Page 22 of Light Fae's Love
“Well. I believe we have much to think about.” Eiseth glances around our group. “I should retire and attend a few things for my Dark Haven, as I still intend to stay on a few days and relax before I return. You have, however, piqued my interest, Quinn—I will search the Annals of the Isles extensively upon my return to see if there is any mention of a trio such as yours wielding the Music. For that bonding ritual you performed came from my people, and trios like yours were formed in the ancient past to stabilize our societies in times of war. I will see what I can find. And let you know.”
“Thank you, Eiseth. As ever, we deeply appreciate your support,” I say as I lean in, kissing Eiseth’s cheeks. Eiseth moves to Ariana next, kissing her cheeks and clasping her hands before doing the same with Arturos.
To Lucca, though, she only gives a cordial nod, one he returns. She may be my ally, but time will tell if she is Lucca’s—and he’s not about to be overly friendly until he knows friend from foe, something I understand. Eiseth’s smile is amused, however, as she turns away.
Egressing from the underground hall into the deepening night.
“I should get going, too.” Arturos sets his wine aside as he glances at me. “I’m needed back in Rome, but I shall do like Eiseth and pour through the Council’s annals on anything even remotely connected to this. We need information before you three experiment further. I would hate for anything to happen to any of you. Including the arrogant Fae Prince.”
Arturos grins with a sly glint in his eyes at Lucca now, a teasing energy passing from him toward our bound Fae Prince. Something about Arturos’ ribbing makes Lucca chuckle, however, rather than get defensive. I recall Arturos has saved Ariana’s life twice, once when Lucca couldn’t save her with his own power. I feel a sudden accord form between them now, when I know they were nearly at each other’s throats a week ago trying to contain her power on the bridge. But this is a new battle, and all of us are on the same side this time.
Arturos offers Lucca his hand—and to my vast pleasure, Lucca takes it.
“Prince Lucca. Until next time.”
“Arturos. A pleasure,” Lucca says back.
As Arturos turns to bid me goodbye, though, I clasp his forearm—holding on as I impress a point to him. “Be careful in Rome, my friend. The Council’s Annals are heavily watched; any tome you pick up to even casually flip through has deeply imprinted wards to monitor browsing.”
“I have my ways of evading wards, Quinn,” Arturos says. He chuckles, though he looks pleased I thought of his safety. “I’ll be fine. Until we know more, however, I would advise against the three of you experimenting. The Music is not to be trifled with. Take it from a Siren who knows the power of resonance and sound.”
“Thank you,” I say with a solemn nod as we let go. Arturos is embracing Ariana now and smiling at her as he pulls away. There is still something too familiar in the Vampire-Siren’s smile for her, however; something about it makes me course with subtle jealousy now, though I know he’s not trying to claim her.
Arturos is as peaceable as always, however, as he exits the hall after Eiseth. The doors boom closed, and it’s just Lucca, Ariana, and me in the empty hall, an uneaten spread of food and drinks beside us.
As each of us ponders the enormous repercussions of wielding our trio’s magic, I mind-summon my Vampire Catering staff. Five of my Vampires move in briskly from a hidden alcove to take the unfinished spread of food and drink to my private quarters. I gesture our trio towards a different alcove, touching a gargoyle fountain to open a passage behind the stone. My dark magic swirls as the vaulted wall swings wide, admitting our trio to the narrow, blue-lit passages behind the Hotel’s walls.
I close the wall with another swirl of my dark magic as I turn to Lucca and Ariana.
“Come. Let us head to my rooms to talk further. Because even though you are watchful of our trio’s ability with the Music, Lucca, I believe there are ways we can use it safely in the coming weeks and months. I believe it would behoove us to experiment with this power; to test its limits now that you are hale. At least we could get a grip on its effects… before we use it again.”
“I don’t like the way you’re talking, Quinn,” Lucca says with a lifted eyebrow at me now as we move off toward my suite. “You’ve always leaped before you looked when there was power to gain. And they called me the rash one.”
“You still are rash,” I say as we take a turn. “Hot-tempered and defensive when I tell you of my schemes. Which is why I’d like to ensure we’re in a private place before I tell you the rest of my current scheme.”
“Why don’t I like the sound of that?” Lucca says in a growl now as I set my hand to an alcove and flare my dark aura, pushing through into my private rooms. As the stone wall and one of my Italian Renaissance landscape paintings close behind us, I note that it’s deep twilight now, far above the crystal vaults of my rooms.
All around, my suite’s elegant Victorian furnishings glow royal blue and gold by the lights of my massive crystal and onyx chandeliers. Only one fireplace out of three is lit as the sultry summer night descends, just enough for ambiance.
My rooms have an almost three-sixty view of the sky; it never fails to entrance me as I watch stars pop out far above my lofted bedroom. But my guests need nourishment; I turn and gesture to my dining table, now set with the spread from the hall, plus quite a bit more. Some part of me is amused to watch Ariana blink that it’s arrived already.
Always astounded by the things magic can do.
“Come. Let us sit and eat. Then we shall talk more about my plans for the coming weeks.” I gesture to my formal dining table, inviting them to sit.
“Actually, I’d like to hear it right now.” Lucca crosses his arms, however, staring me down rather than take a seat. “Knowing you, the longer you finagle this, the more wiles you’ll try to use on me to agree with you, when I might not otherwise.”
“I believe, since our bond to each other a week ago, that my wiles do not work as well upon you as they once did.” I give a chuckle, though there is truth to it. “Fine, Lucca. For Ariana’s sake and yours, I shall be plain. I do not think we can put off using the Music of the Spheres. Because we’ll need to use it soon before your father, the Summer Fae King, if we wish to not lose the tenuous peace he has formed with us.”
“Why?” Lucca gives a severely arched eyebrow now as he stares me down at this new bit of information.
“Is something wrong, Quinn?” Frowning, Ariana speaks up as I feel deep unease inside her, to hear me mention our current tenuous truce with King Archivolio Bellari. “Have you heard something from King Bellari?”
“Only that the King is reconsidering our truce,” I am direct now as my gaze moves to her, finally letting them both in on the intel I’ve been gathering from my sources. “He has been receiving reports from the city… touting Lucca as gaining the populace’s affection from you two’s outings amongst the Summer Fae. It seems you may be speaking well of the King, but the Fae are picking up on your subtext, thanks to Ariana’s convincing magics and Lucca’s derring-do—that Lucca should be ruling, rather than his father. The King is hearing it now, and wishes for us to prove our ability to take back Rome for him. In three days’ time, he wishes for us to prove our loyalty in these schemes we have wrought. I thought, what better way to show him than by returning a Revenant in his presence? And making him see our ability… to create an army that could take back Rome for the Summer Fae.”
Lucca’s lips have fallen open. As he blinks his long blond lashes hard, I feel a storm fill him to the brim—flashing with fiery streaks of light as his face darkens like a thundercloud.
Lucca is a fury when he’s enraged; a surge of blistering waves of heat and light explode through my cathedral-like chambers now at what I’ve just told him. Livid, his blue eyes burn with a searing luminosity; Ariana jolts back from him as his magic raises a blazing zephyr in the room. The light that shines from him is too bright, crisping my skin like a sunburn. But I weather that storm; it’s not the first time I’ve felt Lucca’s sun-hot wrath.