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

a phoenix for a soul. He gave me a call stone and hid me in the Human World so I’d be safe from being sold to the highest bidder. Since then, everyone’s been trying to snatch me. Now, his uncle found out what I was, and that’s why he sent so many men to kill Valentine.”

Valentine’s warning growl made my skin tighten into goosebumps. I averted my eyes from his furious features and fixed my gaze to the self-styled Pharaoh. Keeping quiet at this stage would only get him killed by demons, and I’d end up in the clutches of his uncle. It would be crazy not to try something to earn our freedom.

“Don’t believe her,” the prince shouted, the rest of his body still frozen. “I’m slaying my nephew for the honor of the Royal House of Sargon, who will pay you dearly for his death.”

“Not true!” I blurted. “Prince Draconius wants to use my power to increase his own and become the wealthiest supernatural in the world.”

Irdu turned to the giant. “Bring her here.”

The same demon from before raised his hand and beckoned, floating me down from the mezzanine to Irdu’s side. Prince Draconius made a noise of protest in the back of his throat. Too bad the demons didn’t bother to release their magic.

“You don’t look like a phoenix.” Irdu’s gaze swept down my naked body, lingering on the red curls at the juncture of my thighs.

The fury in Valentine’s snarl made my bones rattle. He hated all this attention on my naked form, but so did I. Cozying up to Irdu might save us both from the machinations of Prince Draconius and prevent the rise of a vampire god.

I swallowed hard, fighting back the heat rising to my cheeks. Every muscle in my arms pulled against the paralysing magic to cover my nudity, but it held me in place. I stuttered, “I’m a phoenix shifter.”

“Prove it,” he said.

My eyes bulged. “What?”

“Before I turn down a lucrative sum, I want to see evidence that you are what you claim.”

I closed my eyes and tried pushing my magic down my arms, but nothing happened. My heart plummeted. Why of all times would my magic fail me? I opened my eyes, meeting Irdu’s curious gaze. “It’s not working.”

“That’s because Koffie is on lockdown,” he drawled. “The wards of this building are powered by the Sixth Faction of Hell.”

My mouth dried. At least that explained why Valentine had been able to fight all those ancient vampires but couldn’t break free of the magic restraining us.

I cleared my throat. “Could you at least release my arm?”

Irdu nodded at one of the demons standing to his left, who only released the magic on my hand.

“Alright then.” This time, when I moved my magic, it surged down my meridians and into my fingers. Flames covered my entire hand, forming long claws that curved like the talons of an eagle.

Valentine snarled, making me cringe at the strength of his disapproval. What else could I do? Neither of us were strong enough to break free from the power of Hell, and I couldn’t exactly phone a friend.

He probably wanted me to stay silent and let his uncle’s goons destroy his body, so that I could go free, but Prince Draconius was already setting himself up to plunder my mind and take Kresnik’s place.

My plan to exchange myself for Valentine’s freedom was awful, but at least he would continue existing. A lump formed in the back of my throat. At least there was a chance he would come to my rescue.

Irdu leaned forward, sniffed at my flames, and grinned. “Fascinating.”

“Now do you believe me?” I asked.

“How can you help an already wealthy and powerful male to become richer?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with avarice.

I licked my lips. “Anyone I burn gets to rise from their ashes, new and rejuvenated. People would pay a fortune to return to their prime.”

He sniffed. “Any low-grade demon can offer youth in exchange for a person’s soul.”

“Alright then,” I blurted. “You can auction me as a pet. How many phoenixes exist in the Supernatural World? How many rich and powerful people do you know who will pay anything for a chance to own me?”

Somewhere up on the mezzanine Prince Draconius groaned his frustration. I might have triumphed at his predicament if mine wasn’t ten times worse.

Irdu turned to his burly assistant. “And it’s female.”

The huge demon inclined his head. “Good breeding stock, my lord.”

Valentine’s snarl shook the plaster off the walls.

“Calm down, Your Majesty.” Irdu raised his palms. “Once I take possession of the phoenix, it will be available for hire, just like everything else.”

A cry caught in the back of my throat, and I glanced at Valentine, whose eyes burned with fury. Everything I did seemed to backfire on me, but at least Irdu was deciding to keep him alive.

“Very well.” The demon clapped his hands together. “I will take the phoenix in exchange for releasing King Valentine. Both of you and your entourage of vampires are hereby barred from my establishment until you pay reparations for the damage, after which you are free to pay handsomely for time with the phoenix, provided it is not in estrus.”

Irdu turned back to a group of employees huddling together, some of them still carrying coffee pots on silver trays. “Somebody put some clothes on King Valentine and infuse him with a magnum or two of O-Neutral. We can’t have him leaving our establishment in this state.”

One of the waiters stepped forward and bowed. “Yes, my lord.”

All the moisture in my mouth evaporated, leaving me gulping through membranes that stuck together. What the hell had I just done? This wasn’t going to be like the situation with Jonathan, who Irdu had sold to Valentine. The coffee-shop demon had a long-term vision for my captivity that definitely included breeding me. My mind conjured up images of a phoenix enclosure even greater than the one Irdu used to keep the cats.

As the large demon