Gypsy Moon (All The Pretty Monsters #4)(69)
She pauses, and her eyes stay fixed on mine. “You could have told me, and I would have listened. I can’t promise anything beyond that, because we’ll never know, but I can say with certainty I would have done that if you’d given me a chance. But you don’t really listen to anyone, and you don’t expect them to listen to you, until you make one hell of a statement that can’t be taken back. Then you simply argue until everyone around you is too tired of arguing, and you think you’ve won, so long as you get your way in the end.”
I don’t particularly like it when the na?ve little monster in front of me sounds like she knows me far better than I know her. Especially since she’s not even saying it to win an argument.
“I should probably call Vance back to find out how the meeting with inhospitable wolves is going,” I state flatly before walking out, shutting the door behind me very calmly, even as my jaw tics.
Vance answers before the first ring even dials all the way through.
“She didn’t agree to this,” are the first words out of his mouth. “As soon as we’re finished, we’ll be joining you, so you’d better—”
“If you know Violet so well, you’d know I’m quite well put in my place by this point,” I cut in, which seems to silence him. “Just when you form a plan of action, she does or says something that shatters that plan and leaves you fumbling around in the damn dark with no night vision.”
He’s quiet only for a brief second or two.
“Violet’s had a unique introduction into our world. She doesn’t fear us, which certainly helps our cause. The fact she’s had to fight with us, and never against us, helps form that necessary bond. She doesn’t think us capable of harming her, and it gives her the freedom to push back when we push too far,” he tells me in the tone that suggests he’s bloody holding my hand to walk me through this.
It’s degrading.
“And it’s done so gently that it doesn’t make one defensive,” Damien adds from somewhere close. “But now’s not the time. The more pressing matter is that we have a roomful of wolves ready for blood. Idun’s been up for over three months, and they think her capable of quite a lot in that short amount of time. Either we’re underestimating her, or they’re gravely exaggerating her reach of power.”
“And Jessup’s House has put in another call. I keep forgetting how fast word can travel. Speed of light, these days. So I’ve been spared a personal visit this hour. However, a lot of the Houses are calling for a gathering. They want a united front to try and get ahead of her. You’re going to have to pick a side this time, Arion. The bitch rose on her own because Violet came to our town,” Vance goes on.
“Freaky fucking shit happens,” Damien mutters from the background.
“Somehow, Idun is now tapping into her—the only Neopry standing. It’s all we can figure as to how she rose. The casket her head was in has been melted away,” Vance adds.
“I’ll handle Jessup’s House. My family and I will remain neutral. You want a war with Idun, have at it. But I’ll work smarter, not harder,” I say as I hang up on him, hearing Violet suck in a breath of what sounds like surprise, before a slight choked sound escapes her.
“Violet?” I call as I quickly return to the door and swing it open.
She’s leaning over the sink, splashing cool water over her face, and coughing profusely.
My hands are gently pulling her hair back before I even realize what I’m doing, and I watch her in the mirror as she turns a little flushed.
“What the hell?” I snap, looking around for some catalyst to this new madness.
“Sorry,” she says, her voice a little rasp. “A bug flew into my throat.”
My entire body relaxes, and I sag against the counter, gingerly running my hand up her back in a soothing motion.
“You can handle monsters in your mouth, but bugs offend you,” I state idly, trying to backpedal into my Ace days.
I was more in touch with my dormant human side then. I can’t go around starved for fucking blood and only have her as an astral projection who can never touch her. That’s simply too cruel.
She makes another choked sound in response, as she shakes her head, turning a little redder.
“How big was the bloody bug?” I ask more seriously, causing her to laugh just enough for me to really appreciate that damn bug right now.
“I need another second and I’ll be out,” she says, her hand awkwardly patting mine that’s perched near her on the sink.
Frowning, I do as she asks, proving I can bloody listen, and sometimes even be agreeable.
I move to the bed as I fire off a quick message to my brother, informing him I’ll pay him a visit soon. I keep the timeframe vague, just in case I get to keep Violet to myself for a little while longer.
Violet stumbles out of the bathroom, and I refuse to look at her, trying to come at this from a new angle.
“I’ve heard something about this world going to hell from almost every single public establishment I’ve visited, every single time something horrible flashes across the screen of the television there,” I state, staring at my phone. “Truth is, the world is more policed and tolerable now than it’s ever been. Once, all men were barbaric—had to be in order to stay alive. Now, fewer men can do much more damage with the limitless stream of technology and information. Live long enough, and you see the difference between a cruel world and a cruel society. At the end of the day, it’s all cruel. You can either fall prey or become the predator.”