Blood Moon Born

Chapter Fifteen

As Loae came down the stairs, she watched as Roan paced in the foyer. He didn't notice her at first and stopped pacing to empty his flask down his throat. But it was empty. Swearing, he jammed the flask back into his pocket.

Loae stepped on a creaking stair.

Roan's head whipped up. Relief washed over his face. He darted to the foot of the stairs, sweeping Loae off her feet in an enormous hug. She held him, tightly, overwhelmed and surprised. Finally, he set her down.

"You're safe? You're alright?" he asked.

"Yes."

He sighed into his hands. "I trust that you're a capable and brilliant young woman who doesn't need someone like me looking after her, but never fucking scare me like that again, alright?" he asked.

Loae blinked back at him, staring at the fear in his eyes. She didn't know...She didn't think he'd care this much. She supposed she was used to running off into danger with her tribe assuming if she never returned, it meant she was dead. She wasn't used to people looking after her, trying to save her, running after her.

Roan snatched up her hand and squeezed it.

"Loae." His voice was even now, the frantic anxiety gone. He held her gaze steadily, no joking glimmer in his eye. "I don't care if you're a blood mage or a vampire or a fucking dragon. You're my sister and I love you."

Loae stared back at him. She couldn't cry. Not again. She wasn't going to cry again.

"I love you too," she whispered.

He nodded. "Alright, then." He looked up at the top of the stairs. "Did Isran do anything to you? What're you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. He helped me," Loae said, tugging at her brother. "Let's get back to the estate."

He fell in line behind her and soon they were trekking back to the Agrudan Estate.

"What happened when I left?" Loae asked.

"Askan and a couple of other hunters came with me. We cleaned up the room, sent the bodies to White Temple, and talked to the parents. They're devastated."

"Of course," Loae sighed.

"What happened to you back there?" Roan pressed. "The truth this time, Loae."

She looked at him, surprised. "I...I overextended my magic combining two runes. I wanted to see if I could look into the memory of the room. To see what happened the night the girls were murdered."

"Gods." He sighed. "And did you learn anything?"

She told him the rest—that she'd seen only a brief outline of the murder and before it was finished, she blacked out. She left out the part about the Seven Dead, but told him that she went mad from the blood magic.

"I went to Iron's Breath to kill him. Isran," Loae said. "And uh...then he calmed me down and offered to give me his blood instead. So, a win for everyone. I don't go mad from overextended magic and he doesn't die."

"Excuse me, let's backtrack for a moment." Roan froze. "You drank Isran's blood."

Loae watched him, bracing herself for a look of disgust. "Yes."

"And you don't feel like you're going crazy anymore?"

She shook her head. "No, I feel...fine." Better than she ever had before. She could still feel the magic humming in her.

Roan cocked his head. "What'd he taste like?"

Loae's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She devolved into laughter and pushed Roan playfully. "I'll never tell."