Page 67 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts
Nothing but his own salvation.
That night, the Oracle had asked Mikhail:‘Why did you create the Hospital?’
‘To save as many beings as I can.’
‘Are you perhaps trying to save yourself instead?’
‘I’m not afraid of death.’
He had not lied. Death belongs to the grieving. It’s the living who bear its weight.
What he hadn’t admitted, however, was his fear of losing the last fragment of humanity within himself – that essential part which distinguished him from a mere beast. His work at the Hospital had shielded him from the darker recesses of his past.
Now, as the craving for vengeance seeped beneath his skin like an infectious disease, threatening to consume every fibre of his being, the last two centuries of selflessness seemed a cruel delusion. Wounds refused to heal; the all-consuming thirst for retribution eventually re-emerged.
And in this very moment, the hunger for blood surged through him – fierce and unrelenting. He could still feel the hateful grip of the black blindfold, the agonising bite of the shackles, the merciless pull suspending his body. His chest heaved as he gasped for air, despite being free.
He exhaled with a quiet hiss. The Queen had stolen hisHospital and taken his ring, aided by that creature in the neighbouring room.
Pacing the creaky wooden floor, he tried to recall anything about the woman claiming to be his lover. He must have met her before yesterday – perhaps on the day she’d bewitched him. Her command of the southeastern language was flawless, suggesting she had long resided in that part of the world.
He frowned. Despite his sharp senses, he couldn’t identify her as belonging to any particular species. She wasn’t human, either. Whatever creature she was, her deception was undeniable. The illusion she’d woven was exceptional – any other man in his position would have fallen for it.
But she had made a critical error: she hadn’t bothered to research his past. Two hundred years had passed since he had so much as touched a woman, let alone loved one. Valeria had severed the part of his mind capable of romantic attraction. In a manner of speaking, he was emotionally impotent. So how was he meant to believe that this woman had melted the ice around his heart – only for him to forget her just as miraculously? Yet, she’d somehow infiltrated herself into his life, and Mikhail intended to uncover how. Before he could start planning his revenge, he had to remember her and understand how vulnerable he had been with her.
As if the situation weren’t already absurd, Viktor had claimed that their sole ally at present was amummy– a resurrected one, no less – which didn’t cast their circumstances in a more favourable light. Even so, Mikhail found himself with no choice but to hear the man out.
At least Viktor had given him a pair of boots, providing him with something to wear…
The door slammed open, and the fraud burst into the room as if chased by a stampede of horses. “Mikhail, we have to leave! It’s not safe here.”
Threads of silvery light flickered in her brilliant blue irises. Mikhail blinked in surprise. He’d never seen such eyes before – the Oracle’s had come close, but even hers had lacked that stark contrast.
He scowled, reluctant to be impressed by her unusual irises, and focused on her attire: thin straps led to a lace-trimmed neckline and a skirt that reached her mid-thighs. Did she truly believe a bit of exposed skin would be enough to seduce him?
Her face grew pale. “Please, I beg you. Just trust me and come with me.”
Trust her? Go with her?
“Callan wants the ring back. I had a vision of him attacking me. I’m afraid he might harm you because you’re the direct heir to the ring and possibly his rival…”
“I assume you’re talking about the ring I’m waiting for you to return?” Mikhail said incredulously.
She drew a sharp breath. “Yes, I’ll return it – I’ll get it back from the Queen. But we need to leave, now.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, indicating he wasn’t going anywhere. “You’re quite a bold creature, coming to me like this. Don’t you realise that, without Viktor’s pleas, I would’ve already taken your life?”
Once again, silver streaks flashed through her irises. Damn, they were stunning – yet another sign that this woman was steeped in dark magic. She lifted her chin. “Did you really spare me because of Victor?”
Mikhail didn’t respond. He wouldn’t waste his time trying to convince her that she was nothing to him.
But she was unrelenting. “Mikhail, half a year ago, I was human. The Oracle sent you to help me, but you misunderstood her message and abducted me instead. That’s how I learned about the immortal species and the Hospital. You locked me away, not knowing I was about to become the new Oracle. Whenthat happened, I was too angry with you to stay, so I left the Hospital… ?ven then, you were always on my mind.”
She reached out, resting a hand on his tense forearm. “Then the Queen contacted me. She told me to steal the ring you inherited from your father. In retrospect, I see now I only agreed because it gave me an excuse to come back to you. You were searching for me, too, and when you found me, I couldn’t suppress my attraction to you any longer. I couldn’t keep secrets from you either, so it wasn’t long before I told you the truth – that I had returned to steal your ring.”
Her fingers began stroking his arm gently. He glanced down at her pale hand. The touch was pleasant.
“I was afraid that once you found out, you’d never want to see me again, but you forgave me. I’ve never felt freer… For a few days, all was perfect. You told me about your family, your past, the immortals – everything that was on your mind. I listened because you’re the most extraordinary, fascinating man I’ve ever met.”
