“We’re not allowed to,bonehead.” She glared at me. “That’s why we came to you in the first place. The high mages don’t allow the mages any type of military force or mage collective.”
‘Did she really just call me a bonehead?’I asked Justice.
He snorted but kept his attention on the mage.
Apparently, the high mages were control freaks, and the shifters were left protecting their people. That wasn’t right. Why not let them make their own police force?
It dawned on me then.
The mages would become more powerful that way. The lower-level mages outnumbered the advanced, master, and high mages, ten to one. If they were allowed to train together and create some type of organized force…
I shook my head. Another problem for future-Rage to deal with.
“We’re here trying to help. I suggest you stop calling the alpha king names,” Justice growled, and she dropped her chin to her chest. Justice ignored her obvious embarrassment and plowed on. “And maybe do what you can to help us understand what the hell is going on.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Unless you’d rather us just leave.”
The girl’s skin turned a healthy shade of pink. She swallowed hard before she looked up at us—this time with tears in her eyes. “What do you want to know?”
“Are the vampires the ones attacking your people? Are they all drained of blood?”
She frowned, eyes widening in alarm. “Vampires?”
I felt like I was having a conversation with a two-year-old, in a foreign language.
“Vampires. Blood-sucking creatures—”
“You mean the blood-mages?” she asked and then nodded. “Yes. They’re coming down from the cliffs to feed,” she muttered, almost to herself. “Plus, taking blood for their spells…”
Whoa. Whoa. “What?” My eyes widened. “Feed? You’ve known about them this whole time?”
She flicked me an irritated gaze, “Everyone knows. But your uncle and Surlama kept them satiated. Now, they’re just … running amok.”
My head spun with her words. My uncle … andSurlama?
“Surlama?” I interrupted her, my eyes widening in horror as I thought of how the witch had always demanded blood from Nai—and me.
She wouldn’t have been … a … blood mage, would she?
If the vampires were really blood-mages … and used blood in spells as well as consumed it, then…
The woman looked up at me with a sugary smile. “Surlama was a blood mage. But if you want to call them vampires, they don’t care.” She cocked her head to the side. “Didn’t you know?”
That meant that…
“Kalama!” Justice and I both said at the same time.
‘Noble?’
‘What’s up?’
I nearly sagged with relief at his voice.‘I need you to go check on Kalama in the library. Take a few guards with you, and…’
‘And what?’Noble asked when I grew silent.
After all this, I couldn’t very well let her get away.
‘And detain her. I’ll need to talk to her when I get back.’
I turned my attention back to the female mage. It was time to divide and conquer, and right now, I trusted my brother’s head better than mine. “Tell my brother everything you know about blood-mages.” I pointed to my brother. “He’ll stay here with you.”
