Jasper, gazing at the crystal vial in Ru's hand, asked slowly, "You're giving me this bottle in exchange for my puppet card?"
Ru, perched on the edge of the clawfoot bathtub, gently swirled the vial. The two flecks of shimmering red inside it caught the candlelight like dying stars. "I'm giving you my blood," he murmured. "So you'll always return to me. And—lucky you—I'm also unlocking the dream dimension. Think about it. What a generous little ancient being I am."
Jasper's masked eyes followed the liquid like a hound tracking prey. His shoulders tensed. Then he shook himself like a drenched beast, banishing his anticipation. "It's barely two drops. You call this generosity?"