Page 94 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species
Viktor shook his head. “I’m not doing anything urgent. I wastrying to dig up more information about that Horned God, but all I’ve found out is that it’s a deity venerated solely by the Beduin tribe.”
Amelia shivered at the memory of the horned face carved into the cliffs. It made sense that Viktor, given his scientific curiosity, had already looked into it. “They must have their own distinct religion, then.”
“You’d be amazed at how many religions exist in the immortal world.”
Amelia’s gaze wandered over the polished surface of the bench, and she leaned against it, facing Viktor. “You mentioned all these religions… Is one of them centred around the Creator? Is he a god, or just a being with unimaginable power? Does he even exist, or he was just a figment of my imagination?”
Viktor shrugged. “Some believe there are many gods and give them different names, while some stick to the belief that all gods are actually one –creator. Which one you have met is something you must figure out on your own, however.”
Amelia’s skin prickled at the possibility of running into the Creator once more since the life-changing impact of their last encounter. “Have you ever met a god?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” His lips tilted into a faint smile.
“How are you holding up after nearly being burned at the stake?” she asked.
Viktor took a moment, contemplating. “Two months ago, I probably would’ve lost my mind, but now I’m all right. Except for being furious with Alex for her reckless behaviour. She may be seventy years old, but she’s still a child at heart, and that’s my fault. I tried too hard to protect her from everything, and in doing so, I kept her from the experiences she needed to mature. Her brother, Grigor, grew up quickly – maybe because he’s a man, and I wasn’t as overprotective with him.”
The softness in the lycanthrope’s voice every time he spokeabout the twins warmed Amelia’s skin. “You must really love them.”
“One of the most foolish things you can do as an immortal is allow yourself to love. And I’m one of those fools who, no matter how many times they get hurt, still needs to love someone,” Viktor said. “Love has been the root of most of the troubles in my life. It has more than once led me to Vaka Hara. Yet, the irony is, it’s the only thing that has ever been capable of pulling me out of it.”
A heaviness settled in Amelia’s chest. “Is that why most creatures avoid romantic relationships?”
The lycanthrope gave a nonchalant shrug. “Life is about survival. The longer you live, the longer you need to endure. And it’s easier to survive when you don’t have weaknesses.”
His words made her straighten up. “You think love is a weakness? Let me tell you something – I never felt as weak as I did in those three years after my family died. Before that, I had something to hold on to. After that, I had nothing. I would arguethatwas a worse fate than having a family to love.”
“Yet, if you keep living like that, after a while, you’ll find that youneednothing. Loneliness teaches you to be self-sufficient.”
“But it’s never been enough for you, has it?”
A shadow passed over Viktor’s face. “That’s why I’m weak, Amelia. I’m hardly the right person to give you advice on surviving.”
His last words stung even more than his belief about love.
“Mikhail never thought of you as weak,” she said.
Viktor’s smile was crooked this time. “Mikhail has seen me in too many vulnerable moments to think of me as anythingbutweak.”
Viktor wasn’t just a friend to Mikhail. He was one of his most trusted advisors. But there was no way to convince Viktor of that, so Amelia chose to shift the conversation. “Will you tell mehow you and Mikhail met?”
“Of course.” Viktor’s brow furrowed in thought. “Before I can even explain that, you need to learn some of my past, so you can understand all that Mikhail did for me. You know about what I lost…”
Amelia nodded, swallowing back her condolences. She didn’t wish for Viktor to take it as another sign they deemed him weak.
“After that time, I was lost. Surrendering to Vaka Hara was my only way out,” he said. “It was then that Raphael, my saviour, found me. He was a doctor, by the way.”
“A doctor? So, this was after the Changes in 1744?”
“No, no. This was before that. Raphael was human. But don’t let that mislead you. Yes, he lacked extraordinary physical traits or a secondary form, and he aged like any other mortal, but his mind – that was his true power. At thirty years old, he knew more about the world than most creatures do in a thousand years. He mastered medicine, pharmacy, astrology… He could even see into the future. But such gifts come at a price. Catherine de’ Medici wanted him to teach her occult powers, and he denied her. One night, her guards came and took him away. I never saw him again.”
Amelia gasped. “TheCatherine de’ Medici?”
Viktor’s expression darkened. “Yes, the very same. To this day, I regret not avenging him. But that was Raphael’s wish. He made me promise not to seek vengeance. Perhaps he feared that if I did, I’d spiral back into Vaka Hara, and he had gone to great lengths to pull me out of it. In the end, I didn’t avenge him…” Viktor’s lips pressed together.
“Was Raphael the one who gave you the tattoo that covers the valknut on your back?”
Viktor nodded. “Raphael helped me move past the loss that the valknut constantly reminded me of. But he never taught me how to deal with the loss of him…”
