Gypsy Moon (All The Pretty Monsters #4)(58)

“Pick your battles wisely with Idun. Don’t pick every fucking fight this time,” Arion argues. “It has nothing at all to do with denial.”

“You’re too touchy with Violet, overanalyzing each thing she says. That’s why she said uh-oh,” Damien tells him like he’s throwing him a bone, though I have no idea why he’s suddenly in such a giving mood.

I have, however, noticed how quickly Violet is over her angry tiff with him, and seems to grow increasingly soft toward him the nicer he is to us. The dick’s using us somehow to further his own agenda.

“You need to give her the okay to be with more than just you, by the way. Make her feel at ease with it, because she’s gotten too attached to just you,” Damien adds, giving me a pointed look.

“I’ve made it clear I’m willing to share. With as much danger as she attracts, I can’t imagine Violet capable of having just one protector.”

“I recommend not referring to yourself as her protector,” Damien states like he’s still in helpful mode. “She’d likely take offense to that.”

“You know what I mea—”

A sharp, terrified scream from overhead has us all darting a look up.

“We cleared that house,” I state just as an impossibly familiar silhouette leaps from the top of the castle, barely visible through the thick veil of fog, even for my keen vision.

Absolutely no way would January Violet Carmine leap from that mountain for any reason at all.

“What…the—”

“Ariiiiiooooon!” Violet screams, before her voice fades into a shriek, the sound falling with her rapid descent.

“Uh-oh,” Arion deadpans before racing toward me, snapping out of his shock first.

My fingers lace together just in time to catch his foot as he leaps at me, and I launch him straight up as hard as I can, while he kicks off so hard that it almost knocks my hands apart.

He sails straight up like a rubber-band has snapped him, and I watch as he hits the side of the mountain near the middle, before leaping as hard as he possibly can again—hopefully that’s all he’s got—and practically flies through the air toward Violet’s quickly dropping form that is flailing.

Violet’s arms are flapping like she can will herself some wings, horror all over her paler, more distinguishable face, as Arion snatches her out of the air, falling even quicker with their combined weight, as she tangles herself around him.

She clings to him like a spider monkey as he drops toward the mountainside, and Damien and I remain forced to watch, preparing to jump in if necessary.

His feet bounce when he manages to hit the side of the mountain, and he grits his teeth as he fights the momentum, running down the steep, almost vertical, rocky mountainside. Violet keeps her eyes screwed shut, no longer screaming, clinging to him as though he’s her security blanket in a time of crisis.

Arion turns into a blur of motion for a second, but quickly levels out again, as he drops the last fifty or so feet, landing in a hard crouch that sprays snow into the air.

Violet is visibly shaking, but Damien and I both sag in relief. Arion starts laughing almost cathartically, slapping a hard kiss to Violet’s head, as he clutches her to him, breathing out his own relief.

“Testing my limits, love?” he asks on that same laugh, wobbling a little like that exerted him some. “I think the ferry deserves a special kiss for—”

His words die when Violet turns and kisses him hard, her fingers digging into his hair. He almost reacts on a delay, and Damien blinks, as Violet practically devours the vampire, who she pretends not to like, right in front of us.

I finally see what Arion sees—the way Violet truly does struggle with him, and this vulnerable moment is just proof of how solid his foundation actually is. Which makes zero sense.

“Thank you,” she says on a shaky, still trembling breath. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” she adds in quick succession, kissing him between each sentence of gratitude.

She breaks the kiss, and scrambles to the ground, her legs still violently shaking. Arion is staring at her a little differently, almost a look of confusion that he doesn’t entirely seem to hate or be bothered by.

Violet is very good at gratitude, and he’s only ever been with Idun. I understand the welcome confusion. For the first time, I start wondering if Arion really is ready to cut ties to Idun for good, just because Violet makes it so much easier.

“Really? You cleared the castle?” Violet snaps, glaring at us now.

It’s this very moment her coat opens up, and I notice there’s only underwear covering her very tempting body.

“Where’d your clothes go, sweet Violet?” Damien asks with a growing grin.

She angrily jabs a finger at him, and then stabs it into the air. “There’s something big, with fur, teeth, and glowing yellow eyes up there! What the hell—”

“Glowing yellow eyes?” Damien asks in interruption, his smile falling.

“Yes. Tell me that’s not Idun. Please tell me that’s not Idun. I thought she only turned into other people, and—”

“That’s not Idun,” all three of us say at once.

“What in hell’s name could have yellow glowing eyes?” Damien asks with genuine curiosity.

I hope my theory isn’t correct. I’ve got enough regrets by now.