Page 83 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

Sevar placed the orb on her bedside table and took her hands. Without warning, he spun her around.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Dancing with you.”

“There’s no music.”

“That’s never been a problem before.”

Years ago. She wanted to ask why they’d stopped dancing, but her body surrendered to his movements, instinctively finding the rhythm.

“You thought I wouldn’t keep my promise to you, didn’t you, my violet love?” Sevar spun her again. “That we would have everything we lacked?”

At that moment, she couldn’t remember why she haddoubted him.

Her body awakened with his touch. Hewas the same man she’d fallen in love with. The same man, even after all these years. Yes, his face had roughened, and his words had taken on the sharpness of the knives he wielded. Hadn’tshealso hardened over the years? Hadn’t she faltered?

As she spun around, her eyes fixed on the gift Sevar had left on the bed.

Despite all the falls and slaps, insults and lies, hidden emotions and wounds, their dream of a better life was closer than ever.

Maybe it had all been worth it, after all.

33

Amelia

Callan stroked his chin, adopting a philosophical air. “The reptilians living in Antambazi today are beings with warped morals and values. They feed on hope – a hope born of centuries of manipulation. A dream of something that does not exist. And they’re just as willing to kneel for it as they are to kill for it. The veil is an illusion crafted by the Queen to give them a purpose to strive for. Why? Because a being without dreams or goals cannot be frightened or controlled.”

Amelia tried to make sense of it. “Then why don’t they leave the realm?”

“Their physiology cannot withstand Earth’s sunlight. The earliest reptilians used various ointments to shield their skin, but even then, they could not avoid the long-term effects of radiation. Arius, being a firstborn, was likely resilient. I suppose he banned them from leaving Antambazi to protect his people. Over generations, their skin lost its full tolerance to sunlight. And not just sunlight – eventually, they reached a point where stepping outside Antambazi meant instant death, because their physiology had long since ceased to be compatible with Earth’s environment.”

Amelia stilled, her thoughts racing. “And after Arius’ death, the Queen ascended the throne, and Chosen were born – resistant to Earth’s nature,” she finished the story.

Callan tapped his lips thoughtfully. “That is one of the things I still cannot explain.”

Mikhail exhaled, impatience flashing across his face. “Thendo you have an explanation for why she’s gathering the artefacts – if not to remove the veil?”

The firstborn held his gaze. “I have many theories, but the main one is she aims to establish a permanent tunnel between Earth and Surat, the humanids’ planet. She’ll use it to send her armies through, invade Surat, and exact revenge on the race that exiled her here.”

Mikhail clenched his fists. “How is that theory connected to the disrupted regeneration of the species?”

“I suspect Ana is weakening the species and then offering the only cure in order to control them – and have them join her army. Because she can’t take on Surat with an army of Chosen alone.”

Mikhail’s features darkened, a twitch appearing in his jaw. “Do you know what’s hidden in Kamchatka?”

“Kamchatka?” Callan scratched his chin. “I can’t even recall ever being there.”

“There’s a military facility in a no-fly zone,” Mikhail explained. “It’s guarded by an electric barrier and soldiers who shoot on sight.”

“It has something to do with Ana?” Callan asked.

Amelia placed her feet on the floor and straightened her shoulders. “I received its coordinates in a vision. It’s connected to the impaired regeneration and to the reptilians, somehow.”

Mikhail watched her with a mixture of doubt and surprise. She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him.

“Nothing, it’s just…” His fingers drummed against the armrest again. “In my memories, the old Oracle wrote those coordinates before she died.”