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

complete, they demand immediate payment of your internal organs.”

I opened my eyes. “Come to the Lamia Palace with me, and I’ll get your money.”

The larger woman’s shoulders sagged as though she’d looked forward to eating my organs. With a sharp nod, she clapped a large hand on her brother’s back, making him straighten away from Namara.

Nut dragged me toward the exit.

“Miss Griffin?” said Hades.

Hope sprang in my chest. I glanced over my shoulder to meet his twinkling eyes. Was he going to pay my debt? Get these demonic bodyguards off my back in exchange for another dinner? Whatever he wanted to save me from getting devoured, I was willing to negotiate.

“Yes?” I replied.

“When your soul finally reaches me in Hell, I will strip out your phoenix and discard the rest.”

The words sent a spike of fear through my insides. The sins I had committed were bad enough to condemn my soul to Hell. I had murdered the Mage King and had stood silent while Kresnik killed others. Even so, I held my features still, not daring to give him an ounce of satisfaction.

“You know what?” I said.

“Enlighten me,” he drawled.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

His smug expression faded, replaced by a harder emotion I didn’t stick around to analyze. I wasn’t going to beg Hades for his mercy or his help.

Turning back to Nut, I said, “Let’s go to the palace and get you that gold.”

Nut, Geb, and I ended up catching an Überwald from outside the Supernatural Council building. Instead of taking the front passenger seat like Geb did the time we’d first met, he sat in the back with his sister, leaving me in the center like the filling in a demon sandwich.

I wrapped my arms around my middle, trying to replay the conversation I had with the twins that had led to this predicament.

“Why are you two coming after me for payment when Valentine signed your contract?” I nudged Geb in the side. “Let me have a look at that scroll.”

He unrolled it onto my lap, holding it at one end. Nut held down the other end and switched on the back light so I could get a better look. My heart sank. She was always so nice, staying close and giving me reassuring pats on the back. Why did she and her brother seem so eager to eat my organs?

I stared down the document and pointed at Valentine’s signature. “That’s who owes you money. Not me.”

Geb shook his head and grunted.

My lips pressed together in a tight line. I’d spent enough time with Macavity to understand what he meant. “Yes, I know I promised you twice the amount to help me save Valentine, but understand that if he remained dead you would have gotten nothing.”

Nut hissed between her teeth.

The driver chuckled.

“Is there something funny?” I snapped.

“If you’d kept your mouth shut when this Valentine fellow died, his contractual obligation would have died with him,” he said. “Your second offer formed a completely different contract. Now that he’s alive, these two lucky devils get the funds from Valentine plus two times the amount, as per your offer.”

Nut gave the driver a round of applause, letting the contract roll shut.

“You can tell all that from a snippet of conversation?” I asked.

“Demonology 201, isn’t it?” The driver tapped the side of his head. “There’s no need to let your academy education go to waste.”

“Nobody told me,” I snapped.

He raised his broad shoulders. “It was girls like you giggling in the back of Advanced Demonology that caused me to scrape through with a C minus. Serves you bloody right that you missed the lecture on contract promisors and promisees and got yourself into this mess.”

I clenched my teeth, wanting to tell the driver that I hadn’t been allowed in any of the advanced classes, but instead sagged into my seat. What was the point? I’d been desperate to resurrect Valentine and even more desperate not to become entangled with Hades. Valentine was ridiculously rich, and it wasn’t like his vaults were lacking gold.

The cab slowed at the palace gates, where the guards peered through the windows and waved us through. I dabbed my damp hands on my pants, sending out a silent prayer that Caiman could access Valentine’s vaults. Failing that, I hoped one of the princes was around to take pity on Valentine’s soon-to-be-devoured fiancée.

The pristine white building glowed in the light of the moon as the vehicle slowed down the driveway. Even the water spouting from fountains we passed turned silver in the majesty of our surroundings, but I could barely appreciate the view with the threat of Nut and Geb.

“Here we are,” said the driver. “Lamia Palace. Mind how you go.”

One of the footmen rushed down the external steps, opened the door, and bowed. “Good evening, My Lady.”

“Could you find Caiman, please?”

With a nod, he hurried up the steps and through the line of guards securing the door.

Geb stepped out, and Nut wrapped a meaty hand around my bicep, making me freeze. I turned to my former bodyguard and frowned. “It’s not like I can run away.”

“No,” she said in the voice that made the lining of my stomach rumble.

Not bothering to ask for clarification, I scooted across the seat and stepped out with the demoness clamped around me like a vise.

Caiman appeared at the top of the stairs, clad in his usual black jacket, burgundy waistcoat, and a broadsword hanging from his belt. “Nut and Geb?” he asked. “His Majesty informed me that you might return to the palace for payment. Please, follow me.”

The tension melted off my muscles, and I sagged against Nut. Valentine had thought of everything. When the demoness released my bicep and patted me on the head with her large palm, all I could feel was a relief deeper than the ocean. At least now I could focus on finding a way to destroy Kresnik with Valentine behind bars.

The butler led us through a darkened hallway that reminded me