Passion of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 5) by Bella Klaus (best motivational books txt) 📗

of them rushed ahead of me and opened the door, letting in a blast of cold air and the sound of distant traffic.

“Good night, Miss,” said the taller of the doormen. “We hope you enjoyed your stay.”

“Thanks.” I tried to smile, but couldn’t muster up the energy.

It was dark outside, with only the moonlight reflecting off the moat providing illumination. I crossed the drawbridge, hoping Nut and Geb were close, and stepped out into the cobbled alley that led into a dark archway beneath Putney Bridge.

Headlights glowed on my right, and the sound of a car door opening turned my attention away from the dark. A black limousine awaited on a side street, complete with a female chauffeur wearing a white shirt, black tie, a pencil skirt and leather gloves.

My steps faltered. Valentine didn’t mention arranging transportation.

“Miss Griffin?” The chauffeur saluted and opened one of the side doors. “His Majesty requested that I transport you back to Logris.”

A warm hand landed on my shoulder, urging me to continue to the car. The driver stepped back and swept her arm toward the open door.

“Thanks.” I stepped into a pristine white interior and settled into its leather seat. Its roof was transparent, displaying the night sky. In front of me was a fully stocked bar, filled with crystal decanters and matching glasses.

Just as the seat next to me dipped, the driver shut the door, hurried around to the other side of the vehicle, and settled into the front section.

My stomach rumbled, and I clutched my belly, wondering if Valentine would be alright since he hadn’t taken any of my blood. I leaned forward, looking for snacks, but a low hum from the divider caught my attention.

The chauffeur glanced at me over her shoulder and grinned. “Help yourself to champagne, spirits, or soft drinks. If you don’t find anything you fancy, I can nip into Koffie and fetch you a takeaway.”

I turned my gaze back to the bar. “Is there anything to eat?”

“His Majesty said not to spoil your appetite.” She turned back toward the front and raised the divider.

My brow creased. Valentine had offered to order me anything from Koffie’s menu. “Who did?”

The car pulled out from the roadside, and the locking mechanisms clicked into place. “The Demon King.”

I curled my hands into fists and snarled. How could I have walked into that one?

Chapter Seventeen

I lurched at the door and pulled at the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. There was a red button at the base of the tinted window, but pressing it did absolutely nothing. Bloody hell. I came from a supernatural city ruled by seven monarchs. I should never have assumed that His Majesty referred to Valentine.

The taxi sped through the backstreets of London, a blur of streetlights and the River Thames reflecting the moon. I wasn’t sure how this driver was managing to keep to the waterfront, when it consisted mostly of narrow walkways and pedestrian areas.

A snarl tore from my throat. The answer was magic. Something I needed to employ if I was going to get out of this limousine before it reached its destination.

“Nut,” I whispered. “Geb?”

A comforting hand landed on my shoulder.

“How do we get out of this?”

Neither of them answered, and the hand on my shoulder slid away.

My throat dried. Their silence could mean anything. Neither of them spoke English or Latin or Ancient Greek, so they probably couldn’t communicate their plan. I sat back in the plush seat, glancing from side to side across the expanse of white leather. If I could understand their body language, I’d know how they intended to help me get out of this mess.

“Show yourselves,” I said. That was how Valentine had gotten them to remove their invisibility, wasn’t it?

They didn’t.

Annoyance tightened my skin, and I ground my teeth. Great. Now I was stuck in a limousine, hurtling its way to the Demon King with two demons who had just eaten Jonathan’s body parts and weren’t following my instructions.

“Aren’t you supposed to be protecting me?” I hissed.

Neither of them so much as grunted in the affirmative.

My blood simmered. Bugger waiting around to be rescued. It looked like I was on my own. My gaze darted around the vehicle’s interior, looking for some kind of control panel. Valentine never bothered with them because he always employed vampire drivers who could hear him through the partition.

“Excuse me?” I said to the front of the vehicle.

The driver didn’t respond.

I shuffled across the leather seat toward the partition that separated my section from the driver’s and rapped on the metal blind.

“Hey, I know you can hear me,” I snapped.

The partition lowered a few inches, giving me a glimpse of the driver’s flat-top cap and amber eyes staring at me through the rearview mirror. “Is there anything I can get you, Miss Griffin?”

“Yeah, you can get me out,” I said, injecting my voice with steel.

“That’s impossible.” Her pupils narrowed into cat-like slits. “Once I have collected my passenger, I must transport them to their destination.”

Something in the way the woman said those words reminded me of ancient tales of boatmen transporting people across rivers of the dead. The air cooled, leaving my skin pricking with goosebumps, and every drop of moisture left my throat.

This was no ordinary driver—she was nothing like Benny from Überwald or even like Namara the imp. Whatever lurked beneath that pretty exterior was ancient.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“The Supernatural Council building. I’m sorry I cannot stop until I transport you to your destination.” She raised the partition, encasing me in an eerie silence.

I slammed my fist against it, but the driver continued up a ramp that led to Lower Richmond Road. My breath came in shallow pants, and sweat beaded on my brow. If I didn’t calm down, I would reach the Supernatural Council half-dead and unable to protect myself from whatever waited for me at the other end.

Drawing oxygen deep within my lungs, I leaned back in the seat and forced myself to stay calm.