Page 79 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts (Hospital for Immortal Creatures #3)

Mikhail

“Who the hell did this?” Mikhail slammed the box onto one of the wooden tables. The crash drowned out the footsteps of the others entering the room behind him.

A cold weight settled in his chest. He had buried this once, and yet here it was, unfolding all over again.

A box with the severed head of someone he cared about.

First, it had been Kaliope Gazis; now, the twin.

His fists clenched, trembling with the urge to smash the box into splinters.

He held back – barely. Maybe he shouldn’t have.

This wasn’t a Council meeting where he was expected to lead with calmness and self-control.

“Does it matter how it got here?” Presiyan rested his palms on the table. “What matters is that we’re screwed! She found our location.”

Jasmina perched herself on the edge of the table. “Someone betrayed us.”

Presiyan patted her thigh. “There are over three hundred guards, if we count the far posts. Go and find the snitch! I was afraid this would happen with so many of them, but we needed the muscle.”

“Why hasn’t the Queen attacked if she knows where we are?” Viktor asked.

“Because it’s not her priority,” Callan said. “She wants to gather the Sacreds. Why attack us here and waste strength and soldiers, when she could lure us onto her own territory?”

Amelia sat on the edge of one of the benches, her expression thoughtful. “But why call us to the Hospital? She could attack us here on the twenty-first.”

“Maybe she’s not sure we won’t have escaped by then,” Presiyan suggested. “Like we planned.”

Mikhail, however, had another theory. An idea that had been circling in his mind for a long time, but he never had the evidence to take it seriously. “It’s because of the Hospital. There’s… something there. Something the Queen wants.”

They all stared at him, waiting for clarification, but he couldn’t provide it.

“What something , my friend?” the leader of the Tribunal asked.

“I have no damn idea.” All he knew was that the last hours of the nineteenth were slipping away, and the next day would turn into night before they even realised it. “How many of our people were in the building last time?”

Viktor crossed his arms. “Too many for us to ignore the threat.”

“Over a hundred,” Callan added.

Damn . He’d hoped for fewer. Not that it would alter his decision. He’d made his choice the moment he’d seen the head of yet another creature who had served him loyally for years.

And still, he couldn’t demand that Amelia hand over the Sacreds to save the creatures at the Hospital, when the alternative was war.

They needed to figure out a way to deal with the Queen without the Sacreds.

Mikhail met Presiyan’s gaze. The Tribunal leader nodded as if reading his thoughts. “It’s probably time for a consultation.”

***

Mikhail

Presiyan returned with Kathrine and a large paper scroll under his arm. The reptilian scanned the people in the restaurant, lingering a little longer on Callan before fixing her gaze on the closed box on the table.

“Look inside,” Mikhail told her.

Kathrine lifted the lid. It didn’t take long before she closed it again, wrinkling her nose. Mikhail handed her the note. Her gaze swept over the letters. “It’s her handwriting…”

“Literally and figuratively speaking, as far as I understand,” Presiyan said. “Why does the Queen want us to bring the artefacts to the Hospital?”

Kathrine’s brow furrowed. “I have no idea…”

The door creaked, and Zacharia, dressed in a T-shirt and sports trousers, made his way towards them with unsteady but determined steps. “Someone forgot to invite me to the party?”

“I didn’t want to worry you while you’re recovering,” Mikhail said. A mere few hours had passed, yet Zacharia appeared to have lost weight. The nymph poison should have diluted in his bloodstream by now.

He halted in front of Mikhail and Kathrine, trying to peer at the box over their shoulders. “Do you mind if I take a look?”

“Go ahead.” Mikhail took a step back. The dead twin was under Zacharia’s command and trained by him, which made Mikhail want to deliver the news in person – but not yet. Unfortunately, the rumours were quick to spread throughout the winery.

Zacharia opened the box and examined the head with a bitter expression.

He slammed the lid shut and sat down on the nearest bench. “What do we do now?”

Jasmina pointed a finger at the box. “Could we get this thing out of here? The stench is almost inhuman, like something no human should endure.”

