Free RBC06.50 - Marcella, Vampire Mage by Elizabeth Loraine Page A

there, but then he hardened again and said, “You must be more careful.”
    He turned and strode away, leaving me feeling empty and alone.
    I walked to my room in a daze, suddenly drained.
    The door to my room had never felt this heavy, I thought as I pulled it open. Once inside, I was pleased to see the bed turned down and a meal of sweet bread, butter, and a glass of wine on the table. Thank goodness for Sarah.  Sarah my handmaiden and confidant, and had been with me since I was a child. Our relationship was special and I could always count on Sarah’s calm good nature, wry humor, and wise council.
    I quickly ate the food, choosing to savor the wine. Then, too exhausted to put on the dressing gown left out for me, I lay down on the bed and the last thing I remember was picturing the look in Quinn’s eyes and wondering what it meant. Though fleeting, it had been there, hadn’t it? And with that thought, I slept.
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    My mind raced and my heart was pounding so loud I felt certain everyone in my compound could hear it. What had just happened? I saw something different in the way she looked at me. I was sure it wasn’t just because I had yelled at her. I had never had to hand-feed her before; was it the fact that I had cut myself and let her feed directly from my wrist? But she hadn’t woken up until afterwards, so she didn’t know I had given her blood from my arm, or that she had actively engaged in direct feeding.
    I knew of course that it was strictly forbidden for a Watcher to give blood directly, but when she fainted it was clear that she was in danger of dormancy, so I acted. My only thought at the time, was getting fresh blood into her as quickly as possible. As my knife opened the vein on my wrist, the scent made her nostrils flare and the same instincts that had kept vampires alive for centuries kicked in. She grabbed my arm and began to feed. The movement was so swift and powerful I wasn’t sure I could have stopped her even if I’d wanted to.
    The feeling I had while she was feeding could only be described as pure euphoria, and only the sound of my brother coming up the stairs made me break the bond. Then I carried her to a side room to recover. “ Break the bond .” Why had I thought of it that way? Was that it? Had that short feeding changed everything between us?
    Entering the courtyard of the Watcher compound, I found three of my brothers, Thomas, Simon, and Avery, seated around the roaring fire. The smell of venison and red cedar firewood made my mouth water and I realized I hadn’t eaten since yesterday. I needed to take my own advice, especially when I and my brothers were also giving and storing blood for our charges. Although Baron Von Dracek would surely hunt along our journey, in the event there was no game available in the high country, the added availability of Crimson would definitely be needed. Nothing gives strength to vampires like the human blood in Crimson.
    As I sat by the fire to eat, I saw my oldest brother, Gunter, approaching.
    “We missed you at training today,” Gunter told me gruffly. “Don’t let it become a habit. None of us can be the weak link.”
    I was the youngest of seven brothers, something the other six never let me forget.
    It was exciting to think I would now have a chance to prove myself on this journey. As Katrina’s Watcher, I was bound to protect her no matter what might happen, even to the point of giving my life for hers, something our family had done for generations.
    “Quinn,” Gunter started to pace, “I’ve have decided that only four of us will accompany the Baron and Katrina on this trip, and I feel you may be too young and untried in battle to be one of the four.”
    I jumped to my feet, pulled my sword, and with anger I didn’t know I possessed, looked Gunter straight in the eye. Through clenched teeth I yelled, “I dare any of you to try to keep me from my duty. Nothing is going to stop me, including you, Gunter. If you have any