“Yes.” Quinn breathed as the saddest smile curled his full lips. “Lucca has been trying to save me ever since I was Sired into the Life of the Night, even though he is Prince now and I am gone. But his protectiveness for you, as well as me, saved us tonight, Ariana. Though he has been furious with me for centuries, Lucca gave everything to help send us through a rift tonight, and get us here.”
“And you gave everything for him, bringing your Vampires to fight the Brightwatch at the ravine and face off with his father at the waterfall.” Ariana spoke back.
“I gave everything forboth of you.” Quinn spoke with a sudden passion in his dark eyes as his magic swirled. Reaching up, he cupped Ariana’s face in his palm and she felt his gravitas – powerful in the night. But the next moment Quinn softened, a smile touching his lips. “Come. We should eat something and discuss what I am now thinking about all our futures. Because these bonds between us could mean not just something to me and all of Vampiredom, but to you and the Dark Fae, if any are still left. And to the Summer Fae as well – and Prince Lucca.”
“A win-win.” Ariana blinked, feeling something churn inside Quinn that hadn’t been there before. “You’re thinking of some plan that would benefit all of us. If we could do it.”
“If what I am now thinking could be done, it would be High Treason against the ruling bodies of both Vampires and Fae.” Quinn spoke with both warning and a vibrantly eager energy now. As they stood near the wrought-iron staircase that wound up to the second level, he netted Ariana around the waist and drew her close. “Anyone involved would be in severe danger from the ruling hierarchies on both sides. But if we succeed…”
“We might see all our hopes come true. All our dreams.” Ariana continued, understanding as Quinn held her.
“Precisely.” Quinn spoke as a beautiful ring of fire burned in his eyes. Reaching up, he caressed Ariana’s face as a shiver crashed through her, though not a bad one. Quinn was compelling, he was devious; and behind his eyes now, she could see a master of political maneuvering come up with the plan of his life. It was a beautiful thing, and fierce, as Ariana looked into Quinn and saw his heart. He loved the game, he loved political manipulation and the amassing of power – but more than that, he wanted everyone to be satisfied at the end of the day.
To have peace – and just revel in life.
“You really are different from other Vampires, aren’t you?” Ariana breathed with a smile to finally understand Quinn’s heart.
“Yes.” Quinn spoke with a gentle smile back. “But to engage this plot would mean our death if the wrong people found out, Ariana. We would place the entire Dark Haven of Florence on the line; and though that is not a comfortable thought for me, I see a vision unfurling before me now that would make all risks worth it. But I should not tell you unless you are willing to take that kind of risk. I am a gambling man. Lucca is also, for what we do would certainly involve him. The question is: are you willing to risk it all, to get everything you’ve ever wanted? And I suppose a further question is: what do you want, Ariana, in your deepest heart of hearts?”
No one had really ever asked Ariana that question before. Yet as she thought about it now, she suddenly knew the answer. As the deepest truth of her life rose up inside her, a wash of silver and gold light poured from her with a cascade of moonlit rainbows. As Quinn lifted a hand, playing his fingers through her power, Ariana felt his gentle touch – and the deep love in it. Reaching up, she slid her hands up his strong, lean arms, drawing their bodies close and winding her arms around his neck.
“I want a place in the world.” She spoke as she gazed up into his darkfire eyes. “I want to know the truth of where I belong, Quinn, and find my people if they still exist. I want to know how I was turned Dark Fae, and why, if there is an answer. I want to know why my parents lied to me and what they were protecting me from, hiding in the human world. But most of all…” Inhaling now, Ariana spoke her deepest truth. “I want to know why I love you like this, so deep and strong without having spent hardly any time together at all. And I want to know the truth of who you are… because I feel you are a man worth loving. I want to love you. And live in a world where we can have that.”
As she confessed her truths to him, Quinn inhaled with a surprised blink. Ariana felt his magic curl through her, caressing her as a gentle fire came into his eyes. As she watched, Quinn’s eyes were suddenly too bright, a tear shedding down his lashes. Nodding, he swallowed.
As if Ariana had read his very heart.
