Page 122 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

She hesitated briefly. “I… I don’t want you to free me, Constantine. Convince that woman to move me to some dungeon instead.”

His jaw tightened at the thought of losing sight of her. “Why should I do that?”

“Because you’re guarded more heavily than any prisoner in the dungeons. I can’t escape while with you.” Her gaze locked onto his. “I finally got an opportunity to enter the palace. That was my initial goal when I came to Antambazi.”

His body tensed up.

“I gave up betraying you to the reptilians,” she said, “but I haven’t given up on my own agenda.”

He clenched his fists. “Will you at least tell me why you need the mirror?”

She opened her mouth – then closed it again. For a moment, her gaze flicked to the floor, the answer clearly on the tip of her tongue. But then she looked up, steadier than before. “It’s for the best that I don’t.”

Damn it. Before he did anything foolish, he stepped away from her. Circling the bed, Constantine sank into the armchair by the library. Heshouldtell the Queen to remove Diana from his room and do whatever she wished with her. If, by some miracle, she left her alive, the vampire could continue her pursuit of that damned mirror.

But how could he let her risk her neck when he was the onewho should protect her?

Running a hand over the rough stubble along his jawline, his gaze lingered on her back. The inexplicable pull he felt towards her? She clearly didn’t reciprocate.

Yet that didn’t change the fact that she was his.

45

Vladislav

Vladislav threw the printed sheets onto the desk by the window with a frustrated growl. “That bloody shrew is messing with us!” he spat, shooting a glance towards the guards stationed outside. Their hulking presence ruined what had once been a beautiful view of the hospital courtyard.

Those same bastards stood guard outside his room, eager to intrude. He wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to peek in, even during his rare and dwindling moments of intimacy with his wife.

Helena rose from the bed where she’d been spending far too much of her time. Staying indoors was affecting her worse than him. Her face had never been so pale, her once-fiery eyes so dull. They both repeated the mantra that they’d find a way out of this, but as the days dragged on, their hope was eroding, crumb by crumb.

Especially after the last visit from that cursed cobra, Elisanda Grace had not only gutted three skilled surgeons with her bare hands but now demanded that Vladislav study the ‘anatomy of a harpy.’ She wouldpersonallytest him and report to the Mother of the Reptilians if he wasn’t up to standard. Worse, she’d warned that the other healers would hold him accountable for any lapses in knowledge.

Helena stood behind him, her hands working to ease the tense muscles in his shoulders. “Please,” she whispered, “just do what they ask.”

Bloody hell. His strong, spirited wife was so terrified.

Vladislav turned to face her, cupping her gaunt cheek. “Did you see this nonsense?” He gestured at the papers on the desk. “This is another bloody insult. First, they make us perform impossible surgeries on those creatures just to test our skills, even though they’ve got a rapid-healing serum that could spare the patients so much pain. And now, they’re shoving this rubbish in our faces! There’s no such thing as a harpy. It must be a ploy to confuse us.”

Helena pressed her lips into a thin line as if tasting something bitter. “The reptilians didn’t exist either – until we saw them.”

“I swear, if I ever see this winged monstrosity from those papers”—he pointed at the desk for emphasis—”I’ll bash my head against the wall first. And then, without hesitation, I’ll tear its head clean off. I’m not stepping into any bloody operating theatre for that.”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t shout. They might hear you.”

“And what? Will they shoot me? I’ve operated on creatures forced to sign blood oaths! I’ve stood by while they murdered my colleagues! Now, I wander empty operating rooms because that damned owl decided to suspend surgeries and waste our time on the anatomy of a non-existent creature! Forgive me if my nerves are a bit frayed!”

Helena’s face twisted. “Vladislav, if they kill you…”

His chest ached under the weight of her fear. “They won’t. I promise.”

***

Alex

Sometimes, Alex felt a wave of nostalgia for the days she’d spent with Callan at the Hospital. Sure, reptilians and humans had taken over the corridors, and nothing was as it once was, butback then, it was just the two of them. They’d spoken more than they did now.

Now, they didn’t speakat all. Every attempt she made to catch him alone was interrupted – either Viktor would show up, or Callan would remember something at hand.