Page 22 of Hunters and Prey

"Holy shit."

That was good. So good he felt cheated. How come the ice cream didn't taste like this where he came from?

Her fiery gaze pierced him, and Tom was back to freezing. But she smiled.

"I know, right? Nothing compares to gelato, and I have tasted ambrosia."

Suddenly, Tom had a billion questions. He was under the impression that the goddess wasn't inclined to tear his throat off, so he asked, "Ambrosia? So all the gods…"

"All of them are real. All the myths. I literally can't think of one story that isn't true. Regulars have no imagination." She rolled her eyes.

"Then where are they?"

Her eyes flashed with something that made Viola flinch.

"Interesting question, little fledgling," said the goddess, forcing a smile. "Away. Now let us get down to business. You're obviously, what, three, four months away from needing to taste blood, no matter the cost, no matter whose. You need blood—mine, as you're in no mood to face Eirikr. The question is, what will you give me for it?"

Viola had expected this; she'd spent hours agonizing over it.

"Your Grace, we have many treasures in Skyhall. I was told, in the old days, that you desired the bloodstone my sire wore?"

Ariadne smiled, and it was both beautiful and terrible.

"Oh, I think you'll give me a lot more than a little stone for this. You'd give me anything I ask for."

She was right. Tom needed to shift, not just for himself—for Chloe. They hadn't said a word about her, but as Ariadne had somehow known about him, she might know of Chloe's existence too.

"So, that's exactly what I'm asking for. Anything."

Tom frowned.

"I will give you my blood today, and in exchange, you will owe me one favor. Anything I ask for."

Before Tom was done opening his mouth, Viola said, "Nothing that will put him in danger."

Ariadne smiled. "Of course. I'm no monster. We wouldn't want anything to happen to the last Eirikrson, now would we?"

Tom was swimming with sharks with an open wound. She was a predator and he was being hunted.

He also had no choice.

"Very well."

"Marvelous."

She handed him a beautiful silver pendant with a vial right in the middle, already filled with a gold liquid. Tom needn't ask what it was. Gold or not, he smelled the heady iron fragrance. Blood.

"Let's shake on it, shall we?"

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