Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters Book 6)

by Kristy Cunning

  His eyes go flat. “Only at full strength are you her weakness. Otherwise, you’re a gnat by comparison. Hyde will swat you down with effortless ease. You’d have to fuck an alpha as powerful as Idun in order to challenge Hyde, since it’s doubtful Hyde is going to power you up. Hyde knows you’ll choose Violet, and its figured out you’re a weakness by now. It’s been studying you as patiently as Arion studied you when you couldn’t see him. Except Hyde did it in plain sight.”

  I want to argue, but I don’t have a bloody argument to make. I can’t make myself touch anyone but Violet. I’m not that desperate yet.

  Shoving away from him, I turn back, idly noticing the ghosts have all disappeared.

  Thunder rolls overhead, and we both swing our gazes heavenward, as lightning crashes in from all directions.

  “I’m not sure where they’ve been, but they’re back. My storm spell only holds a certain perimeter. The lightning hasn’t been hitting the Neopry skin-walkers. They have secrets to—”

  “Of course they know how to avoid the strikes. That’s what many of those experiments on Caroline were for,” I bite out. “Are you telling me this entire time that the storm has been centered around them and you didn’t bother to mention that to me?”

  He shrugs in a careless way. “I’m not sure you’re ready to see her.”

  Slightly infuriated, my eyes travel to the lightning, and I sprint toward it with some mild annoyance. I probably should have roof-hopped and searched for the lightning without being told. Violet’s a bloody conductor, for fuck’s sake.

  My breath comes out in a sharp burst just as we round the corner, and my eyes land on the two female alphas.

  Just in front of the Vampyre estate, I watch with a sick knot in my stomach as Idun’s wicked grin grows on her lips.

  Arion flies through the air, fangs bared, and nearly manages to slam his fist through Idun’s back. She turns at the last minute, and a pulse of power so intensely strong emanates from her with an explosive release.

  Trees disintegrate on the other side of the street, and the vampire hisses out a pained sound, while the smell of burning flesh teases my senses.

  The person who jumps to her feet looks like Violet. The dark look crossing her eyes, as her numerous wounds pour blood, does not look like Violet.

  Lightning strikes toward her, but…Not Violet bats it away.

  Talbot’s eyes widen in surprise, as the errant streak of lightning damn near crashes into him. At the last moment, he’s able to tuck and roll, and Violet shoots him a dark grin.

  I dart to Arion’s side, unsure how to move next. Idun’s eyes are wild with the monster’s power. That purple stone has turned solid black, and the broken pavement beneath her feet catches fire.

  Idun’s channeling all her dark, damaged, and vengeful hope, causing the magic and monster to fuse together in that unstoppable way. She’s pulling out all the stops. While it’s impressive that Violet’s monster has pushed her to be her most powerful, Anna is covered in more wounds than Idun, and doesn’t look to be winning. At all.

  The heat is so staggering, that even from this distance, I’m forced to step back before my skin starts sizzling.

  We watch for a second too long.

  In the blink of an eye, Idun moves, and my breath comes out in a harsh, pained rasp. I launch myself toward Violet, desperate to get in front of her, but I’m thrown back, when a pulse of dark power surges out of Idun.

  I land with a pained grunt, and Arion crashes to my side, after apparently trying—and failing—to do the same thing.

  My gaze darts back just in time to see Idun, right as she slices through Violet’s middle. It’s Violet’s true face—not Anna’s—that contorts in pain. In the next instant, I see Idun’s sadistic, wild smile. Her eyes are bright with too much excitement, as the monster is unleashed once more.

  Every fragment of power I can summon is channeled toward her in a desperate effort to break into Violet’s head and turn the pain into pleasure—the only way I can help.

  Arion launches himself toward Idun once again, but he’s batted down just by the heat. The Vampyre roars in frustration when his skin starts to burn against the ever-expanding heat that not even he can chill.

  “You can’t help her if you’re dead!” Vance shouts over the steady roar of the unrelenting storm, as he drops behind Arion and yanks him back.

