“Glance through that doorway there and have a peek, darling.” Curio laughed now as he nodded to an open drawing-room nearby. “And you’ll get a good idea of what our beloved Hotel is famous for.”
Frowning, Ariana glanced towards a vaulted doorway into a beautiful Italianate drawing-room – and saw a shockingly hot BDSM scene in full swing. Inside the room, more than twenty people were involved in giving a showing for a crowd milling with drinks, watching as doms in exquisite leather and beautiful costumes of feathers, silk, and Italian lace whipped and fucked and decadently tortured their willing partners in a scene so hot it made Ariana’s cheeks flare in a sudden rush.
She had never been in the kink scene, but doing international art business had introduced her to all kinds of high-money types, and Ariana had been invited to parties by wealthy donors trying to hit on her. She’d gone to a few just for curiosity’s sake, though she’d never gotten involved. But this scene topped everything she had ever seen, literally – and Ariana found herself rooted as she stared, blushing and feeling uncomfortable at the same time as she found herself deeply aroused.
Tugging her away with a chuckle, Curio was amused as Devi merely snorted and rolled her eyes. “I thought so. She is unfortunately green in the arts of love, even for a Fae.” Devi spoke with a caustic blasé as they continued down the hall.
“This is a BDSM hotel.” Ariana blinked as she suddenly understood all the nakedness and club-wear and the strangely dominant Devi. As a mostly naked Phoenix bird-woman with gorgeous red-gold plumage sauntered by dressed in a long white feathered cape, Ariana tried not to stare and failed.
“But of course this is a BDSM hotel, sweet thing, though we do far more here than just that.” Curio chuckled, his wintery eyes shining as they turned down another hall. “The Florence Hotel is known as the Twilight Realm’s top destination for the dominant and submissive pleasures, though what we really do here is fulfilldeep inner truths.Some Hotels focus on opulence, some on pleasure, some on comfort, intrigue, and such. Ours is very discreet but focuses on the modern BDSM relationship –consentis primary to how we operate. Quinn values very specific informed consent with everything he does. The Hotel and our Dark Haven were run very differently when our former Sire Emiliana was in charge; consent was not something she understood, and so the pleasure was in forcing and taking, which drew a bad clientele, as you can imagine. In just a short two hundred years, Quinn has completely revamped this place – and made it a destination of elegance and enjoyment for all. Except the abusive clients, of course, they all left.”
“Which is a blessing.” Devi breathed, as if almost not for Ariana’s ears as they moved down this new hall. Coming to a set of grand stone stairs carpeted in blue velvet with gold runners that led downward, Curio took it, the massive staircase coiling to a lower floor. As they descended, Ariana found herself pondering just how bad their Dark Haven must have been under Quinn’s Sire’s lead, who sounded like the kind of Vampire Ariana had been warned about. It was even more curious that both Curio and Devina both seemed to have a bad opinion of a Vampire who had apparently been abusive – not something Ariana expected about their kind.
But as she glanced at Devina and the statuesque supermodel lifted an eyebrow back, they came to a lower level. Tall as the main floor above and vaulted with beautiful marble columns and archways, they were clearly underground now. As they walked halls devoid of windows but full of royal blue drapes with nighttime pastoral paintings rather than daytime ones, Ariana noted that mostly Vampires in elegant couture walked these underground halls at the end of the day. Safe from the daylight that came in through the hotel’s Gothic vaults above, they had an almost winsome, ghostly elegance as they drifted by, nodding to Devi and Curio and gazing curiously at Ariana.
Though like Quinn, all were intensely calm and not a bit animalistic as they continued on about their night.
Ariana’s eyes widened to see wrought-iron torches here in the underground now rather than luminous crystal chandeliers; blazing with sorcerous blue-gold fire, the torches burned from nothing in their ornate brackets. This kind of magic had never been used in Ariana’s home, and it amazed her now; gorgeous and haunting, lighting up the decadent art and the regal Vampires with stunning colors and contrasts.
Once again, Ariana found herself astounded at how every detail of this Realm seemed super-saturated. As she had that thought, she noticed a scent lingered here in the underground, intoxicating like gardenias and oleander in a waterfall at midnight. As they turned a corner, Ariana’s eyes widened to see a beautiful vault before them. Flanked by blue silk drapes and two exquisite paintings, they had come to a fabulously ornate set of ebony double-doors, recessed into the vault ahead. Incredible wrought-iron work decorated the doors, but Ariana’s gaze was captured by the artworks flanking the doorway.
Both variations on Raphael works just like the painting Quinn had submitted to the Pitti Palace’s auction, Ariana knew these were originals as she approached. But like that painting, these massive floor-to-ceiling works featured a Vampire lord on the left dressed in full silver-black armor and a sun-bright Fae lord on the right dressed in bright silver-gold armor. Fabulous, they captivated Ariana as she neared – their visages looking almost like Quinn on the left and strangely like the Fae Prince Lucca Bellari on the right. But Ariana had no more time to admire them as the enormous doors suddenly heaved open with a deepchunk, as if expecting them.
And Ariana was admitted to the most beautiful fencing gallery she had ever seen.
