Bonds of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 7) by Bella Klaus (reading e books .txt) 📕

“He propositioned me while you were undercover at Kresnik’s lair.” Beowulf narrowed his eyes. “Did you really infiltrate that bastard’s organization?”

The Shifter King had to be talking about the time Hades and I had escaped from the Flame, when Prince Draconius had gone around to the Council of Ministers, trying to gather allies.

“It’s a long, tedious story that I would share with you over several drinks.”

“And there’ll be no getting drunk until you’re satisfied Kresnik is dead and gone?”

“Exactly.”

I straightened and pulled my shoulders back, now alert in the presence of another monarch who didn’t believe that Kresnik was secure behind the ninety-nine wards.

“What’s the plan?” Beowulf asked.

Valentine tilted his head down toward me. “You’re acquainted with Mera?”

The Shifter King’s amber eyes fixed on mine, and he stared down at me with a frown. “Of course.”

Silence stretched out for a few heartbeats, with both kings staring down at me until realization hit me upside the head. They were waiting for me to speak.

Heat bloomed across my cheeks. “I need some help to kidnap someone before Prince Draconius starts moving against Valentine’s throne again.”

“Who?” asked the Shifter King.

“My ward,” said Valentine. “As a pureblooded vampire, he automatically qualifies to become a king. Uncle Draconius will push the boy to the throne and use his youth and inexperience as an excuse to become the regent of Lamia.”

Beowulf’s nostrils flared. “In other words, he’s a scheming dick.”

“Crude but blisteringly accurate,” said Valentine.

The Shifter King nodded. “Anything else?”

“I need to hire the best Masters of Wards in Logris,” I said.

“Try Hasp and Locke,” Valentine said. “If they’re not available, Master Rincebreed may help.”

The Shifter King strode to the door. “Abduct the boy from the palace and bring the locksmiths to the prison. Consider it done.”

I rushed after him. “Take me with you.”

Beowulf’s brows rose, and his gaze flicked to Valentine, who stood in the middle of the room, not following.

“It makes no sense for us both to be confined in this prison with Uncle Draconius plotting against me,” Valentine said with a sigh.

The Shifter King grunted and opened the door.

I rushed back into Valentine’s arms and pressed a kiss on his cheek. “As soon as I’ve hidden Kain and employed the Ward Masters, I’ll be back.”

Valentine reached into his pocket and pulled out a black card. “Use this to buy anything you need.”

The corners of my lips curled into a smile. “Anything?”

“There’s no limit.” He leaned down, his lips descending on mine with a kiss that made my heart stutter and sent a rush of heat flooding down to my core. “Hurry back.”

My throat dried. With that sort of motivation, I planned on returning to see what else he could do with that talented mouth. On legs that trembled with anticipation of jail sex, I hurried to the door and waved Valentine goodbye.

A quartet of enforcers stood in the hallway and bowed to the Shifter King as he strode past.

“King Valentine is placing a lot of trust in you,” he muttered.

“I’m his mate. Anything I do will be for our benefit.”

He snorted. “I’m sure you’ll try your best.”

“Do you think I’m weak?”

“I’ve seen bigger and better hamster shifters,” he said with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes. How old was this guy? Shifters aged just as slowly as witches and wizards, but something about Beowulf reminded me of the kinds of guys obsessed with sports and physical prowess at the academy. Supernatural children tended to form factions, depending on their type of power. Vampires, whose strength didn’t set in until their fangs had dropped, spent time with the witches and wizards from the wealthier families or demon hybrids from powerful pedigrees or the occasional faerie who lowered themselves to leave Elphame.

Shifters were big, bold, brawny and boastful. They dominated sports, physical classes, and the hallways with their boisterousness and athleticism. One would think that they would be bullies, but they merely considered anyone weaker than them beneath their notice. The worst I might have gotten from a shifter was a hard shove and to be told to get out of the way, but they weren’t vicious like the vampires and their sycophants.

Beowulf looked like a man in his late twenties, and something about the way he swaggered suggested he wasn’t much older.

We reached the end of the hallway, where a heavy metal door glowed with magic that said No Entry. After he pressed a palm on its surface, its mechanism clicked, and it swung open to reveal a parking lot large enough to house a dozen vehicles.

My gaze caught a pale figure sitting in the front seat of a limousine. She leaned forward, raised a hand, and waved. I nodded at Karen, or was it Kharon, hoping she was waiting for Hades and not me.

The Shifter King flicked his head to the side. “After you.”

“Thanks.” I stepped into the parking lot, marveling at the array of vehicles. A Bentley stood parked beside Hades’ limousine, along with the old-fashioned Mercedes Benz from the Hangover movie. In the front seat of each vehicle sat a driver, clad in a uniform that represented their monarch.

“Which one is yours?” I asked as I passed a white-haired man wearing celestial blue.

“Right at the end.” Beowulf pointed at an oversized chrome motorcycle. “Have you ridden on the back of one of those before?”

I shook my head, following him on numb legs as he strode over to the monstrosity, extracted a helmet from a compartment within its back seat, and tossed it like a football.

“Is this safe?” I asked.

He straddled his bike and swept his gaze down the length of my cloak. “If that’s a reaper uniform, then you have more protection than you need for a bike ride across town.”

“Right.”

He started the engine, revving it up to a volume that rolled a rapid beat across my eardrums. My heart thundered with a mix of terror and exhilaration, and my breaths turned shallow. Riding on the back of a motorbike couldn’t be any worse than being flown