Page 26 of Light Fae's Love
11
RISK
Quinn’s and my meeting with the Summer Fae King is already going badly, as we are blockaded by Brightwatch the moment we arrive at the Palace of Light. Dressed in our finest, Quinn in an elegant maroon tux and me in a white cherry-blossom gown to match, we have a new Revenant captured in Quinn’s Florentine Box—though I still have no idea how he went about catching one of those things, Quinn gone all morning doing it.
He’s brought his Vampires to levitate the massive cage up the palace’s steps into the foyer; the Summer Fae Brightwatch holds a watchful perimeter around us in the late afternoon now, their long silver-gold spears leveled as Quinn’s Vampires float the runic silver cage into the entry hall. Beyond the entry, Brightwatch bar the way completely; Quinn’s Vampires are not allowed any further into the Palace of Light. They turn back with deep bows to Quinn.
As I gaze down the gilded butterfly hall before us, thinking it looks like a gauntlet.
As Quinn waves a hand so his smoke-dark magic pushes the floating cage smoothly down the hall, I watch this new Revenant heave against the drawn curtains, ringing the cage’s silver bars. I feel its frustration; our plan today is a massive gamble, and unease churns inside me, knowing we have to deceive Lucca today so Quinn’s plan can succeed.
Lucca hasn’t even contacted me once in the past three days; deep inside, I feel him still simmering about Quinn’s plan, and how much he’s against it. I feel his fury strengthen as we proceed towards the Throne Hall with our dozens of guards.
He knows Quinn and I have arrived to do our Revenant demonstration for the King.
Lucca’s fury builds step by step as Quinn and I approach the King’s Throne Hall. We arrive at the ornately gilded doors, and I see the hall is packed with noblefae come to watch the spectacle. It’s an intensely public event, as Quinn and I move in on opposite sides of the cage, him swirling it forward with slow movements of his hands and a blasé attitude as if he does this sort of thing every day.
As Quinn and I arrive with the massive cage before the King’s high dais, I watch the Summer Fae King Archivolio Bellari rise from his gilded dragonfly throne and Lucca from his smaller sky-blue and white one to the King’s right. Intrigue is in King Bellari’s vivid golden eyes.
And a dark fury is in Lucca’s.
“Vampire Master Quindici DaPonti and Dark Fae Ariana Summers of the Dark Haven of Florence. Be welcome.” King Bellari begins with far more political panache than he’s shown before. Clearly, he’s interested in what we will show him today and is willing to be civil. Quinn notes it also, returning that grace with a deep nod to the Summer Fae King, which I echo.
“King Bellari. A pleasure,” Quinn says with his fellow-well-met nature.
“I hear you have a demonstration for us today, though your caginess at explaining it to my ministers was nearly as immense as the cage that now stands before us.” The King snarks with a flicker of fire in his golden gaze as he glances at the rune-worked box. Handsome and dressed in his usual all-gold Fae military garb, imposing as always, it’s as if Archivolio Bellari can’t quite help but be snide with Quinn, though he reins it in somewhat today. “Do show us what is inside. I am ever so curious.”
Though the King’s strong voice drips with sarcasm, Quinn does nothing but give an elegant, low bow. With a cunning smile that his drama is proceeding as planned, Quinn swirls his hands, causing his dark aura to pull the four gilded cords at the edges of the box.
The Revenant is revealed, slamming against the bars with similar seething hatred as the one a few days ago, as gasps resound in the hall. Noblefae shrink back; even the King startles, his eyes flying open at what is revealed—though beside his father, Lucca merely crosses his arms.
Dressed in a beautiful doublet and breeches of white today, embroidered with sky-blue, plus elegant silver-grey boots, Lucca’s summer-blue gaze is dark as he stares Quinn down. But as his gaze pins me, his white-hot wrath surging through me from our joined power as if chastising me for going along with Quinn’s scheme, I focus my mind like a lance.
And send a thought straight to him.
Patience, Lucca. And we’ll get everything we want today. Please, trust me.
Lucca inhales as he receives my mind-sending, his blond eyelashes flickering. I’ve been practicing using my magic in subtle ways since our trio’s bond; as noblefae continue to shrink back in fear and their King blazes at Quinn with a seething ire, I know everyone in the hall missed my message, except Lucca.
Almost everyone. I see Lucca’s man Alleno Massi, dressed in dark charcoal Fae assassin’s gear and festooned with weapons, frown from his place behind Lucca’s throne.
“DaPonti!” King Bellari snarls now as he makes a very Italianate gesture to the thing in the cage. “Vampire Revenants are forbidden inside the Palace of Light! Remove this abomination from these halls at once, or lose your amnesty here today.”
“A moment, my King.” Quinn raises his hands in a calm, peaceful gesture. “You invited us here today because you wished us to prove our might as your allies. You wished to have a concrete reason your Summer Fae and my Vampires and the Dark Fae Ariana Summers should all work together, in a pact of peace in Florence and perhaps more. I have brought you that reason. If you indulge me in a small demonstration today, you will see why I have brought this Revenant into your halls. And what it could mean for our future alliance.”
Though the King’s full mouth twists up in fury now, his gold eyes blazing, I see intrigue in him. Quinn is nothing if not a showman; the King is hooked already, even if he doesn’t want to be. He heaves a hard sigh, gesturing at the cage again. “Fine. Show us this demonstration. Now.”
“Thank you.” Quinn leaves off saying my King this time; I see the subtle snub make Lucca raise an eyebrow. Though Lucca frowns in consternation now at what we are about to try, I feel him hold his energy back from our trio. He will not take part; Quinn raises an eyebrow at Lucca, feeling his withholding as Lucca raises his chin back, his arms crossed.
I see fear move through Lucca’s eyes also, though, as I extend a wrist to Quinn and he mesmerizes me lightly so it won’t hurt, then bites. Noblefae all around inhale sharply as Quinn drinks, spreading his massive, darkfire aura through the hall and coaxing out mine. The King pins his gaze to us, watching with an almost sexual eagerness as my power surges from me in a dark-bright rush of midnight rainbows, flashing silver and gold.
Gasps come from all around as I succumb to the sensation of my power flooding out now. It’s too much; I can’t contain it as Quinn’s rising magic strokes me and seduces me more, making my power pour out in a tirade.
Lucca’s energy yearns towards us as I fall into Quinn’s arms, shivering as my eyelashes flutter. Still, Lucca holds his power back from our trio in protest, as Quinn’s and my magics now resound into a singing sound through the hall. As it rings the columns, the stone floor, and the bars of the cage, even the Fae King’s golden throne, that amazing, impossible Music makes everyone shudder with ecstasy. Power surges all around us now, deep into the crowd.
The noblefae unable to resist the Music’s call.
I am shuddering from that massive power ringing through me and Quinn, as shock devours the King’s face. Though he fights it, Archivolio Bellari recognizes the Music of the Spheres; as Quinn sings softly now, shaping that sound just like he did three days ago and wielding it as it pours from his lips, I see the King recoil.