Page 32 of Only a Monster

‘I don’t know.’ Was Nick here? Joan couldn’t see the man with the tattoo. She couldn’t see Nick.

Aaron’s grip shifted so that he and Joan were holding hands. It surprised Joan enough that she turned back to him. ‘What are you doing?’

‘We have to leave now!’

‘But . . . I don’t know if I’ve taken enough time.’

‘Look. There.’ Aaron pointed. He sounded as scared as Joan felt. ‘There. There.’ People jumped over the barricades and ran toward them. A pack of wolves converging. ‘I’ll do destination,’ Aaron said, ‘but you have to jump too. As long as we’re holding hands, we’ll go together. Are you ready?’

Joan nodded, even though she had no idea what she was actually supposed to do.

‘Okay, now,’ Aaron said.

Joan couldn’t take her eyes off the men running toward them. Aaron had said to jump. She imagined herself jumping. Nothing happened.

‘Do it!’ Aaron said. ‘They’re coming!’

Joan visualised jumping again. Nothing happened.

‘I’m doing the hard part!’ Aaron said. ‘You just have to jump!’

Joan jumped for real, jostling everyone around her. People turned and stared.

‘What the hell are you doing?’ Aaron said.

‘You said to jump.’

‘Through time!’

Joan heard herself make a sound that might have been a laugh and might just have been terror. She thought frantically back to that morning with Mr Solt, when he’d pushed her and day had turned into night. She couldn’t remember doing anything—it had just happened. Nick’s people were in the crowd now. Joan still couldn’t see Nick. ‘You need to go without me,’ she said.

‘Don’t be stupid!’ Aaron said. ‘Jump!’

‘I don’t know how!’

‘You annoying, backward, time-mired Hunt. Jump!’

She imagined jumping again. Nothing. ‘You have to go!’ she said. ‘They’re almost here!’

‘Look at me,’ Aaron said.

‘It’s too late!’ The sword wound in Joan’s side ached: a reminder of how much this was going to hurt. ‘You have to go!’

‘Don’t look at them,’ Aaron said. ‘Look at me.’

Joan swallowed and lifted her head to look at him.

‘You can do this,’ Aaron said. His face was very serious. His eyes were grey, Joan thought distantly. Like the sky before rain. ‘You’ve done it before. You know how.’

‘I really don’t,’ Joan whispered. Oh God, there were more people leaping over the barricades now. ‘Aaron, you have to go.’

‘Look at me,’ Aaron said. Joan forced her gaze back to him. ‘Yeah, just like that. Tell me why you were working at Holland House.’

‘What? What are you talking about? Holland House?’

‘You volunteered at Holland House.’ Aaron seemed so calm. ‘Why?’

‘What are you talking about?’

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