Gypsy Freak (All The Pretty Monsters #2)(62)
Her body goes rigid as I fight the pain and endure my chattering teeth, as my heart pounds heavily in my chest.
My fingertips that are touching her almost feel as though they’re about to explode with pulses of the energy that run through me like the conduit I’ve always been.
I feel a drop of blood slipping from my nose as her body tenses all the more, shivering a little under the currents that are coursing through her slower than I wish they would.
I should have used a stronger outlet before attempting this.
I can’t draw out as much energy as what can shoot out of a hotter source.
Fortunately, my inner ramble of worry stops when I feel her drop, and I let go of her arm as she collapses to the snow without ever being able to make a sound.
I quickly let go of the battery, swallowing my whimper of burning pain as I shake out my hot, singed hand. My hair slowly falls back down into place as the static and electric charge begin to wane.
Then I toss my boots in the van—just in case this needs to be done again—and pull Shera to the hidden side of it. I’ll call this payback for the kidnapping.
Hurriedly pushing through the front door, I walk with purpose in my socked feet through the house of vampires, pretending like I belong here. No one even bats an eye at me, which is a major relief, because I really didn’t expect this many to be in here.
Act like you belong and that you didn’t just electrocute one of them. Great plan, Violet. Really great. Glad you thought this through.
It really does make it too easy to be too stupid to live when you sort of can’t die.
Only a few vampires spare a glance in my direction, and then they quickly look away as I jog up the stairs, pretending I know exactly where I’m going.
Isiah walks out of a room and almost runs all over me. “Sorry,” I blurt out when he curses and trips in an effort to stop abruptly.
He manages to not touch me at all, and quickly puts several feet of distance between us before he gives me a tight smile.
“Arion sent for you?”
“Of course,” I say, knowing Shera will tell him I’m a big fat liar later, and the two of them will hate me together like it’s their couple goals.
I can’t picture them being any other type of couple.
“Down the hall and to the right. I can’t believe Shera just lets you wander around in here,” he says as he gestures for me to follow him.
He absently motions to a door before walking off, leaving me behind, and I only hesitate for a second before I push the door open.
Arion is weirdly holding a handful of pencils when I step in, and he grins at me as he tosses them to the desk beside him. They scatter and rattle around, some of them spilling off the sides of the desk.
“Violet, what a pleasant and very unexpected surprise,” he says just before he’s directly in front of me, turning me and pushing me against the desk.
It’s one of those rare moments I decide to take Anna’s terrible advice and do exactly what I want to do, before I even recover from the last stupid thing I did.
My knee slams up hard, connecting just perfectly with his groin, and air heaves from his lungs in a less pleasant, but still very unexpected surprise, visit.
My fist slams across his cheek while I still have him off guard, and I cry out a little, because I think it almost breaks my hand.
“Why is your face so hard?” I shout, whimpering a little as I dance in place and wring my hand like I can shake away the pain.
“For fuck’s sake, Violet. What the actual hell? Are you trying to break your hand?” he snaps, recovering far too quickly as he lifts me and puts me on top of the desk.
Struggling is futile when he easily restrains me and starts examining my hand.
“You’re going to release me from my promise, or you’re going to undo whatever it is you did to me to make me forget when I try to talk,” I say through a pained, strained tone when he runs his fingers over some of the tender sections of my hand.
“Absolutely not,” he says with a shrug. “If you’re going to be violent, don’t make a fist with your thumbs tucked,” he goes on.
He takes my other hand and forces it into a fist, putting my thumb on the outside. “Like this,” he says as I give him an incredulous look.
I hit the guy in the face, and he instructs me how to properly hit someone?
“The nut shot is a ringer no matter how you pull it off, though. You just need more power behind it for longer recovery next time,” he goes on, actually seeming amused. “You held back a little. It was cute.”
His smile falls when the tears waver on the edges of my eyelids.
“I’ll take you to a hospital,” he says like he’s found the source of the tears.
“Remove me from my obligation to you, Arion. You tricked me into it so you could use me. I won’t let you use me again just so I can be whatever pawn you’ve made me be, in order to tape and glue back together your little alpha circle, before you convince them to raise Idun to take my place when I die!” I’m practically shouting by the time I finish my rant, and my entire body is shaking with anger, heartbreak, tears…
A distinct wave of coldness settles into the room, and his expression shuts down as the shutters metaphorically close over his eyes.
“Where did you hear that name?” he asks in an icy tone as he leans forward.
It’s one of those rare times where I’m not afraid, because I know I can’t die. And it’s one of those times where I might not fear panicking either, because at least I could kill him for a little while if he makes me panic. I think. I’d rather not find out, if I’m being honest.