Page 32 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts (Hospital for Immortal Creatures #3)

Amelia

Amelia had been reliving the same dream – a harrowing escape with Mikhail and Constantine, ending in a devastating crash. The sensation of life slipping away as he drained her, and the bitter certainty that even her best efforts had fallen short.

She had braced herself to re-enter the nightmare, but this time, she awoke to a sharp light.

I’m alive.

Amelia bolted upright, her hand flying to the side of her neck.

A wave of relief washed over her when she felt her skin was intact.

She examined her surroundings – an unfamiliar bed, a small room beneath a slanted ceiling, dusty cream curtains filtering the daylight.

Footprints in the layer of dust on the floor led to a shadowy corner where someone sat reading.

Amelia recognised her at once. “Alex?”

The girl glanced up from her book, her eyes lighting up. “You’re awake!”

Amelia swung her legs off the bed. “Where’s Mikhail?”

“He’s fine. How are you feeling?” Alex set her book aside and moved closer. Amelia tried to stand. “Wait, you’re not strong enough yet. Viktor !”

She sank back down. Her legs were unsteady, yet her attention sharpened. “Viktor’s here?”

“Amelia.” A familiar voice called from the doorway. Viktor’s gentle grey eyes and kind face stirred warmth in her chest, like returning home after a long absence. “I’m relieved you’re awake. We were so worried about you,” he said, approaching the bed. “You’re safe now. Everything’s all right.”

His tense features suggested otherwise. The relief of seeing him quickly dissolved into worry. “Is Mikhail…?”

“He’s here. Don’t worry.”

Her focus drifted to the door. “When we saved him, he wouldn’t wake up…”

“He’s conscious now,” Victor assured her.

“And Constantine? We escaped together…”

Viktor’s brow furrowed. “Constantine was with you?”

“Yes. And Diana, too…”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I’ve heard nothing about them.”

“I need to see Mikhail.”

“He’s all right. He’s been through a lot, but I promise you, he’s alive and well.”

Then why did her gut tighten with unease?

Only then did she notice her attire – a short floral dress, or perhaps a nightgown, barely covering her thighs.

“Alex changed you,” Victor explained. “Your clothes were covered in blood, and that’s what we had spare…”

Covered in blood. Her fingers jerked to her neck, to the place where he had bitten her. “I was attacked. By Callan! He drank my blood. He…”

At the flicker of alarm crossing Victor’s features, Amelia’s panic increased. What if Callan had harmed Mikhail, and they were hiding the truth from her?

“You know who Callan is?” Alex moved closer, an unreadable glint in her eyes.

“Yes! He’s alive!” Amelia’s voice rose in panic. “He’s the Horned God – the mummy we stole from the Temple of the Dead Immortals.”

Viktor gripped her elbows. “Amelia, stop for a second and listen to me.”

Dread churned in her stomach. If Mikhail were truly all right, he would be by her side. He wouldn’t have left her alone – not even for a moment. She stood, her resolve overcoming her weakness. “I want to see him!”

“Amelia, I need to tell you something first…”

She headed towards the door, her movements unsteady but deliberate. She stumbled into the corridor, making her way to the staircase at its end.

Viktor followed close behind. “He’s in… a peculiar state. I’m sure he’ll recover quickly, but I don’t want you to lose hope if he doesn’t seem as you expect.”

“What do you mean, a peculiar state?” Her voice quivered. The knot in her stomach was ready to burst. She stood at the top of the stairs, unsure which way to go.

“He… may not recognise you.”

Her steps quickened as she descended the stairs, and soon a broad room came into view – a mix of sitting and dining areas. Standing by one of the wooden windows, with his back to her, was Mikhail.

Amelia hurried towards him, forgetting her exhaustion in the rush of emotion. Her heart soared, and whatever Viktor was shouting behind her fell on deaf ears.

Mikhail turned, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. She paused before him, drinking him in. He seemed unharmed. The claws of fear gripping her heart since his capture finally loosened.

Then, he raised a questioning eyebrow. “Amelia, I presume?”

A chill replaced the warmth in her body.

His gaze travelled down her nightgown. “If I didn’t need you to break your spell, I’d have killed you while you slept.”

“Mikhail…?”

His hand shot out, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. Her back struck the wall, and his forearm pressed against her chest, pinning her there.

“Mikhail!” Viktor’s voice rang out behind her.

Golden irises pierced hers, and her breath caught in her throat. She remained stiff under the weight of his forearm, searching his face, struggling to find a trace of the Mikhail she knew amidst the clenched jaw and rigid muscles.

