“It doesn’t matter what you are consciously trying to do, Ariana. Your power speaks for itself.” Arturos spoke solemnly, sipping his whiskey. “Do you know what Summer Fae House you come from? Do you know if they have strong magic?”
“Actually…” Ariana inhaled, having not planned on talking about the conversation she’d had with her parents around Arturos, though it couldn’t be helped now. “I spoke to my Fae parents just yesterday and found out I’m adopted. I come from a Summer Fae Royal House; I’m their last main-line heir, after my parents and all my siblings were killed in a Vampire attack the day I was born. I survived that attack, though I was turned Dark Fae as a one-day-old infant because of it. But I come from Royal House Altvie –the House of Shadow Truth.”
“The House of Shadow Truth.” With an astonished blink, Quinn looked around at her now – his dark eyes pinning her as his lips fell open. As Quinn’s energy gave a shocked swirl around Ariana, she saw hot flickers of red-gold fire and knew it was his old energy as a Summer Fae sparking in his magics.
But as she watched a beautiful, terrible brightness flare like a sun’s corona in Quinn’s eyes, she recalled that his old Fae power had been Royal also. Quinn hailed from Royal House Incendari, and Ariana recalled their House’s ancient motto now.
“The House of Righteous Fire.” Ariana spoke as she stared at Quinn, suddenly understanding why he was so passionate about equality in the Twilight Realm, not to mention why his dark Vampire magics swirled with those bright sparks of flame when he was feeling strong emotions. But she clammed up as she realized she had almost outed Quinn’s previous status as Prince of the Summer Fae in front of Arturos. With a deep look, the saddest smile touched Quinn’s lips as he set his martini aside.
“Arturos knows who I am, Ariana.” He spoke as he glanced at his friend. “He knows I was once Prince Valerio of Royal House Incendari before I was Sired. He is the only Vampire who knows.”
“And I will take that secret to the grave with me,” Arturos nodded direly to Quinn before glancing back to Ariana. “As will I hold yours sacred also, Ariana. No one in Vampire society needs to know the Fae bloodlines you both come from. It would arouse too much interest among the Council, interest you do not want.”
“So you come from Summer Fae Royal blood.” Quinn spoke now as he watched Ariana with something intense in his dark gaze. “And not just Royal blood, but a bloodline that is far more powerful than most Fae could ever hope to achieve. The magics of the House of Shadow Truth are varied, but always they are strong, Ariana, and always they have an affinity for the truth. Like quiet leviathans, House Altvie is one of the most ancient Houses, and one of the most subtly influential. No wonder my magic is having a hard time pitting itself against yours in our Master’s Kiss.”
“And the House of Righteous Fire burns hot against injustice.” Ariana spoke back now, remembering the thirteen Royal Houses of the Summer Fae. “Warriors, commanders, kings, and leaders throughout Summer Fae history, you’ll never stop battling against anything you think isn’t right. Like your agenda with the Vampire Council.”
“That element of righteous fire never went away after I was turned Vampire,” Quinn admitted, his nimbus of power boiling around her now as the blaze in the fireplace flared, as if influenced by Quinn’s magic. “Just as your truth-discovery ability didn’t go away after you were turned Dark Fae.”
“Do you know anything else about House Altvie?” Ariana asked, wondering if Quinn had insights into her original Fae family.
“Only that they have been the power behind the throne for eons.” Quinn spoke quietly now. “My House have been Kings for generations, but yours have been the influence behind those Kings – some might say the true power of the Summer Fae. It bodes ill that your original family were killed by Vampires, I had not heard of that event. But it means someone made a deep move to destabilize a quiet House that has held the Summer Fae strong throughout the eons.”
“They were aiding Dark Fae.” Ariana said to Quinn now, relaying what her parents had told her. “House Altvie were working with my parents and a few others to help Dark Fae escape King Bellari’s pogroms and get somewhere safe these past few hundred years, though my parents don’t know where.”
“Which is why your parents fled to the human world once they found themselves with a Dark Fae infant to take care of, and their underground railroad broken by the attack on House Altvie.” Quinn understood now as Ariana watched his calculating mind spin down dozens of implications for this information.
