as her fingers brushed against the cool metal of the two entwined snake heads. The necklace nestled in the hollow between her collarbones. A quick check of her anorak pocket confirmed the cold, familiar touch of the watch.

Mikhail was standing by the wall, arms crossed, already dressed in the modern clothes he’d been wearing earlier.

“How is this even possible?”

He arched an eyebrow.

“You.” She jutted her chin towards him. “You land like aprofessional, and I’m always on the floor.”

He just shrugged, his curious gaze fixed on her. Well, it made sense. Mikhail was practically half-cat – of course, he always landed on his feet.

Amelia’s attention flicked to his hands, trying to recall which one she’d held during their return. His skin appeared unharmed.

Her irritation resurfaced at the memory of how he’d stood earlier, watching her fight the witch, unbothered by herdifficulties.

“Thanks for the help, by the way,” she muttered, pulling herself to her feet.