Presiyan raised an eyebrow at her. “Baby, how many times do we have to talk about immortal etiquette? There is no ‘human’ among us. And as for unpleasant smells, you’ll need to learn to tolerate them.”

Jasmina’s eyes widened. “Sorry…”

Mikhail waved his hand. “She’s right. Better get rid of it. It makes me want to break something.”

“Since no one will miss it…” Presiyan whistled, and one of the agents entered. He ordered the box to be taken out, and when the table was cleared, he unfurled the scroll of paper he’d been holding under his arm.

Mikhail leaned in to see what was on it. It was a map of the Hospital and the surrounding area.

Presiyan turned to Kathrine. “Now tell us how your former mother would position her soldiers. We have reptilians, humans, traitors from the Tribunal, and harpies. Am I missing anything?”

“Yes.” Kathrine stared at the map. “The Queen and Sevar. Both of them, individually, are deadlier than an entire squad of humans or other creatures. He has the rare reptilian ability to shoot paralysing poison with his tongue, and she can kill a creature faster than a blink.”

“The Queen has a sort of telekinesis,” Amelia said. “When we first met her, she strangled a man from afar, then planted a suggestion for him to forget the incident.”

“She has a weak ability to control human minds,” Kathrine explained. “Her gift doesn’t affect immortal kinds, so it shouldn’t trouble us.”

“Okay, I hope you’re right.” Presiyan nodded. “Where would those two be positioned?”

The reptilian examined the map. “Here.” She pointed at the main entrance.

“If the Queen’s leading the battle, she’ll be here.

Around her and inside the building will be the Chosen and the reptilians, because she trusts them the most. The Tribunal guards will be positioned along the perimeter.

” Kathrine ran her fingers across the map.

“She relies on their strength, but is willing to sacrifice them. You must know that she was planning to give them a regeneration serum.”

“Oh, I know.” Presiyan gritted his teeth.

“The humans will be positioned in the mountains. They’re the weakest link. Their purpose will be to wear you down before you reach the real resistance.”

“And the harpies?” Zacharia asked, without standing from his seat.

“The harpies will remain concealed. They’ll show themselves when she considers it suitable.”

“We can kill humans and harpies with firearms. That won’t be an issue,” Mikhail said. “But the agents enhanced with serum and the reptilians? The only sure way to kill them is decapitation.”

“The serum doesn’t work that way,” Kathrine said. “Its effect is short-lived after ingestion. Enough to heal already inflicted wounds or to unlock a secondary form, but it can’t keep you in that state permanently.”

Jasmina scoffed, crossing her arms. “And we suppose the Queen won’t be walking around the battlefield, giving serum to her wounded soldiers.”

“Doesn’t mean the battlefield won’t be crawling with rookies who just unlocked their secondary form and can’t wait to test it out,” Mikhail said.

“Let them try!” Jasmina hissed.

Presiyan patted her knee. “Fine, we’ll handle the rookies. What do we do about the reptilians?”

“We kick their asses,” Mor interjected, having entered the room in the meantime.

Callan approached them, casting a distracted glance at the map. “And what about the Queen?”

Presiyan spread his arms wide. “We’ll bombard her and stab her from all sides, and try not to get hit by her powers.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” Zacharia smirked.

Kathrine distanced herself from the map. “My advice is, don’t go.”

“Why?” Mikhail asked.

“Since she’s calling you there, it means she’s already decided that you don’t stand a chance.”

He held her gaze. “We might surprise her.”

“Trust me, she’s always one step ahead. It’s wiser to wait until the twenty-first passes and she’s back in Antambazi. Attacking the Hospital while she’s gone will be a hell of a lot safer.”

“More than anyone, I want Ana dead, but the odds aren’t in our favour,” Callan said.

Mikhail didn’t take more than a second to consider their words. Either way, he’d made up his mind. “It’s my hospital and my creatures. No matter whose side the odds are on, I’ll be there on the twenty-first. I’ll be grateful to anyone who joins me, but I won’t force anyone to do so.”

Silence fell. No one tried to argue with him.

A slight movement at the far end of the table caught his attention. “What about the Sacreds? Won’t they turn the odds in our favour?” Amelia spoke up.

