As a strange flood of power rose and the Masters struck almost in unison – the participants crying out their joy to the hall.
A cry left Ariana also, as Curio chuckled at her cheek and Devi’s hand tightened at her hip. Her pulse thundered as the eros in the room careened; Masters flooding with power as they watched or participated, deeply enjoying the magic that screamed so hard in the gallery now even Quinn’s protection inside Ariana couldn’t block it.
Full of passion and need, ardor and joy, every part of Ariana throbbed and flushed as she shuddered in Curio’s arms. Her heart was a mad thing as her Dark Fae power surged with a midnight-dark intensity to watch trickles of blood ease down necks and thighs, wrists and even breasts as the participants cried out in ecstasy. As Masters broke away from their chosen ones, crying out in delight as they surrendered to the power flooding them, the entire hall shuddered in a vast pleasure. And it was all shades of darkness, and all scents of magic as Ariana felt that scintillating decadence devour the room.
As sex and wine, blood and chocolate flooded the night.
CHAPTER 10 – DELICACIES
As Curio and Devi held Ariana steady from the waves of orgiastic pleasure inundating the Tasting Gala, she found herself thankful for their support – and for Quinn’s dark energy holding her grounded also. As if she were part of the event but buffered from it, Ariana felt those massive waves of magic flood over her now rather than crash through her. But even so, containing her ardor was a struggle as numerous Vampires flushed and shuddered as the first set of Masters thanked their chosen with kisses or bows. It was heady and wild as all that immensely sexual power surged through the hall.
And Ariana found herself wanting more, despite her better judgement.
“Shit!” Ariana shuddered as Curio and Devi held her steady.
“And the night’s just getting started, darling.” Curio chuckled sexily at her ear, hot from everything that had just occurred also. Passion was so high in Ariana’s veins that she didn’t mind Curio winding her solidly in his arms as they watched the next group of Masters approach the delicacies upon their barstools. The Tasted had a moment to regroup, shuddering off pleasure and taking wine or coffee to compose themselves. As servers pressed white linen cloths to their wounds, dabbing them with a light-colored unguent that closed the bites quickly, the participants smiled at the next wave of Masters.
And the whole process began again.
As if some unspoken crest of magic had been achieved in the gallery, the next wave of participants were taken in a more leisurely fashion. As Ariana watched, a sustained level of pleasure was achieved in the hall, cries of lust punctuating casual talk as people circulated and admired the art. Though her heart still pounded, she found it was more manageable now as she took deep breaths, grounding into Quinn’s magic. Like a cool, black lake, Ariana could feel Quinn’s power swirl deep inside her; taking all that heady passion and siphoning it away so she could at least think.
But as her gaze connected to Quinn’s from across the hall, Ariana felt her pulse riot.
There was no one else in the room suddenly, as Ariana stared into Quinn’s onyx eyes. Speaking with a few servers in impeccable black vest and tie, he paused as their gazes connected – captivated also by whatever magic connected them. As Ariana’s pulse hit her throat and her adrenaline spiked, she suddenly couldn’t catch her breath. Like the blackest midnight, Quinn’s dark magic swirled through her, his corona of power flaring decadently as her own power matched it. Energy surged between them once more as that silver-gold sensation flooded Ariana. It was so overwhelming that she shuddered in Curio’s arms, as if the eros of the Tasting crashed over her again. But this was like black suns burning as she watched Quinn’s lips fall open to whatever was happening between them, his eyes like dark stars.
Feeling this connection that possessed them both – far more than the rest of the delights in the hall.
As Devi and Curio looked at her strangely now, Devi stepped to Ariana. Gazing into Ariana’s eyes, Devi frowned; but before she could say anything, one of the Master Vampires from the first Tasting migrated to them. The regal British Isles Vampiress with the braided white hair, she smiled as Devi turned to exchange cheek kisses. Composed despite the energy still rioting through the hall, the woman saluted Curio with a lift of her wineglass.
“Head Concierge Silverfrost,” she spoke in a luscious alto voice with a cultured British accent, “your preparation of this event tonight is exquisite. Such flavors devour me from the Tastes I have sampled, and I am certain they will haunt my dreams. Congratulations.”
“Lady Eiseth Pendragon.” Curio came unwound from Ariana as he nodded to the woman in reverence, almost a bow. “You are too kind.”
“Kindness has nothing to do with it. I am pleased, and my pleasure speaks for itself.” She spoke directly, though a smile lingered about her lips. Glancing to Ariana with her deep grey eyes, she lifted an eyebrow. Though her ornately braided hair was white, she looked ageless – and as she was a Vampire, Ariana really had no idea how old she was. As the woman’s mist-grey energy swirled around her with curiosity, she also felt how Quinn’s dark nimbus of protection flowed out from her now, blocking it.
