Page 78 of A Mastery of Monsters

Well, this is a mess,” Henry says as he gazes around the basement.

Ms. Mathers sits on the lumpy couch, staring at her hands.

Corey’s call to Henry went through, but she hadn’t started talking, and then I threw the knife.

Henry recognized the voice of Bernie’s wife on the phone and came straight here with Margot and Isaac.

By the time we went to contact him, he was already on his way.

Now we’re all in the basement, along with Laira, trying to figure out our next move.

“We need to go help Virgil,” I say, and Corey nods vigorously.

Corey says, “If Bernie bonds with Virgil, he’ll use him for whatever he has going on. And once Bernie’s injected him, we can’t get Virgil back.”

Henry sighs and massages his temples. “From what you said, Virgil is already on the brink. The bigger issue is anyone finding out that he voluntarily ran away and tried to illegally bond with Bernie. The society will kill him for that. He wouldn’t even get the privilege of being held in the Pen.”

I always knew Henry cared about Virgil, but watching him like this, actually seeing the concern, is different. More human. Like a worried parent. We all want to get Virgil back.

I turn to Ms. Mathers. “Tell us where they went. You must know, since you said you left the house to try to stop him. You don’t want Bernie to bond with Virgil either.”

“If you find him, he’ll be dead anyway,” she says, playing with her hands. Her hair falling out of her bun. “Him and my boy.”

Margot says, “Yes, but you’ll still be alive. If you cooperate with us, we can let the society know. They’ll be more lenient.”

The woman lets out a dry laugh. “That won’t protect me.”

“Won’t protect you from what, exactly?” Henry comes to stand in front of her. “Is Bernie working with someone… or rather, for someone?”

The way she talked, it’s more likely the latter.

But who? I think immediately of Natalie.

The Pro-Libs have created unregistered pairs before.

Besides, Bernie has always been sympathetic to monsters.

Maybe he was secretly a Pro-Lib even though he said he didn’t like politics.

We’re not in a position to believe much of what he said anymore.

Ms. Mathers hunches in on herself further. Henry sighs. “I’m afraid we don’t have time for this. I’m sorry, Eleanor. I do hate to do things this way. But Virgil means too much to me.” He turns to Laira, who’s been quiet this whole time, and she pushes off the wall.

“Do you have a plan?” Margot asks Henry.

“Possibly. Do we know who the real target is? Who Bernie’s after?”

“QBSS,” I say, and hope I won’t regret it. I want to keep Riley’s secrets, but I need to help Virgil. “He wants an artifact from them.”

“And you know a girl from QBSS, don’t you?” Henry tilts his head. “Use her to lure Bernie out.”

“ Or ,” I reply, “I can ask her if she’ll help us like a normal fucking person.”

Laira snort laughs.

“Fine,” Henry says. “I’ll continue to question Eleanor and text the location to Margot once I get it out of her.

Hopefully you’ll be in time to grab Virgil before Bernie can put the serum in him.

And as long as you have the QBSS girl and Bernie has a chance to get what he wants, he won’t run away.

Do your best to incapacitate him.” He meets my eyes.

“This is enough evidence to save your brother. I promise to speak on his behalf.”

“I thought you didn’t want to get involved with my brother.”

“And like everything else, know that I am offering this not for you, but for Virgil, who begged me to help when he’s gone.” He jerks his head to the door. “Now go.”

“Come on,” Margot says, heading up the stairs.

Isaac and Corey immediately follow. I’m the last one to start out of the room. Ms. Mathers’s eyes widen as she realizes we’re leaving to go after her husband. The broken door swings shut as we walk up the stairs. “What if he can’t get the location out of her?” I ask.

Margot looks back at me, her expression flat. “He won’t. But Laira will.”

From below us, screams explode to life. Hysterical and pleading.

Corey curls in on herself, and Isaac pulls his hood up, tightening the drawstrings.

I’ve never thought of myself as a fundamentally good person. And now I know that I’m not. Because I’m unwilling to go back down there and stop what’s happening. Not when Virgil’s in danger.

Margot grits her teeth. “Let’s go.”

We leave Ms. Mathers screaming in the basement.

I knock on the door and wait. Part of me is thinking that this is the worst idea I’ve ever had, and another part of me knows that I need to at least try.

Riley opens the door and stares at me. “Wow. I shouldn’t be surprised, because if anyone had the audacity, it’d be you. But somehow, I’m still—”

“We know who’s controlling the monsters.

