Page 142 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

Mikhail

Mikhail was losing it. Claws, teeth, wings – every part of him was a weapon. Every drop of blood spilt was a thrill. He was like an animal. He didn’t reason, didn’t plan. He killed.

Under normal circumstances, his human side guided his thoughts. When faced with mortal danger, primal instincts took over. It was nature’s way of ensuring survival. Now,thatinstinct roared with a single command: get to Amelia.

He tore through the attackers, his senses focused on her, scanning even while fighting. Just as he spotted an opening to pull her towards the car, a fresh wave of harpies burst from the trees. They dodged the bullets with ease and veered in the direction of the cabin.

He shielded Amelia with his massive body.“Get inside!”He growled, not taking his eyes off the approaching enemies.

“No! This is my fight, too!” she retorted to his back.

Presiyan fired, but the bullets vanished into the trees, dodged by the swift-moving creatures.

Mikhail growled again.“These are different.”

Three harpies circled him, trying to reach Amelia. He unfurled his wings wide, forming a protective barrier. A sharp blade slashed across one, forcing him to recoil and fold it. The opening gave Amelia her moment – she surged forward and struck. The winged creature shrieked in agony as her fingers made contact.

A heartbeat later, Callan emerged from the fray and slit the woman’s throat with a single, clean motion. Mikhail pressed on,fighting the other two who had attacked him. They wielded short sabres, but it appeared they aimed to inflict damage with their claws.

What kind of female fight is this, damn it?

“Watch out! They’re releasing nymph poison!” Zacharia shouted across the field.

That explained the claws.

Amelia was kneeling in the grass, finishing off a barely breathing creature with a hand around her throat.

“Don’t let their nails touch your skin! Stay with me!” he growled.

Two harpies swooped down on them. Mikhail shoved Amelia aside, taking the attack with his body. He knocked one down with a paw strike and tore the arm off the second. The first one attacked him again, hissing and slashing her claws in front of his face like daggers. He was forced to step back while defending himself from her next lunge.

For a moment, he lost sight of Amelia. He scanned the area to find her, which allowed his opponent to strike again. Before she could get close, her expression twisted as she opened her mouth and screamed in pain. Only when she fell to the ground did Mikhail realise that Amelia had crouched low and grabbed the woman’s ankles with both hands.

Gunshots rang out, and the second attacker collapsed onto the grass.

Jasmina ran to them. “The cars are here! Let’s go while it’s clear!”

Mikhail scanned the lifeless black wings scattered across the now-crimson field. He was reluctant to return to his human form, but the animal one was draining too much energy.

He summoned his body to shift and searched for Amelia. She was covered in blood and dirt, but aside from a few superficial cuts on her arms and split lips, she seemed to have no otherinjuries.

“Here, brother!” Presiyan handed him a loaded weapon. “The cars are at the back.”

Callan led Amelia towards them. Mikhail rushed to check on the cars. Four black sedans waited, with the armed guards of the Tribunal surrounding them. He didn’t know the creatures in person, but if Presiyan trusted them, so did he.

Mikhail didn’t make a comment when Kathrine and Zacharia climbed into one of the cars.

“I told you there was no time to grab anything! Can’t you see they’re waiting for us?” Viktor emerged from behind the cabin, dragging Alex.

“I couldn’t leave without my books!” She nodded at the bag in her hand before both got into the back seat.

Mikhail and Presiyan remained outside, watching.

“If there’s been no new attack so far, I doubt there will be one now,” the head of the Tribunal said.

Mikhail scanned the sky. “I agree, but we can’t stay. Imagine if there is a follow-up attack, and this time it’s not just…”

“Harpies. The reptilian said they’re called harpies.”