“Your mum gave her that job. I’ll bet your mum knew the goats were magic . . .”
I shrug. I don’t know what my mother knew. “Wellbelove looked . . . well,” I say, changing the subject.
Simon gives me a wary look.
I feel foolish for saying it. I try to clarify: “She looked better than the last time we saw her.”
“Huh,” he half laughs. “I’m sure she’s happy to be well clear of those NowNext vampires.”
“Do you think we need to tell anyone about them?” We haven’t talked about it yet—the fact that there are vampires trying to steal magic, and vampires running cities. None of us have talked about any of it since we got away from them.
“I’m not sure . . .” We’re getting closer to the trees. Simon leans over to pick a stick up off the ground. It’s about the size of a sword. He slices it through the air in front of him. “Seems like maybe the Vegas vampires will take care of the NowNext.”
“But we should tell someone about . . . Las Vegas, right?”
Simon pulls his chin in. “Should we?”
“I mean, vampireshavelaid siege to an entire American city . . .”
“Baz, the whole world is a mess. Have you watched the news lately?” He swings the stick again, like he’s testing its heft.
“I’d think you’d be all over this, Snow. Clearing out a vampire infestation?”
He looks at me like my head is on upside down. “I’m literally sleeping with a vampire.”
“Yeah, but we’re talking aboutpropervampires,” I protest. “They drink blood.”
He shrugs. “They don’t seem to kill anyone . . .”
“They assault people.”
“Again, have you watched the news lately? I don’t even think having a vampire city is America’s biggest problem . . .” He swings his stick in a circle. “How much ofanyof this are we responsible for?”
“I don’t know.” We’re still holding hands; I hold my other hand up in front of my face, so he doesn’t accidentally hit me. “Some of it.”
Simon looks apologetic and rests the stick over his shoulder. “Maybe if it were happening here . . .”
“In the UK?”
“In the World of Mages.”
“Pfft. Are you still our guardian, Snow?”
“No,” he says quickly, “but . . . Oh, I don’t know.” He swings the stick again like he can’t help himself. “I hope your friend LamblevelsSan Diego. Let’s not turn him in until he’s done annihilating those bastards.”
When I don’t say anything, Simon looks over at my face. Whatever he sees there makes him frown. “You know that you aren’tmoreresponsible for vampires just because youarea vampire . . .”
“Aren’t I? They’re my kind.”
“Baz, you’re theirvictim.”
“Allvampires are victims.”
“Seems like those NowNext vampires were volunteering for the job.”
I roll my eyes. “All right, then—mostvampires are victims.”
“Maybe they start out that way, but then they choose to victimize other people. Whether it’s murdering people or Turning them, or just tapping people in alleys and stealing a pint.” He’s gesturing with his makeshift sword again. I let go of his hand to smack the stick away from me. “That’s a choice they’re making,” he says. “To keep it going. The cycle of abuse.”
