Page 161 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

Finally, he looked at her. “Do you really mean that?”

“Of course! And also, you’re the most handsome father.”

A faint smile flickered on his lips. Alex turned in her chair and hugged him. “I love you.”

He patted her hand. “I love you too, sugarplum.”

Alex pulled back, facing him. “I never want you to hide secrets from me again. Nothing you’ve done or will do can make me stop being proud of you. You’ve always had my back when I did stupid things. And I’ll always have your back, no matter what.”

Viktor was speechless. How mature Alex was!

“Thank you,” he said, battling to keep any emotion from showing on his face.

Alex cleared her throat. “While Presiyan is away, Jasmina will lead the Tribunal agents. At least the ones in the winery.”

“Hmm. I did overhear that…”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You know, Jasmina’s an Afghanistan War veteran. Would you allow her to teach me to shoot?”

Viktor grimaced. His attempts to protect Alex had almost failed – every moment now felt like a threat. His chest tightened at the thought. Here in Mrita Hara, he couldn’t even protect her from an ant. “Okay.”

“Okay?!”

“Okay.”

Alex threw herself around his neck. “I promise I’ll be very careful and I won’t shoot anyone unless they really piss me off, and—”

“Alex.”

“Fine, I won’t shoot anyone, period. Unless they pose a direct threat…”

A sudden commotion in the courtyard made them turn their heads. Someone shouted, and then more voices shouted over each other.

Alex and Viktor rushed over to see what was happening.

“Call Presiyan!” an agent cried out.

As the two of them approached the crowd, Presiyan and Mikhail stepped into the yard, followed by Amelia and Callan. Viktor also moved towards the centre of the chaos. He’d lost his sharpened senses along with his inner spirit, but even so, he detected the unpleasant scent lingering in the air.

On the ground lay an open wooden box, its lid tossed aside. Before Viktor could look inside, Mikhail reached in and drew something out.

Viktor’s stomach tightened – a severed head hung from the manticore’s hands, black hair clutched between his fingers.

Mikhail stared at him, stunned, the dead woman’s head swaying from his hand. Viktor lowered his gaze to her face: blue lips, dried blood beneath her nose, eyes wide open and unblinking.

Amelia stood next to Mikhail, her hand covering her mouth.

It didn’t take long for Viktor to confirm the dead woman’s identity. The twin – one of the hybrid sisters who had served as Mikhail’s most loyal guards. It was no coincidence that he’d trusted them to protect Amelia when Elisanda Grace was committing murders in the Hospital. The pair had been confined in the Hospital after the reptilians had taken it over.

It was only then that Viktor noticed the note in Mikhail’s other hand. Still in a state of shock, the manticore lifted it and scanned the written words several times.

“What does it say, brother?” Presiyan asked.

Mikhail read aloud,“‘The first of many, if Amelia does not bring the Sacreds to the Hospital by dawn on the twenty-first of June.’”

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Mikhail