Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,14

not quite that fragile,” she grumbles. “But I’m still mad at you for being the asshole who watched his girlfriend on TV, and I don’t want you to think it’s all okay because I’m suddenly kissing you whenever you want to be kissed.”

I blink down at her, as she peers up at me with a pointed look, devoid of any fear or any other emotion, for that matter.

I think of how she fell apart in that vehicle the day after Idun flogged her.

Violet’s muffled scream is only half as devastating as her body shaking with her mostly muted sobs. Arion is seconds away from touching her, but his hand pulls back in a fist, and he jerks away, staring anywhere but at her.

The wolf’s jaw is clenched as tightly as my own, dark and furious vengeance resting in his menacing eyes. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that much anger in him.

My own fury has brought about a calmness over me, and I study Violet with renewed determination.

Never. Again.

“Damien, are you even listening to me?” Violet’s voice cuts in, bringing me back to the present.

I consistently fail her, and then on goes the brave face. It’s good she can take better care of herself than I can take of her. My lips graze her forehead, and I pull her closer.

She releases a harsh sigh and withdraws enough to give me a steely look. It’s so resolved and steady that it almost makes me think I imagined that moment of relief, fear, and vulnerability that was there just moments ago.

“I beat him. He didn’t beat me. I locked him out, and then you showed up. It didn’t last too long. I really am fine,” she promises me in a near spitfire fashion, while cupping my cheek. “It’s not the first time I’ve been attacked. Waking up in a coffin with Emit was way more traumatizing.”

She shrugs out of my arms, casually stretching as she stands, as though this is now any other day and all’s well.

“Besides, he wanted me to hate your face. I’d never let him win, and it would have taken a lot more than that to even shake my confidence,” she adds as she glances over her shoulder and down to me. “He really does hate you. He forced me to watch some reruns of his early days.”

Slowly, I stand to my feet, dusting the glass off me.

“Dorian is dangerously fucked up. It took me a long time to realize the damage our father was doing to him and how wrong it all was. I was in my mid-twenties before I truly grasped it. I idolized my father in those days. He was the best, most powerful gypsy I’d ever known, and I was proud he was my Pa,” I state quietly, needing the distraction, as I try to get my monster on its leash before I really do go and claim her.

Now’s certainly not the time to fuck up like that. She’s been through enough for one day.

“What about now?” she asks me, her fingers slowly lacing with mine.

“Now I’m the one my father wishes he could disown, since Dorian is the one in all the legends. He’s the only one in our family with any mention left of his name.”

“He’d rather be you,” she says on a tired breath. “I’ve never met someone so viciously jealous of someone else. Talk about sibling rivalry.”

“That’s because he was the true first-born, and Father treated him like the family’s unwanted obligation and slave. Then he fell in love with Idun, who only used him to break my fucking heart. When she chased me afterwards, he hated me more than he’s ever hated me. So yes, he does envy me, and he’s entirely too fucked up for you to ever have to deal with again.”

My eyes settle on her throat where I see the bruises growing more and more prominent, along with the red welts that are only growing more visible.

Welts like that come from attacking the sensory nerves in full force. Illusions don’t leave marks unless they’re set to max power.

I swallow the bile in my throat, still feigning a calmness I don’t feel.

“He kept my heartbeat from dropping by stabbing me with phantom knives or something,” she says when she sees my gaze lingering on the many, many welts. “It hurt, but it wasn’t worse than a lightning feeding, Damien. Seriously, I promise I’m okay.”

I nod slowly, though I feel my vision trying to dim, as I