Passion of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 5) Bella Klaus (the red fox clan TXT) 📖

state,” he said, his breath quickening. “If he deems phoenix magic important enough, he won’t stop until he’s absorbed your power. You need to focus every minute of your time on learning to shift. Can you do that?”

My brows drew together. Learning to shift wasn’t something a person could do overnight. “The last time I shifted into a phoenix, I had help from Kresnik and my teammates.”

Valentine nodded. “Can you remember how you did it?”

“I can try, but it was their magic that pushed my transformation. Two of them were shifters and one was a woman skilled at shaping magic.” Another thought dropped into my head. “The Supernatural Council wants me to help locate Kresnik, and he’s also searching for someone he thinks has a large fifth chamber that he can graft onto his heart.”

“Let the Council search for him,” he snarled. “They contributed toward his return, and they could do all the dangerous busywork.”

A long breath heaved from my lungs. “I’ll practice some more, but it might take days or even weeks. In the meantime, I have Cleopatra stone to mask my magic.”

His lips thinned. “Mera…”

Straightening to my full five feet five inches, I pulled back my shoulders and pushed out my chin. “I won’t stay in the enforcer barracks all day, trying to force a transformation before my magic has settled.”

I shook my head. There would be no more confinements—not even self-inflicted or for my own safety. With my reaper cloak and a stone that made my fire power undetectable, I could travel about London and Logris without being tracked.

“Valentine,” I said in a voice of steel. “I love you more than anything, and I’ll do everything I can to bring you back, but I won’t be a prisoner. Besides, your other self is trying to find Kresnik’s vulnerability.”

He stepped back, his hands dropping from my face. “This one-man quest will get my body destroyed and keep us permanently apart.” Valentine jerked his head to the side, breathing heavily as though trying to work through his frustration. “I waited centuries to meet you, and our story won’t end with you pining over a heart in a jar.”

“It’s not like I can convince him to do anything.” I placed a hand on the center of his chest, feeling the rapid thrum of his heart. “He’s trying to secure a future for us where Kresnik won’t ever be a threat. He also said—”

“That Kresnik might abduct our future children?”

I drew back, meeting his violet eyes. “How did you know?”

“He has my memories and has likely told you he wants to destroy Kresnik as much as I do, but he’s clever, resourceful, and has no conscience. I doubt that he’s capable of any kind of love or loyalty. If he’s operating on his own, that makes him highly dangerous and a threat to both you and our future.”

My mouth fell open. Valentine was wrong… wasn’t he?

Chapter Twelve

My eyes snapped open, my ears ringing with Valentine’s words of warning. I awoke with a sharp intake of air, meeting Macavity’s glowing eyes. The cat stood on his hind legs with his front paws on my forearm, staring from me to the sphere that contained Valentine’s heart.

Our surroundings were dark, with a wall clock on the far left of the room glowing white. It took a moment of blinking to remember that I was back in Logris, within a bedroom in the enforcers’ barracks, and I was now working with the Supernatural Council to help them bring down Kresnik.

“Why did you wake me?” I asked with a yawn. “Is someone coming?”

Macavity clambered over my body, jumped off the bed, and trotted across the gray room toward the exit. He clicked his claws against the metal door plate the way he did at my old apartment when he wanted me to let him out.

“In a minute.” I glanced down at Valentine’s heart, which was beating as fast as mine.

With a sigh, I slipped the sphere into the pocket of my reaper cloak, swung my legs off the bed, and padded toward the cat. The wall clock above the door said six-fifteen, which gave me time to get ready for my day out with Captain Zella.

I opened the door, and Macavity gave my leg a gentle headbutt before scampering down the hallway.

“Hey,” I whispered.

He turned and glanced at me over his shoulder.

“They’re coming to pick me up in forty-five minutes. Are you coming back?”

Macavity’s right ear twitched, indicating that he wanted me to elaborate.

I chewed the inside of my lip, trying to recall the conversation I’d had with Captain Zella. After spending the night with Valentine’s soul, everything was now a jumble. “We’re probably going to look for Jonathan in the Human World.”

The cat turned around and galloped down the hallway, which was answer enough. He turned a corner and disappeared from sight. I guessed Macavity would find his way to Valentine’s palace, where the servants would lavish him with food.

My smartphone beeped, and my mind conjured up an image of Beatrice’s aged features. I rushed back into the room and to the bedside table where I’d left my phone, but the message was only a text from Supernet reminding me to top up.

I walked to the desk and texted Beatrice’s number. What’s the latest with the Christian situation?

When there was no reply, I glanced around the room for the Hatch—Logris’s food delivery service.

The Hatch was a bit like Deliveroo, but without the drivers, and used a network of cupboards connected by magically protected tunnels to send food from restaurants to customers. Anyone with credit could place an order and have it delivered the moment food was ready. All the blood brokers operated hatches and delivered to vampires one shot at a time.

Mine was on the other side of the window. The display on the door gave me two options: to order from the mess hall for free or to enter my Supernet ID to access the menu.

With a snort, I tapped on the