“Maybe they don’t know a different way to survive.”
“You figured it out, and you were just a kid!”
I put my hands in my pockets and walk a bit faster. “I’m not special.”
Simon takes hold of my shoulder. “You literally are!” He gets in front of me, so that we both have to stop. “You get credit for not being a murderous asshole, you know, especially whenbeinga murderous asshole would make your life way easier.”
“Well . . . I’m still young.”
“Baz.I don’t think you’re going to start draining strangers on the Underground.” He takes my other shoulder. He must have dropped his stick. “You won’t even drink my blood, and I’m offering it.”
“Sto-o-o-op.” I roll my whole face up and away from him. “Simon, we agreed.”
“What did we agree?”
“That you’re not going to talk about this!”
“Fine, but we did not agree that you won’t ever drink my blood.”
I jerk my head down to look at him. “I’m telling you right now that I won’t! And I won’t have you bringing it up again.”
Snow’s jaw is square and there’s a line between his eyebrows. “All right. I won’t bring it up again . . . unless there’s an emergency.”
“Hell and horrors.” My voice breaks. “There won’t be an emergency that requires—”
“What if we’re trapped underground?”
“We’d die ofactualthirst before I’d need blood.”
“All right,” he says, “what if we’re trapped underground with water and food, and—”
“Why would we be in this situation?”
“We’re being held captive.”
I shove him. “You’ll break us out.”
“I don’t have magic, remember?”
“ThenI’llbreak us out.”
He steps closer to me, wrapping his arms loosely around my neck. “You can’t, you’re too weak—you need blood.”
“Snow, I’ve been in many extreme scenarios, and this hasnevertranspired . . .”
“It could!”
I cover my eyes and press my fingertips into my forehead. “Why are you doing this? Why are you making me imagine a terrible situation where I lose my humanity and have to do the very worst thing to the person I care about most?”
“Because. . .” he whines. “Because it’s kindahot.”
“For fuck’s sake, Snow!” I shout it so loud, some birds go squawking out of the trees. I duck out of his arms.
“Come on. It’s sexy. Admit it.”
I’m walking away from him. “Cannibalism isn’t sexy.”
He hums, like I might be wrong.