“I would give that to you.” He spoke roughly as he cradled her close. “If I can, I will move the heavens and the earth to bring you what you want. Because I want those things, too. Once my life was bright and fierce, and I loved it. I have made the Florence Hotel my home these past centuries, but always, I have felt the fire I once had, burning dark within me now. Since I met you, that darkness has become filled with light. I believe in the Light once more… in a way I have not for eons.”
“I love you, Quinn.” Ariana spoke, lowering one hand to caress her fingertips over his heart. “It’s strange and sudden and insane, but… it’s there.”
“I love you too, Ariana.” Quinn breathed as he watched her with something beautifully fierce in his dark onyx eyes. “And if I can make a place for our insane love in this world, then I can make a place in it for you and Lucca, and for myself also – those of us who do not see things in terms of black-and-white. We live between worlds… and if I can carve out a place in both the Light and the Night for us, then we can do the same for others. We can all achieve balance and understanding together, no matter how much Light or Night we have in our veins.”
“You’ve thought a lot about this.” Ariana spoke as she touched his heart, feeling something beautiful open up inside her for the dark, mysterious Quinn.
“It is a dream I have long had, but never had the courage to even let myself ponder on my darkest nights. A dream Lucca and I once had.” He spoke with a hitch in his voice now as he gazed down at her. But he cut off then, closing his long dark lashes as another tear slipped down. As Ariana watched the big, bad Master Vampire cry, her lips fell open. But feeling such deep emotions inside him now, his heart beating steadily beneath her fingertips, she understood just how much he had given up these past six centuries, living among the Vampires.
“I want to give you a life in the Light.” Ariana spoke, compassion rising inside her as her power flowed gently around him. “I want to give you balance so you can be Light in addition to Night. If you want it.”
“I want it.” He rasped as his dark eyelashes fluttered open and Ariana saw that ring of fire in his eyes again. “And you give me hope that we can have it. But hope… gods, hope is such a dangerous thing.”
“Not if we’re together.” She responded, pressing her palm to Quinn’s sculpted chest as she suddenly knew what he needed. Gripping his nape, she felt a fighting energy rise inside her as her magic flared with a bright golden fire. It was fierce and wild; but Ariana knew it was true as Quinn stared into her eyes and at last nodded.
Suddenly, Ariana felt that same fierceness in Quinn as his dark nimbus rose around her with a vicious whirl. Pulling her in to his iron-spar frame, Quinn slipped his hands around her waist again; and Ariana was suddenly very aware of just how naked they still were from their time in the catacomb. His action wasn’t forceful, but she felt strength pour through Quinn now as he stared her down with fire in his eyes. As Ariana squeezed his nape, nodding at him with that same fierceness flowing through her, he nodded quietly back.
As their auras braided gently through the room – flickering with fire and light and darkness.
“Together.” Quinn spoke, gazing into her as if he stared into her very soul. “But we do this as equals, Ariana Summers. You have a power I cannot fathom, and I would not presume to say I am the stronger partner and place you in a hierarchy beneath me. To the world, you must appear to be my subservient and I your Master, as is done in a Dark Haven. But between us… you will be my equal. And I will make certain our aims are as one as we proceed, rather than for me to be Master over you.”
“Are you sure?” Ariana asked as she dug for truth in him. “Are you sure you can let me be your equal, Quinn?”
“Do I have any choice?” Quinn spoke with a soft laugh now as his dark eyes shone. Reaching up, he stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “You undo me, Ariana. Your budding magic is powerful in ways I cannot fathom. For whatever reason, you were placed in my path by the very Fates themselves, and you instill hope in me. I cannot fight it; and seeing a new vision unfurl inside me now, I do not want to fight it. I want tobelievein a better world for all of us. And seeing you, feeling the beautiful dark-light in your eyes… I believe my dreams of a world at peace are finally possible.”
“Tell me your dreams.” Ariana breathed, feeling something deep inside her lock into place as Quinn’s eyes flared with power in the glimmering darkness. “And we will make them all come true.”
“Angel.” He breathed as he cupped her face in his hand. “Are you sure? Because if we do this… we cannot go back.”
“I’m sure.” Ariana smiled, trapping his hand beneath hers. “And it’s Dark Fae or Ariana, not Angel.”
