Passion of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 5) by Bella Klaus (read novels website txt) 📕

“Very well.” She leaned forward and pressed a button in the center of the table. “I will assign you to a team of enforcers already familiar with your powers and personality. If you refuse to use your unique power against your own kind, then you will at least offer us your knowledge.”

“What do I get in return?” I folded my arms across my chest.

“Your life,” snarled the Mage King.

The Shifter King grunted his approval.

“You do know what happens to phoenixes when they die?” I tilted my head to the side, my lips curling with disdain.

Silence stretched out for several heartbeats. Now that they thought I was impossible to kill, it might make them even more determined to use me, but I couldn’t let them continue thinking their threats would ever stick. I held my breath, hoping Hades wouldn’t blurt something about separating the ashes to prevent the phoenix from rising.

Hades leaned forward with his fingers steepled. “Tell us what you want, Miss Griffin.”

My heart flipped. This was my big chance to present a demand to the Supernatural Council and actually have them listen. I held up a finger. “First, I want you to stop executing people for possessing fire.”

They all nodded, which made sense, considering they’d finally worked out it was better to keep those people alive than hand them over to Kresnik.

“Secondly, you must release all the packs and clans and covens you’ve currently arrested on suspicion of protecting a fire user.” I swallowed, thinking about Petra, whose magic Kresnik had threatened to extract if I didn’t step forward and offer up my magic. Perhaps one day, she might be reunited with her family.

The Mage King scowled. “These people flouted the law—”

“Do you want me to help you find Kresnik or not?” I asked.

The Council shared awkward glances, but it was the Angel King who waved a hand. “That seems reasonable under the circumstances, but we cannot grant any more requests.”

“The next one isn’t negotiable,” I said, injecting my voice with steel.

“What is it?” he asked with a sigh.

“When Valentine returns to the Supernatural Council, there will be no repercussions or investigations for any misdeeds, real or imagined.”

His brows furrowed. “Our esteemed colleague already told us that King Valentine left Logris to stalk Kresnik.”

All the tension loosened from my chest, allowing me to breathe easy. I had no idea what kind of lies Hades had woven to make Valentine look like he wasn’t under the control of Kresnik, and I wasn’t going to waste any time arguing.

“Alright then.” I placed my hands on my hips, ready to join this team of enforcers. If they could lead me closer to Valentine’s location, I might be able to convince him to hand over his heart for safekeeping.

A knock sounded on the door. I turned in the direction where the elevator used to be and found Captain Zella standing in the hallway.

“You sent for me?” the taller woman asked.

The Witch Queen cleared her throat. “Please take Miss Griffin out in the field and have her show you possible locations for Kresnik’s new stronghold. If you can glean any information on how the fire users ward their properties, report back to us immediately.”

Captain Zella dipped into a low bow, and she swept out her arm, indicating for me to go with her.

As I followed her toward the exit, someone behind me cleared their throat, making us both pause.

“Miss Griffin will work with me on a project to return Kresnik’s stolen powers to their rightful owners. When you have finished your inquiry, please escort her to my office.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Captain Zella said from the hallway.

I bit down on my bottom lip, hoping this wasn’t a ploy of Hades to return me to Hell.

Macavity bumped me on the shoulder, signaling for me to go. He walked at my side on our way out of the meeting room but he paused at the door to let me out first. Perhaps he wanted to watch my back. I shot the leopard a smile and placed an arm on his shoulder. Without his presence today, I might have been intimidated by all those monarchs.

The hallway was a carpeted space with white ceiling tiles that doubled as lights. The nameplates on the doors all sounded celestial, such as Nathanael Aarin and Haziel Temperance, so I guessed we were in the territory of the Angel King.

Captain Zella slowed her steps, allowing me to catch up, and walked on Macavity’s other side.

“What’s really going on?” she asked.

I stared up into her onyx eyes. “What do you mean?”

“In less than a month, you’ve gone from a suspect to the perpetrator of a murder to a woman with three death sentences and a hefty bounty to be captured dead but preferably alive. Now, it looks like the Council sees you as an important source of intel.” Her eyes burned the side of my face, which was a feat, considering she was a shadow mage.

When she put it like that, it did seem peculiar, but so much had happened that it was impossible to compress it in a few sentences.

We continued down the hallway, toward a six-lane escalator that led to the downstairs foyer of the Supernatural Council Building. A quartet of guards I recognized from the night before followed a few paces behind us in silence. I guess they also wanted answers.

Macavity’s bulky form vanished. I paused to pick him up and cradle him to my chest for the escalator ride.

“I’ve spent too much time out of Logris to tell you what’s happening,” I murmured as we descended. “But the house where you found me last night was Kresnik’s hideout until I sliced through the wards.”

“That would explain the huge surge of fire magic that set off every alarm here in Logris.” Captain Zella stared down at me with her arms folded. “Are you sure it was really Kresnik? We’ve had a few impostors over the years, styling themselves as the next Light Lord.”

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling a