Page 56 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts (Hospital for Immortal Creatures #3)

Amelia

Using a spell, Balian conjured a scoreboard of intertwining, multicoloured hues that would track the quiz results. Around fifty participants lined up behind a long wooden table on one side of the lake.

Amelia observed the young competitors, realising how ridiculous she and Mikhail would have appeared if they’d joined the game. Every single participant was visibly underage.

Balian announced the start of the quiz with a series of thunderous sounds. Amelia glanced over her shoulder, hoping to spot Mikhail in the crowd, but the solid wall of spectators blocked her view.

She prayed their plan would work because she couldn’t bear the necklace on that witch’s neck any longer. It was hers. She felt it. Knew it. Craved it.

Meanwhile, she half-listened to Balian’s introductory speech.

When he posed the first question – “What is the process called where a young immortal is introduced to witchcraft?” – Amelia started weaving her way backwards through the crowd.

She’d given Mikhail enough time to establish contact with the witch.

“Initiation!” someone replied, just as Amelia spotted Mikhail and the witch on the far side of the lake. They stood apart from the others, like mere spectators watching from the fringes.

“Correct!” Balian shouted jubilantly. Did he have any idea that the woman he was cheating with was now preparing to cheat on him with another man?

“Next question! What is the most sacred food on the witch’s table?”

“Pears!” someone guessed.

Amelia hardly registered the answer as the witch headed towards the forest. Mikhail followed.

“Apples!” another voice cried.

“Correct! Now let’s see… What is the greatest weakness of the witching kind?”

Mikhail and the witch melted into the shadows of the woods.

Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. This was part of the plan, but she couldn’t suppress the surge of jealousy rising within her.

Until that moment, she’d been pushing the thought to the back of her mind, but it didn’t change the facts: Mikhail was about to kiss another woman.

And he wouldn’t kiss her ever again.

“Greed!” someone answered.

Amelia forced herself to stay with the crowd a few minutes longer, allowing Mikhail time to lead the witch further into the forest.

“That’s right! They say we’re greedy, but we’re simply clever.” Balian’s laugh was charming, his boyish features disarmingly handsome. Amelia recalled the pleasure-filled cries he’d elicited from that woman in the cave… and Mikhail’s reaction to them.

Her body shuddered involuntarily. It was natural for a man to react to such a scene, but it didn’t make it hurt any less that another woman had aroused him – in Amelia’s presence. And that woman had him all to herself now.

Enough! Amelia forced her way through the crowd, moving away from the lake’s luminous lights and trusting the moon to lead her into the woods.

She strained her ears, her heart pounding, as she scanned the shadows for Mikhail.

The image of him pinning the witch against a tree, fingers tangled in her hair, lips locked in a passionate kiss, haunted her.

The deeper she ventured, the more despair seeped in. They were nowhere to be found. She and Mikhail had planned that he would pick a secluded spot – but not the cave, since it could leave them trapped if things went awry.

Then she heard it: Zara’s laughter, soft and seductive, just like in the cave with Balian. Blood roared in Amelia’s ears. She would be guilt-free after she snatched the necklace off the woman.

She caught sight of them in the distance. Mikhail stood between two trees, with the witch kneeling at his feet.

It’s all part of the plan. He’s only playing a role…

Amelia crept closer, her fingers itching to seize the witch by the throat. She needed to get close enough to strike with the element of surprise. Mikhail would hold the witch steady while she ripped the necklace away.

Her foot snapped a twig, and Zara’s head whipped around. She took in Amelia’s face, a smug smile spreading across her lips.

“Didn’t you say your girl would watch the quiz till the end?” she drawled.

Amelia noted two things: first, the witch’s hands rested on the front of Mikhail’s trousers, yet he remained fully dressed. Second, the necklace hanging from her throat caught the moonlight, gleaming like molten gold.

Anger surged through Amelia. She marched towards them.

“Hey, what—”

Amelia grabbed a fistful of Zara’s curly hair and yanked her head back. With her free hand, she reached for the necklace. Her fingers closed around the two snake heads, pulling hard.

“Let me go!” the witch screeched.

The chain snapped, and the necklace was left dangling from Amelia’s fingers.

Finally! She stared down at the beautiful piece in disbelief.

“Amelia!” Mikhail shouted.

She looked up just in time, meeting Zara’s enraged expression as she swung her hand towards her face. Amelia braced herself for the sharp sting of the slap.

However, she wasn’t prepared for the witch’s blow to send her flying three metres through the air. Amelia crashed into the trunk of a tree. When she hit the ground, her head pounded like a hammer had struck her. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

But she still gripped the necklace in her hand.

Zara brushed leaves off her crimson gown and moved towards Amelia.

Amelia clutched the artefact with desperation. As the witch closed in, a powerful surge of energy raced through her – hot and electric, like liquid fire flowing in her veins. It wasn’t painful; it was invigorating.

The witch’s red lips curled into a sneer. “Why do you want the necklace?”

Amelia didn’t respond. Her fingers burned where they touched the metal.

Zara knelt before her, grabbing Amelia’s chin with an iron grip. “I asked you a question, you thieving little creature.” Her sharp nails dug into Amelia’s skin. “This necklace was a gift, and until now, its secret power was well protected.”

She reached for the necklace, but Amelia yanked her hand back.

“Oh, darling. I don’t have time for games.” The witch tore the necklace from Amelia’s grasp.

Summoning every ounce of strength she had, Amelia grabbed the witch by the shoulders. She wasn’t sure what she intended to achieve, but she couldn’t let the necklace go.

The witch smirked, condescending as ever. “How sweet,” she began... before letting out a scream that tore through the forest as if she were in the throes of immense pain.

