“I’m sorry,” I said. “For what happened to this place.”
I tried to say I knew it would happen, but fear slammed my mouth shut. It’d suck if things steered us in a hateful direction. I liked Medusa and didn’t want her to see me as the enemy. Although, she probably already did a smidge.
“None of it matters,” she answered. “Life isn’t exactly clear sailing, is it? We all make decisions based on what we think is right. Unless you have no moral compass.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“Do me a favor, sugar,” she added. “Let’s not talk about this.”
“Are you sure?”
She touched one of her peeling scales, sucking air through gritted teeth.
“You okay?”
“Yes. Nothing a shift and a hunt in the gardens won’t cure,” she said. “As long as I stay in my snake form for twelve hours, I will heal.”
“Then you should totally go do that.”
“I’ll shift when Silvanus is back,” she rebutted. “He told me to watch you, so I’m watching you.”
“Oh.” I dipped my head, flexing my fingers.
“But we don’t have to sit here all down in the dumps. Let’s talk about something fun.”
Her jovial tone put a spring in my step. “Like what?”
“Like your obsession with caramel shortbread.”
I snorted with laughter. “Really?”
“Yep. Tell me what’s so great about it.”
Damn. My tastebuds were pining for the sugary wonder. “What’s to say other than it being awesome?”
“But why is it awesome?”
My belly rumbled. “I think it’s the caramel. Don’t get me wrong, the chocolate and the shortbread layers are super important. But the caramel is the star the rest of it hinges on.”
Damn. Was I drooling?
She nodded slowly. “Interesting. Do you make them yourself?”
“Nah. I’m a connoisseur, not a baker.”
She pulled off a scale, exposing a patch of raw flesh. “I’m not one for those types of foods. A carnivore through and through. But I can relate.”
“You can?”
“Rabbits.”
Gross.
“They are the perfect combination of fat and bone,” she rhapsodized. “A real treat for the tummy. Both sweet and savory, like devouring two meals at once. Absolute perfection.”
I mean, she was a snake. “Cool. Can’t say it’s for me, but power to you and your tastebuds. Wait. Do you have tastebuds?”
She turned herself sideways to face me. “Those bumps on your tongue?”
