I take his hand. “Call something. There must be hunting spells.”
“There are,” he says, lowering his eyebrows. “But they only work at close range.”
I squeeze his hand.
He takes out his wand, watching me like I’m being an extra-special idiot.“Doe!”he says, pointing his wand into the trees.“A deer!”My magic shimmers around us.
No more than a minute later, a doe steps through the blackened branches.
Baz shivers. “You have to stop doing that.”
“What?”
“Godlike displays of magic.”
“Why?” I say. “It’s cool.”
“It’s terrifying.”
I grin at him. “It’s cool.”
“Don’t watch,” he says, walking towards the deer.
I keep smiling at him.
He looks back at me. “Don’t watch.”
BAZ
I lead the doe into the trees, where it’s too dark for Snow to see us. When I’m done with it, I drop the body into a ravine.
I can’t remember the last time I drank so deep.
When I get back, Snow’s still sitting in the circle of ash. I know he can’t see me; I call out, so I don’t startle him. “It’s me, Snow.”
“You called me Simon before.”
I can see it in his eyes when he finally discerns me walking towards him. I light a flame in my hand. (Notinmy hand—floating above it.) “No, I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“Let’s get back to the car,” I say. “The neighbours are already going to think we had some sort of dark ritual here.”
“I’m not sure wedidn’t,” he says, following me.
Snow’s quiet when we get to the car. And I’m quiet because I genuinely have no idea how to proceed. How do you pick up from,“I have to stop kissing you, so I can go drink some blood.”
“You’re a vampire,” Snow says finally. (I guessthat’show you pick up.)
I don’t answer.
“You really are,” he says.
I start the engine.
“I mean, Iknewit—I’ve known for years. But you really are…” He touches my cheek. “You’re warmer now.”
“It’s the blood,” I say.
