“He’s worrying about Idun’s reaction to some missing portraits, and yet can’t fathom why Violet thinks he’s in denial,” Damien states in a droll tone.

“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.

“I didn’t smell or see anything up there,” Arion says with clear confusion.

“What is that thing? A shapeshifter? Certainly not a wolf. Wolves don’t have yellow eyes or patchy bald spots around their massively long snouts,” Violet rambles on, still slightly winded, as she wildly gestures at the castle again, distracting me with so much skin.

I slink an arm around her, dragging her to me, and her hands immediately catch on my chest as she leans into me. Then…she starts climbing me like she needs more security that I’m happy to provide.

“What has yellow eyes?” she gripes as her eyes lift to meet mine.

It takes me an embarrassingly long second to look up from her very lacy underwear. She never wears sexy underwear, so this is a first.

“New underwear?” I ask her as my eyes remain fixed on the cleavage, something that has my head at an awkward angle just to view.

“I didn’t dress myself or pack for myself. Good times. Good times.” She glares at me as though she’s growing increasingly frustrated with each word out of her mouth.

“Yeah, we only found a few things for you, since we were in a hurry and your clothes were burned up with the lightning,” I tell her, still distracted.

“Stop talking about my clothes! Yellow. Eyes,” she states emphatically, staring at me like I’m the fool who has lost my mind.

“No creature has yellow eyes, love. You sure you’re not just seeing things?” Arion asks her absentmindedly, eyes dipping to where her legs are tightly wrapped around my waist. “Come hop on and we’ll go take a look,” he adds.

“I think I’ll be the ferry this time,” I say as I head to the mountainside, but Violet scrambles off me.

“I definitely want it over very quickly this time, and I’d also like all of you up there. It’s dark, creepy, and now I don’t have a—”

As if summoned, the flashlight I tucked in her pocket earlier falls right beside her feet, snapping into several pieces on impact. She simply stares at it.

“No need in finishing that sentence,” she says with an eye-roll, as she moves to Arion’s side too easily.

“I’m known to be quite fast at climbing,” I point out.

“Not as fast as I am, old chap,” Arion argues.

“Where’s Emit?” Violet asks, her gaze darting around.

“Dealing with the wolves. Three will have to suffice for the moment,” Damien tells her, gesturing toward himself. “I can keep you distracted all the way up, sweet monster.”

Violet is already climbing a very happy vampire, who wraps his arms around her, as she drops a quick kiss to his lips without being prompted, and tucks her face against his neck.

Arion never lets anyone that close to his neck, but the fucker just grins at us, because Violet trusts him far too much.

“I want it over as quickly as possible, and all of you gripe about his speed. Will Emit be okay by himself?” she asks, her words muffled by Arion’s neck, as he just continues to stand still, content to simply hold her.

“He’ll be just fine, love,” Arion assures her before Damien and I can speak, and the vampire runs his hand under the coat to grab her scantily lace-clad ass.

Damien and I both hear the groan he suppresses, though Violet remains oblivious.

“I’m guessing you bound the beast with your clothing?” I ask, as Arion leisurely walks toward the mountainside.

“Take a break if you need more time to recover from saving me and all,” Violet whispers so quietly to Arion, and then turns her head toward me, as his grin only spreads wider. “I missed,” she states like she’s in surprise. “I never miss. Not with that trick, but it was so dark, and that flashlight didn’t help my aim much while I was panicking. Animals scare me a little, hence the reason a cat can damn near give me cardiac arrest.”

How terrible is it that our ex happens to have dens full of animals she controls? Fucking hell.

“Ah, so that’s the real reason Emit’s struggling,” Arion chirps like this is the best day ever.

“I know Emit’s wolf. It doesn’t scare me,” Violet says dismissively.

Damien and I both sort of resist the urge to smile after that. Sweet, naïve girl indeed.

Arion whispers to her, “Brace yourself, love.”

Violet’s arms and legs tighten around him, as he quickly, smoothly, and almost effortlessly, scales the side of the mountain with too much fucking speed.

“The vampire is keeping more secrets from us than I realized, and Violet isn’t trying to tell us those secrets any longer,” Damien points out, eyes narrowed above him.

I start climbing the damn wall, leaving him behind very quickly.

“He fucked with her head,” I remind him.

“Not to that extent. I’d see it if he had. Right now, there’s just one layer locked away inside her mind,” Damien tells me. “It’d be such a better life if I could read her thoughts when I penetrate her mind.”

“Are you almost here?” Violet’s voice calls down, and I glance up at the progress still left to make.

“Fucking fast vampire,” Damien mutters from just below me.

CHAPTER 17

VIOLET

“There’s nothing here, love,” Arion says as I continue to stay tucked against Vance’s side, standing at the top of the stairs with him, as Arion comes toward us.