"I'm listening," he says, and he is. His mind is sharp and bright, ready to turn R's words into vivid, painted images of what he will do next. Beat him? Stab him? It surprises Aunamee, how much it bothers him to know that R has feasted upon his blood and sinew. (It must have something to do with knowing that his body is meat, sweet and malleable like a pig. It must be primal.) Shouldn't he accept that the boy wasn't in his right mind? Shouldn't he acknowledge that the boy's animalistic, murderous nature is what makes him so appealing in the first place?

He keeps his foot brushed against R's hand. Just one step is all he needs. Just one step.

"Provided you came alone."