Page 185 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

Virtues.

Her wide eyes swept over the Sacreds adorning the Queen’s body. She had come across the names over and over again while researching the Sacreds, but had never paid them any attention.

Amelia focused on the necklace. She had thought its name was Greed. But in truth, it was its opposite… “Generosity!” she called to it. Was it her imagination, or did it flash in iridescent rainbow light?

The Queen tore Amelia’s blouse open with a quick tug. Amelia’s gaze shifted to the net – Lust. “Chastity!” The Sacred responded with glowing threads, also painted in rainbow hues.

A commotion of flapping wings and screeching harpies caused the Queen to turn her head. Amelia seized the opportunity to call upon the stone nestled against the Queen’s chest – Envy. “Kindness!” Its light shifted into a kaleidoscope of colours, though the Queen didn’t notice. Instead, she faced Amelia with renewed determination.

The mirror hung at the Queen’s waist, hidden from view. Amelia imagined it, summoning it silently – Pride. “Humility!”

The Queen sank her claws between Amelia’s ribs, causing fiery pain. But Amelia refused to be distracted. She focused on the watch. Gluttony—”Temperance!”

The Queen’s fingers pierced her flesh, snapping ribs in the process. Tears ran down Amelia’s cheek as she gritted her teeth and called upon the gloves – Sloth. “Diligence!”

Agonised screams echoed from every direction, but none escaped from Amelia’s lips, even when The Queen’s fingersclenched her heart. The sensation was like plunging into icy water.

Finally, she thought of the ring – Wrath. “Patience.”

A harpy’s lifeless body collapsed onto the grass beside her. Then, Mikhail started sprinting towards her... Too late. The Queen’s fingers tightened around her heart.

Locking eyes with the manticore, Amelia activated the Sacreds.

At that very moment, the Queen tore her heart out.

A surge of energy flooded her body, flowing through her veins and melting the ice inside. The Queen screamed in pain, releasing her grip on Amelia’s heart. It slipped back into its cavity, beating once more.

Amelia shoved the humanid off her and staggered to her feet. One hand pressed against her chest, blood seeping from the wounds the Queen’s fingers had caused, while the other reached blindly for the Sacreds. Before she could touch the necklace, it tore itself from the Queen’s neck as if drawn by a magnet. The other artefacts followed, each finding its place on Amelia’s body, healing her and forming a protective barrier around her.

The net wound across her torso, taking the place of her shredded blouse. The stone and pocket watch settled into her pockets. But the most comforting sensation was the ring sliding onto her thumb beneath the warmth of the gloves.

She’d promised to take it back, and she’d kept her word.

Mikhail was still there. In human form now, his face was a storm of anguish, worry, and despair as he tried to reach her. The Sacreds’ energy shield wouldn’t let him cross. He shouted at her, yet the Sacreds muffled his words. They didn’t want her to hear. They didn’t want her resolve to weaken.

Amelia raised her hands to the sky. From beneath the gloves, her black energy burst forth – a luminous, swirling force intertwined with white threads. The energy expanded, formingthick beams of black and white light that encircled the Queen’s body. They gripped her by the throat, forcing her to her knees on the grass.

The Queen’s eyes widened in fear. “You… can use… the Sacreds to… fix the regeneration problems,” she choked out. “If you kill me… you’ll never know the cause. From now on… diseases will multiply.”

Amelia tightened the energy grip around her throat.

“Don’t…” the Queen coughed. “Only I… know… what it is.”

Amelia stepped nearer, raising a hand into the air. The Queen watched her, as if expecting the death sentence to be pronounced. But not just yet.

“Prenatheia, daughter of Gord and Priyanka. I command you to reveal the cause of the disrupted regeneration and how it can be fixed.”

The Queen struggled against the compulsion forcing her to speak. “A frequency of 4.5 hertz… circling the Earth… disrupting the DNA of the genes responsible for regeneration,” she admitted, scowling.

Amelia eased her grip. “So, it isn’t magic?”

The Queen bared her teeth. “Of course not! I’m a geneticist, not a witch, you idiot!”

“Is it linked to Kamchatka?”

“That’s where it’s broadcast from.”

“How do I stop it?”