Bonds of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 7) by Bella Klaus (romantic books to read TXT) 📗

Sarah remained on the stage, her fiery illusion frozen. The camera zoomed in to capture her open-beaked expression of shock, but the woman’s eyes darted from side to side with the kind of desperation that told me she was trying to break free from an enchantment.

The pulse between my ears thudded louder than the commotion of knocked-over microphones broadcasted across the speakers. What was he going to do to that woman?

People in black leather jackets invaded the studio, pointing guns at the ifrit advancing on the fake phoenix.

“Are those what enforcers look like to humans?” Kain asked in a small voice.

“Their magic must work on recording equipment,” I muttered.

Pools of lava snaked out from beneath Kresnik’s feet toward the enforcers, who stepped out of the camera’s frame. He raised his hands, filling the speakers with the pop and sizzle of searing meat.

“He killed them,” Kain whispered.

My stomach roiled with anxiety, a boiling, bubbling sensation that made me want to hurl. Sarah’s legs and wings thrashed from where she was stuck against the pole, but who knew if that was the enchantment or her flailing limbs.

“You.” Kresnik pointed at someone off camera. “Red lips. Come to me, or everyone here will face the wrath of your god.”

She stumbled into the frame, looking like a reluctant lamb painted and primped for sacrifice. “This is Annie Chong from BBC Score.”

He placed his balled fists on his hips. “Interview me.”

The presenter gaped.

“Now,” he growled.

As if self-preservation had slotted into place, Annie straightened. “Viewers at home,” she said in a trembling voice. “We have an exciting development in our quest to find the fire angel and her rider.”

“Wrong,” said Kresnik.

She flinched. “I beg your pardon?”

“You have found God.”

“And your name is?” she rasped.

“I am.”

Annie leaned forward, her eyes wide. “You are…”

“Do not test me,” Kresnik growled.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“It’s something we learned in RE—the story of Moses and the burning bush.” Kain paused long enough for me to remember he was talking about his human school’s Religious Education class. “God. Lots of cultures believe there’s only one god, and He used that phrasing to introduce himself.”

I nodded, having seen the classic movie starring Charlton Heston as Moses. “Kresnik’s pretending to be Him.”

“England is C of E, so yeah.”

“C of?” I asked.

“Church of England.” He glanced at me and frowned. “King Henry the Eighth broke off from the Catholic Church because the pope wouldn’t grant him a divorce to marry his mistress.”

Any other time, I would have asked more questions about the king who set up his own church. I might also have asked why he didn’t just keep the woman as a mistress like most nobles did instead of setting up a whole entire religion, but Kresnik was talking, and I had to listen.

“People of Great Britain and beyond, you may call me Father and My Lord, for I am your creator. It was I who made you all from clay.”

“That’s a bold claim.” The woman’s face fell as though she couldn’t believe she’d just challenged a lunatic.

Gasps filled the speakers. My stomach plummeted into the wood floor, and my own features mirrored her expression. Kresnik would strike her down for heresy or some other term to describe her contradiction, such as blasphemy.

“That’s alright.” Kresnik raised his flaming palms. “The lady is entitled to ask questions on behalf of the viewing public.”

I could barely understand what he said next. It was old English, but he was reciting some sort of religious scripture that made no sense to anyone but himself. Annie gaped at Kresnik, her body drifting toward the edge of the camera’s frame, but he beckoned her closer.

“You have questions for me?” he asked.

She glanced over her shoulder at someone off-camera then turned back to Kresnik. “Why have you come?”

“Because enemies are nigh,” he said in a voice that echoed across the speakers. “Monsters and demons who wish to destroy everything I have created, including humankind.”

I leaned forward, my mouth falling open. Was he trying to stir up trouble against the Supernatural World?

Annie cleared her throat and dipped her head toward the studio floor.

“You have a question,” he said.

She shook her head. “I’ll get struck down.”

“Speak.”

The presenter flinched. “Some of the viewers—not me, but some of the more skeptical out there—well, they might think…”

Kresnik leaned forward, making her shrink back. Wet stains expanded from beneath her armpits, one of the perils of spending too much time around ifrits. “If you don’t ask me now, I will select another prophet.”

“Alright then.” She licked her lips. “Some might say you’re the devil himself.”

Kresnik threw his head back and laughed, the sound making every fine hair on the back of my neck stand on end. “He’s going to kill her.”

“I’ll bet he won’t,” Kain muttered. “It’s one thing to attack people holding guns at your head but another to attack her for simply asking a question. He looks like the kind of psycho who wants everyone to love him.”

“You want to see a demon?” He stepped back, sweeping his arm toward the fake phoenix still stuck against the pole. “Here’s your demon. Show my children your true face.”

Sarah’s enchantment fell away, revealing a terrified woman in a strapless top and booty shorts.

“Your true face,” Kresnik barked.

“But she’s a light mage,” Kain whispered under his breath.

“I think he wants her to create another illusion to scare the humans,” I said.

Sarah closed her eyes and transformed into a succubus with red wings and horns that curled back from her face. As demons went, succubi and incubi just looked like extremely attractive humans wearing cosplay.

“I will ask you once again or smite you where you stand. Show my children your true demonic form.”

“He wants them to be scared,” said Kain.

I shook my head. “As soon as he kills her, everyone will look at him like a savior.”

Kane rolled his eyes. “What a complete bastard.”

“The Council should have caught up with him by now,” I said. “Where are the Demon and Angel Kings