Page 13 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts (Hospital for Immortal Creatures #3)

Amelia

Amelia followed the Queen down the steep staircase that led out of the castle, struggling to keep pace with her descent.

The Mother of Reptilians’ voice echoed through the hollows of the rock. “The first object you’ll find for me is a very special witch’s artefact.”

Amelia’s stomach clenched. This was the item Gea had claimed was connected to her.

“So, it’s not those gloves?” she asked, having hoped her first task might somehow involve Constantine.

It would have given her a chance to spend time alone with him and uncover his plan for getting out of here – assuming he had one.

The Queen came to an abrupt halt and faced her. “They have nothing to do with this. I advise you not to distract yourself with thoughts of them.”

So much for Gea’s prediction that, by now, the Queen might trust her enough to reveal more about the Sacreds.

“An object leaves a trace in the mind,” the Queen said, resuming her descent. “Its shape, its weight, the way it sounds or feels. Those are the threads you unravel to find it.”

Amelia followed, the impenetrable darkness around them raising shivers along her skin. “How can I find an object I’ve never seen or touched?” “With a little help.”

A Chosen stood watch at the base of the rock – a man dressed in distinctive graphite attire, with indigo threads around the shoulders and waist. The rising moonlight played on his profile, revealing a stern face.

Amelia glanced up at the sky and was filled with awe.

She’d only heard of it before, but as soon as she saw the crimson shadow of the waxing crescent, shining like a halo over the ridge, she recognised it.

The Blood Ninth Moon. To the reptilians, this was the most sacred day of the month; they believed the moon granted every wish.

They passed a stretch of barren trees to reach the Queen’s car at the beginning of the Circle of Arius.

Its sleek black body, aggressive front grille, and piercing headlights made it seem like a dangerous predator.

No less intimidating was Sevar, standing beside the car with a solid black bag in hand.

Amelia swallowed the bile rising in her throat, a reflex that accompanied every encounter with the reptilian.

“Just in time!” the Queen called out.

Sevar handed her the bag, glaring at Amelia. “I hope it won’t go to waste.”

At least he didn’t join them once they got inside the car. The driver began navigating the winding Antambazi roads that wound down towards the lower slopes.

Stone facades erected on the rocky heights of the Circle of Arius, evoking a mediaeval fairytale sprinkled with modern decor and a touch of dark magic.

Those were homes to the realm’s most significant inhabitants.

The families of the Queen’s advisors. Chosen who’d left the palace quarters.

Traders of earthly goods. Respected reptilians serving as teachers and architects. Healers.

The spacious houses gave way to modest dwellings in Middlehoud and the Low.

The narrow streets stretched into a labyrinth of stony passages.

At one point, they found themselves on a busy market street, and Amelia read the signs on the dim shop windows: Jewellery.

Tailoring. Household Goods. Butcher’s Shop.

Rare Earthly Goods. Herbs and Potions. The market area extended uphill, but they headed in the opposite direction.

Antambazi was a large city, though confined within the limits of a single slope.

“What did Arius die of?” Amelia asked after a while.

In the car’s darkness, the Queen’s eyes had taken on that distinct animalistic glow typical of most immortal creatures.

“An infectious disease that killed many of the older reptilians. Illnesses are rare for us, but once they spread, they’re usually severe.

We don’t possess the regenerative abilities of other immortal species.

Without support, the average reptilian lifespan is half a century.

And with a disease? A being can pass away even faster than a human. ”

They didn’t speak further. When they reached the illuminated columns of the bridge, Amelia realised they were approaching the outskirts. She’d heard the ‘civilised’ reptilians came here for unsavoury entertainment – a disreputable but permitted indulgence.

The first houses on the outskirts were dilapidated wooden shacks, perched precariously on slender foundations in the riverbed.

The sedan progressed along a central road, flanked by crumbling stone buildings with small windows and sloping roofs.

As the tarmac narrowed into a rutted dirt track, the air grew heavy with the scent of sea salt.

The car stopped, and the Queen signalled for them to step out.

They were on the cliff’s edge. Waves rocked a small boat in the dark waters below. A barely discernible figure sat inside, his face concealed beneath a black hood, gripping an oar. The wind flung sea spray across Amelia’s cheeks and hair.

