Page 69 of Only a Monster

‘We’re Hunts,’ Ruth said.

‘Hunts.’ Tom rested his head against the wall, visibly relaxing. He looked intrigued. It was the opposite of how most people in the monster world had reacted to the name Hunt. Tom retrieved a half-eaten sandwich from under the table that the dog had somehow missed. To Aaron’s obvious disgust, Tom took a big bite. ‘What’re thieves doing with an Oliver?’ he asked with his mouth full.

‘He owes her,’ Ruth said. ‘She saved his life.’

Tom took another bite. ‘And she’s making him steal from the Court?’ His bleary eyes brightened. ‘Making an Oliver break his vows to the King. . . . Guess it’s true what they say, huh?’ he said to Aaron, mouth still full. ‘Never get into debt to a Hunt. They’ll screw you sore.’

‘What charming advice,’ Aaron said.

Tom leaned back against the wall, chewing. He seemed to be enjoying watching Aaron squirm. ‘I’ve heard that Hunts can steal anything from anyone.’

Joan nodded. ‘Bet there were things at the Court that you wanted when you worked there.’ He was probably pretty annoyed that he’d been fired too.

Tom took his time finishing the sandwich. ‘I might be interested,’ he said finally.

‘Really?’ Joan said. She breathed out, relieved.

Tom seemed to come to a decision. He held out a big hand for Joan to shake. ‘Yeah.’

‘Okay.’ Joan took his hand. It was nearly double the size of her own. ‘Okay.’

‘Why are you shaking his hand as if you’ve made a bargain?’ Aaron said to Joan incredulously. ‘You haven’t made a bargain! You haven’t even agreed on a price!’

‘Oh, don’t worry, sunshine,’ Tom said to him. ‘I’ll open the big door. As long as your little thieves open the other doors, we’ll be square.’

‘Ah, I see,’ Aaron said a little faintly. ‘The Hunts will steal what they want. You’ll steal what you want. And I’ll just continue to live my best life.’

‘Be ready in two nights’ time,’ Tom added.

‘Two nights?’ Joan said. She’d been barrelling through the conversation, her only concern to get into the Court before Nick. Now, though, she felt a wave of unease.

‘That’s when the gate opens,’ Tom said.

‘The gate?’ Joan said.

Tom nodded. ‘There’s going to be a gala at the Court. Lucky you, huh? Last time the gate opened was centuries ago. And it won’t open again for another century. It’s like it’s opening just for you.’

‘Lucky us,’ Joan heard herself say. But all she could think about was how she and Aaron weren’t even supposed to be in this time—they’d overshot. Lucky. It didn’t feel like luck.

With that new monster sense in the back of her head, Joan could feel the timeline stirring—as it had when she’d watched those envelopes fall.

And she couldn’t have said why, but the unease bloomed into foreboding.

Back at the flat, Aaron was furious. ‘We’re not doing this,’ he said. They’d left Tom at the market, already half-asleep again. ‘This is ridiculous. This is not a plan!’

‘Well, not yet,’ Ruth said. ‘But I think he could get us in. He was a Court Guard. And if we have a way in, then we have the start of a plan.’

‘Were we looking at the same man? He could barely hold his head up!’ Aaron’s voice was shaking. ‘Do you have any idea what the Court will do to us if they catch us? And they will if we have to rely on that fool.’

‘We’ll be careful,’ Joan said.

‘Look,’ Ruth said to Aaron. ‘If we’re wrong about Tom—if we’re caught at the gate—then we’ll get arrested. So what? We’ll just make up some lie about gatecrashing the party.’

‘Arrested?’ Aaron said. ‘Have you ever actually met a member of the Monster Court? Have you come face-to-face with one of the Curia Monstrorum?’

‘No,’ Ruth admitted. ‘I’ve seen Court Guards.’

Aaron looked at her with a bleak expression Joan had never seen on his face before. ‘One of them came for my cousin once,’ he said.

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