“A Dark Fae. How interesting.” The woman spoke at last with cunning wit. “Quinn takes a deep risk exposing her to such a high-level Vampire crowd tonight. Any one of us could report her to the Council of Rome. For his audacity in protecting her, not to mention presenting her in public tonight, Quinn and your entire Dark Haven could be severely punished, Curio. Perhaps even death, if the Council took it as a threat.”
“Don’t spoil the surprise.” Curio spoke with a sharp wit back now, though Ariana noted he flashed the points of his fangs as he smiled. “The other Masters haven’t said anything yet.”
“I see. Quinn tests us to see if we can feel her power.” The Lady Eiseth smiled wider now, though it was elegantly dangerous, made even more ferocious by her beautiful gown and ornate but entirely functional armor. Ariana’s pulse spiked in shock at the Vampiress’ words, but it hadn’t been a threat as the regal woman glanced back to Ariana. “I will keep her secret, though I daresay a number of Masters here are wondering if she’s human with the intensity of power Quinn’s using to protect her. Some are speculating that she’s a new human Courtesan, come to see what she’s in for working at a Vampire-run Hotel. But I will not spill Quinn’s secret – though he has invited a few here tonight who might. Be wary, Florentines. Dark Fae.”
Inclining her head, the British Isles Vampiress gave a fascinating smile as her dark grey eyes flashed with power. Inhaling, Ariana felt strangely elated but also tense as the woman departed to speak with a group of other Masters who had finished tasting.
As Curio snagged three wines from a circulating server, handing two to Devi and Ariana, Ariana asked, “Who was that?”
“Lady Eiseth Pendragon is the strongest Master of the British Isles.” Curio murmured as Ariana sipped her wine to steady herself, a lovely burgundy with a luscious raisin flavor. “Eiseth was the first Master to proclaim alliance with Quinn after he took over the Dark Haven of Florence two hundred years ago. Our previous Master was in a feud with Lady Eiseth, resulting in severe sanctions upon the Vampires of the British Isles. After Quinn killed Emiliana, Eiseth became Quinn’s ally, setting a precedent for more Vampire Masters to listen to his ideas.”
As the stately woman moved to a winged statue of Mercury in the gallery now, sipping her wine and admiring it, Ariana watched, riveted. “Pendragon? Like Arthur Pendragon?”
“Lady Eiseth was King Arthur’s elder sister, a footnote of history that got lost over the ages.” Devina spoke as she watched the older Vampiress with alertness – one of the few people Devi had not had a superior attitude towards this evening. “She was his equal in might on the battlefield and in negotiation; some spoke of the Pendragon siblings as destined to rule side-by-side once their father fell. It didn’t happen. Even with her prowess, the human world still detested the idea of a woman sharing a man’s throne. And then Eiseth fell in battle to a Vampire lord… and disappeared from human history to rise in ours. She is one of the strongest Masters in all of Europe; brutal, decisive, egalitarian, and cunning. She is the cornerstone of Quinn’s support, though she has her own agendas. She’s not a fan of the current Masters who sit upon the Council of Rome, as most of them consider her little more than a backwater warrioress up in Britain.”
“But… Britain’s one of the most developed nations in the world.” Ariana frowned.
“Vampires don’t see it that way.” Devi spoke as she sipped her wine, though her chocolate-brown eyes pinned Ariana. “Because the Masters who sit upon the Council are old, they tend to remember history as it was a thousand, two thousand, even ten thousand years ago. Brittania was little but warring tribes for many thousands of years, though they have an elevated ancient past. The Council is sat by Vampires from areas where civilization never fell, or has always been strong in the Twilight Realm. China, Thailand, central Mexico, Egypt, and such. And of course, Rome.”
“But didn’t the Summer Fae have their homelands in Rome also, because of our mutual Angelic ancestors?” Ariana spoke, cocking her head as she remembered what she’d learned about the War.
“Rome has always been hotly contested territory between Vampires and Summer Fae, Ariana.” Devi turned to her now, pinning Ariana with her dark chocolate gaze. “The Angelics who Fell to earth in that area did so hundreds of thousands of years ago, and the region that is now Rome has been warred over by the Light and the Night ever since. It’s a long story, but the entire place is riddled with ancient ruins and treasures for both Fae and Vampires that we don’t even know the half of. The Council’s move to take the Summer Fae’s palace complex six hundred years ago was merely the latest maneuver in eons of warring. The Summer Fae’s palace in Rome is built on even older Vampire ruins, which are built on ancient Fae sacred sites, and so on.”
