Page 87 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

A brief glimmer passed through the vampire’s eyes. “You… were angry about my death?”

Constantine waved a hand in the space between them. “As touching as this is, we don’t have much time. Instead, I want you to consider something else. Now that you know our charming rendezvous didn’t escape Kathrine’s notice, is there even the slightest chance she could link you to yourhelpfrom the tournament? The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that your contact must be connected to the reptilians and Antambazi. Otherwise, how could he have known about the planned ambush over the mirror or the location of the hidden realm?”

He gripped the bed frame, his mind racing. Damn it, everything was finally making sense. “Are your ‘help’ and ‘contact’ the same man, Diana?”

“He would never betray me,” she replied after a pause, her expression carefully controlled.

Damn it! Constantine leaned forward. “Who is he, Diana?”

“I… I trust him. He warned me about the attack on the tournament and…”

“And do you think he’ll stay silent if the Queen hooks him up to a system that tortures him to death multiple times a day? Because that’s exactly what she did to Mikhail Korovin.”

“Of course…”

“Of course not! Diana, unlock these handcuffs, and let’s go.”

Her eyes widened, her irises darkening with a storm of emotions. He could read them swirling within her – doubt, fear. Her hesitation was tangible, a fragile moment stretched thin. She was on the verge of making a decision that could either mend or shatter the delicate balance between them.

“Take off the damned handcuffs, Diana!”

The vampire glanced up at the drawn curtains, clearly weighing her options once more. Then, without a word, she rushed out the door.

“Diana?!” Constantine strained against his handcuffs, tracking her movements into the next room. She was kneeling before one of the cabinets, rummaging through its drawers. Was she searching for the key? His chest swelled with hope.

But then she returned. Confusion marred her features. “The key… is gone.”

***

Constantine

Diana kept rifling through the drawers, her movements becoming more and more frantic. “I’m certain I left it in this section.”

Constantine was about to suggest she calm down and try searching again, but a sudden realisation struck him. “These are enchanted handcuffs, aren’t they?”

Diana paused, then turned and leaned against the doorframe. Her scrutinising gaze swept over the metal binding his wrist. “Yes, from the market in Istanbul.”

The biggest gathering spot for witches worldwide. “And do you happen to remember what kind of enchantment they contain?”

She pursed her lips. “I don’t know. It’s probably not one of those extreme spells that sever limbs if you don’t have the key,but the witch I bought them from wasn’t exactly run-of-the-mill. I spoke to her while hunting down the woman who misled my brother about the portal. The cuffs were the only item in her shop that seemed useful to me.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because the rest of her wares were… less practical for my purposes.”

“Be more specific.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “Love potions, jewellery to attract a desired type of man, vibrators that intensify orgasms.”

Constantine raised an eyebrow. Then frowned at once because… “Diana, is it possible that these are some kind of… sex handcuffs?”

“Hmm… I suppose they could be.” Her expression suggested she didn’t quite grasp the conclusion he’d come to.

“Romantic handcuffs are forcouples,” he emphasised. “Couples who intend to fuck. They’re enchanted, so they won’t unlock until both partners reach a happy conclusion. In other words, an orgasm.”

Her eyebrows arched into offended curves. “What kind of nonsense is that?”

He couldn’t help but burst into laughter.