“Come on,” the Queen said.

They boarded the boat, resting on a single wooden plank. The shrouded figure began rowing silently, while the red moon shone high above them.

Remaining near the cliff side, they avoided venturing far into the sea. The icy wind whipped their hair, but the boatman’s hood stayed still. Above them, the palace should have loomed, but when Amelia tilted her head to search for its lights, only jagged black rock formations rose in the heights.

After some time, the boat stopped at the edge of a cliff. A carved entrance in the rock faintly glowed. Amelia and the Queen disembarked, while the silent boatman remained frozen, resembling a statue cloaked in a black veil.

“Ayradjakli!” the Queen called out. Her voice faded into the depths of the rock, echoing back louder. The light from the antique sconces lining the entrance flickered along the walls, undisturbed by the gusting wind.

The Queen advanced. Amelia hesitated before following her. After her experience in the Temple of the Dead Immortals, cave-like spaces made her sweat.

“I’ve brought you an intriguing guest, ayradjakli!” the Mother of Reptilians called again. To Amelia, she explained, “The Educator enjoys games. Don’t let him get to you.”

A chilly breeze swept into the cave, prompting Amelia to cross her arms for warmth.

A few steps further in, the sound of waves faded and was replaced by a gentle oriental melody.

Its echo travelled up the walls, resonating through the cavern like a flute played by a master musician.

The hypnotic tones made Amelia feel an inexplicable urge to dance and surrender to the captivating music.

She squinted into the depths of the cave, eager to see the source of the melody, but the tunnel narrowed ahead and curved out of sight.

The musician stopped playing. A wave of disappointment washed over Amelia.

“You know I hate your tricks, ayradjakli!” the Queen said, her voice now tinged with irritation.

Then, the man appeared. At first, he was merely a silhouette.

But as he drew nearer, his form became clearer.

The lanterns revealed features that were neither young nor old.

Amelia held her breath when she recognised his face – she’d seen the witcher in a vision of Mikhail’s past. He’d helped build the Hospital by using hypnosis to control hundreds of human labourers constructing it.

And he’d also cast the protective enchantments over the structure.

The man stroked his black moustache, studying Amelia. “Hmm… Are those the white eyes of the Oracle I see?”

Faint lavender circles glowed and rotated in the man’s black pupils. Amelia tried to look away, but found it was impossible. They were so beautiful. So hypnotic…

He was hypnotising her! With effort, she tore her gaze away.

The Queen shook her head. “You’ll soon learn the ayradjakli’s tricks can enchant you for a moment or two. His hypnosis works primarily on human minds. I use him to educate the humans who stumble into our realm.”

Amelia had glimpsed a pair of humans in the palace behaving more like obedient Labradors than rational people.

She’d assumed their absurd conduct was because of the psychological trauma of discovering the hidden world of Antambazi.

Now, however, she grimaced at the folly of her assumption and the extent of the Queen’s cruelty.

She couldn’t imagine anything worse than being stripped of one’s will, becoming a robot at the mercy of someone such as her.

At the moment, though, she had a more pressing issue. She focused on the man before her, determined not to let him affect her. “You’re the one who created the protective enchantments over the Hospital for Immortal Creatures.”

The Queen huffed. “Good thing it was him who did, or I wouldn’t have been able to bring it down!”

Amelia’s jaw clenched. She had thought the enchantment had fallen because of Hecate’s Mirror. Had the witcher betrayed Mikhail?

“Did you take it down?” she asked, trying to keep her tone even.

“You insult me, Oracle. As long as the blood tithe is paid, I would never betray my own magic,” the witcher said, speaking to Amelia alone.

The Queen’s evil laughter reverberated through the cavern.

“These witchers consider it a matter of honour never to betray their clients, yet fail to realise that honour has long deserted their wretched species.” The witcher’s eyes narrowed into thin slits, but he offered no retort to the direct insult.

“It’s fortunate that such idiotic principles don’t apply to Hecate’s Mirror, which easily shattered the magic he had woven over the Hospital.

If it had been a more competent witcher, I might not have been so lucky. ”

“That object has nothing to do with witchcraft,” he said, his forehead creasing. “It’s the antithesis of it – a symbol of arrogance and selfishness. Anyone who lays their hands on it must be prepared to bear the suffering that comes with possessing it.”

