Page 21 of My Monster's Keeper
“What just happened?” Frost demands.
“I ordered food.”
He eyes my phone. “You can call for food through that object.”
“Uh, yes. It’s complicated, but I’ll teach you. It will be handy when we’re out in the field.”
“Are you some kind of royal?” Frost demands suddenly.
I shake my head. “Nope. I just have lots of money.” I wave the card. He watches it with interest.
Too much interest. I pocket it quickly and point at the boxes.
“I got you some pillows, a quilt, a cover, and those,” I interrupt, grabbing them off Wilder. I carefully reach up and put them over his eyes. “Sunglasses to hide your gaze and eyes. So you can blend in better.”
Puppy upends his, dumping my gifts on the floor, and stares at the giant box in rapt attention. He hugs it to him and then makes a high skittering sound that almost but doesn’t quite resemble a giggle. I almost take a step back but manage to hold my position just in time.
Stix looks in his box, empties it on the table, and offers the box to Puppy. The latter stares at the offering with a look of envious rage and then snatches it out of Stix’s hand and disappears down the hallway with both.
I lick my lips and look down at the table. “So, uh, yeah. If you need anything else, let me know, and I’ll organise and have it delivered.“
Frost edges closer. “With the box?”
For a moment, I can’t remember which box he’s talking about, but then I realise he means the phone. “Yes. I’ll order it with the phone.”
“You will get me one.”
“I’ll be getting you all one. Does anyone use human weapons? Need clothes?” I look around and get blank stares.
All right. Let’s just stick with food. I start putting the covers on the quilts, and when I hand Frost his, he takes it almost reverently. There’s an expression there that makes me think kindness has not been something he sees very often.
Where did these guys come from that such slight gestures are breaking their brains?
The doorbell rings, and I gesture to them. I open the door to find three guys holding our food. I take a stack of pizzas and pass them to Stix.
“Take those into,” I hesitate, there’s nowhere clean, “my room.”
I hand a stack of boxes to Wilder and grab those last few bags. Then swipe my card and pay for it.
I make my way up to my room and find the four of them staring at the boxes.
“Sit down,” I say and sit on the floor.
“What is this smell?” Frost narrows his eyes.
“You drank a can of coke yesterday. How can you not know what pizza is?”
“Hartley shares his coke with us,” Frost says in a sulk.
But he folds his legs and elegantly sits opposite me. Stix and Wilder sit, too. I ignore Puppy because I’m just not going there.
I flick open the first box and set it down, then I open another and another. I unwrap the garlic breads and put a mousse cup with each one of us. Then I grab the five forks and shove them in the lasagne and look up at them.
“Try it.”
They stare at me suspiciously.
I pick up a piece and start eating. Oh, so good. When was the last time I had pizza? This one is a meat lovers, not my favourite but still good.
