And it was everything she needed as the world around them vanished.
All thought slid away as Lucca pressed his wrist to her mouth and Ariana swallowed him down in a hot, bright rush. She came into a deep, primal place, and there was nothing but the sensation of devouring as blood slid across her tongue and down her throat, metallic and sweet.
Slowly, Ariana became aware of someone breathing by her cheek as his eyelashes fluttered, his strong arms wrapped around her and his tall, lean body cradling her. Arturos and Alleno’s bonds were gone now as Lucca held her gently in the night, patient as she took her fill even though he was in pain. As his blood slid down Ariana’s throat, filling some dark void inside her, she felt everything it touched become light. As that vital heat raced into her, spreading through her core and surging into her own bloodstream now, she felt a beautiful brightness like a thousand rainbows smooth all through her.
Sparkling in the summer night.
Gradually, Ariana ceased drinking. Breathing hard, she rested with her teeth still in Lucca’s wrist and her lips pressed to his skin, though she could actually remember that he was Lucca now. Breathing as hard as her, his heart pounded in a frenzied rhythm with hers, as if they were somehow joined now by what she had done.
His breaths heaving by her cheek, Lucca’s lips were soft as they brushed her; for a moment, Ariana gave in to the sensation, pausing with him as if they were dancing. Even through Arturos’ watery barrier, she could feel the sickle moon shining down, and a million stars as they reflected off the surface of the river. Singing filled Ariana deep inside, someplace that had only been void before. She drank in that sound beneath the moonlight as her energy pulsed with Lucca’s, and the beating of their hearts.
As their magics braided into each other again – far deeper than ever before.
“Ariana…” Lucca murmured at last as his lips nuzzled her, his body hot and firm behind her now. “Are you in there?”
Ariana tried to nod, she tried to say something, but only ended up hitching a breath as her fangs slowly retracted. Lucca shivered in both pain and eroticism as her fangs left him. Tightening his arms around her in that deep prelude to sex now rather than to restrain her, Lucca’s breath was hot and heavy as he whispered his lips over her cheek.
“Careful, Lucca…” Alleno’s voice came from somewhere nearby, though in her fugue, Ariana couldn’t place it.
“Give them a moment.” Arturos spoke also now in his low, musical voice. “They need a few minutes to come back to earth after that, trust me.”
“They look like they’re going to throw down and fuck right here on the bridge,” Alleno growled back with heat in his voice. “Which would not be a good thing with this many eyes watching, Vampire.”
“They won’t. Her power didn’t bite him deeply enough for that. Not yet, anyway.” Arturos spoke again, watching her and Lucca.
But Ariana didn’t listen anymore as she reveled in Lucca’s body wrapped around her and his hot breath at her cheek – and his beautiful, luminous blood deep inside her. Shadows and rainbows flickered all through her as she watched them with her eyes closed, seeing flashes of sun-gold and moon-silver pour through her at the beautifully strange resonance she and he created together. Reaching up, she slid her hand behind Lucca’s neck.
Pulling him closer as she felt that amazing sensation pour through them both.
Ariana smelled something spicy suddenly; she didn’t know how much time she’d lost reveling in Lucca and his hot blood inside her as her eyelashes flickered open, seeing Arturos dab some of the Hotel’s unguent on Lucca’s wrist-bite. Though Lucca inhaled in pain, he held still, keeping Ariana cradled close while Arturos worked. She watched with a kind of detached fascination now as her two ugly puncture-wounds in Lucca’s inner wrist began to slowly draw closed. Part of her couldn’t believe she had made such a wrathful, vicious bite; while the other part of her smiled strangely deep inside, as if pleased with its work.
But as Lucca’s wound finally closed – albeit with copious bruising – Ariana found herself returning to the world. Looking around as Arturos gradually lowered his watery barrier, she saw how many Vampires and Fae stared at her in shock. Over a hundred people watched as Ariana’s energy pulsed slowly around her and Lucca with a dark sheen of rainbows.
But Lucca’s power seemed locked to hers now. As his shimmering, brighter rainbows cascaded through hers, dancing with a lovely amalgamation of power beneath the summer stars, it was like some kind of reverse solar eclipse – or like he and Ariana had poured their power through light and dark prisms as their magic shimmered through the darkness.
Deep within, Ariana could still feel the music of their resonance flowing through them both, though she wasn’t sure if Alleno of Arturos heard it. Nearby, Alleno frowned hard at what Lucca and Ariana’s power was doing, though Ariana could tell he was impressed.
While Arturos gazed at it in concern, moving one hand subtly through their entwined magics.
“We should get you back to Quinn, Ariana.” Alleno spoke at last as his sharp gaze pierced Lucca. “We should take Ariana home, Lucca. Enough damage has been done tonight.”
But Lucca didn’t relinquish Ariana, as if being this close with her despite his pain and blood-donation was everything he wanted. “I am not damaged, Alleno. Ariana has not hurt me.”
“Begging your pardon, my liege,” Alleno growled very softly now as he moved close to Lucca’s side. “But the damage was not to your person. Look around.”
As Lucca finally glanced to his cousin then looked around, Ariana realized what he did. Their magical display had shocked the citizens of Florence, both Vampires and Fae – and Ariana knew it posed a deep risk to everything they had been working on all day as Lucca set his jaw and scowled. As Arturos took in how impressively public their display had been also, Ariana saw his dark blue eyes flash by the light of the lampposts.
Stepping in close, he pinned Lucca with his gaze.
“I believe your Darkwatch protector gives good counsel, Summer Fae Prince.” Arturos spoke, his voice low in the night. “I don’t know the relationship between you and Ariana, but power pours through you both in a way I’ve rarely seen. She needs to return to Quinn now, lest you wish to start a war between the Vampires and Fae by claiming her this way. When she is already claimed by a Master.”
“I claim nothing.” Lucca breathed quietly, though he still held Ariana close.
“Bullshit.” Arturos growled very softly now as he got right up in Lucca’s face. “Either she has claimed you somehow, or you have claimed her, but tonight’s demonstration of magics is a direct challenge to Quinn’s bond upon her – or so that is how other Master Vampires will see it. By receiving her bite in the way you have, Prince of the Summer Fae, you challenge Quinn as her Master. Something he would likely have to go to war over, if any Vampire were to challenge him for his hold over her – if they thought his bond upon her was weak.”
Ariana felt the Vampire-Siren’s words finally make Lucca pause in the night. Slowly, he came unwound from her – and it was only then that she realized how deeply and possessively he had been wrapped around her, as if truly claiming her for his own rather than Quinn. All through her veins, Ariana felt Lucca’s blood continue to sing as she turned and glanced up at him. Smitten by agony and bliss all at once, he gazed down at her.
Something terribly dark-bright in his eyes.
