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

for me to crumble. I wouldn’t. I didn’t suffer through the Flame, my fiendish father, and a feral fiancé to let our story end with these supernaturals punishing him for imagined misdemeanors because of something King Antonius had done under the influence of Kresnik.

The pounding of my heart became the only sound in the room. That, and the roiling of my stomach. The silence continued, mounted, until the pressure against my chest became too much to bear. Someone had to speak first, and it wouldn’t be me.

“Mera.” The Witch Queen gazed at me through eyes that shone with compassion. “It’s not customary for commoners to have audiences with the Supernatural Council, and challenging us isn’t the wisest course of action.”

I raised my chin. “Someone has to advocate for Valentine, considering he wasn’t allowed the courtesy of attending his own vote of no confidence.”

“You make a valid point,” said the Angel King. “I will agree to waive all suspicions over King Valentine if he defeats Kresnik.”

“What?” Hades’ eyes bulged.

My lips tightened. How typical of Hades to object to any attempt to exonerate Valentine.

The Angel King sighed. “Perhaps we need their fresh perspective. Kresnik has clearly learned to overcome our former methods of warfare.”

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, refraining from asking them which methods they had employed. From where I stood, it looked like they’d just erected a few useless wards and sent out enforcers to get killed.

The Angel King unrolled a scroll from thin air. “I’ve simplified your wording. This document exonerates King Valentine of all suspicion provided that you, he, or your associates incapacitate, destroy, or kill Kresnik. In addition, Prince Draconius will leave Logris and never return.”

“May I read it?” I asked.

He beckoned me closer.

I walked to the table, expecting to read sentences of legalese in an archaic script, only to find those exact words in English. “That’s fine. Thank you.”

The Angel King pulled out a fountain pen and signed his name in blood. After waving a hand over the signature to dry it, he pushed the scroll to the Witch Queen, who also signed. The Fae King hesitated before signing, and Beowulf signed without being prompted.

Everyone turned to Hades, who stood a few feet away from the table with his jaw clenched.

I held my breath, waiting for Hades to suggest that I become his property if I failed to kill Kresnik, but he strode to the scroll and signed his name with a flourish. He handed the fountain pen to Prince Draconius, who also signed.

“Thank you,” I said with a long relieved breath. “Could someone direct me to Valentine’s cell, please?”

Hades tilted his head to the side and grinned. “Another conjugal visit, Miss Griffin?”

“No. We’re going to—”

He held up a finger. “We didn’t grant King Valentine early release.”

My mouth dropped open. “But…”

Hades’ eyes glittered with mirth. “If he wants to destroy Kresnik, he must do so from the confines of his cell.”

Chapter Fourteen

My breath caught, and I stepped back from the table, trying to stay upright. Thoughts whirled through my mind. Had I just damaged Valentine’s chances of ever getting free? No. Had I condemned him in any way? No. Then what had I done?

The Council’s meeting room became too hot, too bright, too crowded, even though four of the seats were empty. My gaze darted to the left, where Beowulf stood on the other side of the table, his thick brows furrowed at his colleagues’ antics. It looked like I wasn’t the only one trying to puzzle through what had just happened.

I shook my head, trying to dislodge my confused thoughts. “What was the point of everyone signing that contract if you intended to keep him behind bars?”

The Angel King rose from his seat, staring down at me like I was little more than a child. “It’s admirable that you want to help your fiancé, but how well do you really know him and his intentions?”

“Better than you,” I snapped. “Valentine doesn’t send out enforcers to get killed while he watches from behind a screen. He’s out there, risking his life and battling with everyone else.”

The Fae King chuckled from two seats down the table. “If you think the Vampire King is a valiant warrior and not a pawn of Kresnik, I’m sure he’ll earn his own exoneration.”

I glanced at the Witch Queen, looking at her for help, but she stared back at me through pitying eyes before dipping her head to obscure her face with a curtain of white hair. None of them ever intended for Valentine to prove himself—they’d been humoring me all along. Or trying to make a point that no matter how hard I tried, the Council always won.

Bitterness rose to the back of my throat, and it took all my effort to choke it down. It was no wonder Kresnik wanted to destroy these people. They were useless relics, only good for sitting on their asses, bossing people around and sending them to their deaths.

I clenched my teeth, holding back a retort, and snatched the scroll off the table. The screen on the tabletop still streamed Kresnik standing in what was now a room crammed with admiring followers.

My skin tightened. The Supernatural Council couldn’t even erect wards to keep all those humans out of the television studio.

“Thanks for nothing.” I turned on my heel and headed to the exit. It was time to visit Valentine and tell him what had happened.

Corporal Penumbra straightened at the door, her eyes wide. Her hands hovered at the handle, ready to pull it open.

“Could you direct me to King Valentine’s cell?” I asked.

“One of the enforcers guarding the door on the other side will escort you, Miss Griffin.” There was a friendliness in her voice I hadn’t expected, and her eyes shone with an emotion that bordered on respect.

I turned to Captain Zella, who stood by the mirror and gave me an approving nod. Some of the bitterness coating my tongue faded at the acceptance in her eyes. It looked