You should never have been touched. Those were Constantine's words. Myra was chattering again, but I was thinking of Constantine's apparent anger and what he'd said. He knew something.
"But a whole week. That'll give you plenty of time together, finally," Myra said, catching me again.
"A week?" I asked.
"With Hunter," she pressed, eyebrows waggling briefly before her head tilted. "You do like him, don't you?"
"I do! Very much," I said, scrambling to keep up with her bouncing conversation.
She sighed and nodded. "Good. I thought you would. Yes, a week will be just what the pair of you needs for him to settle the matter."
I laughed at her obvious scheming. "Reddy will have something to say if you manage to ship me out of the theater to a patron."
Myra snorted. "His roaring is just hot air. Come on, lovey. We'd better get up there and make sure he's not selling them all a rotten load."
Her arm linked with mine, tugging me along at her side toward the stairs, my thoughts bouncing from one man to the next. Was Myra right that Hunter would make me some kind of fashionable offer to be his live-in mistress, or whatever deal it was that Myra seemed to work for other girls? Were Constantine's words a cryptic confession, or just an oddly protective speech? Was he working for Birsha, or did Birsha own him in some way?
But when Myra and I made it to the stage, as Mr. Reddy and Jude were peppered with questions, I searched the audience. Hunter was there, waiting for me a few rows back. Nireas was already at his bench by the organ, the sight of it reminding me of the crashing keys and groaning notes from the night before. Ronan was in the front row, long legs stretched and hoofed heels propped on the stage.
Constantine was nowhere to be found.
"Go on to your gentleman, lovey," Myra whispered in my ear. "I'll fix it so you don't have to come in tomorrow either."
Unlikely, I thought as she winked at me, but perhaps Mr. Reddy's guilt might buy me two nights off.
Ronan nodded to me as I passed him, gaze trailing after me briefly. If I did settle down with Hunter, that would be a goodbye to Ronan, wouldn't it? Why did the idea of that sting so deeply?
Hunter had chosen one of the bench seats, and he was warm against my side as I sat down.
"He's very sly with his words, but he's managing the truth," Hunter whispered to me.
"He's only direct when he's telling us all how shit our scenes look in rehearsal," I answered. "We can leave soon, if you like."
Hunter's hand found mine on the seat, our fingers tangling. "Have you been to Kew Gardens?"
I blinked and shook my head, the question entirely unexpected.
Hunter smiled and nodded. "I think you would enjoy it. Unless you'd rather return for sleep."
I was used to running low on sleep and curious about the idea of a garden as a destination. "I'm happy to go anywhere with you," I said.
But my eyes trailed back to Nireas and Ronan as Hunter guided me up from the seat and toward the back of the theater. I wanted to be with Hunter. I was excited to spend the week with him! And yet I couldn't shake the sense that I was leaving something rather important behind me as we walked away.
None of it matters if they don't know who you are, Pa's voice reminded me.
They could, I thought.
But a bolt of fear struck my heart like ice at the idea and my fingers tightened around Hunter's. What if my father was right? If Mr. Reddy was right too? If Hunter and the other monsters only wanted the human girl—the delicate and pretty toy so many monsters coveted—then I might be worthless to them. The only way to know would be to ask, and I couldn't bear the thought of seeing disappointment in Hunter or Ronan's eyes.
I pressed my lips firmly together to seal the secrets in and followed Hunter out of the theater and into the hazy light of London.