Page 4 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

Sevar interjected, “She didn’t, Your Majesty.”

The Queen smiled. “It will take her time to relax. Do you know why I arranged tonight’s celebration, my dear?”

Amelia glanced at Sevar. “Because someone died?”

He smirked. “Not yet.”

“An amusing quip,” the Mother of Reptilians said, as though addressing two children, “but no. Death is commemorated in private circles. Grand feasts are for the living. Tonight’s celebration marked another step towards lowering the veil. Specifically, the acquisition of the ring.” She clasped the band between her fingers. “It’s where it belongs. I thought I would have to search every corner of the Hospital to find it. And even then, there was no guarantee I would be successful.”

Sever narrowed his lips into a thin line. “A feat, indeed, Your Majesty. I, on the other hand, am curious as to how she acquired the ring from the manticore.”

Amelia met the reptilian’s gaze. “He gave it to me because he was in love with me. Because he believed I loved him in return.”

The truth. Mikhail had placed the heirloom ring from his father into her hand and made her promise to deceive the reptilians into believing she had stolen it from him.

The Mother of Reptilians dismissed it. “Whatever Mikhail Korovin’s motives, I’m delighted that you’ve come to your senses. We women are prone to foolishness when it comes to men. One moment, we’re convinced we despise a man and are ready to let him bleed to death, and the next, he performs some pitiful gesture, and we’re sealing his wounds with kisses.” Her fingers tightened around the ring. “The manticore had no idea of the treasure he held in his grasp. He shouldn’t have manipulated you to boost his influence in the immortal world. Some womenare born to wear crowns upon their heads, not to carry men upon their backs.”

Sevar rolled his eyes. “Could you reserve such conversations for times when I’m not compelled to listen?”

The Queen laughed. “Why, dear Sevar? Doesn’t every strong woman deserve a worthy and honourable king by her side? I had hoped I raised you better.”

This time, Amelia was tempted to roll her eyes. Sevar might exude the confidence of a king and the façade of aristocratic manners, but deep down, he was nothing more than a scoundrel. And he would never tolerate being subservient to a queen if the power dynamics favoured him.

“One day, Amelia will find a deserving man,” the Mother of Reptilians said. “And why shouldn’t it be someone from Antambazi?”

She would rather die.

“For now, my aim is survival,” Amelia said.

The Queen’s pale green eyes met hers. “You wish to survive?” She unclasped the chain with the ring from her neck and placed it on the table. “Why not wish to hold the world in your hands instead?”

3

Amelia

The Queen gathered the folds of her gown and rose with grace. “Since Arius’ death, my goal has been laser-focused: to free Antambazi of the veil that separates our reality from the rest of the world.” She reached for the telephone receiver mounted on the wall beside the library.

Amelia straightened in her chair. “Arius?”

As in, ‘the Circle of Arius’?

The Queen held the receiver to her ear and instructed someone to bring her a pitcher of raspberry juice. “My late husband, of course. The firstborn reptilian.”

The firstborn reptilian?An inexplicable sense of relief flooded Amelia at the thought that he was no longer among the living.

“Does that make you a firstborn, too?” she asked.

The Queen shook her head and resumed her seat. “Me? Oh no, I’m just a girl of the folk. But that doesn’t matter right now. As I told you, the magical veil surrounding this realm is powerful – far beyond what conceals the Hospital for Immortal Creatures. It doesn’t just hide us; it traps us. Only a select few can leave.”

“The Chosen?” Amelia cast a sideways glance at Sevar. No wonder he carried himself with such divinely ordained arrogance.

“Yes. They can travel between realms and regenerate faster than other reptilians. They began appearing after my ascension, which, according to legend, is an excellent sign for my rule.”

Amelia thought with bitterness of her first encounter withthe Queen, which had occurred not in Antambazi but in Sofia, in the North Park. “The veil doesn’t stop you, either,” she said.

“Some of the older reptilians can also cross it.”

By displaying interest, Amelia was venturing into dangerous territory, but she couldn’t let the opportunity to learn more slip away. “The Chosen are children from the outer districts. How do you decide whom to choose?”