Page 24 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

She wanted to challenge him to a fight, just to prove how muchshecould make him wet – with sweat and blood. The idea of knocking him on his arse was… exhilarating.

Kathrine threw herself into the sparring until her muscles burned. Finally, she retreated to her quarters. Standing by the bed, she unzipped her uniform, savouring the relief of shedding its weight. Before stepping into the shower, her gaze caught her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

Her flushed skin, a result of the workout, added a rare vibrancy to her face. Her violet eyes shimmered with an uncharacteristic glow, as if someone had sprinkled stardust into her irises.

She thought about the necromancer and his effortless defiance of the Queen. Was that envy she felt?

***

Kathrine

Kathrine woke to the slam of the door, followed by heavy footsteps approaching.

Sevar settled onto the bed beside her. The muted gleam of moonlight softened his features. He traced Kathrine’s lips with his finger. “I heard the necromancer is still courting death.”

Kathrine recalled the venomous insults Constantine had hurled about Sevar earlier that day. It was a good thing her fiancé hadn’t been present. With his quick temper, Sevar might have killed the man outright, regardless of the Queen’s plans for him.

“He won’t go after the gloves, Sevar.”

Sevar shook his head. “Oh, he will. No creature escapes her plans.”

“But he doesn’t want to escape. He wants to die.”

“They all say that – until they stand at death’s door. In thatmoment, their eyes are the most desperate for salvation.”

Sevar was well-acquainted with death. As the Queen’s right hand, he often carried out her executions.

“Did you know my father, Sevar?”

Her fiancé frowned. “Why bring this up now?”

“You were speaking about taking lives…” She sighed, unsure if she wanted to unearth the mysteries of her past. Every time she ventured down this path, fear restrained her. What if the truth was worse than remaining in the dark?

“You wonder if I was the one who executed him? No, violet love. It wasn’t me.”

“Have you ever seen him?”

“For heaven’s sake, Kathrine. We’ve had this conversation a dozen times. I’ve never seen your father. Back then, I was just a twenty-something trainee with no access to that kind of information. All I know is what you do.”

That the Queen’s guards had arrested her father shortly after Kathrine was born, accused of inciting rebellion. Her mother, consumed with shame, had never spoken his name again. “I thought… maybe the Queen had told you more…”

She trailed off when Sevar shrugged off his suit jacket, uninterested in continuing the conversation. Besides, she wasn’t sure she wanted to repeat aloud her mother’s final words:‘Your father was never in Antambazi.’

If that were true, her mother must have crossed the boundaries of the realm.

“What was that, love?” Sevar asked, though he didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he kissed her – deeply, like he hadn’t in weeks – his hands following his intentions.

For Kathrine, it was enough to make her forget the questions about her past.

13

Amelia

Amelia paced the dimly lit room, consumed with thoughts of her encounter with the eerie witcher. If his magic maintained the invisible veil over the Hospital, it meant Mikhail was also paying him – in hearts, more than likely. But how had Mikhail delivered the blood tithe? Did the witcher open dimensional portals or leave through physical ones? He had to have a means of leaving Antambazi.

She remembered his warning:‘If you value life as you know it, forget everything I’ve told you. Never envision the necklace, nor any of the Seven Sacreds.’

The witcher believed Amelia was collecting the artefacts for the Queen.