He doesn’t remember you . Viktor’s warning, shouted mere moments prior, had gone unheard while she rushed to Mikhail. Now, it echoed in her mind.

Mikhail wrinkled his nose and sniffed her, just as he’d done during one of their first encounters.

“Let her go!” Victor said.

Mikhail bared his teeth, not releasing her.

“Leave us, Viktor,” Amelia said, her eyes locked on the manticore’s. Whatever had happened, he would remember her.

Without warning, Mikhail moved back. The pressure on her eased, and she sagged against the wall, then slid down to the floor. Viktor started towards her, but she stopped him by lifting her hand. “Mikhail, what’s going on? Why are you like this?” Her voice trembled.

His gaze burned with fury. “You bewitched me to give you my ring, then erased my memories of you. Now I expect you to return both.”

“Mikhail, look at me! I’m Amelia, the Oracle. I don’t wield magic.”

“I’ve already explained – she didn’t enchant you!” Viktor interjected. “We found you together, both of you unconscious, and—”

Mikhail’s chin tilted towards Amelia. “Explain this to me, creature. If no dark magic is involved, why would I give you a ring that holds such meaning for me?”

“Because you love me.”

The muscles in his face twitched, and then he laughed – a sharp, mocking sound. “Nice try.”

“Ask your friends—”

“The fact that my friends have also fallen for your trick proves how powerful your magic is. But I can’t ignore the simple truth that I don’t know you.”

“That’s not true,” Viktor said. “You know her well, and I’ve seen you with her. The second your memory returns, you’ll want to rip your own hands off for laying them on her.”

Mikhail gave her a once-over, his expression unreadable. “You have one week to fix this. If, by then, I still don’t remember how or why I handed you the ring, I will kill you.”

Amelia froze in the face of such a direct threat. He’s not bluffing. He turned and headed for the door.

“Mikhail!” she called after him, but he ignored her.

Viktor grabbed her hand. “Give him time. We’ll figure out how to restore his memory, I promise. Maybe the Queen’s to blame for this.”

***

Amelia

Back in her room, Amelia sank to the floor, her knees drawn up, her head resting against the bed frame.

Viktor had assured her that Mikhail’s condition was temporary, but the lycanthrope was unaware of Gea’s letter, which stated that the Oracle and the Sacreds were connected, and passing the ring might sever the bond between her and Mikhail.

The bond , not his entire memory of her, for goodness’ sake! But if that’s what had happened…

She needed to pull herself together.

She allowed herself five minutes to wallow in self-pity. Her responsibilities were far too great to indulge any longer.

When the time was up, she stood. As she opened her door, she wasn’t surprised to find Viktor waiting in the corridor, full of sympathy. “Amelia, I’m sorry. I can only imagine how you must feel after what you’ve been through.”

The sorrow in his voice reminded her of the condolences she’d received after losing her family.

She was no longer that broken girl who’d lost everything overnight.

This world – ruthless as it was – she belonged in it.

And she had something to fight for. But first, she had to make sense of what had happened.

“Tell me exactly how you found us,” she said.

“I know you’re worried about him.” Viktor’s fingers fiddled with the hem of his grey T-shirt. “I am, too, but I suspect his condition results from psychological trauma.”

Recalling the tubes and what the reptilian had told her, Amelia silently agreed with his assessment. How significant a role the Queen’s death-revival game had played in Mikhail’s amnesia, however, was questionable. “Take me through it, Viktor, please. How did you and Alex get here?”

Viktor sat on the edge of the bed, his palms resting on his knees. “After the siege, we endured two gruelling weeks. The entire building was crawling with reptilians and humans, and then the Tribunal guards joined them.”

A fire ignited in her chest. “So, Presiyan really is a traitor.”

“Unfortunately.” Viktor’s resigned tone reflected the turmoil in his expression.

“I nearly lost control during the siege – not like centuries ago, but maybe close. If the guards had suspected I was on the verge of Vaka Hara, they’d have shot me just as they did the other creatures who lost control. ”

“Viktor, I’m sorry for what you’ve been through…”

He shook his head. “I should have been more responsible.”

A lump formed in Amelia’s throat. She understood the source of Viktor’s fragile balance with his animal half.

His tendency to surrender to the beast within was a cruel testament to his past wounds.

He’d lost his family to the Kreiss Hunters – and General Petrov, their copycat, was a constant reminder in the present.

General Petrov…

God! How come she hadn’t figured it out sooner? The pervert had been killed in the Hospital, and Viktor had been there the entire time.