Bonds of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 7) Bella Klaus (books to read this summer .TXT) 📖

of his speech. The magic thrumming within my meridians accelerated, urging me to engulf the lying waste of space in flames, burn him to ash, and spread his remains across every Faction of Hell. Deep breaths heaved in and out of my lungs. My fingers trembled and sparked with the rage I failed to contain.

A large hand landed on my shoulder. “Do not react,” Beowulf rumbled. “They want you to lash out and prove their point.”

I turned to meet his amber gaze, forgetting that the Shifter King had been standing behind me this entire time.

Prince Draconius’s voice drifted back into my consciousness. “And it is for these reasons that I propose that my nephew be removed from the leadership of Lamia and replaced by a suitable monarch.”

“Hear, hear.” Hades clapped his hands together. “Nobody truly knows the true loyalties of King Valentine.”

“With Logris,” I rasped. Surely they weren’t suggesting he would be loyal to Kresnik?

“Of course you’d say that,” the Fae King drawled.

I didn’t bother to spare the winged wanker a glance. “Is that all you’re worried about? Valentine’s former association with Kresnik?”

Everyone around the table nodded except Hades, who stared down at me with narrowed eyes.

“What are you planning, Miss Griffin?” he asked in a voice sharp with suspicion.

I ignored him, too. Releasing Hades from those jars was the biggest mistake since Pandora opened the box containing the world’s evils. My breaths turned shallow, and the room seemed like it was spinning.

The monarchs’ gazes fixed on me, and I swore I could feel the sharp daggers of accusation. I stiffened. Why were these people sitting around a table, plotting against Valentine, when Kresnik was out there playing God? Couldn’t they see that Kresnik was attracting humans to join his crusade against them? My mind raced for solutions, for a way to make these blind cowards focus on the real issue.

“How do we know King Valentine isn’t another King Antonius?” asked the Fae King. “Some of us around the table still remember the former Vampire King’s betrayal.”

An idea slotted into place. It was bold. It was reckless. It was downright stupid and would probably get us killed. Before I could stop myself, the words spilled from my mouth. “If Valentine and I destroy Kresnik, will that prove his loyalty?”

“Of course,” said the Angel King.

The Witch Queen nodded.

“I’d like to see him try,” the Fae King said with a smirk.

“What’s your answer?” I snarled.

He waved a dismissive hand. “Fine.”

I turned to Hades. “And you?”

“This is ridiculous.” Hades’ nostrils flared. “King Valentine is incapable of defeating an immortal god—”

“But if he’s successful, will you end this quest to remove him from his throne?” I asked.

“Yes,” Hades replied through clenched teeth.

With a nod, I turned to Beowulf. “Your Majesty?”

“This is bullshit. One.” Beowulf counted off the points on his fingers. “I don’t agree with this vote of no confidence. Two, King Valentine has already proven his loyalty by doing more for the fight against Kresnik than any other monarch. Three, you’re manipulating his mate into agreeing to a battle because you’re all too chicken-shit.”

The Angel King leaned forward. “If we employ the resources of Heaven, Hell, and Elphame to deal with Kresnik, thousands of human lives will perish in a supernatural skirmish that will destroy the realms.”

I glanced at Hades, who looked like he was suppressing a snort.

“My esteemed colleague is correct,” he said. “Besides, if King Valentine is the hero you purport him to be, defeating Kresnik will be a breeze.”

Bile rose to the back of my throat. What if they were waiting for Kresnik to kill Valentine?

“You’re cowards, the whole lot of you.” Beowulf raised his chin. “Prove me wrong.”

Nobody spoke. Even Prince Draconius, who stood at the door, remained silent, his red eyes burning with the intensity of his hatred. I wasn’t scared of him or his pathetic ploy for power.

“How about you?” I said.

“What are you talking about?”

“I want assurances that you’ll leave Logris and find somewhere else to haunt if Valentine kills Kresnik.”

The muscles in his jaw tightened, and every vein in his temple stood out like bolts of lightning. He glowered down at me with irises that were so dark, their edges turned as black as his heart. “I will not concede to your petty games—”

“But the rest of the Supernatural Council must listen to you slander a perfectly good king?” Beowulf snarled.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, dog,” Prince Draconius snapped.

The two men glowered at each other, their teeth sharpening into fangs. I’d seen this tactic before at the academy. Hurl an insult to distract everyone from the real argument, let them squabble about something insignificant, and then win by trickery and stealth.

“Dracs,” I yelled.

The prince turned to me with his fangs bared. “Do not call me that.”

“Will you agree to leaving Logris if Valentine and I kill Kresnik?”

“Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.

I stepped back, exhaling a long breath, but it was too early to feel relief. “Since we’re all in agreement, I’d like to see it formalized in blood.”

Hades hissed through his teeth. “Now, look here—”

“You and I both know your word is shit.” I turned to the council. “Someone needs to draw up a simple agreement, saying that King Valentine is exonerated of all suspicion if either he, I, or someone in connection with us kills or permanently incapacitates Kresnik.”

“And if he fails?” asked Hades.

“Then he’s no better than any of you.” I folded my arms across my chest. “If you punish him for failing to kill Kresnik, then you all suffer the same.”

Silence stretched out for several heartbeats, and every monarch in the room stared at me with varying degrees of interest. My heart slammed against my sternum, trying to break free, even as I forced the rest of my body to hold still. In a second, any one of them could lash out and strike me down for my insolence.

Seconds passed and then what felt like a minute. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody seemed to blink. Maybe they were waiting