Page 106 of Only a Monster

‘The Mtawali stories tend to be fables. You know, with lessons attached,’ Jamie continued. ‘And the Oliver stories are mostly horror. I guess they enjoy terrifying their children before they fall asleep.’

Aaron usually hated people talking about his family. But there was mild approval on his face at this. God, the Olivers are weird, Joan thought.

‘We were trying to remember a particular one,’ she said. ‘Where the hero has a flaw.’

‘A flaw?’ Jamie said.

‘A weakness.’

‘You mean like an Achilles heel?’ Jamie said. ‘Sorry. He doesn’t die in any story I’ve read.’

Waste of time, Aaron mouthed to Joan.

‘Although . . .’ Jamie hesitated. ‘There is one thing. It’s not exactly a weakness. But it is a vulnerability, perhaps.’

Aaron lifted his head. ‘What is it?’ Joan asked.

‘The Liu stories are romances,’ Jamie said. ‘In our stories, the hero was once in love with a girl.’

Aaron grimaced and dropped his head again. But Joan’s stomach twisted. ‘A romance?’ she said. ‘The hero stories aren’t romances.’

‘The Liu stories are,’ Jamie said. ‘We love a tragic romance.’ At the word tragic, the sick twist in Joan’s stomach worsened. ‘Have you ever heard of the zhenshí de lìshi?’ he said.

‘The true timeline,’ Joan said.

‘Some families call it that,’ Jamie agreed. ‘The Liu stories say that in the zhenshí de lìshi, the hero was an ordinary boy in love with a monster girl.’

‘A monster girl?’ Joan echoed. The sick feeling was getting stronger.

‘You know the theory of the timeline?’ Jamie said. ‘That when we make changes, the timeline repairs itself? It returns to its natural shape.’

‘Yes,’ Joan whispered. She had a feeling that she didn’t want to hear what was about to come next.

‘The Lius believe that our timeline still tries to return to its true shape—still yearns for the shape of the true timeline. We believe that if people belonged together in the true timeline, then our timeline tries to repair itself by bringing them together. Over and over and over. Until the rift is healed.’

‘Like soul mates?’ Tom said.

Jamie smiled at Tom. ‘Yes. If you believe in fairytales.’

On the way back to the safe house, Tom was very quiet. Frankie hadn’t wanted to leave the garden. She’d lingered by Jamie’s side, and had whined miserably when she’d realised they were leaving him behind.

Joan was quiet too. The first time she’d gone to Holland House, it had felt like a compulsion. She’d seen the name on a signpost and she’d had to go there. She hadn’t been able to think about anything else. And then she’d met Nick, and it had been like she’d already known him. Like she knew him better than she knew herself.

‘This doesn’t help us kill him,’ Ruth said as they walked. ‘It doesn’t help us stop him.’

‘I told you this would be a waste of time,’ Aaron said.

Our timeline tries to repair itself by bringing them together, Jamie had said. Over and over and over. Until the rift is healed. Joan had been drawn to Holland House while Nick had been there. Nick had found her in 1993. They’d collided with each other at the Monster Court.

She remembered how he’d touched her cheek. How he’d looked at her. What it had felt like when he’d kissed her.

But if the timeline was trying to repair itself, it was doomed to failure. This was a rift that couldn’t be healed. Nick had killed Joan’s family. Nick had been conditioned to loathe monsters.

‘So, what now, then?’ Ruth said.

‘Now nothing,’ Aaron said. ‘Now we wait for the Patel power to wear off, and then we get out of this time and live our lives in hiding.’

Joan pressed her fingernails into her palms—over the cuts already there. She let herself feel the bite of it. Gran had told her the truth that night. Only you can stop the hero, she’d said.

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