Only a Monster

Vanessa Len is an Australian author of Chinese-Malaysian and Maltese heritage. An educational editor, she has worked on everything from language learning programs to STEM resources, to professional learning for teachers. Vanessa is a graduate of the Clarion Workshop in San Diego, and she lives in Melbourne.

Ruth breathed a curse. ‘The Griffith family can induce truth,’ she whispered to Joan tiredly.

The Mtawali family has the power to transfer time into objects,’ Aaron said. ‘Travel tokens, we call them.

Joan, he said: ‘The Patels can mire monsters in time—they can prevent us from travelling.

The palace chapel, she thought wonderingly. King Henry had married Anne Boleyn here.

How does the Hunt power work?’ she asked. ‘I used to think that we put objects somewhere else. But that isn’t right, is it?’

‘No,’ Ruth said slowly. ‘It’s more like we place objects somewhen else.’

They turned out to be tiny marzipan lions, exquisitely detailed. They were too beautiful to eat. Joan pocketed them.

aways leash. Nightingales take. Mtawalis keep. Argents sway. Alis seal. Griffiths
reveal. But only the Lius remember

‘No?’ Ying said musingly. ‘Olivers see. Hunts hide. Nowaks live. Patels bind. Portellis open. Hath

‘I think this is a dog vest,’ she said to Ruth through the curtain.