As a vortex suddenly roared deep inside her like a void at this new revelation, it consumed the bright day all around. Ariana felt empty and cold in her heart, like something inside her had gone utterly black as the day dimmed to her power’s dark roar. It was so utterly Vampiric, and so viciously frigid that she lifted a hand to her chest just to make sure her heart still beat. It did, but that dark sensation devoured her as she stared out over the bright day. An enormous hum built inside her suddenly, like the universe vibrated through her bones or a black hole ate everything inside her.
And she saw a shadow take shape across the street.
Manifesting in the shade of cork oaks and cypress across the avenue, it swirled out fast as Ariana’s attention pinned it. But with a dark shudder, she knew she had seen eyes in those shadows – gold eyes, watching her just like the day her magics had first opened in the Pitti Palace. Taking a deep breath, Ariana shuddered off the sensation of being watched. If it had been the same Vampire Revenant, it was gone now. Standing tall, she gripped Quinn’s pendant in her fist, feeling his steadiness fill her.
And then she spoke quietly into the phone. “I will come visit as soon as I can. And you will tell me everything.”
“We swear it.” Adicus Summers spoke gently back. “We love you, Ariana; work hard on controlling your power and then come to us. And we will say everything that needs to be said.”
“I love you, too.” With a deep inhalation, Ariana closed her eyes in the bright day.
And then hung up.
CHAPTER 2 – OBSESS
Tapping through screens on her tablet near midnight later, Ariana catalogued Quinn’s impressive art collection at the Red Letter Hotel Florence. Standing in the vaulted stone and wrought-iron administration hall, onyx and crystal chandeliers shone in the Renaissance-Gothic alcoves as she gazed up at a pastoral painting by the Italian Summer Fae artist Ruggio Elani. Though she had immersed herself in work today, she was still stewing about her conversation with her parents. It was impossible to focus now as her thoughts tracked back to those immense revelations. Lost in her mind, she jolted in surprise as a group of Hotel staff passed through. She was barely able to control the dark rainbows that shimmered from her.
Letting her magic rage free again as soon as the group turned a corner.
“Something wrong with the painting, Ariana?”
A sensual, midnight-smooth baritone voice spoke suddenly beside her – and Ariana’s heartbeat ratcheted up ten notches as she startled again. She realized as she tried to get control of her racing heart, that the incomparable Barone Quindici DaPonti stood next to her now; and in her deep preoccupation, she hadn’t even heard him arrive.
Turning towards him, she gave an exasperated huff, slapping her tablet down on a gilded side-table near a vase of blood-dark roses. But the Hotel Head and Master of Florence was unstoppably gorgeous; for a moment, Ariana just stared at Quinn’s tall, dark & Italian hotness as he smiled at her in the quiet hall.
Wearing one of his slim black Armani suits with black accents and a maroon silk pocket square, gold and onyx men’s rings shone on Quinn’s fingers with a matching Rolex. Watching Ariana, his perfectly onyx eyes captured her as his full lips quirked. His cutting cheekbones were just full enough to be beautiful, his jaw sharp and dark brows straight. Gold and red highlights shone in his dark auburn hair from the spotlights in the alcove.
As he lifted an eyebrow – smiting her with his intense, dark beauty.
“Ariana? Are you all right?” Quinn asked as he watched her.
“Sorry.” Shaking her head, Ariana crossed her arms and scowled as another wave of rainbow-dark energy came simmering from her. “You know how there are those days when you get what might be the worst news of your life? I mean, I thought finding out from you that I was being hunted by the Summer Fae King was the worst news of my life, but now—”
“You received even worse news when you spoke with your family today.” Quinn spoke seriously as a flash of crimson lit his onyx eyes. Watching her, he became still as marble as his grave-dark nimbus flowed quietly around him. “Forgive me, I couldn’t help but overhear some of your conversation this morning. I was not listening through our new connection, but I felt your emotions as I controlled your power. Even though it was tense, I am glad you finally spoke with your parents, Ariana. It was weighing on me that you had gone three weeks without confronting them about their falsehoods.”
“You were concerned that I hadn’t spoken with them? Why?” Ariana blinked as something softer moved through her at Quinn’s worry.
“Because you told me that you and your family are close.” Quinn spoke gently as they stood together. With no one around in the quiet admin hall, isolated from the areas of the Hotel that came alive at night, Quinn was familiar now, reaching out and brushing a curl of Ariana’s long red hair back as he smoothed his knuckles over her cheek. “So what did they say?”
“A lot.” Ariana sighed, suddenly aching for him to do more than just touch her cheek. Everything inside her felt jangled as her magic gave a tight swirl around her again. It was something she didn’t know how to control yet, though her new magical bond to Quinn via their Master’s Kiss calmed it somewhat. “My parents basically confirmed our theory about the Summer Fae King hunting me because I was Dark Fae – that’s why they whisked me away to the human world all these years, to hide me. But there were a few pieces I didn’t know. Big pieces. And I’m still working on them.”
“Obsessingover them.” Quinn said softly now as he watched her. “I could feel your energy churning all day through our bond, Ariana, and though I couldn’t be spared from my duties getting the Hotel ready for the Meeting of the Havens in a few days’ time, you were on my mind. Whatever they told you has shaken you to your core. And while I appreciate that you are trying to bebusiness as usualdoing your cataloguing and controlling your emotions right now, perhaps you would like to talk? Over dinner perhaps, as I feel you have eaten nothing today.”
“You can feel all that through our Master’s Kiss?” Ariana’s mouth fell open now, feeling suddenly exposed before Quinn as if he was drawing information right out of her mind with their new bond.
His dark eyes deep in their intensity, Quinn smoothed his hands over her shoulders. “Obsession is a Vampire trait, Ariana, I know it well. Since our Master’s Kiss three weeks ago, I was concerned that my new connection to you might open up more of the Vampire side of your Dark Fae power as it matures – and from what I felt today, I know it is so. Stewing over bad news is normal.Obsessingover something, losing time, forgetting what you were doing, and feeling irate when you return to it… are Vampire issues.”
Ariana found herself without words as she stared at Quinn. He had described what she was feeling to a T – and even as her power swirled up again, cascading in a dark shimmer through the hall, she felt another obsession rise.
As a deep, utterly carnal fascination with Quinn suddenly gripped her, she was swamped by the feel of her own heartbeat, by the smell of his midnight oleander cologne, and by the way the lights made his hair shine. He wasn’t rolling her with his Vampire gaze, he was simply standing there watching her and touching her with his strong, elegant hands. But it was as if every little thing about him made her body heighten suddenly.
As she blushed – feeling irate again at all that hot bliss.
“I’m not obsessing over anything. I’m just furious, that’s all.”
“I beg to differ.” Quinn spoke with a knowing look as they stood alone together in the hall. “Why do you think I made you Art Curator here and assigned you the endlessly detailed task of cataloguing all my artworks and artifacts, Ariana? Because you need something to do as the Vampire side of your power opens. Something to distract you as you begin to obsess.”
“I thought you made me Curator here because of my talents and training.” Ariana lifted an eyebrow as she re-crossed her arms, feeling peeved with him though he’d only been honest. Everything just seemed irritating all of a sudden as she shifted, churning deep inside.
