Page 45 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts (Hospital for Immortal Creatures #3)

Mikhail

Mikhail transformed back into his human form and walked out of the forest.

Since his time in Antambazi, a fleeting panic always accompanied his return to his human body.

His vision would blur, a ringing would fill his ears, whispering that life was leaving him, and fear would creep in, warning that he might fail those depending on him.

It was an illusion, yet he couldn’t help but question for a moment: What if it’s not?

When the Queen had shackled him, she’d blocked his ability to transform. Thus, every time he changed from beast to man, it hurled him back into those nightmares. He would focus ahead, see the open space before him, breathe in freedom, and push the panic deep inside himself.

He strode across the dried grass to the cabin, wearing nothing but his trousers. He’d left Amelia alone in the forest. She was an immortal woman and could do whatever she pleased – including exploring the mountains near the reptilians’ domain, dangerous though they may be.

Yet, he was deceiving himself. Amelia’s fate mattered to him.

The ring’s magic still influenced him on some primal level, but at least his mind functioned well and kept his emotions in check.

Entangling himself with her had been a colossal mistake that had led to their capture.

It wouldn’t have happened if passion hadn’t clouded his judgement.

He’d fallen into this trap once before with Valeria.

He couldn’t believe he had succumbed to the same folly a second time, regardless of the supernatural artefact involved. There wouldn’t be a third.

Viktor sat on the cabin’s porch, beer in hand.

Mikhail joined him on the wooden planks. “Can’t sleep?”

“None of us can.”

Mikhail’s chest was heavy with guilt as he observed Viktor’s weary profile. It had taken a monumental effort to snap Viktor out of Vaka Hara and give him a reason to fight. And now, he was on the verge of falling into it once again. “I’m sorry I failed you, my friend.”

Viktor turned around. “What are you talking about?”

“Years ago, I persuaded you to build the Hospital with a promise that everything would improve from then on. Well, I lied.” And Mikhail had lied to himself.

Viktor furrowed his brow. “I don’t see how you’re to blame for the Hospital being taken over.”

“I recall you all urging me to take action against the reptilians, and I stubbornly insisted that the Hospital was impenetrable.”

“You remember that, but not Amelia?”

Mikhail rested his elbow on his bent knee and stared ahead. What was she doing now, alone in the forest? “Perhaps it’s for the best that I don’t,” he said.

Viktor gave him a stern look. “For the best? You were happy. I’d trade everything for a chance to have what you had.”

“I wasn’t happy, but deluded. My little dalliance with the new Oracle has cost us the Hospital and my capture. And the Queen could have killed Amelia, who is a crucial factor in tipping the war in our favour.”

“Is that all she is to you? A mere factor?”

The rebuke in Viktor’s last question put Mikhail on edge. “What exactly are you implying?”

“That you plan to use Amelia until she gathers the Sacreds needed for the war you and Callan are waging against the Queen, and then discard her.”

“Callan wants to destroy Ana, and Amelia wants to gather the Sacreds. I don’t see why helping either of them, when it aligns with my own cause, means I’m using anyone,” Mikhail replied calmly.

Viktor’s grey eyes flashed. “And what is your cause?”

It was a loaded question, but Mikhail took the bait. “I need to uncover the truth behind the impaired regeneration.”

His friend got to his feet. “Do you know what I think? You couldn’t care less about the regeneration issue. The only thing you’re looking for is yet another enemy to feed your anger and self-loathing. A reason to keep yourself miserable.”

“I’m not miserable, Viktor. I’m angry, and rightly so. And it seems you are, too.”

Viktor pointed at him. “Years ago, you saved me. I thought I was doing the same for you when I agreed to build the Hospital. But ever since then, all I’ve witnessed is your cold fury. We all have.”

“How could I not be angry when I’ve been stuck in the same place for years, making no progress?” The beast in his heart stirred in protest. What was Viktor trying to provoke?

“You’re stuck internally . You fight to fix the world outside, but do absolutely nothing for yourself. You give everything to the Hospital, but you’ve never taken anything for yourself – except Amelia.”

“I don’t want to be with her,” Mikhail growled.

He was done with this conversation. To avoid saying anything regrettable, he grabbed the beer bottle and took a drink.

Damn it. It tasted like witcher’s sweat.

He set the bottle down and stood up. “At last, I have a direction. A tangible enemy – not just some vague regeneration issue that I’ve spent years questioning as divine punishment, reversed evolution, or something else.

The Oracle is my ally, and I will treat her with the utmost respect her title deserves, but don’t ask me to declare love for a woman I don’t even know. ”

Viktor froze as the hum of an engine sliced through the night without warning. “Someone’s coming! We need to hide!”

Mikhail placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t panic. I’ve been expecting them.”

***

Amelia

Amelia stepped out of the forest at dawn, her muscles tense. An unfamiliar car was parked next to Viktor’s old Volvo. Proceeding with caution, she slipped through the shadows. Who could have arrived? Could Constantine have somehow tracked them down?

She was only a few metres away when Alex appeared from within the house.

“Alex!” Amelia whispered to catch her attention.

“Oh, there you are!”

“What’s going on?”

Alex beckoned her inside. “Come on, hurry up!”

Amelia followed her into the main room. Mikhail’s gold-green eyes greeted her from the far side, where he stood with his arms crossed. Viktor and Callan sat in armchairs facing each other; between them, on the sofa, were two strange men and a woman.

Amelia observed the newcomers. The man closest to her had gentle features, dark, expressive eyebrows, and striking silver-toned eyes. Her attention shifted from his Metallica T-shirt to his ripped blue jeans, paired with white trainers.

