RBC06.50 - Marcella, Vampire Mage Read Online Free Page A

seat.
    All the rest of us walked over and sat down.
    “Who do you think it might be?” Georgia asked.
    I looked around and no one seemed to have any answers.
    “There are many in the underworld that draw power from others in order to support their magic,” I said.
    “Are you talking about Dark Elves?” Morna wondered.
    “Yes, along with the wizards and vampires who aid them.”
    “Like you would know anything,” Sabine scoffed, her voice dripped with sarcasm.
    “She knows more than any of us. Especially you, Sabine.”
    Sabine’s face flashed anger as she stared at Sammy. She wasn’t used to being rebuked.
    “So tell us all how you know of such things. Perhaps you’re a scholar?”
    Now I was feeling anger. As much as I knew I didn’t need to defend myself, I wasn’t about to let her or anyone else belittle me.
    “I know, because I grew up in Althar,” I pointed around the room. “Of all of you here, I’m the only one that has been really close to the evil. In fact I’ve seen things that would make a vulture wretch. I learned my magic from a dark wizard, not some teacher your parents hired for the purpose.”
    This was technically not true, because I had hidden, watched my aunts’ lessons and then practiced on my own. Still, that was not something they needed to know.
    “A dark wizard, next you’ll be telling us you personally know demons as well.”
    “She does, the Demon Kings, Ceron and Cathos.”
    Sabine and Georgia snickered. “Demon Kings. Well,” Sabine sneered, “you could tell us anything. How could we know?”
    I bristled, working to a full rage. “I have no need to lie. And I don’t care if you believe me or not. You’re the one who was asking for an explanation. I only offered one.”
    “I agree that it could be Dark Elves,” Morna added, ignoring Sabine. “My dark cousins have an insatiable need for power, and they glean it from any source they can find. A place like this would be very tempting indeed.”
    “Marcella, you mentioned that others help them. How do they do that?”
    “Mostly it’s by capturing and transporting beings, usualy humans, into the underworld. They profit from them in several ways, depending on the victim.”
    Sammy cringed. “That doesn’t sound good at all.”
    “It’s not. They use bounty hunters, trolls, vampires, and sometimes witches and wizards. A magical being would be very profitable to them.”
    “I don’t want to talk about it. Nira will take care of everything.”
    “Why are you here, Sabine?” Luke asked.
    “What do you mean? I’m here to complete my studies, because I’m a very gifted witch.”
    “You’re here because your father insisted,” Sammy challenged.
    Sabine was fuming; she stood up.
    “Are you coming, Georgia?”
    “Not right now. See you later.”
    Sabine’s eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed in anger. “Fine.”
    She whipped around and stomped off.
    We all looked at Georgia.
    “She’ll get over it. I’d like to hear more about the underworld. That is, if you don’t mind talking about it, Cella.”
    “I…”
    “Maybe we should talk about something else. Cella is trying to forget Althar.”
    “It’s all right. What do you want to know, Georgia?”
    “These Demon Kings, do they rule the entire underworld?”
    “No, only the upper kingdom of Althar. There are many layers of the underworld; the deeper the kingdom, the more evil the inhabitants and the greater the dangers. But there are also riches beyond comprehension. There are always beings seeking these riches, beings when captured, give the dark forces another way to constantly renew their source of power.”
    “Greed,” Richard acknowledged.
    “I’ve heard tales of a peaceful, beautiful, inner part of the earth that rivals this world. Do you know anything about that?” Luke asked.
    “I’ve heard the stories too,” Sammy added.
    “I believe them to be true, but I don’t have personal experience to tell you about.”
    “We should