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

“Come in,” I shouted.

A pair of tall women stepped into the room, their gazes surveying the cat trees taking up the walls. Each wore the kind of crystal necklace that I’d seen on Healer Hadriel, and they filled the room with the scent of ozone.

I straightened, my brows furrowing. Were these angel hybrids here to see me?

“My Lady,” said a footman from behind them. “Mistresses Maroth, the ward masters employed by King Beowulf at your request.”

I glanced from one to the other, taking in their features. The woman on the left had a round face and a button nose that appeared out of place with her hard eyes. She looked nothing like her companion, whose narrow features and thin lips made her appear more like a wraith. Perhaps they were a married couple.

“We couldn’t find you in the Shifter King’s office,” said the one on the left.

“It was most inconvenient, you know.” The one on the right tossed her head.

“Sorry.” I gestured at the table. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

The woman on the right’s nostrils flared. “We don’t drink on the job.”

“Why did you summon us at such a perilous time?” asked the round-faced woman. “We tried to cancel, but the Shifter King swore to throw us in prison if we didn’t make this appointment.”

“I’d like to know if it’s possible to trap a soul in a container so that it will never escape.”

The thinner woman tilted her head to the side and frowned. “That depends on if you’re planning to stop a murder victim from giving evidence against you in a court of law.”

I flinched at the suggestion. “Of course not.”

“Then why would you want to stop a soul from reaching its ultimate resting place?”

“What if the soul belonged to an immortal who kept rising from Hell, no matter what people did to kill him?” I asked.

The women exchanged glances.

“She’s trying to banish Kresnik,” said the one with the round face.

“No wonder His Majesty threatened us with imprisonment if we missed this appointment,” muttered her partner.

The round-faced woman turned to me, her features softening. “I am Ariel Maroth and this is my partner, Mabel.”

Mabel inclined her head. “I would like the cup of tea if the offer still stands.”

A squeaky trolley approached from the direction of the door, pushed by Mrs. Meg. “Tea’s up.”

The old faerie floated away the breakfast things and replaced them with a silver tea set, complete with a round teapot and a larger one for hot water, and three racks of toast with butter and assorted marmalade.

Mabel served us all an herbal blend, and the two women nibbled on their toast, staring into each other’s eyes as though communicating in silence. I glanced down at Macavity, who raised his front paw in a feline shrug.

“So…” I said. “What do you think?”

“Please give us a few more moments to think through your proposal,” Ariel said.

I took a slice of toast from the rack, slathered it in butter, and added a generous serving of lime marmalade. Its sharp taste chased away the last vestiges of sleep, and I sat straighter in my seat and took a sip of Lady Grey tea. The citrusy blend filled my senses and washed down my sweet mouthful of toast.

The two women continued conversing in silence as I finished my toast. By the time I reached for slice number three, Mabel downed the rest of her tea and turned to me with her hands clasped.

“We could construct a non-conducting vessel that contained a heart and prevented the soul inside from ever leaving,” she said.

Ariel reached for another slice of toast and took a large bite. “We can also create the physical wards to render such a vessel impervious to magical attacks, natural corrosion, or the passage of time.”

Something in their tone of voice suggested that it still wouldn’t work. I leaned across the table and frowned. “But?”

“How do you know that Kresnik’s soul resides in his heart?” asked Ariel.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Is he a high demon, a mage, or a shifter?” Mabel spread her arms wide. “Nobody really knows.”

My brows drew together. “Does that make a difference?”

“The souls of higher supernaturals are tethered to all parts of their bodies—not just the heart,” said Mabel.

“Kresnik isn’t any of those,” I murmured. It shouldn’t have taken two ward masters to remind me of this fact. When Hades was an ash cloud, his soul had been tethered to his remains, even without a heart. “He’s an old god who is reunited with his immortal body.”

They both stared at me with bulging eyes, their mouths hanging open.

I dropped my gaze to my teacup and squirmed. Kresnik would have been so much easier to kill if we’d dealt with him while he was still in Father Jude’s body. I still wasn’t a hundred percent sure of what he’d done in the Realm of the Gods, and how that might bite us in the asses later.

“Are you sure?” asked Ariel. “We saw the clips of him on the Supernet and figured he was a fire mage who could manipulate light.”

“Or a very resourceful demon,” added Mabel.

“Have you heard of Prometheus?” I asked.

“Impossible.” Ariel shook her head and reached for her empty toast rack.

Mabel pushed her toast rack across the table toward Ariel. “Prometheus disappeared after Heracles freed him from the rock.”

“It’s him.” I squared my shoulders, looking first Ariel in the eye and then Mabel. “He showed me a vision from the time he was imprisoned and took me to the Realm of the Gods—”

“But—”

“I also met his brother, Epimetheus, and the eagle that ate his liver. And the Demon King also verified his identity.”

The two women sagged in their seats.

“Perhaps the armies of heaven can battle against the might of an immortal Titan, but little can be done with a pair of second-level ward masters and a phoenix.”

My temples throbbed to the beat of my pulse. I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose. Macavity