“Are you lecturing me, ayradjakli?” The Queen’s tone dripped with mockery.

“That is not my name.”

“I’m not here for idle chatter! I want you to tell the Oracle everything you know about Renenutet’s Necklace, so it will be easier for her to find.”

“Another dangerous artefact?” The witcher shook his head. To Amelia, he said, “You’re no wiser than your predecessor.”

“No digressions!” The Queen tossed him the bag she’d taken from Sevar. He caught it mid-air and opened it, peering inside. Amelia couldn’t see its contents, but the air filled with a cloying, unpleasant sweetness.

The witcher closed the bag, snapped his fingers, and the cave lit up with hundreds of tiny glowing lights. They illuminated the walls, revealing intricate inscriptions and drawings.

He placed the bag on the ground and approached Amelia.

“Do you know what the necklace symbolises, Oracle?” She shook her head.

“Greed. A longing for material wealth. Avarice. These traits are typical of witches. But there’s something else, even more defining about them.

While witches may do much to gain riches, they’ll sacrifice anything for the good of their loved ones. ”

For a second, his gaze flickered to the Queen, and his lips curled into a smile.

“When it comes to witches from the same coven, their selflessness is legendary. In those cases, the necklace takes on a different meaning – one of generosity, not material but spiritual. It’s no coincidence that the necklace was crafted in the shape of a two-headed snake.

Everything has at least two perspectives.

For every sin, there is an equally strong virtue. ”

Everything has at least two perspectives. It sounded like one of the Oracle’s teachings…

“You’ll often see replicas hanging around the necks of witches dabbling in forbidden magic, but anyone who has touched the original would immediately recognise a fake.

It holds no power. When your eyes behold the real necklace, the two heads of the snake come to life and begin their eternal struggle – between good and evil, darkness and light.

Though it may resemble a battle, you’ll sense love and warmth, because at its core, this struggle is about balance.

And only balance allows for true love to exist. You’ll feel affection and power – a great deal of power.

Imagine holding the necklace and grasping the threads of life itself, of birth itself.

Picture holding a physical body, one without a soul, and knowing it’s up to you to draw the soul into it.

You pull the threads, pushing the soul forward to be born, or pulling it back. ”

Amelia’s heart raced. She couldn’t understand her own excitement, especially since the witcher’s words didn’t have any clear, logical meaning for her. Yet the image they painted in her mind…

“If you value life as you know it, you will forget everything I’ve just said. Never envision the necklace, nor any of the Seven Sacreds.”

“I warned you, ayradjakli!” The Queen’s voice pierced through the cavern as though aiming to collapse it as a punishment for the witcher’s behaviour.

The lights went out, plunging everything into darkness. Even the sconces at the entrance no longer glowed. The oriental melody began to drift along the walls again.

Amelia glanced around, her heart refusing to settle.

The Mother of Reptilians muttered, “Let’s go. I’ll deal with him later.”

“Do you know what these Sacreds he mentioned are?” Amelia asked as they made their way back.

The Queen pressed her lips together. “The ayradjakli is a necessary evil. I warned you not to get drawn into his games.”

“Still, it sounded important,” Amelia insisted, testing Gea’s theory about the Queen’s trust in her.

“Focus on what he told you about the necklace. The rest was meant to distract you.”

Well, the theory collapsed. So, Amelia changed the subject. “What exactly is the blood tithe he takes?”

“He is an ayradjakli – a rare type of witcher. They specialise in hypnosis, and he is among the strongest. Therefore, his tithe is expensive ,” the Queen said with a note of disdain, her face partially lit by the moonlight.

Since the dome above the Hospital was still intact, Mikhail must still be paying in some form.

“Expensive as in…?” Amelia asked.

“Every black witcher sets his own price. This one trades in hearts only. The more corrupt, the better.”

So the bag had contained a heart. That explained the strange scent.

“He didn’t seem too eager to cooperate, though,” Amelia murmured.

One corner of the Queen’s mouth twitched. “He may still be angry with me for forcing him to remain in Antambazi. But as you can see, the offer of a heart is something he simply cannot resist.”

“What does he do with the hearts?”

“He eats them, of course. How else do you think he fuels the dark magic he performs?”