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

Kain scooped me up into a tight hug. “Good luck, Mera. If Kresnik or his zombies give you any trouble, burn them to Hell.”

I wrapped my arms around his middle and squeezed back. “That’s the plan.”

As the young man drew back, Valentine placed his hand on the small of my back. “According to the live stream on BBC Score, Kresnik has taken up residence in Hampton Court Palace.”

My mind conjured up an image of Kresnik dressed like a Tudor king in a flat cap, embroidered doublet, a codpiece, and hose. Shudders ran down my spine, and I shook off the visual.

“At least we won’t need to travel far,” I muttered under my breath.

The palace’s double doors opened to claps and cheers from outside. We stepped out to find the courtyard crammed with people waving banners and flags. It looked like the entire population of Lamia had left their homes to gather in the palace grounds. The crowd spilled out onto the lawn and down the driveway, all the way to the gates. In the middle of the throng stood a red double-decker bus with the number 666.

Valentine and I stiffened, exchanging shocked glances.

This scene of enthusiastic vampires was decidedly unusual—they weren’t normally demonstrative. I found them reserved and aristocratic, even those who weren’t connected to nobility. Seeing the residents of Lamia braving the turmoil taking place beyond the wards to offer support to their king was overwhelming.

The brilliant white sky shone even brighter than before, making Logris appear to be encased in a giant dome that drenched the supernatural city with light. The only way I could describe the phenomenon was as the opposite of an eclipse, but with illumination coming from a source as silvery as the moon.

I’d already lost track of the time. The sun had been an hour or two away from setting by the time I’d returned from my treatment with Sybil. By now, it should have been dark.

Valentine paused at the top of the palace steps and thanked the people for coming out to see him off, and we strolled down the steps to wild applause.

The doors of the double-decker hissed open, and Captain Caria stepped out. As we continued down the stairs with the volunteers trailing behind us, I wondered how much magic it would take for such a small object to fit dozens of mercenaries and vampires in armor.

“Have you taken a bus to a battle before?” I asked out of the corner of my mouth.

“The last time we were at war, people travelled by sailboats and carriages,” Valentine replied.

I turned to him and gaped. “What?”

He inclined his head. “This hemisphere of the Supernatural World has experienced peace since the previous time of Kresnik. Our Department of Law Enforcement usually suppresses issues before they become a threat.”

I exhaled a long breath. That explained why they’d been so eager to kill fire users.

We reached the bottom of the palace steps and entered the folding doors of the double-decker bus.

Its interior was four times the size of a regular public transport, with countless windows that gave us a panoramic view of the crowds filling the palace’s courtyard. Banks of standing desks took up the middle, manned by demon enforcers staring into computer monitors.

“Welcome aboard the 666.” Hades stood at the front of the bus, clad in red leather armor embossed with the design of a winding serpent. He spread his arms wide and grinned. “Our next destination is Hampton Court Palace, the former residence of King Henry VIII.”

Behind us, the vampires and mercenaries streamed onto the bus. Captain Caria directed them to the upper level, while Valentine and I walked toward the Demon King.

The bus rumbled forward, making the crowds part. I wasn’t sure why we weren’t taking the tunnels, but it looked like we would travel overground. A chill traveled down my back. The humans attacking the wards would see us appear out of nowhere. Had everyone forgotten about the Supernatural Secrecy laws, or had Kresnik’s action rendered them null and void?

“What’s the status of the wards?” Valentine asked.

“Secure,” Hades replied, sounding more subdued. “The bright light you see around Logris comes from the power of the ophanim’s final solution.”

My brows drew together. What was so bad about an angel?

Valentine’s features fell. “They’ve started?”

“There was little other choice,” said Hades.

Valentine snarled through bared fangs.

I tugged on Valentine’s arm. “What’s happening?”

He turned to me, the violet in his eyes turning crimson, his features a mask of both fury and fear. “When we travel through the wards, close your eyes and do not look at those things.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

My gaze flickered from Valentine to Hades, who leaned against the front window of the bus, his shoulders sagging with resignation. It was hard to tell if he disapproved of angels.

We had learned a little about ophanim at the academy along with the other kinds of celestial beings such as seraphim, cherubim, and archangels. I wasn’t sure how they fitted into the heavenly hierarchy—just that they were above reapers and below beings like the Angel King.

“Are you warning me not to look at them because I’ll go blind?” I asked Valentine.

“They’re perfectly safe to look at through an enforcer’s computer screen.” Hades swept an arm toward the front window of the bus. “This vehicle is protected against any eventuality, from preternatural vampires to avenging angels. King Valentine merely wishes to preserve your innocence.”

I turned to Valentine. “What’s he talking about?”

Valentine clenched his jaw and stared out of the window as though wondering how best to phrase his explanation.

“I’ll tell her,” Hades drawled.

“You will do no such thing,” Valentine growled.

“Excuse us for a moment.” I took Valentine’s hand and pulled him down the length of the bus, passing demon enforcers stationed by the windows. Some stood with their wings folded behind their backs and others sported horns of varying shapes and sizes.

We climbed the stairs to the top level, which was devoid of computer terminals but just as surrounded by windows. By