Page 173 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts
He took a deep breath but didn’t answer.
Amelia turned her gaze to the fields by the road. A potential weapon. That was all she was to him. He would never admit that she – Amelia – had been worth the risk.
Yes, she had expected it.
Death. Death. Death.
But that didn’t mean it hurt any less.
They didn’t speak again until they reached Sofia. Once they drove up the mountain, Mikhail dialled Presiyan’s number to check if everything was proceeding as planned.
***
Amelia
The fourth hour of the twenty-first of June struck minutes after they set off along the winding mountain roads, swallowed by darkness and oppressive silence.
Amelia tensed in her seat. The closer they got, the harder it was for her to control her breathing and her rising fear. Mikhail slowed as he approached the turnoff for the Hospital – a route only visible to immortal creatures.
Preni had removed the cloaking magic for her human soldiers during the siege of the building, so it was no surprise that a group of them blocked the start of the road. Black masks covered their faces, and their camouflage uniforms blended intothe forest.They aimed rifles at the car.
In the dark compartment, Mikhail’s eyes gleamed with an animalistic shine. “It’s not too late to turn back and take you home.”
“Itistoo late.”
Amelia opened the door and stepped outside. Mikhail did the same from his side. She glanced towards the road they had come from – no sign of Presiyan and the others. That was the plan. Despite that, it was hard for her to stop the shivers that crept up her body once she confirmed they were alone.
The soldiers parted, and from the night behind them appeared a towering figure with a golden mask over his face, depicting an enraged demon. His black leather clothing highlighted his massive, muscular thighs and defined biceps. This was Presiyan’s traitor – the one now leading the Tribunal.
Mikhail scowled at him, and the air grew thick with a threatening energy.
“Do you have them?” The man hissed through the gap in his mask.
Amelia raised her hand, showcasing the pocket watch, and pointed to the necklace around her neck with the other. He nodded and motioned for them to follow.
They walked on foot through the forest, her heart pounding faster with each step. She was torn between the urge to ambush the man from behind and tear him apart with her necrosis and the longing to escape.
And just when she least expected it, a soft touch against her fingers. Mikhail had closed the gap between them and touched her for a second. “I’ve got your back,” he said.
She glanced sideways at him, her heart twisting because he was the Lonely Prince she’d dreamt of since childhood. At that moment, she hated that she hadn’t met him years earlier, before he’d gone through everything that prevented him fromseeingher. She hated the ring that had silenced the demons of his past and given her false hope. She hated that when he’d regained his memories, he’d called her a “responsibility.” And most of all, she hated that she was walking to what felt like certain death, and her only regret was losing Mikhail.
Something stirred in the night, and the invisible hairs on her body bristled. She focused on the living beings blocking the way. A lineup of secondary forms – vampires, lycanthropes, and manticores. A pack of enraged eyes, gleaming teeth, and sharp claws. She’d never seen so many transformed creatures in one place. It wasn’t unexpected – Presiyan had extracted information that they would be ‘welcomed’ by agents from the New Generation. Still, her mouth went dry at the sight.
“Good evening, recruits!” Mikhail shouted.
They responded with a growl.
“Watch out, Korovin!” the man with the mask warned. “The boys are eager to try out their new forms. Don’t let them make a meal out of you.”
Amelia tried to gauge how far the living chain stretched, but it seemed as if the entire forest was teeming with glowing eyes.
The man with the mask signalled for the agents to step back and extended his hand to Amelia. “Come on, Oracle.”
“She’s not going anywhere without me,” Mikhail said.
“My orders are clear. From here on out, she’s on her own.”
“Not until I’m sure the creatures in the Hospital are alive.”