They have Virgil, and they’re going to use him too.

We have a plan to stop them, but we need you.

” I hunch my shoulders. “You helped me, and I didn’t realize what it was costing you to do it.

I get it. QBSS is your community. You wanted to do something without losing it, and that’s why you couldn’t tell me everything.

And it isn’t just that we need your help.

This is your chance to help bring the person responsible for Sammie’s death to justice. ”

Riley’s swallows. “I can’t go…. I—”

There are footsteps behind her, and a man calls out, “Who’s at the door?”

“Your boyfriend?”

“Him… and Malachi. My parents offered this house up to QBSS. The current sitting president always lives here.”

Shit.

The footsteps come closer, and the two men appear behind Riley.

The president’s gaze hardens when he sees me, and he gives Riley a disapproving look. “I can’t wait to hear the explanation for this one.”

“She just showed up,” Riley says. “And I know her. It’s not against the rules to know people outside of QBSS.”

“Riley…,” Jackson starts.

A horn honks behind me. I can’t stay here. We have to get to Virgil. But we need Riley for this plan to work. “I need to know right now if you’re in or not.”

Her eyes fall to the ground.

I can’t blame her. I’m not Henry. I won’t try to force her hand so I can use her. We’ll have to figure something else out.

As I step back, Riley steps forward. Her eyes widen like even she’s shocked.

Jackson lets out an involuntary giggle, on the edge of hysteric. “You’re going with her? Riley. You’re a Historic. It’s okay if you want friends outside the club, but she’s not it. She’s not the—”

“Not the right sort of friend,” Riley finishes, turning to face him. “I know. You said as much about Sammie.”

He cringes. “I’m sorry about what happened to her. But she was on a collision course all on her own.”

“Oh, so it’s her fault she was murdered? Is that what you’re saying?”

“No!”

“Enough,” Malachi says. “Whatever this girl is mixed up in is her business, not yours. Unless it concerns her brother, who absolutely needs putting down. Not that you helped with that. Jackson is right. You’re prone to bad influences.”

Riley’s lip curls. “Sammie was trying her hardest to fit in, and none of you ever gave her any slack. She was a sweet girl. She cared about people. You could have helped her. Instead, you treated her like she was nothing . Don’t you wonder why we get so many recruits who leave? Do you ever question yourself?”

“You’re not going to continue to associate with a society member. I am doing what I should have done a long time ago. I’m putting my foot down. Leave with her now, and you won’t be invited back.”

Jackson splutters, “Wait, what do you mean?”

But Riley knows exactly what he means. He wants her to choose. Go with me and be expelled from QBSS, or leave me alone and stay with QBSS.

Riley straightens her back, and the chain around her neck glows.

This time, the color carries to her eyes, making the brown irises shine molten gold.

Jackson stumbles back, but Malachi stands his ground.

“I am a motherfucking Historic . My family has protected these artifacts and followed Joseph Lawrence’s teachings for generations.

We have given bones since before your grandparents were born.

” The clasp holding her passion twists snaps and her hair falls, coiling around her body.

“You do not have, nor have you ever had, the power to tell me what to do. I deferred to you out of respect. But you are not my better. And you certainly cannot kick me out of the organization that was founded to protect our people.” Now the chain links glow, separating into individual links floating around her.

Malachi reaches for his scythe chain, and Jackson shouts, “No!” and tackles him to the floor.

Riley flicks her wrist, and the links rapidly increase in size and fly across the threshold to bind Malachi and Jackson together.

Slamming them against the wall and locking them in place.

She walks forward and tugs the chain off the President’s neck.

“I’ll be keeping this for a bit. And when I get back, when I have brought Sammie’s and Jacob’s killers to justice, we’ll have a vote, and we’ll see who gets to wear the sickle. ”

“You’re a traitor to the bones,” Malachi spits.

Riley’s lip curls. “And you don’t even understand what it means to give them.”

Jackson struggles against the restraints. “Riley, please! Don’t do this!”

“We can talk about it when I get back.” She walks out the front door and pulls it closed. The remaining links floating around her rejoin and shrink, settling against her neck as a chain once more.

When we enter the car together, it’s silent for a few moments.

Until Corey says, “Holy shit, that was so cool.”

Riley flips her hair over her shoulder. “Not that big of a deal.”