At first, Amelia didn’t understand what was happening. The witch’s body twisted with pain. The necklace dropped to the ground, and the witch clawed at Amelia’s hands, her nails gouging deeply.

Amelia’s nostrils filled with the sickening scent of decay. Necrosis. Death .

“Let me go!” Zara shrieked.

Amelia released her, not out of pity but because confusion and fear overwhelmed her. When she pulled back, she saw the cause of the witch’s torment. Two hand-shaped burns marred her dress, decaying the underlying flesh, as if dissolved by acid.

Did I do that?

Amelia grabbed the necklace and scrambled to her feet, locking eyes with Mikhail. He was leaning against a tree, watching.

“A little help would’ve been nice!” she snapped.

“You seemed to handle it just fine.” His golden irises suddenly shifted, focusing on something behind her. His features sharpened.

Amelia pivoted. Zara was lunging at her, fury blazing in her features.

And in that instant, Amelia knew what she had to do. Gripping the necklace with one hand, she balled the other into a fist. As Zara closed the gap, Amelia sidestepped the attack and pressed her open palm against the witch’s back.

This time, she felt the flow from her fingers – whether it was magic or something else, she couldn’t tell. Whatever it was, it burned through the witch’s gown and seeped into her skin, eating away at her flesh.

The smell of rot and death returned, and Zara’s screams were even more harrowing than before.

Within moments, the witch collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

Amelia knew she wouldn’t rise again, but she crouched beside the twitching body and continued her assault until the witch drew her last breath.

When it was over, she faced Mikhail. He stood as still as a statue against the tree, his eyes shining with a brightness she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her trembled, and her head spun.

It was happening again.

She reached for Mikhail’s hand but hesitated at the last moment. What if she hurt him, too? His expression was calm, without a trace of fear. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, squeezing firmly, as if to say everything would be fine.

A heartbeat later, the portal’s pull enveloped them both.

***

Amelia

Amelia tumbled down the stairs, coming to a stop beside a sand-filled basin that reeked of urine. Sitting up, she rubbed the back of her head and frowned – she’d come close to landing headfirst in a litter tray.

Both her hands were empty. She reached for her neck, and relief washed over her as her fingers brushed against the cool metal of the two entwined snake heads.

The necklace nestled in the hollow between her collarbones.

A quick check of her anorak pocket confirmed the cold, familiar touch of the watch.

Mikhail was standing by the wall, arms crossed, already dressed in the modern clothes he’d been wearing earlier.

“How is this even possible?”

He arched an eyebrow.

“You.” She jutted her chin towards him. “You land like a professional, and I’m always on the floor.”

He just shrugged, his curious gaze fixed on her. Well, it made sense. Mikhail was practically half-cat – of course, he always landed on his feet.

Amelia’s attention flicked to his hands, trying to recall which one she’d held during their return. His skin appeared unharmed.

Her irritation resurfaced at the memory of how he’d stood earlier, watching her fight the witch, unbothered by her difficulties.

“Thanks for the help, by the way,” she muttered, pulling herself to her feet.

Mikhail pushed off the wall and approached her. “If I’d stepped in, you wouldn’t have had the chance to do… whatever that was.” He reached for her hand and lifted it between them, examining her fingers. “So, what the hell was it, anyway?”

She gestured to their touching hands. “You were brave to take the risk.”

“Don’t tell anyone about this.”

Her muscles tensed as she pulled her wrist back. Not that she’d intended to boast about melting someone’s flesh with her bare hands, but whether she kept it a secret was her choice. “And why shouldn’t I?”

Mikhail’s expression softened. “It’s an impressive skill.

Let it be a surprise for your enemies. The Oracle’s letter mentioned you had another power.

Maybe this is it?” He gestured to her hand.

“I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I’d teach you how to protect yourself.

Now, it seems, you’ll need to learn to defend yourself using this weapon.

Did you feel anything before it happened? ”

Amelia remembered the surge of rage when she’d seen the necklace around the witch’s neck – and the unbridled fury when she envisioned the woman touching Mikhail. “I was angry she held the necklace.”

“So, I’ll have to piss you off for it to happen again?”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Good. Now let’s go and tell the others what happened, leaving out the part about the killing. We attacked the witch and took the necklace. End of story.”

As they started for the door, Mikhail added, “For the record, I would’ve ripped her head off if I’d thought for a second you were in real danger.”

She didn’t reply, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that much had changed over the last few hours.

The necklace now hung around her neck. She’d wielded power.

And the dynamics between her and Mikhail had shifted.

It wasn’t love – not even close to what they’d shared before – but it was something she couldn’t yet name.

When they stepped into the courtyard, Viktor was there, his hair dishevelled.

“Where the hell were you?!” His frantic gaze locked onto the necklace. “You did it?”

Jasmina and Presiyan emerged from behind the house, each carrying a weapon.

“Viktor said you got pulled into a portal,” Presiyan said, gesturing at Amelia with his pistol. “What’s that around your neck, little Oracle?”

Callan appeared from the other side of the house, observing the necklace with keen interest.

“It really was a witch’s portal,” Mikhail said. “What I don’t understand is why Viktor didn’t fall into it, too.”

The lycanthrope ran a hand through his hair. “I realised the note was going to pull Amelia in, so I told her to drop it, but it was already too late.”

“How long were we in there?” Amelia asked.

“Exactly five minutes and thirty-three seconds, comrades,” Presiyan said.

Amelia met Mikhail’s gaze. His features were as stern and uncompromising as ever, but in his eyes, she read it: the unspoken change that had taken place between them over the past hours. A truce. A partnership.

She pressed a hand to the necklace at her throat. For so long, she’d believed being with Mikhail was all she needed in this world. But today, she had touched her own strength.

And the feeling was intoxicating.