CHAPTER 5 – RIPOSTE
Astounded, Ariana gazed around with delight as they entered the underground fencing gallery. Made of vast marble vaults, the salle with all its practice areas, main fencing pistes, and tiered viewing seats extended far back into a gloom of lofty columns and lost archways like an ancient elvish hall. Far above, vaults of stained glass let in the last of the evening’s light, though they were so high up Ariana knew the sun’s rays never pierced to the arenas below. Decorated with fantastic wrought-iron upon every column and luminous with blue-gold torches, the salle was busy; over twenty different bouts happening on the floors with the more accomplished duels being watched from the stone seating. Smiling, Ariana glanced to Curio and Devi.
As both gave her deeply pleased looks now.
“You do enjoy fencing, do you not?” Curio quipped as he beamed at Ariana. “Quinn said you mentioned it as a pastime when you and he were conversing earlier.”
“It’s my main exercise, actually, when it’s available.” Ariana spoke as pleasure brightened her now, amazed that Quinn had picked up that detail about her this afternoon. “My parents taught me, though their Fae-style is far different than what humans practice. I’ve learned both, over the years.”
“Fencing is an art Vampires take rather seriously.” Devina cut in now as she nodded around the hall. “This gallery is the pre-eminent destination in Italy for fencing among our kind, and many tournaments are hosted here annually.”
“Vampires seem different than I was raised to believe.” Ariana mused now as she watched the mostly Vampire fencers and crowd engaging in excellent sportsmanship with each other in the early evening. The fencers talked and laughed as they took a break and toweled off, though they didn’t seem particularly sweaty, as others watched the matches. All around, a sensation of peace flowed through the salle and it was almost hypnotic, though Ariana could also feel the intensity of the fighters as they dueled. But even as they fought, Ariana realized these Vampires were engaged in sporting; though their energies were intense, they didn’t have that animal ruthlessness she expected.
Just as she had also noticed throughout the rest of the Hotel today.
Shaking her head, Ariana realized Quinn was right about his people. Everything she had seen at the Hotel so far indicated that Vampires were quite egalitarian; and it made Ariana wonder suddenly what else she had prejudices about concerning the Twilight Realm that might be far from the truth. As Devina and Curio led her over to a dressing area full of weapons and gear, eagerness filled Ariana. A strong silver-bright sensation coursed through her as she realized there was something normal she could engage in despite all the strangeness that surrounded her in the Twilight Realm.
Something from her regular life – that called to her now.
“Actually… do you mind if we skip the rest of the tour?” Ariana spoke as she turned to Devi and Curio. “It would be nice to practice. You know, do something normal in all this crazy I’m mixed up in right now. I’m feeling quite a lot better tonight, strangely.”
“Why do you think we brought you here?” Devi spoke with a clever twist of her red lips as her eyes shone. Gesturing to the dressing area, busy with men and women both going about their business and not really caring about nakedness, Devi smiled. “Though you are in a new environment and can’t engage your old life right now, there are ways for you to feel more comfortable here. We have many amenities that don’t include the sex-life of our Hotel. Fencing is here, and just down the hall is a gallery for other European weapons-fighting, which is available to you also. Quinn has informed us that you do calligraphy, and we’ve already sent materials up to your suite. Riding is difficult to arrange in your situation, but we have dance studios down here, ample libraries thanks to Quinn’s collecting, and even an internet café and wine bars, though those are all in the halls above. Our Hotel is not just for guests, Ariana, it is ahomefor those of us who live here full-time. And we would encourage you to take advantage of that. And make this place a home for you as well.”
“But I don’t know how long I’ll be here…” Ariana retorted, though she gazed around longingly now at the beautiful underground salle.
“Still.” Devi spoke firmly as she moved forward, taking up Ariana’s hands with a kind squeeze, her chocolate-dark eyes earnest. “We are not the animals you Fae think us. Vampires are Sired from all walks of life, and every Lineage in the Realms, including Fae. While it is true that a young Vampire must be watched closely for bloodlust, and some older Vampires are cruel, running their Dark Havens with a bitterly iron fist and terrible dominance, that is not how we do things here. More and more in the modern age, Vampires are learning that we can live full lives without repressing our kinder natures to fit in with a more archaic, brutal way of doing things, which was our Lineage’s past. And wewantto, Ariana. Most of us don’t want to be beasts or be dominated by vicious Masters. Do you understand?”
“I’m beginning to.” Ariana spoke quietly as she gazed into Devi’s eyes and saw nothing but honesty. All around, Devi’s energy swirled like a powerful sea of dark crimson now, as if urging Ariana to take note.
“Some of usaredangerous.” Curio spoke quietly now as he lifted an eyebrow at Ariana, then nodded to the hall. “But more of us simply wish to live our lives in peace, Ariana. Those who come to this Hotel believe in a better way, and strive to live that. If you spend time around our Dark Haven, you’ll see how Quinn is different from some of the very old Masters who are quite brutal. But more and more of us believe in modernity, equality, and compassion. And we are starting to turn this Lineage to a better way.”
With that, Curio reached out and set a hand to Ariana’s cheek. Though her heart startled at his sudden movement, he poured a gentle peppermint-flavored wind through her now, brightening her energy and body in a way that suddenly made Ariana feel tremendously hale. Though she’d been exhausted just this afternoon, tortured and confused about her current situation, much of that was wiped away now as Curio poured his fresh breath of winter air through her. Standing taller, Ariana inhaled, everything inside her suddenly thrilling to take up a suit of fencing gear and a foil and get out there. As Curio smiled kindly now, patting her cheek, he nodded to the suits on elegant stands in their ebony cubbies.
