Thrall of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 4) by Bella Klaus (elon musk reading list .txt) 📕

breaths dried up the moisture from my throat, making me gulp. This power belonged to the twins, who could bend the light to make themselves and others appear invisible. Even though my brain knew the illusion was designed to intimidate, the incessant clatter of my heart against my ribs said it was working just fine.

“Did you say something, Hemera?” he asked in a voice like molten lava.

I stared ahead, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around my plummeting middle.

Valentine’s magic curled tighter around my body, warning me to stop this act of defiance… or else. It was too late to back down, especially when nobody else in the room would speak up for these dying innocents. Valentine wouldn’t because Kresnik had taken over the magic that coursed through his blood; Healer Calla was his daughter and clearly raised to obey his every command; and Coral was too much of a survivor to risk her life for something futile.

The twelve or so injured fire users were too sick to protest. I was the only person who could help them.

I licked my lips, cleared my throat, tried to muster up a combination of words that might save these poor people while not getting me killed for my insolence.

“What did we do while Father Jude was in charge?” My voice trembled as the heat of his glower penetrated Valentine’s smoke. “I just meant to say Healer Calla might have some alternative methods for healing these people. I don’t understand why we can’t just use magical medicine.”

“You’re questioning me?” Kresnik drawled.

Valentine growled, making my insides clench.

“Just asking a question,” I squeaked.

“I see,” he said in a tone that implied that he’d already found me guilty of heresy and had sentenced me to death. My execution was only a matter of time.

Silence stretched out across the infirmary, punctuated by the boom and echo of my pulse. Everybody remained still with the only movement coming from a girl further down in the line of injured people who had started to convulse.

“They weren’t strong enough to protect the children I wished to save from the Council’s tyranny. Vampire blood will overcome their weaknesses to help them bring a new level of freedom to our family. Does that help you understand my methods, Hemera?”

Valentine’s magic tightened around my body, and his warning growl muffled the beat of my pulse. I worried at my bottom lip with my teeth. Everyone in the room knew these people were weak because Kresnik took their magic. Pointing that out now would likely accelerate my death.

“My Lord,” said Valentine. “Allow me to remove Mera from your presence.”

“No,” Kresnik replied through clenched teeth. “You have coddled Hemera for long enough. She will remain and make herself a useful member of my army.”

I reeled forward, struggling for breath. What part of being an unwilling blood cow, secured to a bed under the influence of thrall, constituted being coddled? Kresnik had already sentenced me to a slow death by ridding Valentine of the blood packs that might take the edge off his thirst. What did he want from me now, to lie on the ground and let Healer Calla inject me with vampire blood?

My lips pressed into a thin line. Nothing I could say would make Kresnik change his mind. The man had spent decades, if not longer, planning out his rise to power. Now that he might suspect I was the reason his phoenix magic was waning, I couldn’t afford to run my mouth.

“Hemera.” A jab of magic stabbed at my solar plexus, making me flinch.

“Yes?” I whispered.

“Prove your loyalty to our cause.” He swept his arm across the dead and dying warriors. “Bring forth our first preternatural lieutenant.”

My hand flew to my chest. “Me?”

Healer Calla emerged from behind the counter with a small bottle of blood. Steam curled from its glass base, indicating that it had been magically refrigerated. She bustled to my side, holding out a syringe.

“Here you are, dear,” she said, her tone warm and encouraging.

Palpitations squeezed my heart. How could I condemn someone to becoming a preternatural vampire, a creature that required the blood of at least one human a day to survive? I still had no idea what happened to their souls if their hearts were contained within a dead body that had to murder others to stay alive.

I shook my head and curled my hands into fists.

“My Lord,” Valentine said in a voice of steel. “Mera is my property—”

“Then perhaps you should have taught her better,” Kresnik hissed.

With a low growl, Valentine advanced on Kresnik, breathing hard even though he didn’t need oxygen. His eyes glowed like stoplights and he bared his teeth.

Kresnik’s lips curled into a smirk. Without looking at Valentine, he asked, “Are you questioning my authority, General Sargon?”

“Mera is mine,” Valentine snarled. “You gave her to me.”

Kresnik didn’t even bother to turn his body around to face Valentine, who shook with rage. He merely stared at the vampire out of the corner of his eyes as though he wasn’t a threat. Valentine might maintain an element of free will in his desire to protect me, but it looked like Kresnik’s magic stopped Valentine from attacking.

Valentine’s warning growl grew in volume until it resonated with my insides. My stubbornness would get us both maimed or killed or further enslaved. And these people would still end up as preternatural vampires.

My gaze darted to Kresnik, whose eyes were still fixed on mine. It was as though he was too powerful to acknowledge the vampire raging at his back. He might be low on phoenix fire, but he still had Jonathan’s black flames, Coral’s vast reserves of power, and everyone else’s magic. With one blast, Kresnik could destroy Valentine’s body in an instant.

Bile rose to the back of my throat as I mustered up the words, “Did you say I had to make one vampire, Father?”

He inclined his head and swept his gaze to the side.

Healer Calla offered me the syringe, and this time, I took it.

Valentine’s growl receded