  My nose starts dripping blood, as I manage to overwhelm Violet’s mind. She grins, even as Idun begins merrily ripping her apart in front of our very eyes.

  “Where the fucking hell did her monster go?” Emit snaps, shoving Talbot to the ground and forcing the blood-magic incubus to watch with us, as Idun loses her fucking mind.

  I have to look away, unable to stomach what comes next. A flash of blood, and one muffled scream rings through my ears.

  Though I can’t see the wolf and didn’t know he’d arrived, I hear Emit roar so loud the ground thunders under me.

  It’s pandemonium after that.

  On the ground, I remain on my hands and knees, slowly turning my head back, forcing myself to watch.

  Helpless.

  Always fucking helpless to stop Idun from doing whatever in the hell she fucking wants.

  All that hope. I knew better, and still hoped she’d be able to do what we couldn’t—save herself.

  We really were so fucking desperate to have her, that we hoped we were stronger than we are. We hoped Idun was weaker. We hoped Idun was behind us instead of ahead of us.

  We hoped, even though we fucking swore we never would again.

  My chest grows so heavy that it feels to be expanding inside a slowly closing vice with every breath I take. The staggered drumming of my erratic heartbeat drones in my ears, as my jaw grinds.

  My eyes burn as I watch Idun savagely shred skin, adding it to the thinly sliced bits already decorating the ground. Nausea sweeps through me, and my heartbeat grows even more erratic.

  I can’t move.

  Can’t breathe.

  Something hot and wet slides down my cheeks, as my eyes blur with more wetness. It spares me from seeing the vivid imagery of Violet’s body being decimated into nothing more than small bits and pieces.

  I blink when Arion manages to escape Vance at last, blurring by me, as he stupidly charges Idun with wild abandon.

  Vance drops to his knees next to me, staring blankly at the scene I can’t stomach viewing any longer. There’s a cold, dead look in his eyes like I’ve never seen before.

  I…can’t even formulate a thought.

  From my peripheral, I spot Idun blur to Arion, and she slams him to the ground, all while laughing.

  “This. Is. Glorious,” she says on a happy sigh, as Emit charges her next. “I feel like I’ve had to hold back for so long.”

  She’ll fucking kill the wolf.

  Not that it matters.

  It all turns into a distant echo, as some annoying movement on the ground tickles my ankles. It’s the only sign that I haven’t gone completely numb. Mentally, however, I’m now ready to check the hell out.

  How can I endure an eternity of watching Idun do this to Violet?

  How long will what sanity I have left remain?

  Talbot is suddenly slammed to the ground next to me, and his head jerks to the side, as blood sprays from his mouth.

  “You fucking said she was stronger!” Vance shouts through his manic rage, pummeling Talbot some more.

  Talbot manages to shove him off, but my head is too foggy to care or pay more attention than that.

  Marta knocks Emit to the ground, seconds before Idun’s hand can shove through his chest.

  Instead, the hand shoves through Marta’s chest, and Idun’s grin only grows, as Marta’s eyes widen.

  It’ll never end. We can fight for all eternity, and it’d all be irrelevant.

  “I’m not ready to kill you just yet, Portocale. I’ll let you join your daughter in some family bonding, while I force you to watch everything I do to her for the rest
of forever,” Idun gloats, smiling happily next to Marta’s face.

  She shoves Marta to the ground, and Marta heaves for air, as blood pours from her wound. Idun grins at us, as I remain cemented to the ground.

  She’s truly even fucking stronger than she ever was. Even if we were all at full strength, we would be ashes by the time we reached her just from her fucking heat the second she turned it on full-blast.

  “As always, you’re at my mercy, and this time, I’m the one who planned the darling surprise for you,” Idun says, kicking Marta so hard it launches her into Emit.

  Emit stumbles, as Marta flops to the ground next to him. Then the wolf snarls, savagely barking at Idun, his eyes wild and his monster begging for a chance to get at her throat.

