Page 5 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

“Aren’t you being a nosy little human?” Sevar’s repugnant voice called from the corner.

If Amelia failed to show boldness, they would never believe she’d been capable of stealing the ring from a creature like Mikhail Korovin. So she lifted her upper lip, revealing teeth. “And you seem to forget that you’re speaking to the Oracle, reptilian.”

His face froze in a startled grimace. Amelia prepared herself for an angry retort, but he… laughed.

The Queen shook her head with a smile. “Sevar can be insufferable, but you’ll soon learn there is no other creature you would want to guard your back in the war to come.”

That final word erased all thoughts of their exchange from Amelia’s mind. “War?”

The Queen tapped her long black nails against the table, mere millimetres from the chain bearing Mikhail’s ring. “Surely, you didn’t think all this was about a gilded trinket and a paltry hospital belonging to a pathetic manticore?”

Amelia swallowed, tempted to point out that neither the manticore nor the Hospital, which had saved countless lives, was remotely pathetic. The golden ring lay still before her, a stark reminder to remain strong for all those who depended on her. “And what is it about, then?”

The Queen turned to Sevar. “Leave us.”

The abrupt order made the reptilian frown. He was quick to mask his reaction with a smirk. Before exiting the room, hisfocus drifted to Amelia – a silent promise of trouble.

“Don’t mind Sevar. He feels threatened because he understands how important you are,” the Queen said once they were alone. “After all, you’ll help me remove the veil over Antambazi.”

Amelia grimaced.Remove the veil?As in… release a hundred thousand – perhaps more – reptilians on Earth?

It’s not like she possessed the knowledge for how to remove it, but she was definitely unwilling to try after what she’d just heard. The Queen spoke of equality and freedom for her people, yet the word she had used – ‘war’ – implied there would be no peaceful coexistence. Was war her real aim? Reptilians versus the rest of the immortal species?

“And what do you plan to do?” Amelia asked. “Destroy the other species to take over the Earth?”

Someone knocked at the door, but the Queen ignored it. “I won’t destroy anything unless it’s necessary. My sole wish is to ensure that my race and I are warmly welcomed.” She called towards the door, “Enter!”

A young girl walked in, dressed in a lovely white gown similar to those worn by trainee Chosen honoured with attending to the Queen’s personal needs. The girl smiled as she placed two glasses of crimson liquid on the table.

“Thank you, my dear,” said the Mother of Reptilians, taking the glasses and setting them down. Watching the girl leave, she continued, “Doesn’t she deserve to walk the Earth as much as any other child?”

“Is that why you’ve caused issues with the regeneration?” Amelia’s words were a gamble. She didn’t know for sure if the reptilians were behind the illnesses plaguing the immortal world, but they definitely held a cure for it. Hadn’t the Queen herself said she was‘developing methods for faster recovery and healing’?

“As I told you, I do what I must to guarantee we’re accepted.”

Amelia’s breath caught in her throat. The Queen had just confirmed she was behind the disruption of regeneration. Not that they hadn’t suspected it, but…God!“You speak of peace, yet you prepare for war,” Amelia said, concealing her inner turmoil.

A predatory calm filled the Mother of Reptilians’ eyes, mingled with a flicker of challenge – a cat lazily toying with its prey. “War doesn’t always take place on the battlefield, my dear.”

Amelia clenched her fists beneath the table. “If the veil over Antambazi falls, wouldn’t it seem strange for an entirely new city to emerge in the middle of the Black Sea? It would compromise the confidentiality of the immortal world.”

And it would incite retaliation from the Tribunal. Even if the Queen chose not to declare war, the Tribunal would initiate one in the name of their fundamental law: keeping the immortal world a secret.

“As for the immortal world’s confidentiality, leave that to me.” The Mother of Reptilians radiated an air of unwavering confidence, likely bolstered by her alliances with humans. However, no matter how formidable her allies were, they couldn’t possibly suppress the chaos of a potential war within the immortal world.

Amelia crossed her legs beneath the table. A sudden desperation to free herself from the suffocating corset constricted her chest. “How are you causing the changes in regeneration?”

The Queen’s cold eyes swept over Amelia’s face. “Prove your loyalty, and I will share my secret.”

Amelia resisted the urge to fidget in her chair. “I thought I had already proven it.”

“Delivering the manticore’s ring is the only reason you’re here as a guest and not a prisoner. If you help me lift the veil, you will retain that status.”

Was that a threat? Amelia’s jaw clenched. “I have no idea how to lift the veil over Antambazi.”

The Queen smiled. “But I do. All I need from you is to find a few things for me.”

“Things?”