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PROLOGUE
When Marta Portocale rose from the dead…
VIOLET
“Okay, we finally have a moment completely alone, since Idun has the,” I tellher the sternest look I can muster
“Not now, Violet, I’ve—”
“I put a pin in it, but that pin is popping out I’ you a chance to explain yourself, because I love you and trust you But you owe h, because you sure have kept a whole lot fro shaky toward the end, as tears cloud my eyes
She exhales harshly, and her shoulders sag in defeat
“I’ll tell you what I’ve figured out so far My late brother and cousins tormented BoBo, and it escalated to the point where they da, he panicked, and his survival instincts kicked in He killed the his faet on all the Si so far?”
“So far, you’re being incredibly insensitive…but fairly accurate,” she says on a long, exhausted breath
“Tension gathered, fear grew pretty suffocating, and before you knew it, war broke out You got vicious They got vicious Idun got worse than everyone because she wanted at the top of the food chain,” I carry on
I pause, waiting for her to comment
She narrows her eyes “Don’t oversimplify this many centuries of history Just because you have no emotion tied to the topic, it doesn’t mean I’m not still emotionally invested”
“Maybe that’s why you’re tired all the tie collected over the centuries Dad always said you were going to die young if you kept doing that to yourself”
She snorts “Your father stopped saying that once I showed him the difference between an immortal and a human He’s also still terrified to come too close tothan the watered-down version ofaway from me, as her cheeks turn pink
“Don’t be cute right now,” I scold, pointing a finger at her “Seriously, Mom You kept all of this a secret Why?”
She sighs harshly
“The other day, when your pests atching us inside the soundproof box, I told you Pandora visited ht I took hold of Marta’s body I woke up to spot her, just as she was leaping out the ,” she confesses
“Stop rehashing You’re just stalling,” I tell her
She goes quiet, and I glare at her
“You also said Pandora hated you so much that she sided with Idun Why would she let you keep a child you weren’t supposed to be able to carry?” I prompt
She shrugs, not looking at me
“Mom…”
“I couldn’t give two shits about what she was up to,” she says without looking at hter I decided as best for you, and it had nothing to do with Pandora For all I know, she was just si She does that a lot”
“I need to understand why you kept this colossal secret fro to remain rational, but it’s all I can do not to hate you for this”
She slants her gaze to me
“Hate ain just to keep you from Idun’s clutches,” Mom says with a hollow tone
That hasmy temper a little
“I went back and forth on bringing you out to Shadow Hills,” she says as she looks away “I couldn’t tell you were a monster, Violet Not until you were thirteen and there was no denying it I knew you were certainly not going to be human, but honestly, all I wanted to do was love you and protect you for your whole life”
“So why co secret? Why even put the place on my radar?” I ask her
“I couldn’t help but wonder if they’d notice I needed help figuring out what to do, because you si you,” she gripes
“How am I possible? Why have you always calledforward
“I’ over at me
My jaw grinds “Why not?”
“Because I don’t trust you with this infor, and stubborn For nohy don’t you tellyou without recoiling?” she growls “Since we’re pulling pins out of things”
“Maybe because , since she wanted ive her for the fact she’s been a pretty ruthless ivethat one tiht I lost my head I’m not appalled too easily Sad, but true”
My elbows prop up on the counter, and I gauge my mother’s reaction to that confession There’s no fear in her eyes
Did I only iine it in the past because I assumed she feared me?
“You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
She snorts, and then she doubles over with laughter “Why on earth would I fear you?”
“Because I’ripe “I’ve lived with that as a burden, and you’re laughing, yet have the audacity to calllouder and louder
She laughs twice as hard
My e asshole
She sighs as her laughter tapers off, and she looks over atalmost sadly
“I’ht You’re a powerful, scarywhat you really are?” she muses
I bristle, because now that I think about it, I do feel sort of silly I’ve been terrified…of a monster everyone else mocks as weak
It’s a bit surreal
“I really am soft by co to feel sillier, now that I realize they patronize the hell out of me
“You’ll never have an ounce of respect from the four of theth They’ll coddle you, placate you, and treat you like a glass doll I know better than to think that’s the way you want to be treated They’re not going to let you be you, Violet They’re going to treat you like a woentle care”
“Are you saying they’re out of ue in the monster realm?”
“I’ood beta, who respects and enjoys being a beta, will be the perfect , and someone who can appreciate your softer attributes, without seeing thereat wisdom
I narrowme to be a dirty slut, and now that I finally ale” GUE