  “I could kill you, but I don’t have to. I can have Pandora cast you in silver, which will leave you utterly immobile. All the while, I’ll let all of you watch your precious January Violet Carmine, as I tear her apart for no less than one thousand years,” Idun says, as she casually tugs at the tattered strap of her sports bra, paying it more attention than us.

  Now that she’s proven she’s stronger, she’s already bored.

  My fists form, even though they’re pointless. My monster stirs, even though it’s pointless. The fight rises to the surface, even though I don’t stand a chance.

  “If you’re really lucky, I’ll give her a small break from time to time, as a small show of compassion,” she carries on, smiling victoriously at us. “And to think, I could have played along for at least another few centuries. I’m a patient woman, after all. You could have plotted and planned, and we could have danced around each other, until we rekindled that dark and sinister flame. Instead, you all decided to make her irrevocably yours, and thought I’d just take your complete disrespect, after you stuck me underground for a thousand bloody years,” she says, adding that last part a little more angrily.

  I try to look over to see Violet, but I can’t see beyond the throng of ghosts, who’ve all come to simply stare.

  The cameraman steps closer, zeroing in on Idun, as she grins all the wider. The show never stops with Idun. It’s always a spectacle. Always a ruthless fucking game.

  Even if we’d had a hundred years of feeding from Violet, we still couldn’t have defeated her.

  “It’s been more fun than ever making you look like fools these past years. As always, Emit was the easiest. Shocking how that never changes,” Idun says, as her grin fades into a sardonic smirk.

  Emit is frothing at the mouth, his entire body poised and ready, visibly waiting for the perfect opportunity. He’s not risking a pointless death. He’s waiting until he can take the bitch’s throat and possibly remove her head.

  For all the bloody good it’ll do us. The body doesn’t need the fucking head to function, and it’s simply a headless monster on a mission then.

  “Damien, I commend you on your unwavering hatred for me to the point you wouldn’t even risk a single soul getting close to you. Hat’s off, really. However, the fact you wanted Violet so much, despite that faithful paranoia I came to respect, only pisses me off, lover. You know how jealous you make me,” she continues, casually strutting toward me a few steps.

  “And Arion, my one constant, decides I’m not worth it if he can have what he wants with another girl in the middle. He was only loyal to me because of his love for the idealistic relationship he had for the five of us in his head. He never could seem to grasp how this was going to really work,” Idun states, as one of her shifter betas hurries to bring her a chair.

  She takes a seat, making quite the production of this, while I stave off the sweeping bouts of nausea. Every breath feels weighted with lead and laced with the undeniable scent of Violet’s blood.

  “That was quite the release,” Idun says, back to smiling broadly. “That girl knows how to get under someone’s skin real quick. She gets all over your toes, and gets her darling little feelings hurt when someone puts her in her place,” Idun adds, while Emit’s never-ending growl begins to grate on my nerves.

  The numbness in me begins to fade, giving way to the rising fury that begins to slowly burn in my veins. My eyes narrow to slits on Idun, as my monster finds the will to drain every pheromone it can find in the air.

  She doesn’t yet know Talbot has blood magic.

  It may be our only edge.

  “Emit, you’re going to quit being such a fucking soft sock in the mud and get back to that man I used to care about. I can’t respect a man who doesn’t keep his pack in line,” Idun tells the seething wolf, who snaps his teeth at her. “That’s a good start. Use that anger to do what I fucking say, otherwise, I’ll continue adding years to her sentence, dears.”

  “You’re insane if you think we won’t find a way to destroy you. All you’re doing is giving us the motivation now, dear,” Arion says, practically spitting out the last word.

  She cuts her gaze to him. “You’re going to love me the way you’ve been loving her. You’re frigid and too compliant with me. You give me everything I want, and you never challenge me. I hate that,” Idun says, softening her words for him. “Then maybe I’ll finally let you claim me as your bride.”

  The vampire takes a step back, eyes going cold, as the chill floats through the air with more presence than he’s been able to force out yet.

  “I’ll cut my dick off and settle for eternal celibacy. I belong to one woman, and you know how loyal I am,” he tells her, smirking. “Life without sex is just fine with me. I’m certainly a man who enjoys the act, but never once have I been ruled by my baser urges. I’m steadfast.”

