But Arturos said no more as he exited the car and Ariana pushed up from the sleek bucket seat, doing the same. As he tossed the keys to the valets, he rounded the Maserati, taking Ariana’s hand and escorting her up the marble steps into the Hotel’s halls.
Revelry was in full swing tonight as they entered; Quinn had spared no expense for the galas and various entertainment events available to his high-level Vampire guests before the official Meeting of the Havens. The Hotel was lit from stem to stern with gaiety and laughter, and headier sounds tonight.
And though Ariana saw both sex and blood-drinking happening on all sides now in the Hotel’s grandly sensual niches, she found herself strangely unaffected by it. As if drinking Lucca’s blood earlier had calmed her Vampiric passions, she felt almost light as she sailed through those dark waters.
Arturos didn’t miss it as he glanced over, lifting an intrigued eyebrow. But Ariana was steady as they made their way to her third-floor suite. Until she entered her rooms and saw both Devi and Curio standing by her table – rushing to her in a near-panic as Arturos softly closed the door.
“She’s not harmed; she’s alright.” Arturos said as Curio and Devi’s hands checked her all over now as if looking for an injury, either physical or metaphysical.
“Ariana! Thank the gods!” Curio gushed with relief in his pale silver-blue eyes. “The Master felt your power flare tonight in the city, but then his connection to you was cut off! None of us could feel you, we couldn’t locate you! We thought you were—”
“Dead?” Ariana blinked as she suddenly realized the intense hubbub her flare of power had unwittingly caused tonight.
“Dead or taken by another Master.” Devi growled fiercely as her dark chocolate eyes shot a glance towards Arturos.
But Arturos ignored her barb as he spoke with an edge in his voice now. “Ariana’s bloodlust rose hard tonight when she was with the Summer Fae Prince. She wasverylucky I was dining at a favorite restaurant of mine downtown, right near the bridge when her magic went haywire.”
But before anyone could say more, Quinn came storming into the room. Like a thundercloud of fire-bright darkness, he moved quickly to Ariana – relief in his onyx eyes rather than wrath. As Quinn embraced her, a powerful sigh left him; practically wrapping himself around her, he cradled her head to his shoulder. He was gorgeous tonight in a dark sapphire tux with rounded black lapels, smelling like rainwater and gardenia as his dark nimbus of power surged all around her. And though his move was commanding, Ariana found herself fall sweetly into his powerful, intense body.
As she wrapped her arms around him – never wanting to let him go.
It was safety, she realized. Despite all the tensions between them and how her power and his had both been flaring lately, she felt safe in Quinn’s arms. Though Masters like Arturos were powerful, Ariana suddenly realized she only truly felt safe with one Vampire.
The one holding her right now.
As they stood together, breathing gently, she felt a beautiful presence open up all through Quinn, relieved that she was alright. As he quietly ordered everyone out of the room, she felt Curio and Devi go with twin bows, though Arturos lingered until Quinn nodded him quietly away also. Ariana felt through Quinn’s bond that he and Arturos would speak at length about what had happened. But for now, Quinn just held Ariana deeply in the night.
Until the door closed and they were alone.
“Gods, I was so worried!” Quinn breathed as he held Ariana close.
“I’m sorry.” She responded, not about to let him go, she felt so safe in his arms. “I shouldn’t have let my bloodlust get out of control tonight.”
“It’s my fault.” Quinn spoke back as he nuzzled his lips against her hair. “I should never have let you go off by yourself; not until we had a better handle on your powers. But you responded so well to being around the Summer Fae at the palace that I assumed we would have few problems today with you going into the city. I thought we had time to solve our intimacy issues and how they have been pushing the Vampiric side of your power. I was wrong. Dangerously wrong, apparently.”
“So what do we do?” Ariana asked, glancing up as Quinn finally eased his embrace.
“I’m not sure yet.” Quinn spoke frankly as he perused her gaze, then blinked. “But your power’s calmer now than when I felt it flare in the city. You drank blood from someone tonight… and it has calmed your Vampiric need far more than a normal blood-drinking. You feel almost entirely Fae right now, as if your Vampire powers are asleep inside you. Tell me, who did you drink from tonight when your bloodlust rose? Arturos?”
“Lucca.” Ariana answered honestly. “My power flared on a bridge and Lucca and Alleno were both there, but they could barely contain me. Arturos came running from a restaurant… he slammed up a shield of water and restrained me until Lucca could offer me his wrist.”
“Lucca’sblood runs through you now!” But though Ariana thought Quinn might have been furious at how her outburst of power had been solved tonight, he seemed merely astounded. Easing back, his gaze became unfocused as he glanced around her, reading her aura. Blinking his long lashes, a wondering expression came over him. “Lucca’s blood is able to contain your Vampiric bloodlust…!”
“Quinn? What’s going on?” Ariana asked, confused. But Quinn only nodded absently as she felt his mind moving a thousand miles a minute. Now that they were back together, it seemed their magical and psychic connection had been repaired, and Ariana could feel the rushing of Quinn’s thoughts though she still wasn’t adept at reading them. But as he guided her over to a side-bar in her rooms and poured them both a whiskey now, handing hers over and clinking with her, Ariana knew he was careening down long lines of possibility from everything that had happened tonight.
Possibilities that weren’t entirely bad.
“Tell me, Ariana,” Quinn breathed with intrigue now as he watched her, swirling his whiskey. “Do you still feel Lucca’s blood rushing through you, calming the Vampire side of your magics?”
“I mean, some.” Ariana frowned, feeling how Lucca’s beautiful blood still moved in her, though she could tell the effect was beginning to wane as her obsessiveness churned again. “But I feel my Vampire powers coming back, Quinn, and it’s only been an hour. I took a lot of Lucca’s blood; he wouldn’t show it, but I know I did. Trying to control my powers that way—”
“Is not sustainable. Dammit.” Quinn heaved a sigh as his countenance darkened and he sipped his whiskey. “I had hoped perhaps Lucca’s blood could control your Vampiric side far longer, but it seems it is not to be. My Master’s Kiss has pushed you too far into your Night, Ariana, and my powers are not able to balance you like they should. We cannot send you out among the Summer Fae like this. Bloodlust only grows stronger for a young Vampire, before they have finally had enough blood for it to settle into a manageable thirst. In a matter of days or less, youwillbecome a raging animal – I’ve seen it happen when strong Twilight Lineages are Sired. It might take weeks, months, even years to subside… time we do not have as we negotiate with the Summer Fae. Worse, if the Council of Rome hears of how my bond to you is not controlling your bloodlust but provoking it… they will send someone to kill you. Probably kill us both.”
“There were a lot of people who witnessed what happened tonight.” Ariana breathed, a dark fear trembling her now at Quinn’s words. “A lot of Vampires.”
“Not every Vampire in Florence is mine, Ariana.” Quinn spoke direly, even as he pushed a steadying energy through her. “Many belong to other Dark Havens, though they live here. Some are spies, and some of those can disguise themselves from my energetic searches of the city. Though I wish to be, no Master is all-knowing. The Hotel is fortified with magical wards, and those who wish to be under my protection live here. But those who wish to have their own lives in the city, I allow.”
“So anyone’s Vampires could have been watching me explode today. Awesome.” Ariana sighed as her mood darkened further. “The Council could know by tonight that my power’s going haywire, if anyone flits back to Rome.”
