Page 49 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

“She?!” This wretch had no idea how much Amelia would love to make him her first kill.

“All right, all right,” the reptilian stammered, his eyes wide with panic. “The key is in the room opposite. There’s a panel on the wall. The code is 4443.”

Amelia darted into the adjoining room, entered the code the reptilian had given her, and immediately spotted the panel. Several keys hung inside, so she grabbed them all.

“Which one is it?” she shouted upon returning.

“The… the big one.”

“Thank you, pal.” With startling speed, Constantine snapped the reptilian’s neck in a single motion.

This time, a cold resolve settled within her – no remorse left. She hurried to Mikhail, fighting the painful urge to embrace him and whisper soothing words into his ear. Instead, she began working on the shackles while Constantine supported the manticore’s upper body steadily. Blood from the torn tubes was already drying on his collarbones.

At last, the lock clicked open. Mikhail’s weight slumped forward, and Constantine strained to keep him upright.

“Why isn’t he waking up?” Desperation weakened Amelia’s voice.

“Come on, we need to get to the car. We’ve wasted far too much time.”

Together, they hoisted him by the shoulders and dragged him down the corridor. Mikhail’s body was heavy and lifeless, and he showed no sign of regaining consciousness.Maybe the music is lulling him,Amelia thought. She had reactivated the melody as a precaution.

They reached the outer door without incident. The reptilian stationed outside had shaken off the magic, but the moment the music resumed, he fell under its sway once again.

Once they exited the laboratory, Amelia exhaled with relief. Their battered car was precisely where they’d left it. They placed Mikhail in the back seat. As she moved to sit beside him, Constantine stopped her. “Get in the front.”

“I need to make sure he’s all right…”

“He’s a manticore who’s been chained up for days. It’s possible he won’t be himself when he wakes. Trust me, he’d never forgive himself if he hurt you in this state. Better to keep some distance.”

Amelia was willing to bet her life that Mikhail would never hurt her, no matter his condition, but Constantine’s expression promised a lengthy argument. They didn’t have time for that. So, she obeyed.

“Where are the portals?” Constantine asked.

“They should be to the east.”

He headed in that direction. Amelia took off her coat and draped it over Mikhail’s body. The cord was still wrapped around her arm – its beautiful design extending from her wrist and disappearing beneath the sleeve of her shirt.

“Are you going to explain that?” Constantine nodded towards the cord.

How could she explain something she didn’t grasp herself? “It’s the vampire’s Shifting Net. I recognised it the moment I laid eyes on it… I still don’t understand how Icommandedit…” She drew a deep breath. The hard part was yet to come. “Constantine, I need you to promise me something.”

“What?”

“Never lose my coat, all right?”

His brows furrowed.

“If, for some reason, I can’t take my coat, make sure you grab it for me, will you?”

21

Amelia

Daylight pierced through the veil of night, though a sliver of darkness still lingered. Constantine slowed the car as he spotted a cluster of trees rising from the barren wasteland. Ten reddish crowns, symmetrically arranged on either side, framed a central gap that could only be a portal.

“I think we’ve found it,” Constantine said.

Amelia nodded. Fear of the unknown crawled along every nerve in her body. It took all her willpower not to slide into the backseat with Mikhail, but being close to him would cloud her focus. Hearing his steady breathing was enough for now. The rest could come later.