Sipping his martini, Quinn was silent a long while as he gazed at Ariana. She finally felt his passions cool through their bond as his mind took over – looking for how her story connected either to King Bellari, the Vampire Council, or elsewhere.
But as Quinn’s emotions finally stilled under his impeccable Vampire’s calm, Arturos swirled his whiskey and downed it. As if something unspoken passed between himself and Quinn, he rose – Quinn rising also. The two Master Vampires faced each other as Ariana remained seated, sipping her bloodlust-relieving cordial on the couch and glancing between them.
“I need to drive down to Rome tonight for a soirée.” Arturos spoke to Quinn as he set his empty whiskey glass aside upon a table. “I’ll ask a few people I trust about unbalanced Master’s Kiss bonds and see if I can get some answers for you, quietly. See if anyone has any perspective on what you both are going through and how to control it. Or at least, prevent it from getting worse.”
“I shall await your return.” Quinn smiled tiredly now as he nodded at Arturos. “I have a lot to think about with Ariana’s and my situation, but I’m glad for your intervention today, my friend.”
“I should be back by tomorrow night. In the meantime, I wouldn’t expose Ariana in public anymore when there’s blood around.” Arturos spoke frankly now as he looked at her. “She’s ready to tear out a throat, Quinn, and it needs to be taken care of, quickly. Don’t be a fool and ignore what’s happening with her, or with you. What happened at tonight’s gala could be interpreted as weakness, and there were quite a few Masters there you don’t want perceiving you as weak – Masters with ties right to the Council.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” With a tired nod, Quinn opened his hand towards the massive ebony double-doors of his suite to let Arturos out. But before Arturos could go, the Siren-Vampire suddenly turned to Ariana.
Going quietly to one knee and taking up her hand.
Arturos’ touch was electric as he gazed into Ariana’ eyes, and she shivered as she felt his oceanic power flow subtly around her. He had been a gentleman today, rescuing her from her bloodlust; but as he took up her hand now, Ariana felt herself blush at his attention.
As he breathed the softest kiss upon her skin, his luminous darkwater power curling sweetly into her, she felt herself shudder. He wasn’t trying to seduce her, but it was as if he couldn’t quite contain himself as he stared into her eyes, though he controlled it with Quinn looking on. Through their touch, Ariana felt so many things Arturos wanted to say; though he smiled wryly as he finally spoke.
“Ariana. I do not know what the coming days and weeks may have in store, but I am deeply concerned for you. Quinn is strong but our world is dangerous, and his six hundred years are young to some things out there. I would recommend that until you and he can work out whatever is between you two, that you not wander the Hotel without a strong Master Vampire beside you to calm your urges. If you don’t truly wish to unleash your bloodlust yet – and I deeply recommend you wait until you are with a partner you trust – then have a care. And do not show your face among the Masters again until you have a solution to this issue.”
With that, Arturos rose, and Ariana drowned a moment in his darkwater tides until she felt Quinn’s darkfire rush up inside her, breaking her from the Master of the Deeps. Ariana didn’t know Arturos’ story, but it seemed a tragic one as he heaved a hard sigh and turned. As Quinn offered his hand, the two shook with an arcane grasping of forearms. Quinn didn’t say anything now, only escorted his friend to the doors and let him silently out.
Leaving Ariana alone now with Quinn – the very person who was provoking her magics.
CHAPTER 12 – TAKING
Quinn returned to Ariana after Arturos left his apartment. As she sipped her blue cordial, he smiled wryly, stepping over to his gilded bar and pouring another cordial for himself in his whiskey glass. Heaving a sigh, he sank to a seat beside her on the couch now rather than reclaim his chair. Swirling the sparkling blue cordial, he smiled at it like an old adversary before tipping it back in a long draught. Cradling the half-empty glass in his hands, he gazed at the fire, making a face as he swallowed.
“I haven’t needed Culling Cordial to calm my bloodlust for a long time. I forgot how bad it tastes.” Quinn spoke as he watched the fire.
“It doesn’t taste bad to me.” Ariana commented as she glanced into her glass, still thinking it tasted like bubblegum.
