But then her power tried to flare again and he shook their connection off – firmly escorting Ariana from the hall.
CHAPTER 11 – DANGER
Back in Quinn’s rooms, Ariana sipped a flickering blue cordial in a brandy glass, something he had given her to calm her bloodlust. She watched Quinn and Arturos move around Quinn’s living area now like everything was fine, though she knew it wasn’t after that massive display of magic she had just unleashed upon both enemy and ally Masters tonight – and Quinn had made worse by his intervention.
As Arturos poured a whiskey at the gilded bar and Quinn mixed up a dirty martini, Ariana finally realized that Quinn wore a classic black tux tonight with rounded black satin lapels. But as their shine caught the chandelier lights, matching a shine in Quinn’s dark auburn hair, a wave of Ariana’s fugue took her again. She found herself deeply fascinated by Quinn as he moved around his living area.
Her power heaving from her despite the cordial’s help.
Like a calm god of the sea, Arturos sent a wave of energy to ease Ariana again as he sat on the couch beside her. But Quinn boiled with a fire-dark nimbus as he sipped his martini and glanced to her, settling in a high-backed chair nearby.
Ariana wondered if he didn’t dare touch her now as her power flared, Quinn distracted as he stared at the flames in the fireplace, tapping one thigh with his finger. His dark gaze was intense and Ariana felt his massive nimbus of power flow around her yet again – probably the tenth time it had tried to devour her since the blood-hall. As she shivered, Arturos’ sea-energy swirled up yet again.
Calming both Ariana and Quinn’s powers back.
“Quinn.” Arturos spoke as his dark brows knit, his gaze moving alertly between them. Returning from someplace far away, Quinn inhaled a deep breath, his long stare breaking from the fire.
“Did you say something?” Quinn asked with uncharacteristic perplexity as his dark eyelashes blinked.
“Not yet. But the fact that you didn’t know whether I had or not means you’re nearly as befuddled as Ariana right now.” Arturos spoke levelly as he lifted an eyebrow at Quinn. Glancing between them, Arturos’ dark blue eyes held concern. “Something is happening between you two… something that not even I fully comprehend, Quinn. That display back there was bad – not just because Ariana was called into an event she shouldn’t have attended fromall the wayacross the Hotel, but also because your Master’s Kiss wasn’t able to calm her. Something about the connection you share is not controlling Ariana’s power the way it should. It’s like your powers are spinning each other’s up. You’re beingemotional, Quinn. And if your connection is making your control over your obsessions and bloodlust slip like this, not to mention Ariana’s… you’ve got a bad situation on your hands.”
“I know.” Inhaling, Quinn’s dark gazed lingered upon Ariana as he listened to his friend’s counsel.
“You’re losing control of your bloodlust because mine’s rising?” Ariana blinked, shocked by Arturos’ words. “Is that true, Quinn?”
“Yes.” Quinn spoke with a sigh now, and Ariana saw something dire burn in his dark eyes. “I didn’t want to admit it, but my physical hungers have been intensely strong these past few weeks since we became bound. And they’ve gotten even stronger since you and I had our…encounterlast night.”
Ariana blinked, setting her cordial aside as she digested what Quinn was telling her – that his passions were becoming uncontrollable since they’d had their sexual tryst. Even though it had been from afar, it seemed even that much unleashing of Quinn’s passions had sparked a fire that couldn’t be put out now.
As Ariana gazed at him, worried, Quinn’s beautiful mouth quirked in a wry smile. Taking up her cordial, he pressed it back into her hands, though he was careful to not touch her. Rising, he went to the bar – pouring a stiff measure of the same blue cordial into a whiskey glass. Returning, he took a big swig and grimaced, though Ariana thought it tasted nice, if a little sweet like blue bubble gum or cotton candy.
“Why is Quinn having such strong bloodlust since our bond?” Ariana asked Arturos now.
“Bloodlust can rise hard and fast even in a Master Vampire when other obsessions are not being satisfied.” Arturos spoke as he watched Quinn intently. “Are you denying other appetites right now, Quinn? Ariana?”
“I don’t really want to go into it.” Quinn evaded now as he stared at the fire. But as Arturos lifted a dark eyebrow, flooding even more of his energy around Quinn, Ariana found herself deeply unnerved by how Quinn was acting. As he ran a distracted hand through his dark auburn hair, she lost time again watching him. She felt echoes of her bloodlust still, and recognized now that some of those echoes were Quinn’s, finding her through their connection. She wanted Quinn, she wanted to be with him – but this was a part of Vampire power she so did not want.
And it seemed Quinn didn’t either, as he sipped his cordial and grimaced again.
“How do you feel about bloodlust?” Ariana asked suddenly, glancing at Arturos since she was fairly sure Quinn wouldn’t answer her right now.
“Truthfully? It disgusts me.” Arturos blinked as he glanced to her, his face brutally honest. “Dragons eat meat; a Siren in its sea-Dragon form will eat tons of fish weekly, and hunt larger prey like whales and sharks. We are the apex predator of the oceans, and with the Dragon shift comes animal brutality. But it is for the hunt, for a quick death of the prey, and for the glory of eating. Whereas Vampires drain their prey. Torturing them until they die.”
“You find it distasteful.” Ariana noted as they watched each other.
“I always have.” Arturos smiled slightly now, his blue eyes dark. “When a Vampire’s bite is done well, ecstasy floods both partners; but for a long time I did not understand it until a stronger Vampire bit me and made me feel the eros of my victims. A bite is a sacred contract between Vampire and victim, Ariana. When done well, it is enjoyable for both parties. But when bloodlust rises… the beauty of the act disappears. It becomes a brutal devouring, which many Vampires enjoy. But Quinn and I do not.”
“Is that why you and Quinn are allies?” Ariana asked, curious as she glanced between them.
“Partly. But Quinn and I have a long history.” Arturos smiled with a quirk of his full lips now as he glanced to Quinn. As Quinn looked around, the two shared some deep accord, before Quinn stared back to the fire. But Arturos’ gaze bored deeply into Quinn now, as if he knew far more of what was happening inside the Master of Florence than Quinn was letting on. “Quinn?” Arturos spoke softly. “Are you Master or Servant with Ariana?”
“I don’t know.” Quinn spoke with a deep sigh as he downed the rest of his cordial and switched back to his martini, his energy swirling as he cradled the glass.
“What are you two talking about?” Ariana asked, not understanding.
“I’m asking Quinn if he knows who is the Master and who is the Servant of the bond now connecting you two.” Arturos responded quietly as he watched Quinn. “It is a rare phenomenon, but sometimes a person can be Sired or Kissed into a Dark Haven, and if they are very powerful in their magical Lineage, they become the Master of the new bond rather than the Servant. It creates an unstable bond, because the person who knows how to manage the energy isn’t actually in control of it. From what I’m seeing now, either you and Quinn somehow bonded with you in the Master position of your Kiss, or into some kind of equal bond, and you are now warring with each other’s energy to be Master of your connection.”
“I’m not trying to fight Quinn with my power.” Ariana blinked, glancing at Quinn and seeing him almost studiously watching the fire now, as if he didn’t dare look at her.
