Page 77 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

Callan shook his head. “I don’t yet understand how she triggers them, but I’ll help you find out.”

“You don’t sound very convincing.”

“There’s no way I can prove that she’s what I claim, but I can show you my intentions towards you are sincere.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew the watch.Callan’s Pocket Watch. “I told you I would assist you in gathering the Sacreds. I’ll begin by giving you the first.” He extended his hand, offering her the golden object as a gift.

Her blood surged with anticipation. Her eyes absorbed the power that now seemed to belong to her.Belong. She had no idea when she’d started getting attached to the Sacreds.

Yet, she didn’t reach for the watch. She was too afraid of her own reaction to it.

Callan said, “Some say the watch is the most powerful relic, because it grants something no one else can have – at least not without paying an unimaginable price. And it does so free of charge. It transports you wherever your heart desires. In an instant. But beware, reaching a place is simple, and it’s just as easy to lose yourself there.”

Her fingers moved instinctively, closing around the artefact.Yet, its touch felt like that of an ordinary object in her grasp. Could Callan have given her a replica? “I don’t feel anything…”

“The Sacreds connect differently to each person. You might feel the connection later, or it might never come at all. Either way, I advise you to guard it as you would your heart, because right now it’s the only thing preventing the Queen from finding us.”

She lifted her gaze to the firstborn. “What do you mean?”

“Not even the world’s most powerful magic can locate the relics. That’s why I didn’t stay close to you while you recovered from my bite. I needed to ensure our cover before the Queen cast her seeking spell. As long as we remain near one of the relics, she cannot track us.”

Amelia still didn’t trust him.

But there appeared to be at least something to thank him for.

***

Amelia

“Callan claims the Queen is a humanid.” Amelia studied Viktor for a reaction.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face. “Humanid?”

“You know what that means?”

“I’ve come across the term over the years. It refers to an obscure theory about our origins. According to it, we inherited not just their humanid traits, but also their psyche and emotional intelligence. Humanids are considered a more evolved version of humans.”

“Could the Queen be one of them?”

Viktor raised his eyebrows, then shrugged. “Isn’t she supposed to be a reptilian?”

“Constantine said she doesn’t smell like one.”

Viktor’s expression grew pensive, his eyes narrowing. “Yourealise, of course, that in the most popular origin myth, Gord arrived on Earth and created offspring – his three children? Ana, Sandir, and…”

“Callan.”

Viktor nodded. “I was going to say that, according to the Humanid Theory, Gord was a humanid. Why does Callan believe the Queen is one as well?”

“He refuses to elaborate unless Mikhailand Iagree to ally with him. He claims the Queen killed the woman he loved and seeks revenge.”

Her gaze drifted to the door, as if pulled by an unseen thread. A second later, the source of it appeared in the doorway. Her thoughts spiralled to their first meeting, over six months ago. Back then, he’d been impossibly handsome and just as distant. His dark clothing had emphasised the perfection of his features and the haughtiness of his expression.

Now Amelia saw beneath the façade. He wasn’t the aloof man he pretended to be – it was a shield. Sadly, she had become part of the foreign world he tried to keep at bay.

As Mikhail approached, she detected a faint hint of his familiar scent but forbade herself from softening. His face was a mask of stoicism, his multi-coloured eyes locked on hers. He held up the papers. “This is a letter from the previous Oracle. I recognise her handwriting.”

Amelia’s heart clenched. She forced herself to remain composed. “Thank you. I’m aware of that. They were mine before you took them.”

Viktor glanced between them. “Where did these come from?”