Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,185

Demetria thing.”

She smooths her hand over the dried, tar-like substance on the wall.

“This was a badly botched barrel of shampoo. I got ambitious and tried to up my ingredients to make more product quicker and better. It backfired. On the flipside, it’s impossible to hear through this. It also eliminates all odors even more effectively than apples. I’m cheap. I usually try to figure out a way to repurpose botched batches,” she carries on, as though she has to defend herself.

Emit’s grin is far too relaxed, but I feel myself relaxing right along with him. I go to prop at a lean against the wall next to where the wolf is sitting.

Arion and Damien are now both studying the cases, though Damien keeps the vampire’s body between him and Idun.

“It’s simple pine and basic construction. It’s just a display case. No bells. No whistles. Nothing all that special,” Violet says, giving the cases a curt smile. “If either of them leaves their spot, Anna will handle it.”

Two fresh ghosts pop up, replacing the old ones.

Of the new ones, one happens to be the very disturbing, long-haired, crazy-mouthed ghost. Honestly, that one freaks me out a bit.

Given the gulp I hear Emit take, he’s once again thinking like me.

The other is the Jester, who starts setting up a game of solitaire…

“Need a drink?” Emit asks me, elbowing my leg from his spot on the ground.

“Yep,” I announce, letting the word pop.

Violet continues explaining her nonchalant plan. “These two ghosts—yes, I’m still calling them ghosts—have one job. That’s to keep an eye on Idun and alert me if she even so much as wiggles a finger without my permission.”

A camera floats to her, and Violet snatches it out of the air. The creepiest ghost goes to take a seat in the corner, her hair in her face. Only a tiny hint of one eye peeks through, and it’s trained on Emit.

Emit deliberately keeps his attention on Violet.

There’s a tripod in the room that I haven’t noticed, at least not until Violet takes it and starts setting it up.

“Caroline will be visiting, I’m sure. She has a lot of issues to work out, understandably. Idun will suffer through whatever painful memory Caroline wishes to share, any time she wishes to share it. Caroline, in return, will leave me the hell alone, so that I don’t accidentally hurt her,” Violet carries on.

“Which will happen. We’re protective of Violet,” the jester states from the ground, grinning like she’s ready to do more than twiddle her thumbs.

There’s a rustling in the walls, and we hear someone moving away quickly. Given the look on Violet’s face, and what she was saying very deliberately, I’m assuming she somehow knew Caroline was spying on us.

Which is great. Since I missed it.

But Violet has ghosts…who can tell her what’s going on from every angle at every moment.

She really is a beautifully designed predator. I can’t wait to test her limits or start gauging her abilities. I wonder how hard she’d be to hunt if we played a small game.

I’m going to end up being just as aroused as the fucking vampire if I keep thinking like that.

“And the best news is that everyone’s favorite new show isn’t getting cancelled. It’s just getting a new look,” Violet goes on.

“What?” Arion and Damien ask in unison, attention turning from the cases to the camera.

“Idun TV will be on twenty-four seven. All monsters can tune in any time they want to see what the dethroned queen is up to. As far as they’re all concerned, it’s going to be the four of you who took her down and made an example of her,” Violet states as though she’s given this true and genuine thought.

“Idun TV will be streaming from your dungeon, where you plan on keeping Idun bound with no spells?” Damien asks her very seriously.

Violet nods. “I’m confident that Anna is terrifying. I haven’t seen all the memories yet, but I told her to scare Idun the best she could. I did force her to hold back a little, because my monster has way darker ideas than I do. Seems to have worked, based on what I can remember about last night.”

I glance down, finding Emit’s lips curving in a slow grin, as he stares at Violet with even more intrigue and excitement.

“That’s arrogance, Violet,” I decide to point out. “Let Marta help us create a lasting—”

“No offense,” she cuts in, softening it with a timid smile, “but all those fancy curses