“What about my Dark Haven?” Arturos spoke back with a terrible look, dark as the oceans. “I am alone among my kind, Ariana. Dragons and Sirens do not turn into Vampires easily; only a handful of Masters throughout history could do it. My Sire is the Wanderer – she wanders like the wind, Siring only the strongest to her bloodline before she abandons us and wanders on. I don’t have a Dark Haven, and never have.”
“But I thought you were on the Council?” Ariana asked, her eyebrows rising at his admission.
“I was.” He responded with a dark terseness. “My Master is on the Council, but since she wanders, she elects one of her Sirees to sit her place when she is away. I was elected to take her place this past century, but just this last year have been replaced by another. I am not loyal to the Council, Ariana. Quinn is one of the only people who understands my… situation, and gave me an honorary place here in your Dark Haven – a place I do not take lightly. I would not see this family perish, ever. They are precious to me.”
As Arturos watched Ariana, his dark blue aura swirled with deep currents, glimmering through the air in a massive wash of furiously protective oceanic power. As he pulled it back, his power calmed once more to its unfathomable depths – but shock hit Ariana now as she suddenly understood him.
The Vampire-Siren was like a brother to Quinn, and the Florence Dark Haven was Arturos’ family. Everything he’d done for her ever since she’d arrived had been to protect the Dark Haven and Quinn, and her also as a new member of this family. Arturos was essentially adopted into the Dark Haven of Florence, though he was more than powerful enough to lead his own. But this place, and these people, were his family, too.
And Ariana saw that shining in his dark eyes as he gave a quirk of lips now like he’d said too much.
“I will not allow this conflict to affect our Dark Haven or our Hotel.” Quinn spoke dangerously now as his eyes finally opened from relaying instructions and he glanced at Arturos and Ariana. Ariana wasn’t sure he’d felt her new understanding of Arturos, but if he had, he’d put the issue away for another time. “Our Florentine Vampires may not be many, but we will be ready.”
“How many Vampires do you have to counter this?” Ariana asked, worried as she turned back to Quinn.
“Not enough, though we are fierce in battle.” Quinn looked at her now, his dark eyes blazing as a deep wrath churned inside him. “Once, Emiliana’s Dark Haven had over two thousand Vampires. But Siring men dying on the battlefield, and women left in the gutter after rape, or turning criminals awaiting the gallows is not a good way to build a Dark Haven. After I killed her, most did not remain here; and losing so many members actually did make our Dark Haven weak for a long time. I have worked hard these past two hundred years to make our reputation decent, building us up with trustworthy fighters. But it is a long, slow road.”
“Emiliana used to hold a seat on the Council,” Arturos spoke with a dire look to Ariana, “but when so many Vampires left the Dark Haven of Florence after her death, the Council took it as weakness on Quinn’s part, and denied him Emiliana’s seat. That was the beginning of this Dark Haven’s troubles.”
“But far from the end.” Quinn sighed as he drained his wine and set it aside upon the crystal bar. “I must alert everyone I trust of this predicament. Give them time to get out, or join us in the fighting. I would not have all the progress we’ve made towards Vampire equality be ruined if I cannot protect our allies tonight.”
As Ariana blinked to hear how much Quinn thought of protecting others even now, Arturos drained his wine also, setting the glass aside on a polished crystal bar. “We’ll stand strong for you, Quinn. I’ll help make the rounds and speak with our allies now, quickly and quietly. I have no Vampires to send you, but hopefully my influence and power joining you tonight will be enough.”
“I do not take your friendship lightly, I hope you know that.” Quinn spoke with gratitude as he clapped Arturos on the shoulder.
“Perhaps you’ll forgive me now for trying to steal your Dark Fae a few weeks ago.” Arturos spoke wryly as his blue eyes flashed. “I do hope you can pardon me for that, Quinn, eventually. I don’t know what possessed me that night. Ariana simply… swept me. I’m sure you understand by now.”
And as Ariana blinked at Arturos’ further admission, she finally understood what had happened when she and he had first met. Her power had been reaching out to the strongest Vampire Masters to protect her, and it had somehow wrangled Arturos into losing his restraint that night. But she understood now that he was not just protective of her, but of Quinn’s entire Dark Haven; as she stared at Arturos, his dark blue eyes drowned her, his power deep as it crashed around her. With a will, Arturos pulled it back. Setting a hand to Quinn’s shoulder, Arturos shook his friend fiercely.
“I will make the rounds. Be ready to fight hell or high-water tonight.”
With that, Arturos gave Quinn one last nod and Ariana a deep bow, leaving her and Quinn at the bar. As his powerful presence left, Ariana drained her wine, her emotions churning. Glancing to her, Quinn gave a wry smile.
“Are you alright?” He spoke as his dark onyx eyes searched hers. Reaching up, he brushed a lock of Ariana’s long red hair back from her cheek.
“Yay. More battle.” Ariana used humor to cover the darkness churning inside her now, though she realized she didn’t feel as worried as she would have in the past. “But I don’t feel scared, exactly. More… ready? Furious to blast some shit up, actually, if someone fucks with us.”
“You have Lucca’s and my battle-readiness inside you now, bolstering your own natural desire for a fight.” Quinn spoke with a dark chuckle, a flash of crimson in his eyes. “We have all bound close with this ritual, though not as close as we could have. But Lucca was not wrong, what he said when he walked out on us. I have been stewing about it all day, realizing my secretive ways may actually be making me weak… when I thought they were making me strong.”
“Acting out of a desire to protect others isn’t weak,” Ariana spoke kindly as she gazed up at him. “But trusting others to help you when you need it makes them feel loved. And strengthens your bond.”
“Wise beyond your years.” Quinn smiled down at her.
But as Quinn bent his head and nuzzled her nose right there in front of everyone, Ariana suddenly felt hot, flushing to her core. Again, it was more intimacy than he had ever showed in public, among people who could have used his love against him. But Quinn was not holding back his feelings now as his dark nimbus swirled around Ariana and her own power responded. Their magics were bonded deep, Lucca’s bright fortitude in the mix now also. And as a sheen of dark and bright rainbows shimmered through the air, Quinn let them rise at last.
Lowering his head and pressing the softest kiss to Ariana’s lips.
“Come.” Quinn spoke quietly, though his dark eyes flashed with heat and wrath as he pulled back. “Let us make my opening speech. Stay close to me tonight and all will be well. I promise.”
As Ariana nodded, flushed from Quinn kissing her right out in the open, she realized that he truly anticipated a fight tonight. Stares came from all around as both ally and enemy Masters watched them. But Ariana felt both Quinn and Lucca’s steadfastness inside her now, ready for whatever was coming.
As Quinn’s dark nimbus swirled, he gazed down at her with his dark eyes on fire with crimson-gold, like black suns blazing. Ariana knew he would give everything to keep her safe tonight, a deep strength in him she had not felt before. It was a strength that wasn’t just dark anymore, but terribly bright from their new connection to Lucca. Even though it wasn’t as strong as it could have been, that searing brightness bolstered Ariana now as she lifted up, kissing his lips, and felt him kiss her back.
“Tonight, we do battle against our enemy, whoever they are, and whatever they unleash upon us.” Quinn spoke with a furious strength in him now.
“And they shall be the ones to rue the day they ever tangled with the Dark Haven of Florence.” Ariana responded as Quinn and Lucca’s twin fires burned hot inside her.
Ready to protect the people they loved.
