Page 65 of A Mastery of Monsters

Corey insists upon another celebratory sleepover for what she calls “our triumphant return to friendship and to kicking Caden’s ass!

” This time there are no meetings downstairs, so we’re set up in one of the sitting rooms, where she’s covered the entire coffee table with snacks and a “make your own Caesar” drink station that includes bacon strips, mini pickles, and more.

Though Caesar is a generous term, since there’s no vodka, so it’s basically Clamato.

Apparently, a glass of wine is acceptable underage drinking and hard liquor is not.

I can’t wait to turn nineteen next year and be legal.

But even more unfortunate than the lack of alcohol is the giant banner strung up that says, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Which I am currently scowling at.

Corey has also mysteriously left the room, which I worry means a surprise is coming.

Virgil nudges me in the shoulder. “Are you seriously mad that we’re celebrating your birthday?”

“I knew it was sus that she picked this date for the party.” I hadn’t told any of them my birth date to avoid this, but I shouldn’t be shocked that they found out.

I was glad to have spent the last few days since the second test licking my wounds and training for the final one. I hoped I could let this particular day pass by. It’s why, when Bailey called to set up a family get-together, I pushed it off to meeting for breakfast on the weekend.

Last year, Mom made a big deal, as she did every year. We went for dinner at a fancy restaurant, and I ordered this expensive steak and got a free slice of chocolate ice cream cake. I took two bites of the cake and pretended to be full.

I thought about the cake that entire day and night.

Before the meal, about whether I would let myself eat any of the cake.

During the meal, about if the cake would come or not, because I wasn’t going to order it, but if someone else did, I was obligated to eat some.

That would make it okay to have. Then when the cake came, carefully controlling how much I had.

Savoring the two bites. Forcing myself not to eat more.

Offering it to Jules, and Dad, and Mom to have some to be sure they’d finish it, and I wouldn’t have the option to go back for more.

Then that night at home, thinking about the cake while I stared at the ceiling. Wishing I’d eaten the whole slice.

A week and a half later, Mom was gone.

That was the last day I really spent quality time with her, and all I was thinking about was cake.

“Speaking of birthdays…” Virgil holds out a card to me. “This came in the mail for you.”

“To McIntosh Castle?”

He shrugs. “Probably a society person. Bernie maybe?”

There’s no return address on the envelope. Inside there’s a card that says, Happy Birthday! on the front with a bunch of cartoon balloons. I open it and stare at the words, reading them once and then again.

Virgil, of course, is too polite to peek. “Is it from Bernie?” he asks.

I shake my head. “It says, ‘There once was a man who thought himself a God. He wrote his lessons as a God. He led his people as a God. He was revered as a God. And then one day, that God died. That was the day we learned that any God can be killed.’?”

“What does that even mean?”

“How should I know?” It’s creepy as hell.

I wouldn’t put it past Caden to figure out my birthday and send some weird card in the mail to mess with me.

He must still be pissed about the second test. I toss it onto the coffee table and rub my bruised forearms. Caden hadn’t actually broken any bones, but even five days later, they still hurt.

Virgil watches me. “Still bad, eh?”

“I couldn’t keep up with him. It was pathetic.”

“Caden’s had years of practice. If it had involved knife throwing, you would have done way better. It’s a skill set thing. Margot can’t make you into an expert overnight.”

“Maybe I could with the right pupil,” Margot says from the door with a plastic bag in her hands.

I gape at her. “Wow, you accepted a party invite?”

“I heard it was someone’s birthday, so I made an exception.” She tosses me the bag, and I manage to catch it.

Inside there’s a pair of fingerless leather gloves with long fabric attached that also has some sort of cushioning. “You got me something?!”

“Wear the gloves for combat. The padding goes down your forearms, so you don’t get hurt blocking again. It’s also fishnet, since that’s in line with your style.”

It is. They’re, like, actually cute. “Thank you.”

Margot makes a noise in the back of her throat and looks away from me.

“Happy birthday to you…” Corey comes around the corner with a cake covered in black icing with red lettering on it.

Margot shakes her head. “No one wants that.”

“Thank you!” I say, even more enthusiastically than I did for the gift.

Corey rolls her eyes and stops singing, setting the cake down. Then she spots me with the gloves. “You started gifts without me?!”

