As his compelling gaze swept the hall.
“Friends.” He continued in his effortlessly cordial way. “Long have many of us here joined forces to improve the status of Vampire-kind around the world. For eons, Vampires have been considered by the rest of Twilight Realm as inferior; as animals of wrath barely restrained. Most of you here tonight know how hard I’ve fought against that untruth, and for how long. In the past two hundred years, the Red Letter Hotel Florence has become an organization synonymous with elegance, class, and the elevated pursuit of darker passions, at which we Vampires excel. And the truth of which, I would very much like to continue promoting in the decades and centuries to come.”
This last statement received polite clapping as Quindici paused. Glancing around, Ariana noted that most of the Masters here agreed with his statements – believing Vampires were far more egalitarian and sophisticated than the world knew. Even so, Ariana saw a few still watching Quinn calmly, as if not taken in by his pleasant speech.
But none of the Vampires were looking at Ariana and her companions now at the back of the gathering; as Devi stood quietly by Ariana’s side, Ariana suddenly startled to feel Devi slip an arm around her waist. But the gesture was sisterly, and as Curio moved to her back, wrapping his arms around her, the movement also wasn’t sexy. It was bolstering as both of Quinn’s Vampires poured more of his deeply stabilizing energy into Ariana, helping her resist even further those Vampires whose energy were still churning through the hall.
As Ariana watched Quinn accept a glass of red wine from a server during the applause, sipping it, she realized she wasn’t feeling the affects of his gregarious geniality anymore – as if Devi and Curio pouring more of Quinn’s power inside her offset the mind-wiles he used on the hall tonight. But as Quinn suddenly locked his eyes to Ariana’s, it was like everything in the gallery faded to black except him. Drowning and deep, his pupils were like midnight suns with a ring of fire around them as she stared at him.
And heard his voice inside her mind.
Ariana.Quinn spoke like a dark angel inside her thoughts as she felt his beautiful touch brush her cheek.I didn’t ask you to be present this evening to be my ally, like many of the others here are tonight. Only to bear witness.
To witness what?She spoke back inside her thoughts, finding the process strangely easy as she stood held in Curio’s arms with Devina’s electric touch at her hip, her own oilslick-dark magic rising up liquidly inside her to communicate back now.
To witness the power I have among my kind as a strong Master… and the safety it could give you among both Vampires and Fae if you agree to my bond.Staring at her, Quinn’s dark eyes were like black galaxies now, and Ariana stood riveted by his tremendous presence. It was like nothing she had ever felt as his dark nimbus flowed through her, deep like the grave but heady like drinking clarion cordials beneath a summer moon. Smooth and black, vivid and crimson, his power burned like fire through her even as it cooled her deep inside. Ariana’s breath caught as she felt it fill her up like silver-black water, flooding through her as it rose like a dark tide to her lips.
But even as Quinn’s power filled her, Ariana felt his breath catch. Whatever was happening to her was happening to him, also; as something tremendously bright flared through her from his magic’s touch. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a midnight-oilslick sensation that her newly opening magic held, but a burning moonsilver and sun-hot gold like a blazing star, seething up inside her as Quinn’s energy touched hers. Pouring down her connection to Quinn, it was a raging tidewater flood as it found him.
Staggering him where he stood.
As Quinn set a hand to the marble vaults to steady himself, that enormous rip-tide took them both so hard Ariana had to surrender to Curio’s arms. As Quinn stumbled from his perfect poise upon the pedestal, it was as if his influence over the hall snapped out; suddenly, Vampires began to turn Ariana’s way with intrigued looks. But even as that blazing silver-gold and darkfire heat became a maelstrom between Ariana and Quinn, she felt him wrangle it back with a masterful heave. Shutting their connection down, he closed his full lips and set his stern jaw, regaining his composure.
Though Ariana could feel how hard his heart beat now, through the magic that joined them.
His heart beats.
But even as the sensation of Quinn’s heartbeat faded away and he flooded his fellow-well-met grace through the hall once more, Ariana stood amazed by what had just happened – and by the fact that Quinn had a heartbeat. It was something she had not felt from the rest of the Vampires in the hall, even though a few were now staring at her after that disastrously intense reaction. Cunning was in their eyes as they sipped their wine, as they suddenly looked at Ariana like she was a very interesting chess piece.
And Quinn had to flood his energy even harder through the hall, to bring their attention back to him.
“The struggle has been hard over the years, for Vampire equality.” Quinn continued now as he resumed command as if nothing had happened. “We all know how damaging it is when a young Vampire loses control of their bloodlust, or finds themselves without the guidance of a good Master to help them tame the demon of Night inside. We know how painful it is when a Revenant goes on rampage, devouring the innocent to their terrible might. For eons, these situations have plagued us, giving all of Vampiredom a bad name and ostracizing us from modern pacts of unification in the Twilight Realm.”
