Bonds of the Vampire King (Blood Fire Saga Book 7), Bella Klaus [best classic books .TXT] 📗

the one in his old palace but twice the size, but then everything about Kensington Palace was huge.

“Your Majesties.” The quartet of guards usually stationed within the room bowed low.

Before we could murmur a greeting, two little figures rushed between them, showing no signs of stopping. Behind them strolled Macavity in his leopard form. Since the twins began running about and getting themselves into trouble, he hadn’t ever shifted back into a Bengal cat.

“Mother, Father, you’re late.” Sera hopped from foot to foot, while Iggy stood beside his sister, looking the epitome of serenity.

I smiled down at the least identical twins in the Supernatural World, my chest filling with warmth. Iggy and Sera were my biggest source of pride. Growing with the love of people like Istabelle, Aunt Arianna, and Mrs. Meg ensured that they never turned out like some of their spoiled uncles.

Sera tilted her head up at me with the wide grin she only employed when asking for a favor. With her onyx hair and her copper skin, she looked like a miniature Valentine. The only feature she shared with me were the gray eyes I used to have before I’d gained my power.

“Good evening, Ignatius and Seraphina,” Valentine said in his most formal tone.

“Have you been waiting up for us?” I asked.

Sera nudged her brother in the side, making spots of pink bloom on his pale cheeks. Iggy pulled back his thin shoulders and cleared his throat. “We have an important request.”

I gazed into eyes as blue as the midnight sky and resisted the urge to ruffle his mop of red hair. It was too early to tell if they would develop into Neutrals, phoenixes, or even vampires. Valentine and I were just happy they could live in the Supernatural World without fear.

A crew of idiots from Koffiek tried abducting me when I was two-months pregnant. Irdu had been usurped the moment he’d been resurrected as a ten-year-old, and the new demon in charge had wanted a pet phoenix. The results had been explosive, and the villains of the Supernatural World quickly decided that messing with me wasn’t worth the ensuing carnage.

“We will hear your request,” Valentine said, his features held in a serious mask.

“Would you ask Uncle Hades if we can visit Zagreus and Plutus downstairs?” asked Sera.

I rubbed the back of my neck and tried not to grimace. This was their euphemism for Hell. “Why don’t you invite them up here? Auntie Beatrice says Arianna would love to see you in their wing.”

“This realm is boring, and so is Arianna.” Sera exchanged an exasperated glance with Iggy.

Arianna was Lazarus and Beatrice’s eighteen-month-old, who the twins considered to be a baby. That aging business with my best friend had changed her species and affected her ability to conceive.

Beatrice wasn’t entirely human anymore, but her magic levels didn’t qualify her as a fae hybrid. She and Lazarus had resigned themselves to being childless until they sought the help of Hades’ mother-in-law. Now they were trying for a son.

“We also like the elevator ride,” added Iggy. “Please.”

My gaze darted to Valentine, who had spoken to Hades minutes before the meeting. He raised a shoulder, indicating that it was alright with him. I had no objections, but I still wasn’t the biggest fan of insane elevators.

I turned to Macavity, who raised a paw as though to say he didn’t mind taking the twins down. It turned out that he hadn’t been afraid of Cerberus, merely alarmed that the three-headed dog had been trapped in an etching on the wall.

“If Macavity says it’s alright, then you may go.” Valentine raised a finger. “But only if you’ve finished your homework for the day.”

The twins whirled around, placing their little hands together, and pleading with the leopard. Macavity’s whiskers drooped. He probably wanted to watch something on television tonight.

I glanced at Valentine and smiled. At least now Macavity knew what it felt like to be pestered.

Valentine wrapped an arm around my back and curled his waist. He whispered into my ear, “Do you know what happens to queens who don’t pay attention in Council meetings?”

“Is it anything like what happens to queens who lace hot chocolate with corpusverto on their honeymoons?”

“More like what happens to queens who escape derelict mansions without permission, Innamorata.”

“That’s so unfair,” I whispered back with a giggle. “You never once told me I couldn’t escape. Besides, I saw your attention drift a few times today.”

His answer was a low growl that sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. Whatever was waiting for me upstairs sounded appealing. “Five minutes?”

“Now,” he snarled.

END OF BOOK SEVEN

READ HADES’ STORY

Hello, Reader!

Bella here, inviting you to join Hades and his Innamorata on their twisted courtship in Abducted. You’ll discover exactly what happened at Valentine and Mera’s masquerade ball and meet the woman who cured Hades’ obsession with Mera.

Get your copy of Abducted - A Hades and Persephone Romance today!

There are more adventures planned featuring Valentine and Mera, including Beatrice and Lazarus’ story, which was far too steamy and action-packed to incorporate in this book.

If you want to know when it’s ready, sign up for Bella’s Broadcast, and I’ll also send you a short story about what really happened on Mera and Valentine’s honeymoon when the corpusverto was slipped into hot chocolate.

https://www.subscribepage.com/corpusverto

Lots of Love,

Bella Klaus