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

his fancy jacket, burning through the fabric. Smoke rose from beneath my palms, but I continued pushing my power until my nostrils filled with the scent of burning flesh.

Prince Draconius bared his fangs. “You need taming.”

“Leave her alone.” Kain rushed at the ancient vampire, but his guards held him back.

My stomach plummeted. I was in the grip of a creature older than Logris. Older than anyone I knew apart from perhaps Hades. He’d probably fought hundreds of battles and had recovered from injuries far worse than second-degree burns. I didn’t want to kill him—killing him would attract the wrath of New Mesopotamia, and I was already in enough trouble with Kresnik—but I had to do something to make Prince Draconius leave me alone.

“Stop this,” I murmured. “Valentine and I—”

“Valentine is as good as dead, and as the new regent, his property now reverts to me.” His cool fingers wrapped around my left hand, bringing my engagement ring to our line of sight. “Because this call stone signifies that you belong to him.”

I clenched my teeth. “If you bite me, you’ll become a preternatural, too. How many people from the Royal House of Sargon will hunt you down?”

“Then I will take care not to drink your blood when I’m plundering the rest of you!” The prince released my neck and stepped back, but the pressure around my body doubled and wrapped around my throat like a garrote.

My mind went blank as my body was consumed by a wave of helplessness. These people were too persistent, too powerful, and too determined to imprison me. Kain struggled and shouted for Prince Draconius to release me, but the guards held him back. All around us, the Inferno hounds drew closer, their oversized heads and jaws and amber eyes filling the edges of my vision.

“No.” I shook my head from side to side, as much as the ancient vampire’s magic would allow. If I could escape the wrath of a former god, outsmart a Demon King, and raise a vampire from the dead, I could find a way out of Prince Draconius’s clutches.

I sucked in a deep breath, flaring out my fire until the flames stretched a foot long, making the Inferno hounds retreat, but the prince merely stepped out of range and continued holding me in place with his magic. My stomach roiled with frustration, and I breathed hard through clenched teeth. His power was just like Valentine’s, only used to attack me and not to protect.

How the hell was I going to get out of this?

A guttural growl shook the trees, sounding louder than the revving of a motorcycle. The guards detaining Kain released him and stepped back, holding themselves to attention. Rustling filled the air, and something rushed toward us from the undergrowth at a rapid pace, snapping twigs as it moved. Panting breaths even louder than those of the hounds penetrated my fog of panic.

In the blink of an eye, a golden leopard leaped out from behind the willow’s long branches with an almighty roar that shook my ears.

“Macavity!” I sobbed.

He landed on his foot paws, with his teeth bared, looking as ferocious as he did when behind those bars in Hell. Golden sparks flew off his fur, which puffed out, giving him twice the bulk.

My heart soared, but it was too early to feel relief. If Prince Draconius was the brother of Valentine’s father, then Macavity had probably known the ancient vampire when he was a child. What if the prince used his magic to send the leopard away?

Prince Draconius stepped back and raised his palms. “Macavity, what are you doing?”

The leopard flicked his head toward me.

“Her?” The ancient vampire shot me a venomous look. “Valentine is dead—”

Macavity’s roar rang through my ears, and he stalked toward the elder vampire, his hackles still raised. By now, the Inferno hounds had receded behind the branches, seeming to have chosen self-preservation over tangling with a hellcat.

I held my breath, hoping Macavity would drive the prince away.

The ancient vampire glowered down at the leopard, who still crouched low, looking like he was ready to attack. For what felt like an eternity, the pair glowered into each other’s eyes, seeming to communicate without words.

“Mark my words,” he said to the leopard from behind clenched teeth. “You are wrong about this one.”

The magic around my neck loosened, and I slumped back against the tree trunk.

Prince Draconius turned to me with his eyes narrowed and swept his gaze down my form. His unlined features twisted into a rage-filled expression that said he wasn’t finished with me, but he stalked away and disappeared behind the branches.

As his entourage retreated, leaving Kain behind, I exhaled a long breath of relief.

“Thank you,” I said to the leopard.

The sparks receded into his fur, and he walked toward me, his right ear twitching.

“Yes, I’m fine.” I leaned down and wrapped my arms around his neck, my throat thickening with grief. “Those demon twins Valentine hired to protect me are dead.”

Macavity stiffened. He drew back, tilting his head up and meeting my gaze with inquisitive jewel-green eyes. His expression seemed to ask me to continue.

I nodded. “They fell off a tall building, and I can’t find them anymore.”

He shook his head, telling me he was sorry.

“Me, too.”

Macavity pressed his snout into my belly, indicating for me to sit. I slid down the tree trunk and lowered myself onto the ground. Somehow, the reaper cloak cushioned the protruding roots, making it feel like I was resting on a somewhat level floor. A moment later, the leopard rolled the Panacea water with his front paw, and I picked up the bottle.

“What the hell was that about?” Kain’s eyes bulged, and he stared down at us as though this was the first time he’d seen a leopard.

“Remember the Bengal cat who ate sashimi for breakfast?”

“I know about Macavity.” He stood over me and shook his head. “Halfway through your fight with Prince Draconius, you turned into a bird.”

“Really?” My brows drew together.

“Not completely. I mean,