Page 22 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

The Queen huffed. “Good thing it washimwho did, or I wouldn’t have been able to bring it down!”

Amelia’s jaw clenched. She had thought the enchantment had fallen because of Hecate’s Mirror. Had the witcher betrayed Mikhail?

“Did you take it down?” she asked, trying to keep her tone even.

“You insult me, Oracle. As long as the blood tithe is paid, I would never betray my own magic,” the witcher said, speaking to Amelia alone.

The Queen’s evil laughter reverberated through the cavern. “These witchers consider it a matter of honour never to betray their clients, yet fail to realise that honour has long deserted their wretched species.” The witcher’s eyes narrowed into thin slits, but he offered no retort to the direct insult. “It’s fortunate that such idiotic principles don’t apply to Hecate’s Mirror, which easily shattered the magic he had woven over the Hospital. If it had been a morecompetentwitcher, I might not have been so lucky.”

“That object has nothing to do with witchcraft,” he said, his forehead creasing. “It’s the antithesis of it – a symbol of arrogance and selfishness. Anyone who lays their hands on it must be prepared to bear the suffering that comes with possessing it.”

“Are you lecturing me, ayradjakli?” The Queen’s tone dripped with mockery.

“That is not my name.”

“I’m not here for idle chatter! I want you to tell the Oracle everything you know about Renenutet’s Necklace, so it will be easier for her to find.”

“Another dangerous artefact?” The witcher shook his head. To Amelia, he said, “You’re no wiser than your predecessor.”

“No digressions!” The Queen tossed him the bag she’d taken from Sevar. He caught it mid-air and opened it, peering inside. Amelia couldn’t see its contents, but the air filled with a cloying, unpleasant sweetness.

The witcher closed the bag, snapped his fingers, and the cave lit up with hundreds of tiny glowing lights. They illuminated thewalls, revealing intricate inscriptions and drawings.

He placed the bag on the ground and approached Amelia. “Do you know what the necklace symbolises, Oracle?” She shook her head. “Greed. A longing for material wealth. Avarice. These traits are typical of witches. But there’s something else, even more defining about them. While witches may do much to gain riches, they’ll sacrifice anything for the good of their loved ones.”

For a second, his gaze flickered to the Queen, and his lips curled into a smile. “When it comes to witches from the same coven, their selflessness is legendary. In those cases, the necklace takes on a different meaning – one of generosity, not material but spiritual. It’s no coincidence that the necklace was crafted in the shape of a two-headed snake. Everything has at least two perspectives. For every sin, there is an equally strong virtue.”

Everything has at least two perspectives.It sounded like one of the Oracle’s teachings…

“You’ll often see replicas hanging around the necks of witches dabbling in forbidden magic, but anyone who has touched the original would immediately recognise a fake. It holds no power. When your eyes behold the real necklace, the two heads of the snake come to life and begin their eternal struggle – between good and evil, darkness and light. Though it may resemble a battle, you’ll sense love and warmth, because at its core, this struggle is about balance. And only balance allows for true love to exist. You’ll feel affection and power – a great deal of power. Imagine holding the necklace and grasping the threads of life itself, of birth itself. Picture holding a physical body, one without a soul, and knowing it’s up to you to draw the soul into it. You pull the threads, pushing the soul forward to be born, or pulling it back.”

Amelia’s heart raced. She couldn’t understand her own excitement, especially since the witcher’s words didn’t have anyclear, logical meaning for her. Yet the image they painted in her mind…

“If you value life as you know it, you will forget everything I’ve just said. Never envision the necklace, nor any of the Seven Sacreds.”

“I warned you, ayradjakli!” The Queen’s voice pierced through the cavern as though aiming to collapse it as a punishment for the witcher’s behaviour.

The lights went out, plunging everything into darkness. Even the sconces at the entrance no longer glowed. The oriental melody began to drift along the walls again.

Amelia glanced around, her heart refusing to settle.

The Mother of Reptilians muttered, “Let’s go. I’ll deal with him later.”

“Do you know what these Sacreds he mentioned are?” Amelia asked as they made their way back.

The Queen pressed her lips together. “The ayradjakli is a necessary evil. I warned you not to get drawn into his games.”

“Still, it sounded important,” Amelia insisted, testing Gea’s theory about the Queen’s trust in her.

“Focus on what he told you about the necklace. The rest was meant to distract you.”

Well, the theory collapsed. So, Amelia changed the subject. “What exactly is the blood tithe he takes?”

“He is an ayradjakli – a rare type of witcher. They specialise in hypnosis, and he is among the strongest. Therefore, his tithe isexpensive,” the Queen said with a note of disdain, her face partially lit by the moonlight.

Since the dome above the Hospital was still intact, Mikhail must still be paying in some form.

“Expensive as in…?” Amelia asked.