Speculations on the Beast

[Sue71]

I feel kind of numb, I just finished reading it and just stared at the last few lines.

But I have to admit after reading the last lines my first thought was Alina but dismissed that because Mac saw her dead. Her dad, IDK..during the coversation between her parents she overheard it was said that he got so sick even trying to go check on her so how could it be him? And she hasn't even admitted to herself yet how important Barrons is to her so I'm just lost as to who it could be that she felt she had lost everything. Unless it was a moment of truth and it was Barrons and she realized what she lost. But if it was him then my happy ending just went poof!

[Bones]

Someone may have already posted this in this thread, but I think there were two beasts at the end. The first one was gray with yellow eyes and Mac assumed he'd somehow changed, but the black one with red eyes (that she killed -- sob!) was Barrons. The other one tried to attack her and something stopped it. Then the black one herded her to the place where he made her a nice, cozy pee circle and truly seemed to have her best interests at heart.

[ceiligirl]

Someone may have already posted this in this thread, but I think there were two beasts at the end. The first one was gray with yellow eyes and Mac assumed he'd somehow changed, but the black one with red eyes (that she killed -- sob!) was Barrons. The other one tried to attack her and something stopped it. Then the black one herded her to the place where he made her a nice, cozy pee circle and truly seemed to have her best interests at heart.

Mac says that she might have mistaken it for a distant cousin of her monster, except that it had her stones still tied around its horns. And in the morning, when it turns back to grey, it still has her stones and sweater tied around it. My gut tells me it is the same monster, but I do think the color changes must be significant or they wouldn't be mentioned over and over. Oh, I love her "nice cozy pee circle!" Laughing....

[Bones]

Mac says that she might have mistaken it for a distant cousin of her monster, except that it had her stones still tied around its horns. And in the morning, when it turns back to grey, it still has her stones and sweater tied around it. My gut tells me it is the same monster, but I do think the color changes must be significant or they wouldn't be mentioned over and over. Oh, I love her "nice cozy pee circle!" Laughing....

You're right. I just read it and I guess I missed that it changed back to the other one. Still ... I'm suspicious. Especially because the gray one almost attacked her (but was stopped by something, right?) and the black one never came close to doing that.

[Amandalynn]

I am utterly speechless to a point..... First part of me wants to put the book down and not think about it until the next one comes out because I am GRRRed by it.... (not in the it was a horrble book way but in the omfg did I read that right way)

With that said a few thoughts on the beast. First what ever it morphed into I think it is safe to say is male (or why point it out? A female beast could have also peed a circle around her lol maybe not as easy but *shrugs*)

Second: we learn that not all of the things mac comes across are one of a kinds ( The Gray Woman) Perhaps what is locked in the basement of Barrons is the same kind of creature but the beast. Orrrrr it is something totally different. But if it is the same Barrons goes through a lot to build a guantlet for someone to pass to get to it... Perhaps instead of keeping it in he is trying to protect it... A family member of his?

Third: if the creature is barrons wouldn't Ry know? Maybe not or maybe he knows that Barron in that state is irrational like a rabid dog that is set to find and protect what he thinks is his.

So if it is him and the spear did kill him does that means he is Fae. Seems to simple to explain him..... Maybe.

Part of me thinks that just maybe the fourth man on the scene while Mac is getting raped is related to the creature... dunno why but a thought.

Ugh my head hurts and ugh

[Gentry]

Okay -- just finished reading and had to get online asap to find out what others are thinking! My head is just swimming -- I'll try to be coherent here...

My first thought -- it's Barrons!!!!! My next thought -- Ryodan *knew* it was Barrons and helped goad Mac to kill it, ergo Ryodan is working with the LM (by the way, the people who are in love with Darroc/LM and want him redeemed might be singing a different tune now that we know what a complete d*ck he has turned out to be -- hitting her parents, raping her, exposing a 13 year old girl to the UPs -- COME ON!) Sorry -- back to my thread -- but then I think, does Mac yet think of Barrons as her world? As someone else here just said -- it might be in the moment of loss we realize what we've not admitted to ourselves before -- she may have had her great revelation when she realized she killed him...

THEN I forced myself to read the new entries in Mac's glossary -- and no entries express any grief about losing Barrons -- the entries are very matter of fact. But clearly she gets a chance to reflect on her time in the hallway and what's happened, and then journal about it afterwards -- if she had killed Barrons or someone super important -- then wouldn't her entries reflect that?

