Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,140

you’re smart enough to listen to what I have to say. It’s about a spirit that will give you many unassuming names. But the only name I’ve ever given it is the one that suited it best, since it cloaks its true nature, while it manipulates and courts the host by giving them all their darkest, most desperate desires. That monster doesn’t remember me—it forgets its past lives—but it feels the familiarity. Since I made myself known in Shadow Hills, it has taken an interest in me. It morphs, changes, and becomes the monster of the host body, unlike any of your monsters. Only, this is the first time I’ve ever been able to see it without it possessing the host body, because, like all monsters, it can only reside in the host’s subconscious.”

He pauses, as though he’s letting the suspense mount.

“Who is Anna?” I bite out.

“Who are they all?” he whispers, mocking a conspiratorial tone.

He gives me a wink.

“As I said, Violet can’t see ghosts. It’s not just Anna,” he tells me very deliberately. “Their individual names are of no consequence, because all of them are simply one of the many alarming sections of Violet’s convoluted mind, Vampyre. They hide in plain sight, misleading the eye and the mind with ease, because you trust your senses too much.”

“None of that makes any sense,” I point out, sick of the madman’s ravings.

“Of course it does—once you realize they all share one name. A soulless monster, much like yours, with a name as notorious as your own surname.” With a smirk, he adds, “They’ve only recently discovered their true name, thanks to Violet’s relentless quest of self-discovery. Now the monster is starting to remember. It should be quite the show.”

As soon as I’m free, I’m removing his head and finding out if he’s truly immortal or not. Then, if he is, I’ll probably do it again.

"If you don't give me the name, I'm going to peel your skin from your body," I assure the daft fool.

He gives me a small, humorless smile. "Hyde."

Chapter 40

VANCE

Tom’s head lifts enough to shoot me a sympathetic look, despite his bruised and swollen face, as the silver stifles my lungs much quicker than the last time. Idun continues laughing, as the world around me turns too fast for me to keep up.

“At this very moment, my allies are raiding the home with your girlfriend, because they knew I’d have ultimatums. They’ll bring me Damien after he’s a block of silver,” Idun tells me, as something deep inside me turns warm.

My arms drop, the silver forcing them down, as Idun taunts me.

“Emit will shrivel into an eternal vat of misery, since your silver hurts him the worst. Nasty little curse, isn’t it? It’ll trigger every time you attempt to take up arms against me, and I’ll control when you’re set free,” Idun carries on.

She touches the damning necklace on her chest, her grin spreading wider. “And now that I have this back, I can curse each and every one of you whenever I bloody want,” she says, adding that last part with sinister malice.

“Did you really think its power had been diluted? You didn’t even know it was a source of power to begin with. And Arion only knows what I allowed him to know. I knew he’d turn against me one day. Deep down, he’s as weak as all of you.”

She drags her claws across the wall, coming closer. I’m not sure what’s happening, but searing pain, different from the choking pain, attacks from my core and begins working its way outward.

The silver stops spreading abruptly, and very slowly, it begins receding, even as the pain burns on.

Idun’s eyes widen, and she takes a few wary steps back, looking around.

“What the hell is this?” she demands in a quiet tone.

Her claws stretch wide, and she starts toward me again, but suddenly, my stalker ghost appears directly in front of me. It’s so jarring that Idun even stumbles.

Idun. Stumbles.

Across the room, I see his face reflected in a wide mirror. I watch as he smirks, and I idly glimpse the triplets, just before they disappear.

In the next instant, the room whispers with children’s laughter, just after the camera explodes across from us. The laughter slowly gets louder, as Idun shoves up from the ground.

I’m not even sure what knocked her down or when it happened.

“One. Two. Hyde’s coming for you,” three children sing somewhere in the room, as their laughter follows once more.

“Three. Four. They’ll fear you