I automatically said, “Master Calarel Kelhorn.”
“What?”
I grimaced, annoyed with myself for calling the evil manmaster. “Calarel Kelhorn. That’s the blood witch that got away.”
Roman froze for a split second. “You recognized him?”
I nodded and ran a shaky hand through my hair, grimacing at the blood on my hand. Great, I just got blood in my hair.Ew. Blech.
Now that it was over, the nerves were starting to show, and I felt shaky all over. The drop in adrenaline wasn’t helping.
“Let’s see if I know the rest.” With a grimace, I took off the mask of the blood witch I’d killed and let out a long sigh. “Mulac Sulnurni. He was only about five or six years older than me.”
“I’m sorry, Oak.”
I shook my head. It wasn’t like any of these people were my friends. No one in Gepisha’s Iron had ever liked me. They were all assholes to me when I was a kid, and when I was older, I’d purposefully cut myself off from everyone there. I hadn’t wanted any attachments to anyone. Not after Cor—
I cut off the thought and moved on to the next body.
I was able to identify every single one.
Including the bastard I’d captured—Vantor Gilmorn, a real asshole that had always hated me. He hated all the dragons in the community—fuck, cult. He thought anything that shifted like that was unnatural. But he sure as fuck hadn’t minded the blood witches hurting people, bleeding some people dry, in order to power their spells.
I sneered at him, a small roar emitting from my chest before Roman placed a hand on my back and whispered, “Come on. Let’s go sit down and wait for the others, okay?”
I nodded and let him lead me over to the hood of the car where we both leaned against it, shoulder to shoulder. We could keep an eye on Vantor from here, but at least I didn’t have to stare at his ugly mug.
Roman nudged me. “This is probably a stupid question, but how are you doing?”
I sighed and lifted my hand to run it through my hair before grimacing at the sticky blood there and dropping it. “I’m… I dunno. I’m pissed that Master Kelhorn got away, and I’m… I dunno, also pissed that we were attacked. I was… I was having fun with you, and then…”
“I was having fun with you too.” He hesitated. “I thought we… I thought we caught the cult’s, um, grand master?”
I stared at him in confusion for a second before grimacing. “We had to call all the blood witches Master Whatever once they reached a certain age and passed their trials or whatever. I, um… I didn’t mean to call him master anything. Sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize, sweetheart.”
I let out a long sigh. “Thanks. I just… hate that I still call them that, even in my head. Habit, I guess.”
“I get it, but you need to give yourself some grace. Habits are hard to break, and it’s not like we’re walking around meeting people from your old life all the time. Hard to break a habit that you don’t really use anymore anyway.”
I snorted. “True enough, and thank the Mother of Scales we’re not meeting them all the time.” I fake-shuddered, making him offer a tired smile.
After a few seconds, he asked, “Are you… uh, angry with me?”
My brow furrowed as I met his gaze.
“For letting the blood witch get away?”
I shook my head. “No, I… get it. I didn’t want to rush off and leave you here alone either.” I sighed. “Sorry if I yelled at you.”
He nudged me. “No worries. I’m used to it.”
I gaped at him for a second before laughing. “You ass. I don’t yell at you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Shut up.”