She should have stayed quiet, because her suggestion made Mikhail’s chest tighten. “Even if they give us some advantage, the chance that the Queen will take them from you and achieve her goal is enormous.”

“Not if I activate them.”

Everyone turned to stare at her.

She stood up. “I’ll need a computer or a phone with internet, once again.”

***

Amelia

For security reasons, there were no phones or internet at the winery. Not that it had stopped the reptilians from finding them.

It took Presiyan about twenty minutes to bring a phone. Amelia began browsing, aware of the intense stares from all sides. Her fingers trembled with excitement as she typed on the keyboard, her eyes flicking through the text, impatient to confirm her suspicions.

Renenutet had lied to her, claiming she wouldn’t reveal the names of the relics. She had told her – between the lines!

All Amelia had to do was load the last page to prove it. When she finally did, she focused on the screen.

Seven words.

Seven immortal species.

Seven deadly sins.

The Seven Sacreds?

Her heart raced because she was convinced she was right. She tore her eyes away from the screen and glanced at everyone in the room. She paused a moment longer on Mikhail, who was observing her with a tense expression.

“The Sacreds are the seven deadly sins!” she exclaimed.

“That’s exactly what Renenutet told me. ‘What we created was a world fragmented by sins.’ She used these words.

She spoke of greed among the witches. Lust…

” She glanced at the screen again. “Lust is the uncontrollable passion of vampires. Envy should belong to the necromancers. Proud…must be linked to the appearance of the nymphs. But then the wars began, with rage and gluttonous desires for blood…” Her gaze raced across the seven definitions of sins.

“These are the manticores and lycanthropes. ‘Manticores were born of rage,’ Renenutet said. And the reptilians. She didn’t say anything about them, but the gloves should be…

the representatives of the seventh deadly sin – sloth. ”

Her heart continued racing as she lifted her head from the screen and met the blank faces.

“Don’t you see it? The seven sins are related to the seven immortal species.

And these sins correspond to the Seven Sacreds that were made to control them!

” Her voice was thinning because she couldn’t remember ever being as sure of anything in her life as she was right now.

“The Queen… she doesn’t expect me to activate the Sacreds, does she? ” she asked Kathrine.

The reptilian’s expression revealed nothing. “No, as far as I‘m aware.”

“She may always be one step ahead, but she couldn’t have foreseen that I would meet Renenutet in person and that she would offer me guidance.”

Kathrine frowned, likely because she didn’t understand Amelia’s talk about Renenutet.

“According to what she told you, it’s not certain whether you’ll survive activating them,” Mikhail spoke evenly, but his eyes held those golden hints that suggested his animal nature was ready to take over.

“She said it’s dangerous, but the necklace will protect me!” Amelia straightened, concealing her hesitation.

Yes, the necklace would protect her. Under one condition – a condition she hadn’t shared with anyone. It could cost her… everything. But at least it would stop the Queen once and for all.

“Do you realise that if you’re wrong, the Queen won’t just take the Sacreds, she’ll also kill you?” Presiyan asked.

“But if I’m right – and I am – then we’ll stand against the Queen, save the Hospital and the creatures in it. It will save you – those of you planning to attack the reptilians without a clear plan of action.”

“Amelia, this is my hospital,” Mikhail said. “I have no choice but to go, but you’re not obligated—”

“On the contrary. The Oracle’s letter states that this is my mission: to gather the Sacreds and secure them.

Even if we wait for the twenty-first to pass, we’ll still need to come up with a plan to reclaim the Hospital and retrieve the relics.

” She took a breath. “The Queen has decided to take advantage of the upcoming shift in energies. Why shouldn’t I do the same and activate the Sacreds?

It’s something the Queen would never expect. ”

A deep wrinkle appeared between Mikhail’s eyebrows. “And still, if you’re wrong…”

Presiyan shrugged. “So, you’re suggesting ‘all or nothing’? I’m fully on board with that approach.”

“Do you trust Renenutet’s claim that the necklace will protect you?” Mikhail asked her.

“Yes.” Her insides twisted even as the words left her lips without hesitation. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given me the names.”

Presiyan leaned over the map. “All right. Let’s discuss our options again.”