“Well, I’m not a parasite either.” Baz stops, crouches. “Or a thief.”

“You wouldn’t have to steal it.”

“Good idea, I’ll find a blood bank and open an account.”

“Come on, don’t be thick—you know I’d give it to you.”

He stands up abruptly, facing me. “Don’t say that, Simon.”

I shrug. “But I would.” I would.

Baz looks fierce. “Don’t be idiotic! We don’t even know how it works—I might drink too much.”

“You wouldn’t.” He wouldn’t.

“I could accidentally Turn you.”

“We’ll do research,” I say. “I’ll get Penny on it.”

“Don’t you dare mention this to Bunce. Just stop, all right? I don’t even want to think about this.”

“You’d rather drink London rats than me?”

Baz’s eyes are wide. He’s shaking his head. “Fuck you, Snow.”

“Someday, perhaps. I’ve been told there’s hope.” I see something scurrying past me, and stomp on it. “Hey, look—I got one!”

BAZ

Simon Snow is grinning at me, holding out a live rat like a single-stemmed rose.

I stare at him.

He shakes the screeching rat. “Finish him off,” he says, “before he starts to grow on me.”

I take the rat and put it out of its misery.

Who will put me out of mine? I used to think it would be this fool. “You’re not even wearing gloves,” I say, still dumbfounded.

“Just ‘Clean as a whistle’ me.”

“That’ll only get you—”

“Clean as a whistle, I know. But right now, I’m clean as a rat.”

I wave my wand over his hands, casting the spell, then start walking again.

He’s unbelievable! He wants me to drink his blood? As if not drinking his blood hasn’t been my primary concern since my fangs grew in!

He’d actually let me drink him …

Never mind the pain. Or the scars. Or the blood loss.

Or the risk of becoming a monster.

I thought maybe Snow didn’t want to share a bed with me because he was afraid I’d bite him in my sleep. But apparently that’s fine! Bloodletting is fine—intimacy is the real taboo!

“Don’t people notice you?” he asks, still unbothered. “Strolling around with a bunch of dead rats?”

“Not usually. I cast a spell if they do.”

“How many rats do you need to get full?”

“Depends on the size. Four to six.”

Simon giggles. “Four to six.”

I shake my head. “I still can’t believe you’re doing this with me.”

“I’ve kind of already done it with you. I used to follow you around the Catacombs every night.”

I laugh. “Those weren’t dates, Snow.”

He grins. “Is this a date, then?”

I go back to scanning the alley for rats. “You really were obsessed with me, weren’t you? I can’t believe you didn’t know you were gay.”