  “You’re expendable,” she assures him, losing that composure of hers.

  “You’re unworthy,” he tells her very seriously.

  Her look turns cold, and his turns dead. It’s the stand-off we’ve all been waiting for.

  Not that it matters anymore.

  “It seems that when Arion’s done with a woman, he’s truly done. She’s simply been the only woman until now, so it’s new territory for her relentless ego,” the triplets say, reminding me of something very important.

  My head jerks back to the spectating ghosts, who are still blocking the view to Violet.

  If all those ghosts are just fragments of Violet’s subconscious, then her subconscious is still awake, even though there’s nothing left but shreds of her…

  I think.

  Fuck, I don’t know how this bloody works, but I do know there’s a lot of hope swelling inside me, and it pisses me off.

  Idun slants her gaze toward the ghosts, as if she’s noticing them all for the first time. Immediately, there’s an intense pulse of heat.

  “You’re just making it worse. I won’t be taunted by some insolent spectrums,” Idun assures them.

  Diva makes a show of zipping her lips, smiling thereafter.

  Idun’s attention returns to us, even though she’s less amused now.

  “Back to my demands,” Idun states, eyes leveling Vance. “You’ll be in charge, just as you once were. You’ll keep these three in line for me, and you’ll treat me just as you’ve treated her.”

  Vance’s attention is trained on the ghosts, and his mind seems a thousand miles away.

  Idun’s expression hardens.

  “You’d better be listening, Van Helsing. Any marks against the four of you will result in more pain and suffering for her. And this is only after you’ve watched me torture her for a thousand years. Until your sentence is over, I’ll be running things. When I’m not busy making your girl toy scream, that is,” Idun drones on.

  The devil’s lips curve back into a smile.

  Staggering to my feet, feeling my monster sitting on edge, I ready myself to fight with whatever is left in me.

  Vance stands, and his swords begin forming from their silver hilts.

  Arion’s claws are sharp and ready.

  Emit’s still growling and waiting on the perfect moment to strike.

  As one, we all take a step toward h
er. Idun’s smile doesn’t waver.

  “My angry boys. There you are. Don’t worry. I’ll break you in good this time, and you’ll learn your true roles. Because, I’m not an alpha. I’m a fucking queen. You will learn to bow before me and recognize that power once and for all. These nonsensical rebellions stop now.”

  We launch ourselves at her without another second of hesitation. All four of us dart and weave, as she remains unmoving. Just as Arion reaches her, and is about to make his move, static tickles my body. Then…there’s a shock so powerful that it’s nearly blinding. It hits me so hard that it snares my lungs and leaves them seizing for a moment.

  When I thud against the ground, banging into Vance, I dart my gaze back, finding Idun on the ground as well. My eyes lift to see Talbot, as another streak of lightning crashes in front of Idun, as if warning her of his power.

  “What the hell do we have here?” Idun bites out, slowly pushing back up to her feet.

  “I’m just an ordinary man, who’s looking out for his alpha,” he says, dropping to be in front of me. “I’m a damn good beta. I’m simply doing my job.”

  Talbot smiles, as he wipes blood from the split lip Vance gave him.

  “Terrible mistake for a beta freak to make,” Idun assures him, proving she has no idea who he is. “Betas can die.”

  “I’m not here to deal with you. I’m merely here to assist January Violet Carmine and Damien Morpheous, Ms. Neopry,” he tells her, humbly bowing at the waist.

  Without looking up from his bowed position, I see him smirk.

  “You really shouldn’t have provoked Hyde,” he adds on a near whisper that I almost miss.

  Idun’s heat palpitates from her, and the leaves begin wilting all around us, shriveling up into immediate decay.

  “This night is full of fun surprises and new people to destroy,” Idun says, her dark grin returning—

  The camera shatters, almost as though an explosion has gone off. The shifter holding it cries out in pain, while dropping to the ground. But all of that is overshadowed by the song that familiar voices start singing.