“Relax,” Virgil says. “Let’s do the cake first.”

I’m tasked with cutting the cake, and I make sure to give myself a nice big slice with plans to eat absolutely all of it.

Halfway through my portion, I get a video call from Riley.

This girl hasn’t so much as texted me since we fought at her bougie ass house and now she’s video calling me out of the blue?

“I gotta get this,” I say, and go out to another room.

I answer the phone, and Riley pops up. “Did you call to say happy birthday?” I ask.

“What?” She scrunches her face. “It’s your birthday?”

Okay, I guess that isn’t why she’s calling.

She says, “Another invitation was sent out. The meet-up spot is the same. I don’t know if they’re trying to tempt us into going back or what.

Now that things have escalated, QBSS will be going, and the plan is elimination.

If the society won’t put down a murderous monster, we will.

If you want to have some say in what happens to your brother, I would get down there.

And be discreet! The note says to meet at midnight this time. ” She hangs up.

I stare at the screen, open-mouthed.

They’re going to kill Jules.

“August?” I jump and whirl around. Corey is standing in the doorway. She looks from the phone to my face. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, for sure. It was just my dad.” In reality, Dad called earlier in the day to wish me happy birthday.

Back in the room, I eat my cake. I put forkful after forkful into my mouth, tasting it less with every bite.

Corey tells me I have to wait until the end of the semester for her gift. Virgil hands over a box he pulls from behind the couch.

I unwrap it and stare at the black leather and the rows of dark metal beneath it.

Virgil shifts in place. “I figured that since Henry took away the credit card, you didn’t get a chance to buy holsters that fit.

Also, an extra set of knives, because retrieval is hard with knife throwing.

And I know you care about your set. I figure these are ones you can throw without worrying about losing them. ”

There aren’t just holsters for my thighs, but also ones to go around my chest and back, and some that work for boots too. I can carry an exorbitant amount of knives with these. I run my fingers over a stamp in the leather. A. B. “What if I have a middle name?” I ask.

“I checked with Bailey. She said you don’t.”

Of course he did. “Thank you,” I say, my voice quiet and my eyes on the leather. I’m supposed to use these to fight so I can help Jules. But none of that will matter if he doesn’t make it through the night.

I choke back a sob. Virgil’s eyes widen, and he starts waving his hands around. “It’s not that big of a deal! I didn’t even use my own money! And you needed it—”

“They’re going to kill my brother tonight.”

“This is so cool,” Isaac says. “I’ve never been to a stakeout.”

We walk together through the trees, already off the main path.

I have my new knives strapped to me with the new holsters.

It’s more weight than I’m used to, but I’m managing.

We move slowly, trying not to make too much noise, since Riley gave me a heads up about being discreet.

Though I don’t know how possible that’ll be once they go after Jules.

Margot made us walk in a formation with her and Isaac at the front, me and Corey in the middle, and Virgil bringing up the rear.

“Is any of this looking familiar?” Margot asks, pointing ahead.

She may as well point at the sky for all it helps. Everything is cloaked in darkness, the same way it was the first time I came with Riley, and I was running then. “Not really.”

Margot sighs. “Okay, let’s split up.”

“As a Black person—”

“It’s strategically the best idea, since you don’t know where we’re going.

” She jerks her thumb at Virgil and then Isaac.

“You two try to sniff out the Masters.” Isaac opens his mouth, and she cuts him off.

“I know it’s not that easy, but the QBSS members will be together in clumps, so it should be feasible to avoid them.

The Masters will be nearby and on their own.

Try to see who you can find that fits. Or any scents that are out of place and might be them trying to cover theirs.

Besides, this might be a setup, so both monsters could be in play.

Splitting up could help us force them to split up too.

If you find the Masters, do not engage. We just need identities.

The rest can be dealt with later. August, Corey, and I will focus on stopping QBSS members from killing Jules and also stopping Jules from killing QBSS members. Good?”

Virgil shoves his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “I could handle looking for the Master alone. That way you guys can keep Isaac with you.”

“No, because of the reasons I just said,” Margot replies. “And you can’t turn. You need some protection too—that’s Isaac.”

He bites his lip, looking at me and Corey. “We’ll be fine,” I say. “Go.”

“Corey?” he asks.