So then I thought that maybe she killed a "part" of Barrons -- in the moment, looking at the person, she thinks she's killed Barrons (all of him) dead, but either the beast is only part of him, the beast-y part, or a projection of him, or one version of him in another dimension -- but the "man" Barrons still exists -- either with part of him now slain, or part of a curse laid to rest, or part of him now "tamed" or something.

In reading these posts, I also thought someone had a good point when they said that maybe her reality was being messed with...

Other theories -- I don't think it was Alina, as 1) Alina's dead; 2) Alina's female; and 3) why would JZB have Alina standing by to become a weird male-beast that pees around her sister to protect her? That's just...odd.

I don't think it's Mac's adoptive parents -- too many reasons that seem obvious to me. Could it be Mac's biological father? Perhaps -- but who would that father be, and how would she know him in that moment and feel like she'd lost everything? Doesn't make sense or hang together.

I don't think it's V'lane -- why would V'lane be a beast for her? And V'lane is not everything to her.

I don't think it's Dani or any of the women Mac knows...

So I come back to -- who is male that Mac would realize as a killing blow, a great loss? I come back to Barrons. Always Barrons. But then I read her journal and I think, Barrons isn't dead. So then I think -- must be a part of Barrons somehow. But then I come back to questioning Ryodan -- is Ryodan on the "good" side? Okay, now I'm repeating....must...find...other...threads...dream y eyed boy...what is he? incarnation of the book/beast???? What is Christian turning into? What/Who are the nine? What would Fey have forgotten that they wouldn't recognize Barrons??? Is he the king? Why would Mac have memories of the mansion? I don't like reincarnation, but is Mac the concubine that killed herself and she finally taught Barrons something when she said the UK should have just made her happy in her mortal life??? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!! I don't think I can wait for the last book. My head hurts. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW! Oh what torture KMM!!!!!

[Amandalynn]

Argh I need to stop thinking about this but I question my own questions. What kills a Fae? Barrons doesn't seem to need anything but himself or atleast that's what it seemed like when he took V'lane princess from him... Which brings me to another thought could Barron's be the Unseelie Prince of War? Not saying he he raped Mac but that maybe long ago he realized the errors of his ways perhaps he did not wish to defy the Seelie Queen and that's what the trip down memory lane was with Mac..... What about Christian? Did something take him over and turn him into the beast? The use of black magics? She states the she really trusts him... If Barrons is the IYD he made it there pretty quick but it did tale home 4 days to get out when him and Christian got sucked in.... Tell me the phone is a portal.... Maybe Mac has just lost her humanity by killing something she knew in her heart was only trying to protect her and finding out that "something" is a "someone." We just assume it is one of the good guys because she grieves.

Ok I need sleep I finished the book over two hours ago and I still feel like I just surface and am gasping for breath.... Gawd I am not going to sleep well tonight dang it! Awesome book but mega heavy on the questions and wayyy short on answers.

KMM thanks again for weaving a great tail and reminding me why the pages of a book is better than any TV show as you never fail to unleash my imagination trying to read between the lines in attempts to fully understand the depth of the characters and realm you create.

[Wildernessgirl]

I thought it might be Jericho except she mentions in that she hears beast in garage when she is with Jericho which means it's not him. I hope so at least! Who could it be. I even thought at first it might be Christian if not IYD. But it seems without a doubt IYD. I don't know but Ryodan behavior

[kristy0228]

Hey don't post often but this was just too good to pass up lol so i'll throw my two cents in here!

First I thought Barrons.... and then thought no..It couldn't be for a variety of reasons already posted here.

Then I thought did the silvers mess with mac.. and It was really christian and the silvers messed with his image... peeing is a very male thing.

then MAybe her father..he is a very strange, secretive guy.

But after all that I think it may be hte dreamy eyed guy, she saw him start to shift in the mirrors at the bar, and then he keeps popping up, maybe that's not his true form either and When she sees him dead, in his true form, maybe she recognizes him from a forgotten memory. I just think it's weird that he looked different in the mirrors at the bar. Either way I know this is going to bug me until the next book lol

[Cayla]

Yeah what's up with that?! I am so engrossed in the characters in the story and I rarely think of Fiona, so how is it possible that she knows some special secret about Mac that Mac, herself, doesn't know yet? I mean, who's the epic one here? lol

Exactly. That makes me think that whatever he is, he doesn't think Mac will like it. Almost like he's afraid she'll find out because she'll desert him or something and ruin his "one chance." So that worries me a little bit.