“I don’t even really remember what happened,” Gemma said, wiping at the tears that fell from her eyes. “It’s all kind of a red blur.”

“You don’t remember the first couple times,” Thea said. “You’re not really in control of your body or your transformation. And since you were avoiding eating, you were probably especially out of control.”

“But I … I ate his heart?” Gemma asked.

“That’s what we do,” Thea said. “That’s how we survive. We have to eat boys’ hearts.”

“That’s so messed up.”

Thea laughed darkly. “That’s all Demeter’s sick sense of humor. She was one twisted bitch when she made the curse.”

“I don’t think I can do this.” Gemma hugged her knees tighter as her stomach lurched. “I can’t kill people like this.”

“The good news is that you only have to eat four times a year,” Thea said, trying to comfort her. “Once before every solstice.”

“What?” Gemma sniffled and turned to look back at Thea. “You eat more than that.”

“I don’t,” Thea said. “Not really. Have you noticed how my voice isn’t as silky as Penn’s or Lexi’s?”

“That’s because you don’t eat as often as they do?” Gemma asked.

“That’s part of it.” Thea nodded. “I once went a whole year without eating. It nearly killed me. And now my voice is like this. If I ate more, the huskiness would eventually go away, but I don’t need to eat more, so I don’t.”

“You can go a whole year without eating?” Gemma turned in the tub to face her. “Could you go longer?”

“No, Gemma, it nearly killed me,” Thea repeated. “It was excruciatingly painful, physically and emotionally, and eventually I started going mad. When I did finally eat, I was so out of control I nearly slaughtered everyone around me. You have to eat more than that.”

“If you hurt so bad, then why didn’t you eat?” Gemma asked. “Why’d you go a whole year without eating?”

Thea lowered her eyes. “That’s a story for another day.” She leaned over and reached into the tub, pulling out the stopper so the water would drain. “Why don’t you turn on the shower to rinse off, and I’ll go grab you a towel?”

After Gemma got out of the shower, she hated to admit how awesome she felt. Emotionally, she was a wreck, but physically, Gemma had never felt better. She’d never done drugs, but she imagined that this was how a really good high felt.

Thea came back with a huge towel, and Gemma wrapped herself in it.

“You feel better now?” Thea asked.

“I guess,” Gemma said, trying to downplay how good she felt, and started walking to her room.