“Cry me a river,” Arion quips, glaring at the door as he moves next to my side. “The important part is finding out just how powerful our little monster truly is. I want to know, damn it. I’m far too curious.”

The frustrated vampire bangs on the door.

“Hurry it up in there. We’ve got more pressing matters to—”

He narrowly dodges a blade that stabs through the door, having been aimed at his forehead.

“That’s rude,” Arion states too carelessly. “On another note, this is decidedly his tie-on-the-door move,” he adds, tapping the side of the blade.

“For once in your miserable existences, make some fucking sense,” Zuela gripes, gripping his head.

It goes quiet on the other side of the door, and it gathers more of my attention than is dignified. She’s too distracting. She’s always been distracting, but even more so since she took my mark.

Shoving through the door, I prepare to catch a blade, but I pause when I spot Violet curled up on top of Vance, lightly snoring.

He drags the blanket from the back of the couch and drops it onto her mostly naked body, his gaze not moving from her.

He finally cuts his eyes in our direction, as he lightly kisses the top of her head.

“She passed out from exhaustion. Apparently doing impossible things on grand scales is tiring, even to her,” Vance says too calmly, his arm loosely draped over her middle.

When Zuela staggers in, shoving by us, I expect Vance to leap out from under Violet and immediately clothe himself. Zuela looks about as surprised as I feel when Vance simply gives his father a lazy look.

“My head’s too foggy for this. I’m equally exhausted. However, as soon as she wakes, we’ll see her monster,” the father tells the son, his eyes drooping as though the cockhead’s about to fall asleep.

“I need a drink. Maybe getting hammered will help make some sense of all this madness, since being sober is getting me nowhere,” Zuela growls, as he shoulders by me on his way out.

“Vance, we should—”

Vance is asleep so fast that it’s alarming, his body going slack when his eyes shut and don’t lift again.

“I guess we’ll fucking wait until you two are all rested up. Glad to know we’ve got our priorities in line,” Arion grumbles as he walks out.

“You’re just jealous that it’s not you,” Damien calls after him.

Arion doesn’t respond, and Damien exhales harshly, as his eyes return to mine.

“Are we drinking or resting to kill the time?” he asks.

“I’d rather examine Violet’s office to see what she’s been up to,” I tell him as I head out.

“Ooooooooh, I do love prying,” Damien says as he joins me.

His expression turns more serious when he smirks.

“Let’s say her monster is truly powerful. What are the odds she’s a cosmic fuck-you to Idun?” he asks, too casually entertaining a dangerous thought.

“As foolish as it is to dream of such…even if she were stronger, it’d do no good. Even if that bitch was overpowered, Idun would strike Violet in all her weak spots.”

“The ever-expanding collection of omegas,” he states quietly, more seriousness stealing his features.

“You know as well as I do, she’d continue until Violet’s heart became as hardened as all of ours.”

The words tumble from my lips almost absently, because I’m in the process of pushing through Violet’s office’s new door…only to realize—

“I forgot how trashed this place was,” Damien says quietly, echoing my own private thoughts.

His hands form fists at his sides.

Ashes litter the room, along with scorch marks that line the walls and floors from Violet’s electrical output.

“She didn’t need a power source to do this?” I ask, looking around at all the damage.

This place has nothing of any value left.

As Damien kicks back a random hunk of metal that bangs and echoes through the room, he glances over at me.

“This place has wires and outlets all over. She’s been wearing more jewelry than ever before. Did you see the amount of necklaces wadded up on the counter? She’s a walking conduit. It’s easier than ever to draw out electricity,” he answers, pointing to the exploded outlet on the wall.

There’s not a single piece of paper left to give us any answers. I now resent myself for all the times I glanced into this room, never paying any attention to the many papers or the words on them.

“So much for finding answers in here,” I say on a sigh.

He claps my shoulder, gaze meeting mine, as he smirks. “If Violet’s keeping secrets, it’s because her mother has given her some severe trust issues. She’ll tell us. Eventually. Don’t let Edmond into your head.”

“He’s not. At this point, I don’t understand all the pieces on the table. Somehow, we’ve been sucked into a game. Only this time, we’re pieces on the board. Violet’s out of her league if she’s playing with Id—”

“Don’t say her name again. Beetle Juice doesn’t need to show up tonight. Seeing Vance so adoringly affectionate, without an ounce of shame about it, would likely provoke her into violent action,” he says more seriously. “I’m getting paranoid.”

I exhale again, turning and heading out.

“Where’re you going now, wolf?”

“To make Zuela share whatever he’s drinking,” is the only response I have.

I’m not sure how Violet puts a pin in shit, but I wish I knew. Right now, everything feels like disjointed puzzle pieces, and my mind is in overdrive.

I spot Zuela and take a seat across from him. He doesn’t even seem bothered by my presence, and even passes me the bottle of Scotch.

Marta says nothing as she takes a seat at the table, allowing Zuela to pour her a glass of Scotch as well.

We’re forced to be allies, only because we’re on the same side. Certainly not because we can get along.

There’s a moment of silence where we all take in just how much has changed since Violet came to town. At least that’s what I’m doing. I don’t really care what anyone else is thinking about.

“Are we underestimating her?” I ask Marta.

She deliberately ignores my question, rolling her eyes like it’s a fool thing to ask.

“You’re too suspicious of everything, wolf,” she grumbles.

“This is why we’ve all gone mad and numb. Every time we pay too much attention, everything and everyone becomes entirely too suspicious,” Zuela murmurs in a flat, bored tone.

“So we drink and quit talking. Maybe we talk too much and act too little,” I cut in, smiling curtly.

I frown over my glass at him.

“What’re you talking about, old man?” Damien drawls.

“We’ve got a new player on the board. Whether or not her presence carries more than a fleeting impact remains to be seen, but as of right now, she’s very motivating,” Zuela states with a shrug, not meeting our gazes.

“You couldn’t just leave her be instead of dragging her into your lives,” Marta mumbles, cutting her gaze away.

“She stands out no matter if she’s with humans or monsters. How could we not take notice?”