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

He raised himself onto his elbows and smirked. “Before any of you so much as think of attacking me, understand that I tied my life to Mera’s. Any injury I suffer will fall on her.”

“You’re lying,” I snapped.

“Go on.” He spread his arms wide. “Try it.”

“Could you at least get rid of the girls you killed?” I snarled. “Necromancy isn’t an orgy, it’s a convoluted form of wanking.”

His eyes gleamed with mirth. “Are you jealous?”

“Don’t dignify his conduct with an answer,” said Valentine.

Kresnik chuckled. “Don’t you want to run me through after all the things I did to sweet Hemera in the Realm of the Gods?”

Palpitations raced through my chest. “He’s lying, and I’ll prove it.”

The twins’ bodies fell slack. Kresnik kicked them off the bed and knelt upright on the mattress with his arms outstretched and his hips thrusting back and forth. “I’m seconds away from cumming. All I need is one little nick from you and—”

I sliced through his torso with the reaper scythe. Agony burned across my middle, and I doubled over, hissing through the overwhelming shock.

“Mera!” Valentine grabbed my arm.

“Don’t touch me when I’m like this,” I said through panting breaths.

“You see?” Kresnik hopped off the bed, gathering the light from the room to engulf his body like a catsuit. “No bluff. Whatever hurts me hurts Hemera.”

I shook my head, leaning against the grip of the scythe to keep myself upright. “It doesn’t matter what happens to me. You’re going to die.”

Kresnik tilted his head to the side with the most patronizing smile. “Valentine, I want you to kneel in front of me and beg for my forgiveness.” He brushed an imaginary speck of dust off his shoulder. “You’ll do anything to keep Hemera safe, even if it means turning against the Supernatural Council to secure my rule of Great Britain.”

Valentine growled.

My heart clenched.

“When I discovered that Coral had linked our bodies with her blood, making it impossible for me to land a blow on her worthless carcass, I thought of a way to work something even more dastardly on you and retrieve the use of my phoenix.”

“Nobody’s listening to your evil monologue.” I swung my scythe at the bulge protruding from his crotch, making his steps falter.

Pain exploded between my legs, a slicing agony that cut through me like thunderbolts. What the hell? How could it hurt so much when I didn’t even have a penis?

“Mera.” Valentine’s voice broke. “Stop this.”

Kresnik’s eyes danced with sick amusement.

“Valentine’s greatest vulnerability was obvious,” he drawled. “No matter how much we starved him at first, or how much we plotted to anger him enough to snuff out your life, he kept you alive.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Kresnik grabbed my face. With a snarl, Valentine punched him backward, but the pain hit me like a wrecking ball to the temple. I staggered back with a scream.

How was he doing this? I hadn’t felt his injuries when we’d returned from the Realm of the Gods, but he had been unconscious, and my flames had been scattered into little pieces.

Was it like my connection with Hades, who would only feel my pain if he hurt me directly or via a third party? I gulped over and over, trying to figure it out.

When Kresnik had crash-landed into Hyde Park as a dragon, he’d inflicted that on himself. But if I attacked him, it was me who felt the full force of his pain.

“Morata.” Valentine’s voice was heavy with regret.

Kresnik tutted. “Not very bright, is he?”

“What do you want?” Valentine growled.

“Your complete and utter obedience, just as I once had your father’s.” Kresnik folded his arms across his chest. “You will announce your victory to the Supernatural Council, and transport me and a small team of soldiers through the wards in your vehicle.”

“No,” I said.

“Yes,” Kresnik growled. “You will escort me into the Council’s secure room, and I will take care of its leaders.”

I turned to Valentine and shrieked, “Tell him no.”

Valentine stood as still as death, not breathing, not blinking, not uttering a word. Caiman remained in the doorway, waiting for orders.

My breaths came in shallow rasps. The Supernatural Council had its faults—they were ruthless, pedantic, cruel, and treacherous—but Valentine couldn’t betray them. Not for me. They protected the citizens of Logris and strived to avoid war between humans and supernaturals.

Kresnik rubbed his chin. “Alternatively, you can persist in your attempts at killing the unkillable and let little Hemera suffer the consequences. Your choice.”

“I’d rather die and drag you down with me,” I spat.

Kresnik tilted his head to the side, grinning with sickening triumph. “I have fettered our souls so inextricably that I can tether you to this plain. Any attempts to end your life will fail.”

Despair washed through my system like acid, burning the backs of my eyes. He wasn’t bluffing. Three separate healers had confirmed the strength of our bond compared to the one I shared with Valentine, but only one had claimed to be able to weaken my connection with Kresnik.

I blinked over and over, trying to wash the monster from my vision, but his triumphant smirk only widened.

“Why?” My voice broke.

He raised his brows. “Do you have no idea of a phoenix’s magical capabilities? Of course you don’t. Not even my brethren had the foresight to see them as more than beautiful creatures made of fire.”

My gaze met Valentine’s. ‘Attack us,’ I mouthed. ‘Kill us both.’

He gave his head a minute shake.

I clenched my teeth. Was he waiting to hear the rest of Kresnik’s diabolical monologue?

“It was the power of a phoenix that created humankind out of clay.” Kresnik’s voice rose over the roar of a dragon from the floor below. “That same power I used to elevate humans into supernaturals, and now, it will raise me higher than any god who ever existed!”

Valentine met my eyes again and flicked his gaze down to my left hand, back to my face, and back down to my left. My brows drew