Page 37 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts (Hospital for Immortal Creatures #3)
Constantine
Constantine abandoned his struggle against the enchanted restraints and sank onto the mattress. He’d dragged the bed frame to the doorway but refrained from moving it into the adjacent room. His efforts to escape were half-hearted – part of him found the idea of being Diana’s prisoner appealing.
Yet, today marked the fifth day of his captivity, and what he’d viewed as an enticing game was beginning to feel like real imprisonment.
Diana’s actions had surprised him. Her recent behaviour made him wonder what else she might be capable of – and gave him reason to get even with her for the days he’d spent cuffed.
The idea of returning to the Queen repulsed him.
A twisted satisfaction grew at the thought that the longer Diana kept him captive, the sweeter his future revenge would be.
Still, he had to consider the possibility that her plan to trade him to the reptilians was no bluff.
If so, escape would become unavoidable. And this time, he would not leave without her.
Several hours later, the front door unlocked. Anticipation surged within him as Diana stepped inside. Her hair fell over her back, and beneath a black leather jacket, she wore a tank top with a plunging neckline and fitted trousers.
“Do you need anything?” she asked coldly.
He rattled the cuffs. “You could finish what you started. Then you might set me free.”
“I can’t.”
“Tell me what you’re after, and I’ll help you get it. The mirror? Why are you so desperate for it? Share the truth, and we can avoid this ,” he jerked at the cuffs again, “which is causing you as much discomfort as it is me.”
His last words were a gamble. He had no idea whether restraining him troubled her or whether she truly intended to trade him away.
The silence following his request was impenetrable.
“Just trust me!” he shouted, straining against the unseen barriers she’d set between them.
For a moment, her lips parted as if she were about to speak. But all she said was, “I can’t.”
“There’s something about me that’s holding you back, isn’t there?” He winced as the cuffs bit into his skin from his unconscious struggle. “Is it because I’m a necromancer?”
“It’s not,” she snapped, her voice sharper than usual. “Your kind has never troubled me – not for that reason.”
“What in the world does that even mean?”
“There are forces greater than us, and what we feel or don’t feel has no bearing on them.”
Constantine spoke with measured conviction.
“The Queen will never exchange the mirror for me. Never . Under any circumstances. If you approach her with that proposal, not only will you fail in your plans, but you’ll lose your head.
And frankly, I prefer you intact. I’d hate to see any part of you come to harm. ”
Diana’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying to save yourself. You’ve already admitted you’re important to her.”
He laughed, a hollow sound. “Important enough to capture, but not enough to fetch a high price. Besides, I wanted to provoke you – to draw a reaction, maybe even jealousy, especially after you mentioned your friend from the tournament.” He dropped his gaze to her lips.
“But when I kissed you, I realised it didn’t matter who or what he was. You feel nothing for him.”
One of her eyebrows arched. “And why would you assume I have any interest in men at all? In you, or anyone else I meet along the way?”
“Because you kissed me like your life depended on it.”
He’d expected her to deny it, but Diana merely shrugged. “So? You’re a good kisser. I doubt it’s the first time you’ve heard that.”
He smirked. “Fair point. It’s a common sentiment.”
She lowered her arms and pivoted towards the door.
“Is that one of the problems, Diana? Does it bother you that I’ve been with many women?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Many? Try millions.”
“You’re overestimating me—”
“Whatever.”
“Then let me ask you this. If not for my reputation as a womaniser, would you be more inclined to release me now?”
Diana faced him fully. “No.”
“And would it make you more likely to trust me?”
“No.”
He leaned back against the bed frame. “No matter what you think of me or the Queen… your plan won’t succeed.”
She bared her teeth, the faint sharpness of her elongated canines catching the dim light.
“The Queen wants global domination. That’s why she’s been messing with the regeneration.
At the same time, she uses a serum to speed it up, gaining followers in the process.
Mikhail Korovin and the Hospital stand in her way, offering an alternative.
She’s already used Hecate’s Mirror once to strip magic from the Hospital, and she probably has no reason to need it again.
You, however, as Mikhail Korovin’s closest ally, will be too valuable for her—”
“Is that what your friend from the tournament told you?” Constantine cut her off. “Or better yet, do you even realise that by doing this, you’re helping the very woman responsible for your brother’s death?”
“Am I? If Korovin had found my brother first, are you seriously going to lie and say he’d have let him live?
” Diana snarled. “I know why you followed me after Alberobello. You weren’t trying to help me – you were hunting my brother to kill him.
It’s a good thing he died before you could, because I’m pretty sure your people would’ve given him a far worse death. ”
“Your brother left the severed head of a Council member outside the Hospital. If he hadn’t been foolish enough to meddle with matters beyond his understanding, he might still be alive.”
Diana’s eyes blazed. She moved closer to the bed, but kept ample distance so he couldn’t reach her with his unbound hand. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she hissed.
Constantine had finally struck a nerve. Yet, that victory didn’t bring him any satisfaction, as the pain was raw and visible in Diana’s expression. “Diana, everyone bears responsibility for their actions.”
“So do you, necromancer.”
She stormed out.