Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,170

some clear confusion.

“You can’t possibly be Violet. Separating yourself from Hyde so easily after something that intense wouldn’t be so simple,” Talbot bites out. “You don’t fully remember everything yet, Hyde, but I swear I won’t put you in the box.”

“There is no box,” Anna and Violet say in unison, causing me some suspicion.

Then again, Anna is nothing more than an extension of Violet, so it would make sense for them to think the same thing…

“This is scary,” I decide aloud, now wondering if we’re being hoodwinked.

Again.

“No,” Violet says, looking directly at me. “It was scary. It was scary and I couldn’t even think about it, because a mind-reading gypsy freak was living in town. Turns out, she’s been in Sanctuary, so I’m thankful for my paranoia right now. I wasn’t ready to deal with any of this, so I stuck a big pin in it.”

“It’s Violet,” Arion says with too much certainty, his lips curving up at one corner of his mouth.

“Violet sheds tears after she takes lives,” Emit argues, clearly the most suspicious. “Especially when her monster comes out.”

“When I’m killing wolves you care so much about, yes, I shed tears,” Violet says in a soft tone, before taking a deep, seemingly steadying breath.

Her hand trembles just slightly.

“I didn’t know if I’d win against Idun. I wasn’t too scared of losing. I had no idea it’d be that easy, so now I’m actually scared. I found the bottom of the hill at last. Now Idun knows what it’s like to feel completely powerless in the hands of someone far stronger, who has little to no compassion for her, simply because of everything she’s done to everyone around me, in her petty quest to target me.”

She takes another deep breath, even as Anna dances like she’s excited about something.

Violet’s shoulders sag. “Hyde’s biggest secret is that it thrives on feeding off the emotions my empathic side apparently feeds it. I never feel those things, which is why I never have any idea how anyone is feeling. My monster devours it. It’s only gotten stronger since meeting the four of you, and now I think I’ve been underestimating what you felt, simply because you’re so terrible at expressing much of anything,” Violet carries on, her tone changing to one of acceptance by the end.

As if now is the perfect moment for her to figure out the obvious.

Vance opens and closes his mouth, as though he intended to speak, but is still too confused…about one of the many things we’re all currently baffled by.

I still have no idea if this is Hyde or Violet—a problem I never considered having nor knew to look out for, before tonight.

It feels like Violet, but…I’m not entirely sure how to sense her monster whenever that suffocating presence is concealed, so how can I be certain?

Shit’s sake, I don’t know. I just don’t fucking know.

I take a seat on the ground and blow out a long breath.

“Typical men,” Anna mutters, rolling her eyes. “Too self-absorbed to notice the woman, while thinking their problems are so much more important.”

“Seriously, Anna. Stop. You’re making me sound bad, because that’s not even a thought of mine,” Violet gripes.

Anna grins.

“It must be a subconscious thought you’re repressing,” Anna quips.

Violet gives Arion a look. “Why are you smiling?”

Good question. Why does the vampire look like Christmas has come early?

“You’re stronger than Idun,” he says with far too much amusement. “I’ve never been more turned on in all my life, love. That’s why I’m smiling.”

Anna grins as though she feels complimented. Violet pinches the bridge of her nose as though she’s exasperated. Which one is suggesting the truth of how she feels about what the vampire just said?

Hyde is a contradiction to the emotion Violet shows, but her monster is supposed to be an extension. Fuck, I’m confused.

“Say something, please,” Violet says, looking to Emit, Vance, and then me.

Since the other two remain stony, I stutter out the first thing I can think of.

“I think we’re trying to understand how this is already so normal to you,” I interject, needing some direction on how she managed to get to this place so quick, so I can follow along.

“Because my life is one big cracker-box full of unique chaos, dangerous situations, and no discoverable death so far. It makes me…me. Also, I’m not okay with it, but I’m used to how hard it sucks to be me.”

Her tone is flat, as though she’s waiting for us to give an indication as to how