" Ugh," he said after a few swallows. " Dead blood." Jace's eyebrows went up. " Isn't all blood dead?" " The longer the animal whose blood I'm drinking has been dead, the worse the blood tastes," Simon explained. " Fresh is better." " But you've never drunk fresh blood. Have you?" Simon raised his own eyebrows in response. " Well, aside from mine, of course," Jace said. " And I'm sure my blood is fan-tastic. "