Again, heads nodded at Quinn’s statements, and he spoke on as he gazed around with his onyx eyes. “But tonight, dear ones, I have invited you to our Dark Haven in advance of the Meeting of the Havens to simply enjoy the hospitality of our fine Hotel. For generations, the Vampires of Florence have perfected the most decadent magical arts, and tonight, I invite you all to partake of their pleasures. Private suites have been arranged for you all to enjoy later in the evening. But now, we open with a Tasting Gala. And welcome those who come to be Tasted, along with our delicacies.”
As Quinn spoke, ten drop-dead gorgeous men and women suddenly paraded into the gallery from a side-wing – entirely nude. As Ariana gaped at them, moving to beautiful silk-padded barstools that flanked the banquet tables and settling comfortably onto seats there, she realized what was happening. Flights of coffee, rich wines, decadent chocolates, and strangely-glowing violet and blue cordials in crystal phials were now revealed upon the banquet tables, and the lusciously nude men and women smiled to servers as they received trays of those delicacies, set upon gilded tables close by. Wearing nothing but exquisite high heels and jewelry for the women, and strong torques around their wrists and necks for the men, the participants had a few bites to eat and drink as eagerness ramped up in the hall.
The Vampire Masters ready to taste their delicacies for the night.
“Dear friends, a few rules before we begin, as always.” Quinn spoke pleasantly now as he moved to the nearest supermodel-beautiful woman on her barstool, which Ariana saw with surprise was the very same Lamia snake-woman she’d seen yesterday. As Quinn beamed at her, stroking her cheek with one knuckle, she beamed back in a way that made Ariana hot with jealousy suddenly, before he continued.
“Our treasured participants for tonight’s event are beloved Courtiers and Courtesans of this Hotel, and as such, they select their Assignations with much particularity and dignity. If you approach one of our Tasted tonight and they turn you down, please simply move on to the next Tasted who interests you. Sample our edible delicacies between participants; each flavor of chocolate, coffee, aphrodisiacal cordials, and wine are specifically brewed with our Florentine magics to enhance the flavors of blood in each of our participants. There is really no bad combination, as each flavor and participant has been carefully selected tonight by our Hotel’s most exquisite palate, our very own Curio Silverfrost.”
As Quinn nodded in Curio’s direction, attention was suddenly upon Ariana’s trio again, and she watched as Curio beamed, giving a deep nod to Quinn. Polite applause came from the Masters, before they turned back to staring avidly at the beautiful wares enjoying themselves on their barstools.
Those wares glancing eagerly at the Vampires also now, in anticipation of what was coming.
“So. We are ready?” Quinn asked the question not to the Masters in the hall, but to the participants, and Ariana watched him wait for a composed nod from each before he smiled. “Good. Enjoy your evening, friends of the Florence Dark Haven and Red Letter Hotel. I will be circulating for any who wish to ask about our wares tonight, but our esteemed Catering staff are thoroughly versed in our delicacies and which combinations will bring the most pleasure. Let the Tasting Gala begin!”
The applause that came now was more than eager as Ariana saw the Master Vampires already migrating to blood-donors of interest, in some cases forming queues to line up for a Tasting. Servers circulated with tassos of espresso and tasting flutes of wine in addition to what was so beautifully presented upon the tables, plus gilded trays of the crystal-encased cordials and chocolates so that Vampires waiting for a donor could sample items while they waited.
As talk broke out between Vampires discussing with servers which items would go best with the donor they had selected, Ariana also watched those in the front of the queues speaking with the participants, getting their permission to be sampled. Most were received with eager nods and blushing smiles, though Ariana watched two participants frown subtly as they paused with a Master, then shake their heads or hold up a hand to decline. Tension swirled between the two Masters who were denied, and Ariana watched the servers near those participants tense subtly with watchful eyes, as if they doubled as bodyguards for the event. But as Quinn’s onyx eyes went to each of those Masters in turn, they smiled wryly, giving both him and the participant who had denied them a slow, regal nod.
And moving on.
Ariana hadn’t realized how much she’d been holding her breath to see how consent would work in a room full of Master Vampires; though as Curio wrapped himself around her again and Devi remained by her side near the edge of the gallery, she felt something unwind in her to see how well everything had been solved.
Her breath sharpened and her heart hammered now as she watched participants flip their hair aside, removing diamond necklaces or earrings so they wouldn’t be stained, while men removed gold torques from their necks. Stepping forward, the Vampires touched their participant lightly, staring deep into their eyes to mesmerize them. Ariana watched with a strangely scintillating awe and horror both as the delicacies flushed with desire, staring up at the Master they had agreed to. And then Masters were wrapping around their chosen from behind in decadent embraces, or leaning in close before them, or in some cases lifting a wrist or even going down between the participant’s thighs to position themselves.
