Page 66 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts
Amelia’s unease grew with every word.
“They told me that Callan transformed from a mummy into a living being. Alex has been helping him recover his strength by bringing him blood from the Hospital supplies. Apparently, that’s how he recovers.”
So, he really did drink blood. “Viktor, he can’t be trusted. He drankmyblood!” Amelia clutched her neck, her entire body tensing.
“I swear I had no idea he’d do that.” Viktor spread his hands, his expression pained. “The plan was just to settle here and find a way to get you out of Antambazi. I didn’t know if you were with the Queen willingly or under duress, but regardless, we couldn’t leave you there.”
Amelia gritted her teeth. Of course – Callan wouldn’t like her siding with the reptilians. Hadn’t the Queen warned her that he’d want the Sacreds for himself?
“We had barely arrived when Callan left to assess the situation around Antambazi. He hoped the disturbances at the Hospital would keep the Queen there longer, giving him a chance to infiltrate the realm... Then he returned with you and Mikhail, having found you after the crash.”
Afterstepping intothe path of their car.
“He said he’s too weak at the moment to confront the Queen, but he’s trying to boost his strength,” Viktor added.
The Sacreds.Amelia’s pulse raced, panic filling her lungs.He’ll go after the necklace. And the net…She glanced at her barearm.
“Amelia.Amelia.”
Taking a deep breath, she met Viktor’s concerned expression. “Did… Did Callan say how he’s doing that?”
Viktor grimaced. “Your blood. It seems it’s potent enough to restore him. I didn’t realise he planned to drink from you until I saw the wound on your neck. And the change in him.”
Relief filled her, even as bitterness surged in her throat. He hadn’t just drunk her blood… He had survived because of it.
But why her blood? Was it because of her abilities as the Oracle?
She barely held back the urge to run that very instant.
“Where is he now?”
“He went to retrieve a pocket watch. Said it was important…”
She’d heard enough. She shot to her feet and bolted towards Mikhail’s room.
Not for a second did she believe her blood alone would suffice for Callan. No. He did plan toboosthis strength, and his only way of doing so was with the Sacreds. He would force her to search for them on his behalf. But to get them to work for him, he’d have to sever the bond between each Sacred and its owner. Which meant Mikhail…
Mikhail is in grave danger. And so am I.
The firstborn might have deceived Viktor and Alex, but she wouldn’t wait to be violated by him to confirm his untrustworthiness.
***
Viktor
Since waking from the sedative, Viktor had found no peace. The knot in his stomach tightened with each passing day, and his mind kept replaying fragments of the ordeal. One moment, aravenous hunger for blood had blotted out all thought, and the next, he was disoriented, led like a dog on a leash. The lingering effects of the drugs had left him helpless – unable to resist or affect anything that had transpired.
He wasn’t angry at Alex for sedating him. His fury was directed inward, a visceral disgust with himself. He was supposed to be the adult, the parent – the one responsible for protecting the weaker ones. Instead, he hadn’t just failed to maintain control but had also endangered Alex. If the guards had caught her harbouring him, they would have killed her.
And then there was the matter of Alex’s link to the firstborn. Viktor had been so absorbed in his own internal battles that he’d missed something as critical as her connection with Callan. She had stolen blood for this man. Yet another danger that could have cost her her life.
Viktor buried his fingers in his hair, gathering the strength to rise. They said the inner spirit was the source of an immortal creature’s power, but over the centuries, the wolf within his soul had started to feel more like a curse than a blessing.
26
Mikhail
Two hundred years of relentless effort to sustain the immortal species. A life devoted to giving his energy and time, expecting nothing in return.
