Page 116 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

“Zacharia!” Amelia exclaimed and promptly rushed forward to greet his friend, acting for all intents and purposes as though he wereherclosest friend.

Mikhail sprang to his feet, examining the man to confirm it was truly him: combat boots, black leather trousers, a T-shirt outlining well-defined muscles, a short military haircut, and apiercing ice-blue gaze. The hybrid’s sun-bronzed arms pulled Amelia in a brotherly embrace, prompting Mikhail to once again question how much he’d missed over the past months.

Zacharia released Amelia and furrowed his brow, staring at the necklace around her neck. Then his gaze shifted to Mikhail. “Brother, if I see you wearing one of those trinkets, too, I might think I’m out of touch with the latest trends.”

43

Amelia

Amelia clutched the necklace between her fingers. “You’ve seen it before?”

“Seen it?” Zacharia echoed, shaking his head. “It’s… quite a bit more than that… But before I explain…” A grin spread across his face as he jerked Mikhail into a firm embrace. “It’s great to see you, my friend. I was afraid that bitch of a queen had finished you off!”

“She was close.” Mikhail clapped the hybrid’s broad back. “I’m glad you found us.”

Amelia’s lips twitched into a faint smile. This different Mikhail, one she didn’t recognise, was capable of joy, after all.

However, the moment vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and tension once again hardened Mikhail’s features. “Now, tell us about the necklace before I rip it off her neck and toss it into the nearest river.”

Amelia grasped the necklace, showing no intention of parting with it.

Zacharia scratched his forehead. “I was in the home of a witch who wore an identical necklace. She had… let’s say, an unusual attachment to it. So unusual that she refused to take it off in situations where it might have been inconvenient. Eventually, though… she did take it off.” His jaw tightened.

“Where is her house?” Mikhail growled.

The hybrid’s gaze flickered between Mikhail and Amelia. “Byala Voda. She was going to locate you, and in exchange, I had to repair her roof. Long story short, I spent some time inher home waiting for her magic to work.” Zacharia ran a hand through his cropped hair. “She kept saying someone was coming for the necklace. She was sad about it but said she’d give it away because it didn’t belong to her.”

Amelia glanced at Mikhail. “She must have started preparing after I intruded into her mind.”

He nodded. “Creating that Middle Ages trap couldn’t have been easy.”

“I want to hear everything about what she did to you, but first…” Zacharia’s eyes locked on the twin serpent heads. “You need to know what happened to her. She was stunning, but the moment she removed the necklace, her face darkened and shrivelled. Her skin ignited, then crumbled into ash. She screamed in agony the entire time, and I wasn’t supposed to do anything to ease her pain. I’d promised not to interfere – not that I had the power to help her, anyway.”

Amelia withdrew her hand from the Sacred. “Did she tell you the necklace was the cause? Could she have suspected we’d meet, knowing you’d pass on her words to me?”

“It was more like she dared to admit the necklace gave her power. But, as with all things tied to dark magic, it was a matter of time before it demanded its due. She was protected from the heavy cost as long as the necklace remained around her neck.”

Amelia tensed. “Then why did she take it off?”

“She said that whatever awaits the next wearer of the necklace is far worse than what removing it would do to her. She threw it into the hallway, saying whoever deserved it would find it, and died a few hours later.”

Amelia’s mind conjured the image of burnt skin, the stench of death, and agonised screams – the same things she’d inflicted upon the witch in that illusion.

“Take it off.” Mikhail’s voice cracked through the brief silence like a whip.

No… She shook her head. “We’re not sure the necklace caused her death.”

“We’re not certain it didn’t.” Mikhail was already behind her, reaching for the clasp. “You’re too valuable in this war for me to risk your safety over a trinket.”

Amelia’s gaze sought Zacharia. His posture – arms crossed – could have seemed indifferent, but the faint crease between his eyebrows revealed much more.

These men didn’t understand what the object meant to her! For the first time since entering the immortal world, she’d found something she could connect with. It felt like months of wandering had finally led her to a place where she belonged. Yes, she was the Oracle, but her weak visions had never allowed her to embrace that role fully. When reality had also taken Mikhail’s love from her, she’d doubted she would ever experience a genuine sense of belonging.

Until she’d touched the necklace. Its energy had resonated with the yearning part of her soul as if they had found each other. The power that flowed through her veins and burst from her hands was proof enough.

Whatever the necklace was, whatever it had done to its former owner, Amelia knew it would be different for her. Around her neck, its power wasn’t dangerous – it was a shield.

“We’ll discuss this later.” She moved away from Mikhail before he could unfasten the clasp.