“This is Amelia,” Mikhail introduced her to the strangers before gesturing towards the man in the Metallica T-shirt. “Amelia, this is Mor.”

Mor greeted her with a shy smile, but Amelia had met enough immortals to recognise that he was far more than just a bashful, pretty face with a romantic aura.

“Mor?” she repeated. “As in ‘plague’ in Bulgarian?”

He shrugged. “My parents had certain expectations for me.”

“Or perhaps they were overly enthusiastic about impending parenthood,” the blonde woman seated beside him said.

Her sharp grey irises gleamed, matching the severity of her cheekbones.

An olive-green tank top and black trousers accentuated her feminine but athletic build.

A holster with a weapon was strapped to her waist. “Jasmina,” she introduced herself.

Amelia nodded, her gaze following the woman’s hand, which the man beside her clasped.

In his chiselled features, she recognised a lycanthrope.

His animalistic nature was so vivid that not even his attractiveness could mask the predatory aura he radiated.

Dressed in black, he exuded a mix of Callan’s elegance and Mikhail’s rugged masculinity.

He released Jasmina’s hand and stood, a tight-lipped smile playing on his lips. Was it an attempt at friendliness or mockery?

“The Oracle.” His deep, commanding voice seeped into Amelia’s skin. There was something vaguely familiar about it. She resisted the urge to step back.

“You’re making her uncomfortable,” Jasmina said.

“From what I’ve learned about her, I’d say he’s the one who should be uncomfortable.” Mikhail’s stony expression didn’t match the flicker of amusement in his eyes.

The stranger studied her. “Perhaps you’re right. I’m certainly unsettled by her acting skills.”

Amelia’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

Mikhail strode across the room and stopped beside the stranger. “Amelia, this is Presiyan. The leader of the Tribunal. Mor is one of his cardinals, and Jasmina…”

“Is the reason I’m alive.” Presiyan’s gaze sought the woman on the sofa.

Amelia clenched her teeth. Apparently, Mikhail thought so little of her that he hadn’t considered her warning about Presiyan.

She scrutinised the Tribunal’s founder anew.

It was hard to reconcile this face with the hideous golden demon mask.

She’d imagined him with sharp teeth, warts, and at least a pair of horns.

“Master of the Earthly Demons’? You may believe we last met at the nymph conclave, but I saw you after that.

In Antambazi, chatting quite amiably with Sevar. ”

“Presiyan is no traitor,” Mikhail said. “Someone else is currently leading the Tribunal and wearing his mask.”

Presiyan’s expression darkened. “I was betrayed, but I promise you, the traitor will regret everything they’ve done.”

Amelia fell silent at the revelation.

“The one you saw in the Queen’s palace wasn’t Presiyan,” Mikhail explained. “Unfortunately, you are correct – the Tribunal has allied with the reptilians.”

Presiyan crossed his arms over his chest, drawing Amelia’s attention to the symbols tattooed on his forearms. Inscribed in an unfamiliar language, they wrapped around his muscles like thick bracelets. He said, “We now live in a world without morals. No laws, no scruples.”

“He’s somewhat of a law fanatic. Don’t mind him,” Jasmina chimed in.

“I just adore rules.” Presiyan fixed his predatory gaze on Amelia. “Many creatures remain loyal to me. Yet, just as many have accepted the Queen’s gifts as a down payment for their allegiance.”

“The regeneration serum?” Amelia asked.

“Periodic doses that enhance endurance, strength, and lifespan.”

Alex’s face lit up. “Does it actually work? She could be giving them plain water and still fool them into believing it extends their lives – unless there’s a serious injury where the effect is obvious…”

“All Tribunal agents that belong to the New Generation have unlocked their immortal forms with no damage,” Presiyan said.

“So it works every time? Like with Diana’s transformation?” Alex asked.

Amelia leaned against the doorframe, contemplating what she’d heard. “If regeneration declines further, more creatures will join the Queen in order to save their lives.”

“Unless we stop her first,” Mikhail said.

“When you told me Presiyan was a traitor, I had to verify it. That’s what I did while I was away.

I tracked him down, and after hearing Callan’s story, called him here.

Presiyan will provide us with physical strength for the impending war and enough weapons to supply an entire army, so we can reclaim the Hospital.

Plus, a little extra force won’t hurt when it comes to retrieving the necklace. ”

Invisible spiders crawled down Amelia’s spine. It was good they had allies, but every mention of ‘war’ unsettled her.

Callan, who’d remained quiet until that moment, asked, “You say that creatures pledge their allegiance to the Queen, but are they aware of what that entails? That it will lead to a war on Earth, or somewhere else?”

“Probably not,” Mor said. “But thanks to your earlier account, we’ve only now begun to understand the Queen’s motives.”

“War is war, regardless of the reasons behind it.” Jasmina wrinkled her nose. “Nothing can justify innocent blood being spilt, or the suffering of innocent humans.”

Amelia regarded her with curiosity. No immortal referred to others as ‘humans’… unless they were human. Could this woman be one?

“The Tribunal,” Presiyan drew the focus back to himself, “does not support war. But when someone threatens the peace and confidentiality of the immortal world, they must be prepared to face the full force of the consequences, even if that means another war.” Death.

Death. Death. Amelia heard nothing else but those words.

“And confidentiality was breached long ago. Ever since humans infiltrated Prokaliya.”

“…What?” Amelia asked.

Presiyan nodded. “Reptilians, humans, and many other immortals now serve the Queen. All of them are our enemies. The task ahead is harder than before. We must remove the corrupt elements without destroying the integrity of the world we have spent centuries building.”